bank of cloud, which was rising
with extraordinary rapidity. Small portions of the upper line seemed at
times to be torn off and to rush ahead of the main body, and then to
disappear, suddenly blown into fragments. A low moaning sound was heard,
and a line of white could be made out at the foot of the cloud-bank. The
water around the ship was still as smooth as glass, though there was a
slight swell, which swayed her to and fro, and caused the shrouds and
blocks to rattle.

Louder and louder grew the murmur. Again the captain's voice was heard:
"Hold on for your lives, lads!" and then with a scream and roar, as of a
thousand railway whistles, the gale struck the ship. So tremendous was
the force, that although the closely-reefed fore-topsail was the only
sail that the _Wild Wave_ was showing aloft--for the jib blew from the
bolt-ropes the instant the squall struck her--the vessel heeled over and
over until her lee-rail was under water. Further and further she went,
until the ends of the yards were under water, and the sea seemed to
Jack, who was holding on by the weather bulwark, as if it were directly
under his feet.

[Illustration: CAUGHT IN THE CYCLONE]

He thought that the ship was going to capsize, and had not her cargo
been well stowed she must have done so. She was now almost on her beam
ends, pressed down by the action of the wind upon her hull rather than
her masts, and had it not been that the boys had each at the last moment
twisted a rope round his body, they must have dropped into the water,
for the deck afforded no hold whatever to their feet. Jack felt
completely bewildered at the noise and fury of the wind. He had thought
that after the gale they had passed through south of the Cape, he knew
what bad weather was; but this was beyond anything of which he had the
slightest conception.

Looking round he saw Mr. Timmins clinging to the bulwarks, and making
his way along with the greatest difficulty until he reached the sailor
stationed with the axe at the mizzen-shrouds, he saw the man rise from
his crouching position, and, holding on to the bulwarks, strike three
blows on the lanyards. Then there was a crash, and the mizzen-mast broke
suddenly off four feet above the deck and fell into the sea.

Jack thought that the vessel lifted a little, for he could see one more
streak of the deck planking. Mr. Timmins looked round towards the
captain, who was clinging to the wheel. The latter waved his hand, and