he
Anna Dorothea that night.

In the morning the captain, returning from one of his excursions down
below, declared that the cabin was half full of water.

"We must watch for a sail," he said, abruptly and somewhat huskily.

Toennes passed the word round amongst the crew. One might read on their
faces that they were prepared for this, and that they had ceased to
hope, although they had not stopped work at the pumps.

The whole of the weather bulwark, the cook's cabin and the long-boat,
were crushed or washed away; the water could be heard below the
hatches. While keeping a sharp lookout for sails, many an eye glanced
at the yawl as the last resort. But on board Captain Spang's vessel
the words were not yet spoken which carried with them the doom of the
ship: "We are sinking!"

In the gray-white of the dawn a signal was to be hoisted; the bunting
was tied together at the middle and raised half-mast high.

Both the captain and Toennes had lashed themselves aft; for now the
bark was but little better than a wreck, over which the billows broke
incessantly, as the vessel, reeling like a drunken man, exposed
herself to the violent attacks of the sea instead of parrying them.

"A sail to windward, captain!" cried Toennes.

Captain Spang only nodded.

"She holds her course!" cried one of the crew excitedly. "No," said
Toennes, quietly. "She has seen us, and is bearing down upon us!"

The captain again nodded.

"Tis a brig!" cried one of the crew.

"A schooner-brig!" Toennes corrected. "She carries her sails finely. I
am sure she is a fruit-trader."

At last the strange vessel was so near that they could see her deck
each time she was thrown upon her side in the violent seething sea.

"Yes, 'tis the schooner-brig!" exclaimed Toennes. "Do you remember,
captain, the time when--"

Again Captain Spang nodded. He acted strangely. Toennes looked sharply
at him, and shook his head.

Now Toennes hailed the vessel:--

"Help us!--We are sinking!"

At this moment two or three of the bark's crew rushed toward the yawl,
although Toennes warned them back.

Captain Spang seemed changed. Evidently some opposing feelings
contended within him. Seeing the insubordination of the men, he only
shrugged his shoulders, and let Toennes take full charge.

The men were in the yawl, still hanging under the iron davits. Now
they cut the ropes; the yawl touched the water. The crew of the other
vessel gestured warningly; but it was t