torm held her steady, I am unable to
tell; and can put down only that which we felt.

Now, in a little, the first fury of the blast being spent, the boat
began to sway from side to side, as though the wind blew now upon the one
beam, and now upon the other; and several times we were stricken heavily
with the blows of solid water. But presently this ceased, and we returned
once again to the rise and fall of the swell, only that now we received a
cruel jerk every time that the boat came upon the top of a sea. And so a
while passed.

Towards midnight, as I should judge, there came some mighty flames of
lightning, so bright that they lit up the boat through the double
covering of canvas; yet no man of us heard aught of the thunder; for the
roaring of the storm made all else a silence.

And so to the dawn, after which, finding that we were still, by the mercy
of God, possessed of our lives, we made shift to eat and drink; after
which we slept.

Now, being extremely wearied by the stress of the past night, I slumbered
through many hours of the storm, waking at some time between noon and
evening. Overhead, as I lay looking upwards, the canvas showed of a dull
leadenish color, blackened completely at whiles by the dash of spray and
water. And so, presently, having eaten again, and feeling that all things
lay in the hands of the Almighty, I came once more upon sleep.

Twice through the following night was I wakened by the boat being hurled
upon her beam-ends by the blows of the seas; but she righted easily, and
took scarce any water, the canvas proving a very roof of safety. And so
the morning came again.

Being now rested, I crawled after to where the bo'sun lay, and, the noise
of the storm lulling odd instants, shouted in his ear to know whether the
wind was easing at whiles. To this he nodded, whereat I felt a most
joyful sense of hope pulse through me, and ate such food as could be
gotten, with a very good relish.

In the afternoon, the sun broke out suddenly, lighting up the boat most
gloomily through the wet canvas; yet a very welcome light it was, and
bred in us a hope that the storm was near to breaking. In a little, the
sun disappeared; but, presently, it coming again, the bo'sun beckoned to
me to assist him, and we removed such temporary nails as we had used to
fasten down the after part of the canvas, and pushed back the covering a
space sufficient to allow our heads to go through into the daylight. On
looking