fact is, they had not
perceived the squall until it was too late, for in another moment
almost, I saw that the vessel bowed down to the fury of the gale, and
after that, the mist was so great that I couldn't see her any more.

"Is she sending a boat, boy?" cried my companion.

"I can't see her," replied I; "for she is hidden by the wind."

As I said this, the tornado reached to where we stood, and threw me off
my legs to the entrance of the cabin; and with the wind came down a
torrent of rain, which drenched us, and the clouds covered the whole of
the firmament, which became dark; the lightning darted in every
direction, with peals of thunder which were deafening. I crawled into
the cabin, into which the rain beat in great fury and flowed out again
in a small river.

My companion sat near me, lowering and silent. For two hours, the
tornado lasted without interruption; the sun had set, and the darkness
was opaque. It was impossible to move against the force of the wind and
the deluge of water which descended. Speak we did not, but shut our
eyes against the lightning, and held our fingers to our ears to deaden
the noise of the thunder, which burst upon us in the most awful manner.
My companion groaned at intervals, whether from fear, I know not; I had
no fear, for I did not know the danger, or that there was a God to judge
the earth.

Gradually the fury of the gale abated, the rain was only heavy at
intervals, and we could now hear the beating of the waves, as they
dashed against the rocks beneath us. The sky also cleared up a little,
and we could dimly discern the white foam of the breakers. I crawled
out of the cabin, and stood upon the platform in front, straining my
eyes to see the vessel: A flash of lightning for a second revealed her
to me; she was dismasted, rolling in the awful breakers, which bore her
down upon the high rocks not a quarter of a mile from her.

"There it is," exclaimed I, as the disappearance of the lightning left
me in darkness, more opaque than ever.

"She's done for," growled my companion, who, I was not till then aware,
stood by my side. "No hopes this time, confound it!" Then he continued
for some time to curse and swear awfully, as I afterwards discovered,
for I did not then know what was cursing and swearing.

"There she is again," said I, as another flash of lightning revealed the
position of the vessel.

"Yes, and she won't be there long; in five minutes she'll be dashed