meanwhile
striving manfully to hoist a staysail and get some way upon the ship, so
as to help her to pay off before the sea, and so save her from being
pooped by the waves, which were rising higher and higher every moment.

At length the stability of the ship prevailed, and she began to right.
Then, Roger and Harry, rushing to Leigh's assistance, helped him to put
the helm up, and the ship paid off and began to scud before the wind,
while Cavendish, encouraging his little body of men up in the eyes of
the ship, managed to get the foresail set, after having had it nearly
blown out of the bolt-ropes.

Looking astern, the boys saw the huge seas rushing after them, each one
threatening to engulf the craft and send her to the bottom; and indeed
that would speedily have been her fate had the men not been able to set
the small rag of sail, and thus made it possible for her to keep ahead
of the waves.

The foaming crests of the sea were ablaze with phosphorescence, and
appeared to tower above the poop as high as the main-topsail-yard, and
the sight of them sweeping along after the ship was positively
appalling. The wind now began to increase in violence, literally
tearing off the summits of the huge waves and sending them in spindrift
hurtling across the deck like showers of shot that cut the face like the
lash of a whip. The uproar was terrific, the shrieking and howling of
the wind blending with the creaking and straining of the timbers of the
labouring ship. Crash succeeded crash aloft, but they could distinguish
nothing of what was happening because of the intense blackness. Yet the
motion of the ship was becoming steadier, for the reason that the wind
was so strong that it was actually beating down the sea.

Suddenly the two lads heard a rending and tearing sound, followed by a
crash quite close to them, as something weighty smote the deck; and
through the fearful din that raged round them there rang out the scream
of a man in agony.

"Harry," said Roger, "that is the mizzenmast come down, and it has
injured some poor fellow! Let us endeavour to reach him if we can."

And, still holding to each other, they began to feel their way carefully
along the deck, which was now encumbered with wreckage.

Suddenly Harry cried out, and fell over something, which proved to be
the wreck of the fallen mast.

"Are you hurt, Harry?" queried Roger.

"No, lad," came the response, "and I think I have found the poor fellow
wh