ld lay hands
on, in accordance with the orders of the officer of the watch to take in
sail. The lady passengers were shrieking out for help as they paddled
about to leeward, and the men were in vain endeavouring to afford it,
shouting and striking out in the water and endeavouring to climb up
towards the weather bulwarks.

"There go all our hopes of wealth," I thought to myself as I saw the
condition of the ship. Strange that that should be the first idea which
came into my head. I did not think that the ship would swim many
minutes longer. I looked out for the Lowestoffe. She was not far-off,
and was lowering her boats, to come to our assistance. Only one chance
of saving the ship remained. We must cut away the masts. I gave the
necessary order. While some of the crew set to work on the rigging with
their knives, I sung out for an axe. One had fallen overboard the day
before. Another was not to be found.

"Can no one find an axe?" I sung out, not a little enraged. "Bear a
hand, then."

Rockets was searching in one direction, Nol Grampus in others, with
several of the rest of the men, while I felt almost frantic, expecting
the ship to fill and go down every instant. The officers were hurrying
about for the same object. Were the ship to go down, I felt many lives
might be lost, for the frigate's boats could scarcely save all hands
with the passengers. The confusion and noise was increased, it must be
remembered, by the roaring of the wind and the dashing of the seas over
us.

At last Grampus appeared with a couple of axes. I seized one and sprung
to the mainmast. He rushed forward. I had lifted up my gleaming
weapon, and was about to give the fatal stroke, when there was a sudden
lull of the wind, and the stout old galleon, no longer feeling its
pressure, sprang up and righted herself in an instant, sending a dozen
of the crew across the deck and all the passengers spinning about in
every direction. Except a little of the standing rigging cut, a few
shins broken, and a complete ducking received by all the passengers, no
damage had occurred. We soon got the lady passengers put to rights, and
seated on the hencoops, where they had been taking their breakfast, the
coffee-cups picked up, the men restored to their legs, and their cigars
re-lighted, and everything in its proper place, while the boats which
had been coming to our help returned to their frigate.

"All's well that ends well," was Martin