top. It
was a vast sea appearing still larger in the darkness. On it rolled,
roaring above the bows of the brig, and then with a terrific crash down
it came on her deck, threatening to swamp her and sweeping everything
before it.

True Blue's foot had been pressing against a ringbolt: a rope was made
fast to it. He threw himself flat down, grasping the ring with one hand
and making several turns with the rope round the other. He felt the
breath almost pressed out of his body with the weight of water rushing
above him; and then he fancied that the vessel herself was going down
and would never rise again.

The rush and the roaring sound of water passed on. He felt the bows of
the brig rise once more; he lifted himself up on his knees and looked
over his shoulder. The sea had made a clean sweep, and had carried away
the caboose, the boats on the booms, and every spar remaining on deck,
besides, as it appeared to him, a considerable portion of the larboard
bulwarks.

His anxiety was for his shipmates. How had they withstood the rush of
waters? He shouted; but though his voice was loud and shrill, the
howling of the tempest and the dash of the sea were louder. He tried to
penetrate the darkness, but he could distinguish nothing beyond half the
length of the ship. His heart sank lower than it had ever done before
at the thought that his faithful kind guardian might be torn from him
for ever.

Having started to visit the wounded Frenchman, he wished to do so before
he tried to find his way aft again to ascertain the state of the case.
He lifted the hatch off and dived below. All was dark. There were no
means of procuring a light in the place.

"I say, Monsieur Frenchman, how are you?" he began, groping his way
towards the bunk where the prisoner lay.

A groan showed that the man was not dead. True Blue remembered that
there was some food in one of the lockers. Taking some sausages and
biscuit, he put them into the man's hand. "Here, eat; you're hungry, I
daresay."

"Merci! merci! de l'eau-de-vie, je vous prie, donnez-moi de
l'eau-de-vie."

Billy, on searching about, had found a can with a little water at the
bottom of it, and a flask of spirits; so, guessing what the man wanted,
he poured some of the spirits into the can and gave it to him.

The draught must have been very refreshing, for the Frenchman's
expression of gratitude knew no limits. He made True Blue understand
that he had better take so