order if the ship could
be induced to remain steady for a time.

"He might as well tell us to land him and his engines and to set up a
forge and shop," observed Jos Green, the master, who had no greater
affection for "steam-kettles" than had old Gunter Scale, his brother
master of the _Bellona_.

The ship was now in an uncomfortable position, to say the best of it
another blast might blow away a second topsail, and if she fell oil it
would be a difficult task to bring her to the wind again; her only
resource would then be to run before the gale. The danger apprehended
came upon her: the ship fell into the trough of the sea.

"Hold on, hold on, all of you for your lives!" shouted Adair, as he saw
a heavy wave come rolling on. It struck the ship, the decks were again
swept, and two poor fellows, who had failed to obey the captain's
orders, were carried away without the slightest hope of being rescued.
Adair sent below; he received the same answer as before from the
engineer. Meantime an attempt was made again to set head sail. As she
thus lay the sea broke over her several times, doing more damage.

The well was sounded, and the carpenter reported four feet of water in
the hold. The donkey engine was immediately set to work. Fortunately,
that not refusing to do its duty, after being some time in operation it
gained on the water.

In the mean time another main-topsail was set and an attempt made to
wear ship. Suddenly the wind shifted to the north-west, and filling the
sails of the sorely battered ship she flew before it, though the heavy
broken seas which rolled up astern threatened at any moment to poop her.
The engineer complained bitterly of the way in which the ship tumbled
about.

"Never mind it now, my good fellow," said Green; "we are under snug
canvas and as much as we can carry, and your engines may have some rest.
By-and-by we shall get into a calm; it will be your turn then. We
seamen have the ship to ourselves at present. If we put into Simon's
Bay, and there happens to be no rollers tumbling in, you will have time
enough to put your gimcrack machinery to rights."

"That's just what old Gunter Scale would have said," observed the
engineer, who had once served with him on the _Bellona_, and was
accustomed to his satirical remarks.

The ship, however, was not destined to touch at the Cape, for one of
those terrific gales which occasionally blow off the African coast
caught her when within a hu