h their
feet, for though the pumps were going steadily and furiously, more water
was being shipped than could be taken out. Once the sail was lashed
fast, however, the cylinder shed most of the wash and the pumps, now
working at top speed with eight men at the handles, began to gain. Water
still scuttled down the iron sides, and as the sea was rising, she put
her whole side under for the fraction of a second, twice. I was watching
it all from the steamer, our searchlight playing full on the ungainly
craft.

"Presently, so perilous did the situation grow and so rough the sea,
that the captain of the steamer signaled to one of the smaller tugs to
take up her anchor and stand by to pick up survivors should the cylinder
founder. He broke away his anchor himself and the big ocean-going tug
steamed to windward of the cylinder, letting down a heavy coat of oil on
the sea. It worked like a charm. The smoothening effect of the oil was
just sufficient to enable the men to work on the cylinder with a slight,
a very slight, margin of safety.

"Six men scuttled down the rope ladders on the inside of the cylinder.
It chanced that there were four buckets on the iron drum and with this
they organized a bucket brigade. The water was still three feet deep and
swishing about like a whirlpool. Every man knew that one large wave
would send them to Davy Jones' locker.

"Down in the bowels of that iron cylinder they toiled. Not a gleam of
light was anywhere, the white shaft of the searchlight overhead only
making the shadows denser. No man could see his fellow; only by feeling
were the buckets passed from hand to hand. But, between the bucket
brigade and the pumps, little by little the water lessened, the load of
the cylinder lightened and she rode higher in the water. Little choice
was theirs, either to bail unceasingly or to drown like rats in a hole.

"Daybreak found them still at work, spent with exhaustion, hollow-eyed
and suffering from the night of terrible strain. The wind had dropped a
little with the dawn, but the sea still ran high. Seeing that the men
were too thoroughly wearied out to be of any use, even though the
weather should improve rapidly, Father gave the order for the fleet to
run to the nearest shelter. We sought the lee of Smith's Island, off the
Maryland Shore, and stayed there for a week.

"At last, with every one rested and eager for another tussle, the fleet
crept out again. All the weather indications were fav