e will weather out the hurricane."

"I am very much afraid that she will not," said Adair. "If there was a
prospect of a boat living I would volunteer to board her, and try and
save some of the people."

"The best-manned boat wouldn't live a minute in such a sea as this, so
there's no use thinking about it," answered Jack. "I have tried to
persuade myself that it might be possible, but I know it is not. All we
can hope is that should she go down, poor Alick may manage to get hold
of a plank or spar, or into one of the boats, and that when the gale
moderates we may pick him up. There is but a poor chance of that, I
own."

"I'll hope that the corvette won't go down," said Adair. "She is a new
ship, and, unless abominably managed, she ought to weather out the
hurricane."

"She ought to have been put before the wind by this time, and have
followed us; and see, she has not altered her position since she was
dismasted," said Jack, with a sigh. "Poor Alick!"

"Poor Alick! and poor Stella," echoed Adair.

Night came on. Few of the watch below--officers or men--turned in, for
every one knew that at any moment all hands might be piped on deck to
save ship.

The hurricane continued to rage with unabated fury. Hour after hour
went by without a sign of its ceasing. The vivid lightning darted
around; the whole upper regions of the sky being illuminated by
incessant flashes, while darts of electric fire exploded with surpassing
brilliancy in every direction, threatening each instant the destruction
of the ship. Jack and Terence were standing together, holding on to a
stanchion, when the latter gave a loud cry, and some heavy object fell
at their feet.

"Hillo! what's that?" exclaimed Paddy, as he put up his hand to his cap.
"Faith, I thought a round shot had taken my head off. Catch it, Jack,
or it will be away."

"What, your head, Terence?" asked Jack, unable to restrain a joke even
then.

"No, but that big bird there; see it's scuttling away along the deck."

Jack sprang forward and caught the bird, which proved to be a large
sea-fowl, but he had not the heart to injure it. Presently another
dropped on the deck near them, and in a short time a flash of lightning,
spreading a bright glare around, showed that the launch and booms, and
all the more sheltered spots, were tenanted by sea-birds, which, unable
to breast the storm, could find no other resting-place for their weary
wings. Some unfortunate ones wer