t the
sublimity of the scene.

I was standing on the main deck, not far from the rest of the crew at
the time, and noticed that when the storm struck the schooner, some
ropes that had not been hitched to a belaying pin were flying loose and
might become unrove. I stepped forward, and standing on tiptoe was
in the act of stretching up my right arm to grasp the end of the
peak-halliards, when there came a flash of white lightning which almost
blinded every man on deck, accompanied by a peal of thunder that seemed
loud enough to shake the world to its centre. We all believed the
schooner had been struck by lightning. This was not the case. It was,
nevertheless, a narrow escape. I received on my hand and arm an electric
shock, which tingled through every nerve and nearly felled me to the
deck, and rendered my arm powerless for an hour afterwards.

The captain now seemed really alarmed. He ordered me in a loud voice to
come aft, and told the crew to follow him into the cabin, leaving the
schooner to manage matters with the thunder storm and take care of
herself. He produced a bottle of "old Madeira" from a locker, and filled
several glasses; and while the short-lived storm raged fearfully above
our heads, he insisted on every man drinking a toast in honor of the
Fourth of July, and set the example himself by tossing off a tumbler
filled to the brim.

We rounded Cape Hatteras early one delightful morning, and with a
pleasant breeze from the northward shaped our course for Ocracoke Inlet.
Several coasters were in company, and a small schooner was seen standing
towards us from the Gulf Stream. This vessel was soon recognized as the
Young Pilot, bound to Savannah, which we had spoken off Sandy Hook. The
captain of the little schooner appeared to recognize the Mary, hoisted
his colors, and steered directly towards us.

"What can that fellow want?" muttered Captain Thompson. "He should have
been in Savannah before this? What has he been doing away there in the
Gulf Stream? There is roguery somewhere?"

The Young Pilot soon came within hail, when Captain Moncrieff requested
Captain Thompson to heave to, as he wanted to come on board. The boat
was launched from the deck of the pilot boat, and, manned by four
athletic seamen, brought Captain Moncrieff alongside in handsome style.
He jumped on deck, grasped the hand of Captain Thompson, and requested
to have some conversation with him in the cabin. They were absent
communing tog