in.

But not so his men. They had become children, with children's fear of
the dark. Even the doughty Angel Todd was oppressed by the first horror
of the situation, speaking only when spoken to. Above the rushing sound
of wind and the smacking of short seas could be heard the voice of the
steward in the cabin, while an occasional heart-borne malediction or
groan--according to temperament--added to the distraction on deck. One
man, more self-possessed than the rest, had dropped the lead over the
side. An able seaman needs no eyes to heave the lead.

"A quarter six," he sang out, and then, plaintively: "We'll fetch up on
the Barrier, capt'n. S'pose we try an' get the other hook over."

"Yes, yes," chorused some of the braver spirits. "It may hold. We don't
want to drown on the reef. Let's get it over. Chain's overhauled."

"Let the anchor alone," roared the captain. "No anchor-chain'll hold in
this. Keep that lead a-going, Tom Plate, if it's you. What bottom do
you find?"

"Quarter less six," called the leadsman. "Soft bottom. We're shoaling."

"Angel," said the captain to his mate, who stood close to him, "we're
blowing out the south channel. We've been drifting long enough to fetch
up on the reef if it was in our way. There's hard bottom in the north
channel, and the twenty-fathom lead wouldn't reach it half a length
from the rocks."

The mate had nothing to say.

"And the south channel lay due southeast from our moorings," continued
the captain. "Wind's nor'west, I should say, right down from the
hilltops; and I've known these blasted West India squalls to last three
days, blowing straight and hard. This has the smell of a gale in it
already. Keep that lead a-going, there."

"No bottom," answered the leadsman.

"Good enough," said the captain, cheerfully.

"No bottom," was called repeatedly, until the captain sang out:
"That'll do the lead." Then the leadsman coiled up the line, and they
heard his rasping, unpleasant voice, cursing softly but fiercely to
himself. Captain Swarth descended the stairs, silenced the steward with
a blow, felt of the clock hands, secured his pistols, and returned to
the deck.

"We're at sea," he said. "Two hands to the wheel. Loose and set the
foretopmast-staysails and the foretopsail. Staysail first. Let a man
stay in the slings to square the yard by the feel as it goes up."

"What for?" they answered complainingly. "What ye goin' to do? We can't
see. Why didn't you bring to