ey would a
mere cock-boat. Even during the fiercest gale there are spots on the
surface of the sea which are less agitated than elsewhere, while at
times there comes a lull of the wind, often the precursor, however, of a
more furious blast. For such a lull the captain waited. It came.

"Helm's a lee!" he shouted.

With a mighty struggle the frigate came to the wind, the main and mizen
trysails were sheeted home, the fore-topsail was braced sharp up. Every
one looked with anxiety towards the next huge sea which came roaring
towards the frigate, to observe how she would behave. Most gallantly
she breasted it, though its hissing crest burst over the bulwarks, and
came rushing furiously aft along the deck, but the lee ports being
opened, the water made its way out again, without committing any serious
damage. To bring the ship to the wind and heave-to was one thing, to
beat her up to her hapless consort was another, and that it was found
impossible to do without the certainty of meeting with serious disaster.
In the attempt she would probably have missed stays, and making a stern
board would have gone down into the yawning gulf which the next passing
sea would have left. As it was, though she rose buoyantly over most of
the seas, ever and anon the summit of one broke on board, and all hands
had to hold on fast to save themselves from being carried into the
lee-scuppers, or washed overboard, while at the same time it was evident
that she must be making very considerable leeway, and thus be drifting
farther and farther from her consort. Jack and Adair could not help
feeling very anxious about the corvette, for the sake, of course, of all
on board, but more especially on account of Murray. They had last seen
her through a dense mass of spray, with her masts gone, and many of her
crew struggling in the waves, while the savage seas were breaking
completely over her. Commander Babbicome was very naturally not spoken
of, either by them or any one else, in the most complimentary manner.

"His stupid obstinacy has got his ship into this mess, and, as far as he
is concerned, he richly deserves it," observed Jack, trying to catch a
glimpse through his glass of the wreck, as she rose, in the far
distance, on the summit of a billow, quickly again to disappear. "It's
a sad fate for those poor fellows who have lost their lives, and I am
very much afraid that they will not be the only ones. It's a question
whether the corvett