ngly-built and
tight little craft; and as long as she keeps off-shore, she'll swim, I
hope."

Peter's prognostications as to a shift of the wind were speedily
fulfilled, and we found the vessel driving as rapidly towards the
dreaded shore as she had before been carried from it. To struggle
against it was hopeless; our only prospect of safety, should she be
blown on it, was to find some creek or river into which we might run;
but the probabilities of our finding such a shelter were so very remote,
that all we could do was to pray that we might once more be driven away
from the treacherous land. Happily such was our fate. Another eddy, as
it were, of the whirlwind caught us, and once more we went flying away
towards the coast of Cuba. That was, however, so far distant that there
was but little fear but that the tempest would have spent its fury long
before we could reach it. No sail could be set; but the vessel being in
good trim, answered her helm, and kept before the wind.

Away! away we flew! surrounded with sheets of hissing foam, the wild
waters dancing up madly on every side, threatening, should we stop but
for a moment in our course, to sweep over our decks! Even careless as I
then was, I could not help feeling grateful that we were not driving on
towards a shore which must speedily stop us in our career; and I thought
of the many poor fellows who would that day meet a watery grave, their
vessels cast helplessly on the sea-beat rocks. As the wind took us
along with it, we got more than our fair share of the hurricane; and the
night came on while we were still scudding on, exposed to its fury.

If the scene was wild in the day-time, much more so was it when we were
surrounded by darkness, and a thousand unseen horrors presented
themselves to our imagination. Though I was not very easily overcome, I
had suffered so much lately that I felt that I could not endure much
longer the continuance of this sort of work. At last I fell into a sort
of stupor, and I believe that I should have been washed overboard had
not Peter secured me to the rigging, close to himself. I knew nothing
more till I awoke and found myself lying on the deck, with the sun
glancing brightly over the sparkling waters; the schooner, with all sail
set, close-hauled, and a gentle breeze blowing. On one side was seen a
range of blue hills rising out of the ocean. Peter was kneeling by my
side.

"Get up, Jack," said he; "you've had a long