at the gale would decrease, and that he should then
be able to tow Adair out of the bay; if he once weathered the headland,
the brig might stand away on a bowline and gain the offing--but within
the bay she lost, each time she tacked, more ground than she had gained.

Clouds were gathering thickly in the sky; down came a deluge of rain,
such as is only known in the tropics, like a thick veil of mist
obscuring the brig astern. The water lay deep on the decks before it
had time to run off; all sight of the shore was completely shut out. As
the steamer plunged into the sea, tugging away at the tow-ropes, Jack
could not help believing that she must be going ahead; on and on she
went--the rain showed no sign of ceasing.

"It must come to an end, at last!" exclaimed Jack, trying to peer
through it at the shore, the dim outline alone of which he could
distinguish.

The lead was of course kept going, but as it reached the bottom, it
scarcely ran out of the lead-man's hands. "She's going more astern than
ahead!" he shouted at length.

"Provided she doesn't go much astern, we must keep at it in the hopes of
a lull," observed Jack to Higson.

Another ten minutes passed. Various were the expressions of opinion on
board; the midshipmen were sanguine that they would succeed. "My
brother Jack has determined to do it, and he will do it," said Tom.

"Suppose the hawsers were to carry away?" said Archie.

"There are two of them; if one doesn't hold, the other may," answered
Desmond.

Jack paced the deck; at length the rain passed by. The marks on shore
showed that they had not changed their position; still the destruction
of the brig had been delayed, for by this time she would have been on
the rocks. Thus far something was gained; still the appearance of the
sky indicated no improvement in the weather. "Hoist the
signal--`Prepare to anchor and strike topmasts,'" cried Jack at length.
The brig made the answering signal. Preparations had already been going
forward on board her, the topmasts were at length struck; still no
effect was produced. Nobly the steamer tugged and tugged away. Higson
did not offer any advice, but he was ready to give it as soon as his
commander should ask for it. "There's a lull!" cried Jack; "thank
heaven, we may do it!"

Now the vessels moved ahead; had the water been smoother, by a steady
pull the work might have been done; but, as it was, having to plunge
into the heavy seas, the _Gauntle