ers that shouted their threats in terrible chorus.

I suppose we boys were all much terrified. I _quailed_ with dread, for
it was my first experience of a storm on the water, and its time and
appearance were so imposing.

One would never have suspected from Captain Mugford's manner that we
were in any danger. His face was as calm and his hand as steady as if
we were having the pleasantest sail imaginable; only the violence with
which he smoked, ramming fingers full of tobacco into his pipe every few
minutes, betokened any unusual excitement, but we knew how absorbed he
was in his charge by his silence.

We were speechless, too, holding on fast to the backstays or gunwale to
keep our places in the desperate leaps and lurches the gallant little
craft was making. Ugly was soon thrown from his station, and, finding
he could not keep legs or position anywhere unaided, went and ensconced
himself between our skipper's legs.

Harder, heavier blew the wind, and wilder grew the sea, so that it
seemed sometimes as if we must go over, and the bowsprit now buried
itself in every billow. Then the Captain said to us in a calm, steady
voice--

"Boys, you must get another reef in the mainsail and lower the foresail.
Now, be careful and steady about it. There is no hurry. Bob, you come
here; the others can manage that work. You sit aft out of the way."

I did as directed; and the orders were speedily carried out without
accident.

Boatswain's Half-Acre Reef, a low rock that stood out at sea, about
three and a half miles south-east-by-east from our cape, now came in
sight ahead of us to the windward. In the spectral light, and beaten on
by the waves, it looked like some sea monster moving in the water. As
we were going we should probably pass close to its lee side in about ten
minutes, but the wind blew a tempest, and the sea increased so in a few
minutes that our peril was terrible. For two hours we had battled--
though evidently the storm was soon to be the conqueror.

Several seas came aboard in angry haste, and the punt, which had been in
tow all day, broke loose and was carried away. Another sea, stronger
than its fellows, suddenly struck us a tremendous blow. The cutter
heeled over, so that the water boiled above the lee gunwale. The
assaulting sea, too, broke up and over the weather-side, and drenched us
all in its cataract. To increase our terror, a cry came from Alfred,
who had been tossed from his hold and