se anywhere else. Never
before had I spent so uncomfortable a night on board. We were very wet,
and cold, and hungry, and not at all certain that the ship would not go
down, and carry us and all hands with her.

"It's not so bad, though, as the time we spent on the bottom of the boat
among the Falkland Islands," observed Jerry.

"But that only lasted a short time," I remarked. "For what we know, it
may blow as hard as it does now for a week to come. What shall we do
then?"

"Grin and bear it. That's the only thing to be done that I know of,"
answered Jerry.

All that night we sat up as I have described, now and then dozing off
for a short time, but then waking up again as the ship gave a more
tremendous plunge than before. At last the captain came and lay down on
the sofa, and seeing that we were all safe, went to sleep; but he was
soon on deck again, and remained there till daylight. All that day the
gale blew as hard, if not harder than ever, and we went rolling and
pitching away before it. All the people were sent below except the
hands at the wheel, and they secured themselves there, lest they should
be washed away by the seas which threatened every moment to break aboard
us. As to looking out, all we could see were the foaming mountains of
water rising up in broken masses around us, and the sheets of spray
which never-ceasingly flew over us. Night came on again, and matters
had not mended. The glass was still lower than ever. Jerry and I had
managed to shift our clothes, so that we were more comfortable than on
the former night, and old Surley had had a lesson not to venture on deck
again. His coat was thus dry, and we all lay down together to pass the
night. Having scarcely closed our eyes the night before, we soon went
to sleep. Never have I slept more soundly. Suddenly I woke up. The
ship was plunging as heavily as before, and the wind was howling and the
sea roaring as loudly as ever. Still only half awake, I found my way up
the companion-ladder. I looked out. No one was to be seen on deck--the
dark mountain seas and the confused mass of rigging could alone be
perceived. I cast my eyes aloft? What was that I saw? High up in the
air, at the main-topmast-head, there was perched a ball of fire. I was
so astonished, and, I may say, alarmed, that I could not speak. What
could the phenomenon portend? It stayed there for some time, then all
of a sudden it glided down, and went out to the