from your hold. Those who
remain on deck will secure themselves with lashings; and as the craft is
as light as a cork, we shall weather out the gale, even should it come
on to blow twice as hard as it now does."

I begged to be allowed to remain.

"Well, it will be but a summer gale. You may stay on deck; but here,
make yourself fast with this rope;" and papa secured one round my body,
which he fastened to the companion hatch.

He now gave the word to set the trysail; and the mainsail being stowed,
it was hoisted in its stead. Still we had as much sail as the cutter
could carry. The night had become very dark, except when the flashes of
lightning dashed from the black clouds. Papa had resolved to heave the
vessel to, when we caught sight of a white sail a short distance ahead
of us.

"That must be the schooner," shouted Truck; "she is taking a wise
course, and is intending to run under Cape Cornwall, or maybe to get
into Saint Ives Bay, in case the gale should continue."

"We may as well do the same," observed papa; and the helm being put up,
away we ran before the wind.

Though the cutter behaved very well, still there was a chance of our
being pooped. A strong current was setting us in the direction of the
Longships light, which now appeared broad on the starboard bow. We ran
on, following, as we supposed, the Dolphin; but she was going faster
than we were, and we soon lost sight of her. We knew our exact
position, for, although we had got beyond the gleam of Saint Agnes'
Lighthouse, we could still see on our port-bow the two lights on board
the light-vessel off the Seven Stones. I own I wished that we were safe
back in port, though papa appeared so cool that I could not suppose
there was any real danger; still, as the seas came rolling up on either
quarter, high above our deck, it seemed impossible that the vessel could
escape being swamped.

At last papa peremptorily ordered me to go below, and coming to where I
was standing, lifted up the hatch and literally pushed me down, closing
it again over me. I groped my way into the cabin, where I found Dick
holding on to one of the sofas. The cabin lamp had not been lighted, so
that we were in perfect darkness.

"Oh! where are we? Where are we going? What's about to happen?" he
exclaimed, in a weak voice, which I could barely hear amid the uproar
caused by the seas dashing against the vessel's sides and deck, the
creaking of the bulk-heads, the whis