was driving the wreck farther on the reef,
and I feared that the mainmast would go by the board and fall on the
steamer.

"All aboard that are going!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, as I
stood at the wheel, ready to do whatever an emergency might require.
The two vessels were grinding their sides together, and nothing but our
fenders saved our planks from being torn off.

The men on board the bark were very slow in seeking safety, and I was
about to repeat my former call, when I saw two women appear on the rail
by the mizzen rigging. Our hands hastened to their assistance, and as
the bark was so low in the water they had no difficulty in getting them
on our hurricane-deck. As soon as they were safely on board, the men
poured in upon us without further delay. There was not one among them
that would leave the wreck until the women were safe. The officers and
seamen brought with them whatever they could carry of their personal
property. One of them returned and cast off the hawsers.

As soon as the fasts were cast off, I rang to back her; and, bringing
the Sylvania's head up to the wind, I wore her gradually around till
she was headed to the eastward. The sea was white with foam from the
raging billows, and the little steamer leaped like an antelope as she
went ahead on her course. It was impossible to stand up in any part of
her. I ran out about four miles to the eastward, where the steamer was
when we heard the signal-gun from the wreck. We had been absent on our
run to the reef about two hours. We laid our course as before, and I
gave the wheel to Hop Tossford, that I might attend to the wants of the
shipwrecked guests on board.

The Sylvania was rolling on her new course at a frightful rate, and our
deck was deluged with water every moment. The gale seemed to be
increasing rather than diminishing, and I was not sure how long we
could stand such a tumbling about as we were getting. With no little
difficulty and exertion we got a reefed foresail up, which steadied her
very much. I went down into the cabin, where I had sent the ladies from
the wreck. I found our passengers propped up in such ways as they could
devise to keep from being hurled across the cabin floor at each roll of
the vessel. The strangers seemed to be quite at home, and were relating
their adventures to the other ladies, who were listening with so much
interest that they appeared to have forgotten the Sylvania was laboring
in a very heavy sea. I s