d lighted the cabin lamp. It showed us, as I had supposed,
that the person I had rescued was our captain. He was pale as death,
and bleeding from a wound in the head. The light also exhibited the
utter confusion into which the cabin had been thrown. I managed,
however, to clear a way to the state cabin, to which we carried the
captain, and then getting off his wet clothes placed him between the
blankets in his berth. Fortunately, there was a cask of water in the
pantry, which enabled us to wash and bind up his head, so as to staunch
the blood flowing from it. The operation was performed but roughly, as
all the time the sound of the masts thundering like battering-rams
against the side of the vessel warned us that, we must try to cut them
adrift without delay. I feared that already they had done some serious
damage. Even before we left the captain he seemed to have somewhat
recovered his consciousness, for I heard him mutter, "Be smart, lads.
Tell mate--cut away wreck."

Of course we did not let him know that besides himself we alone of all
the crew were left alive. In the cabin I found another axe, and Jim and
I, going on deck, began the difficult and dangerous task we had
undertaken.

The lower rigging, on what had been the weather side, had entirely given
way, so that we had only to cut that on the opposite side, but in
leaning over to reach the shrouds at the chains we ran a fearful risk of
being carried off by the sea as the vessel rolled from side to side.

We first tried to clear the mainmast. We had cut two of the shrouds,
when a sea, having driven the butt end against the side with fearful
force, lifted it just as the brig rolled over, and it came sweeping
along the deck, nearly taking Jim and me off our legs. With the
greatest difficulty we escaped.

"It shan't do that again," cried Jim; and dashing forward with axe
uplifted he cut the last shroud, and the mast was carried away by the
next sea.

We had still to get rid of the foremast and bowsprit, which were doing
as much damage as the mainmast had done, by every now and then ramming
away at the bows with a force sufficient, it seemed, to knock a hole
through them at any moment. I felt anxious to return to the cabin to
attend to our old captain, but the safety of the vessel required us not
to delay a moment longer than could be helped in cutting away the
remaining masts and bowsprit.

I observed soon after the mainmast had gone that the wind