a moment, my boy," rejoined Thompson, who was
now quite himself again, and was busy putting on his shoes, the only
articles which had been removed when he turned in. "Go you up, and see
that they keep her clean, full and bye--and those casks well secured.--
Dudden Sands--awkward place too--but I've not been forty years a-boxing
about this coast for nothing."

In a minute Thompson made his appearance on deck, and steadying himself
by the weather topmast backstay, fixed his leaden eyes upon the land on
the quarter.--"All right younker, that's the head, sure enough;" then
turning his face to the wind, which lifted up his grey curling locks,
and bore them out horizontally from his fur cap, "and it's a devil of a
gale, sure enough.--It may last a month of Sundays for all I know.--Up
with the helm, Tom.--Ease off the main sheet, handsomely, my lad--not
too much.--Now, take in the slack, afore she jibes;" and the master
ducked under the main boom and took his station on the other side of the
deck. "Steady as you go now.--Newton, take the helm.--D'ye see that
bluff? keep her right for it. Tom, you and the boy rouse the cable up--
get about ten fathoms on deck, and bend it.--You'll find a bit of
seizing and a marline-spike in the locker abaft."--The sloop scudded
before the gale, and in less than two hours was close to the headland
pointed out by the master. "Now, Newton, we must hug the point or we
shall not fetch--clap on the main sheet here, all of us.--Luff; you may
handsomely.--That's all right; we are past the Sand-head, and shall be
in smooth water in a jiffy. Steady, so-o.--Now for a drop of
_swizzle_," cried Thompson, who considered that he had kept sober quite
long enough, and proceeded to the cask of rum lashed to leeward. As he
knelt down to pull out the spile, the sloop, which had been brought to
the wind, was struck on her broadside by a heavy sea which careened her
to her gunnel; the lashings of the weather cask gave way, and it flew
across the deck, jamming the unfortunate Thompson, who knelt against the
one to leeward, and then bounding overboard. The old man gave a heavy
groan, and fell upon his back; the man and boy ran to his assistance,
and by the directions of Newton, who could not quit the helm, carried
him below, and placed him on his bed. In a few minutes the sloop was
safe at anchor, in smooth water, and Newton ran down into the cabin.
Thompson's head had been crushed against the chime of the cas