ted
a little, her gunwale was raised above water, and they scudded as well
as they could before the wind, which blew hard on shore, and at about
two o'clock one of the sailors said he espied land ahead.

"We will never reach it," said Mr. Holmes, who was at the side of John
Stevens.

"Do not despair," said John.

"But we can't reach the shore, look at those waves."

A tremendous sea rolling after them broke over the stern of the ship,
tore everything before it, stove in the steerage, carried away the
rudder, shivered the wheel to pieces and tore up the very ringbolts of
the deck, carrying the men who stood on the deck forward and sweeping
them overboard. Among them was the unfortunate captain of the
_Silverwing_. John was standing at the time near the wheel, and
fortunately had hold of the taffrail, which enabled him to resist in
part the weight of the wave. He was, however, swept off his feet, and
dashed against the main-mast. So violent was the jerk from the taffrail,
that it seemed as if it would have dislocated his arms. However, it
broke the force of the stroke, and, in all probability, saved him from
being dashed to death against the mast.

John floundered about in the water at the foot of the mast, until at
length he got upon his feet and seized a rope, which he held while
considering what he should do to extricate himself. At this instant he
perceived Mr. Holmes and his daughter on the capstan. How they had got
there was a marvel to him which he had no time to investigate. Mr.
Holmes beckoned with his lame hand to John, while he clung to his
daughter with his right. A vivid flash of lightning lighted up the
scene, and John saw that Blanche was very pale, but calm. Never had he
seen a more beautiful picture than this pretty maiden with her face
turned in resignation to the storm. He forgot his own danger, forgot
wife and children at home in his unselfish eagerness to snatch the
unfortunate girl from the impending danger.

It was no easy matter for John Stevens to break away from his hold on
the main-mast and make his way to the capstan. At every roll of the ship
and every surge of the waves, unfortunate passengers or sailors were
washed overboard and plunged into the boiling, seething waves which
thundered about them. Stevens made a bold push, however, and reached the
capstan. Here he could survey the wreck, and he saw that the water was
nearly breast-high on the quarter-deck of the vessel.

"It will soo