rmer anchorage. Scarcely were their anchors down than the hurricane
came on with greater fury than before. The night was as dark as pitch,
heavy thunder-clouds rolling overhead; but the wind was off the land,
though it was a question whether it might not change, and should any of
the ships be driven ashore, their crews could expect but little mercy
from the hands of the Japanese.

The _Empress_ was one of the outermost of the squadron. It had just
gone four bells in the first watch when the third lieutenant reported
that the ship was dragging her anchors. More cable was veered out, but
she was by this time exposed to the full blast of gale. The lead was
hove, and sixty fathoms reported; that she could hold the ground now
was, therefore, impossible. The captain ordered the cable to be
slipped, and the steam having been kept up, she drifted slowly away,
still endeavouring to regain her lost position. Every moment she became
more and more exposed to the force of the hurricane. All on board were
well aware of her danger, although she might bring up on the opposite
side of the bay; she would then be on a lee shore, and should her
anchors not hold, her loss was almost inevitable, although some hours
might pass before her fate was sealed.

All hands remained on deck. Jack had been in many a dangerous position;
but in those days he had no wife to care for, and he had not the
responsibilities of command. The night passed slowly away. When
morning broke, the gale continued blowing as fiercely as ever, while the
land to leeward looked unpleasantly near. Still steam was kept up, and
the trusty screw was doing its best to drive the gallant ship ahead.
The instant the hurricane moderated she began to make way, and soon
again got up to her anchorage with the rest of the squadron.

Desmond was turning his telescope towards the shore, where, at the top
of a hill overlooking the anchorage, among a grove of thick trees, he
saw a number of Japanese working away with picks and shovels, and a
little further on he caught a glimpse of a heavy gun, dragged by a
number of horses, coming along the road, and then another and another.
It was very clear that the Japanese intended, from the advantageous
position they held, to open fire on the smaller vessels lying within
pistol-shot of the shore. The admiral, on discovering this, ordered the
squadron to weigh, and his ship leading they steamed through the channel
in line, passing the b