tightly.

"Help me quickly!" he whispered. "Take me back before my weakness
masters me, and I break down."

"But if you are so weak?" I said anxiously. "Take me forward!" he
whispered angrily. "You cannot understand."

I saw Miss Denning looking wonderingly at her brother as we went out,
and again fought our way back to the forecastle-hatch, no easy task with
the ship heeling over, and the spray flying as it did; but I felt
hardened to it now, and the darkness did not appear so terrible, nor the
danger so great, with the warm glow I felt spreading through me. Then I
looked at my companion quite wonderingly, as I could just see his pale
thin face, for he said quickly in a lull of the wind--

"I think I've conquered, Dale."

"Conquered? It's wonderful how brave you have been."

I saw him smile, and then wondered afresh that I could have seen the
change in his face. "Why, it's getting light!" I said joyfully.

I was quite right, and as we were in the tropics the change was coming
rapidly. But just then we reached the watch, and to my surprise Mr
Denning said as well as the rushing wind would let him--

"Mr Frewen, Mr Preddle, my sister has hot coffee ready, and will be
glad if you can go at once."

I saw Mr Frewen give quite a start, and Mr Preddle regularly jumped,
but they were both so surprised that they could neither of them speak,
while Mr Denning turned to Bob Hampton.

"Your turn must be when they come back," he said.

"Oh, all right, sir, I can wait," growled Bob--I mean roared--for though
there was a momentary cessation in the shrieking of the wind, he spoke
as if Mr Denning were by the wheel; and there was no doubt now--we
could not see it, nor were we likely to, through the mist and spray, but
the sun was rising, and ten minutes after I was gazing at the sea, which
was churned up into one chaos of foam.

"It's all over!" yelled Bob, a minute or two later.

"What's all over?" I asked.

"The hurry-cane, sir. We're most through it, and the wind's beginning
to drop."

"But it's blowing terribly," I cried.

"Ay, sir, it is; but 'nour ago it was blowing ten times as terrible.
Why, there was a time when it most shaved my head, and another time when
I put my hands up to feel if my ears was cut off. Strikes me as they
would ha' gone if they hadn't been tied down with the flaps of this here
sou'-wester."

"Yes, it's getting lighter fast," cried Mr Denning. "But how rough the
sea is!"