death before me that I clutched wildly at the forecastle rail. Luckily my
hand caught it, and I was saved from the dive over the side. Then with
frantic strength I twisted around enough to seize the fellow, and dropped
on my knees with a grip around his middle. It was up and down and all
over that side of the forecastle head for some minutes, until we were
both getting tired. We were apparently alone forward, and the fight would
be one of endurance, unless the ruffian happened to have some weapon
about him.

We struggled on and on in the gloom, with the hurricane roaring over us,
carrying the spray and drift in a smothering storm into our faces. A hand
would slip with a wet grip only to take a fresh hold again, and strain
away to get the other under.

We rolled with the ship and after a particularly hard rally, in which I
had my hand badly bitten, we eased up near the edge of the forecastle
head. During this breathing spell I managed to get my foot braced against
a ring-bolt. This gave me a slight advantage for a sudden push. In an
instant I shoved with all my might, driving us both to the edge. The
ruffian saw what was coming and tried to turn, but it was too late. One
single instant of frantic fighting, half suspended in the air, and then
over we went, myself on top.

We landed heavily upon the main deck, and the shock, falling even as I
did upon the body under me, stunned me for several moments. My captain
lay motionless. Then, when a sudden rush of cool water poured over us, I
came to my senses and started to my feet. In another moment I had passed
a line around the desperado, and was dragging him under the lee of the
windlass, where I finally made him fast to the bitts.

When I started aft again, I found that Trunnell had managed to get a
tarpaulin into the mizzen rigging, and by the aid of this bit of canvas
the _Pirate_ had at last headed the sea within five points. It now took
her forward of the beam and hove her down to her bearings with each roll
to leeward, the sea breaking heavily across the main deck, keeping the
waterways waist deep with the white surge. In this rush objects showed
darkly where they floated from their fastenings until they drifted to a
water-port and passed on overboard.

I finally managed to dodge the seas enough to get aft alive, though one
caught me under the lee of the fore rigging and nigh smothered me as it
poured over the topgallant rail.

Trunnell stood near the break of the