rocks.

"Ay, ay; I see them," I answered; then, to the man at the wheel--"Watch
your helm carefully, now, my man. Keep her clean full, and let her go
through the water; but do not let her go off a hair's breadth more than
is necessary. You must weather that reef if you have any wish to see
to-morrow's sun rise."

"I'll do my best, sir," answered the fellow, earnestly; and I saw him
brace himself afresh as he fixed his eye more intently upon the weather
leach of the main-topsail.

We were _flying_ through the water--it could scarcely be called
sailing--for the poor little ship was being so bitterly pressed that she
scarcely rose at all to the seas now; she simply drove her sharp bows
straight into the body of every sea as it came at her and ploughed her
way through it, shipping at every plunge tons of water that poured in a
continuous cataract over her forecastle and down into the seething swirl
to leeward under which her lee rail was buried. She must have been
travelling very fast, or she would not have behaved in this fashion; yet
in the agony of my suspense she scarcely seemed to move at all. Despite
this feeling it was sufficiently apparent that we were nearing that
awful reef at headlong speed; and with every desperate forward plunge of
the ship the frightful amount of lee drift we were making became also
more unmistakable, momentarily increasing the doubt as to the
possibility of our escape. We were now, and had been for some time, so
close to the land that any attempt to wear the ship round must have
inevitably resulted in her destruction; and, as to staying, that was
equally out of the question under such short canvas in such a heavy
sea--for the outer line of breakers was now close aboard of us; we dared
not attempt to anchor in the face of that wild fury of wind and wave;
and we had therefore absolutely no alternative but to keep on as we were
going.

Our situation, in short, had become so critical that I felt it my duty
to acquaint Sir Edgar with it forthwith; and I was on my way toward the
companion in search of him when he emerged from it and joined me, the
two seamen who had conveyed the inanimate body of the mate below
following him and making their way forward, dodging the seas as best
they might during the journey.

"I have been all this time in the mate's cabin," said the baronet,
"using my utmost endeavours to restore animation, but, I keenly regret
to say, without success. Captain, the po