ship now slowly paid off and righted. In a few
minutes she was flying before the gale, rolling heavily, and
occasionally striking upon the wrecks of the masts, which she towed with
her by the lee-rigging.

Although the wind blew with as much violence as before, still it was not
with the same noise, now that the ship was before the wind with her
after-masts gone. The next service was to clear the ship of the wrecks
of the masts; but, although all now assisted, but little could be
effected until the day had dawned, and even then it was a service of
danger, as the ship rolled gunwale under. Those who performed the duty
were slung in ropes, that they might not be washed away; and hardly was
it completed, when a heavy roll, assisted by a jerking heave from a sea
which struck her on the chess-tree, sent the foremast over the starboard
cathead. Thus was the _Circassian_ dismasted in the gale.

CHAPTER FOUR.

THE LEAK.

The wreck of the foremast was cleared from the ship; the gale continued,
but the sun shone brightly and warmly. The _Circassian_ was again
brought to the wind. All danger was now considered to be over, and the
seamen joked and laughed as they were busied in preparing jury-masts to
enable them to reach their destined port.

"I wouldn't have cared so much about this spree," said the boatswain,
"if it warn't for the mainmast; it was such a beauty. There's not
another stick to be found equal to it in the whole length of the
Mississippi."

"Bah! man," replied Oswald; "there's as good fish in the sea as ever
came out of it, and as good sticks growing as ever were felled; but I
guess we'll pay pretty dear for our spars when we get to Liverpool,--but
that concerns the owners."

The wind, which, at the time of its sudden change to the southward and
eastward, had blown with the force of a hurricane, now settled into a
regular strong gale, such as sailors are prepared to meet and laugh at.
The sky was also bright and clear, and they had not the danger of a lee
shore. It was a delightful change after a night of darkness, danger,
and confusion and the men worked that they might get sufficient sail on
the ship to steady her, and enable them to shape a course.

"I suppose now that we have the trysail on her forward, the captain will
be for running for it," observed one who was busy turning in a dead-eye.

"Yes," replied the boatswain; "and with this wind on our quarter we
shan't want much sail, I've a n