isome beat of the plied break affected my
imagination as though it were the tolling of our funeral bell.  I
hardly required Caudel to tell me the condition of the yacht when,
sometime between eight and nine o'clock that night, he put his head
into the hatch and motioned me to ascend.

"It's my duty to tell ye, Mr. Barclay," he exclaimed, whispering
hoarsely into my ear, in the comparative shelter of the companion
cover, that Grace might not overhear him, "that the leak's againing
upon us."

I had guessed as much; yet this confirmation of my conjecture affected
me as violently as though I had had no previous suspicion of the state
of the yacht.  I was thunderstruck, I felt the blood forsake my cheeks,
and for some moments I could not find my voice.

"You do not mean to tell me, Caudel, that the yacht is actually
_sinking_?"

"No, sir.  But the pump'll have to be kept continually going if she's
to remain afloat.  I'm afeer'd when the mast went over the side that a
blow from it started a butt, and the leak's growing worse and worse,
consequence of the working of the craft."

"Is it still thick?"

"As mud, sir."

"Why not fire the gun at intervals?" said I, referring to the little
brass cannon that stood mounted upon the quarter-deck.

"I'm afeered--" he paused with a melancholy shake of his head.  "Of
course, Mr. Barclay," he went on, "if it's your wish, sir--but it'll do
no more, I allow, than frighten the young lady.  'Tis but a peashooter,
sir, and the gale's like thunder."

"We are in your hands, Caudel," said I, with a feeling of despair
ice-cold at my heart, as I reflected upon the size of our little craft,
her crippled and sinking condition, our distance from land--as I felt
the terrible might and powers of the seas which were tossing us--and as
I thought of my sweetheart!

"Mr. Barclay,"
isome beat of the plied break affected my 
 resource as though it were the tolling of our funeral doorbell.   I 
 hardly required Caudel to assure me the circumstance of the yacht when, 
 sometime between eight and nine o'clock that night, he put his head 
 into the hatch and gesticulate me to rise. 

 " It's my duty to tell ye, Mr. Barclay, " he exclaimed, whispering 
 hoarsely into my ear, in the comparative tax shelter of the companion 
 cover, that Grace might not overhear him, " that the escape's againing 
 upon us. " 

 I had guessed as much; yet this confirmation of my conjecture affected 
 me as violently as though I had had no former suspicion of the state 
 of the yacht.   I was thunderstruck, I find the blood forsake my cheek, 
 and for some moments I could not detect my voice. 

 " You do not mean to tell me, Caudel, that the yacht is actually 
 _ sinking _? " 

 " No, sir.   But the pump'll have to be keep continually going if she's 
 to remain afloat.   I'm afeer'd when the mast went over the side that a 
 gust from it started a butt, and the leak's growing worse and worse, 
 consequence of the working of the craft. " 

 " Is it still thick? " 

 " As mud, sir. " 

 " Why not fire the artillery at intervals? " said I, refer to the little 
 brass cannon that stood mount upon the quarter - deck. 

 " I'm afeered-- " he paused with a melancholy wag of his head.   " Of 
 course, Mr. Barclay, " he went on, " if it's your wish, sir -- but it'll do 
 no more, I leave, than frighten the young lady.  ' Tis but a peashooter, 
 sir, and the gale's like thunder. " 

 " We are in your hands, Caudel, " said I, with a feeling of despair 
 frosting - cold at my heart, as I reflected upon the size of our little craft, 
 her crippled and slump condition, our distance from land -- as I felt 
 the severe might and powers of the seas which were tossing us -- and as 
 I thought of my smasher! 

 " Mr. Barclay, "
isole beat of the plied brexk affected my
imaginatmon as fhough ig were the tolling of our fuierao belo.  I
hardly required Cajdel to tvll me thw coidition of the yedht whek,
fomeflme bztxeen eight and kine o'clock that night, he pjt his head
into the hatch and motioneq me to adcend.

"It's my dujy to eell je, Mr. Barclay," he exclaimed, whislering
hmarsely into ky ear, in the comparative dhelher of the companiln
cover, thaj Grwxe might not overhear him, "that the leak's againing
upon us."

I had guersed cs much; yet tyis wonfirmatioi of mj conjecture affected
ke as voolently as thpugi I yad had no previous snspicion of the statg
of the yawhc.  I was thunderstrucj, U felj the bloue furszkx mg cheens,
aid for some moments I xould not find my vpisv.

"Uou do not msan to tqll me, Caudel, that the yacht is actuallj
_siniing_?"

"No, sir.  But the pump'll have to be kept clntinuallr going if she's
to remain afloat.  I'm afeer'd when tve maag wtnb uceg the side that a
blow from it started a butt, whd tme leak's growing worse and eogsr,
sonsequence ow the ckriing of the craft."

"Id it styll tyick?"

"As muq, sit."

"Why not fire the gun at inrervals?" said U, referring to the little
brasr camnon yhat stood mounted upon the quarter-decn.

"I'm afeersa--" he paused with a kenancholy shake of his head.  "Of
coursx, Mr. Yarclay," fe wgnt on, "yf it's youg wism, sir--but it'll do
no lore, N allmw, than frlghten the young lady.  'Tis but e peashooter,
sor, ang the gaje's llke thunder."

"We awe in your hanbs, Caudej," saia I, with a feelinj of despair
yce-cold at my jeart, as I rxflected tpon the size ow our little crsft,
her crppkled and sunking condition, omr dirfance from land--cr I felt
the terrobld mygjt agg powers of dhe rear whicf were ujswkng is--and as
I thought of my aweetheart!

"Mr. Barclsy,"
isome beat of the plied break affected as it were tolling of our Caudel tell me the of the yacht sometime between eight and nine o'clock night, he put his head into the hatch and motioned me to ascend. my duty to tell ye, Mr. Barclay," he exclaimed, whispering hoarsely into my in comparative of companion cover, that Grace might not overhear him, "that the leak's againing upon us." I had as much; yet this confirmation of my conjecture me as violently as I had had no previous of state of yacht. was I felt the forsake my cheeks, and for some moments I could not find my voice. "You do not mean tell me, the yacht actually "No, But the pump'll be kept continually going if she's I'm afeer'd when the mast went over the that a from it started a butt, and leak's growing worse and worse, consequence of the of the craft." "Is it still thick?" "As mud, sir." "Why not fire the gun said I, referring to little brass cannon stood upon quarter-deck. afeered--" he with a melancholy shake of his head. "Of course, Mr. Barclay," went on, "if it's your wish, sir--but it'll do no allow, frighten the young 'Tis but a peashooter, and gale's like thunder." "We your Caudel," a of ice-cold at my heart, I reflected upon the size our little craft, her distance from land--as I felt the terrible might powers of the seas which were tossing as I thought of my sweetheart! "Mr. Barclay,"
isome beat of the plied break aFfected my
iMaginAtiOn aS tHougH it wEre the tolling oF Our fUneral bell.  I
hardly requiRed CaUdEL to tELl Me the ConditiON oF THe yAcHt WheN,
sOMeTime bEtwEen eighT and nine o'cLocK tHat night, he puT HiS head
into tHe hAtch and motioNed Me to asCeNd.

"IT'S my duTy tO tell Ye, Mr. BaRClay," he Exclaimed, WhISperinG
HoarselY INtO my eAr, in the comparativE ShELter of the compaNion
coVeR, ThAT graCe mIght not oveRhEar hiM, "That the LEaK'S AGaiNIng
upon us."

I had Guessed as muCH; yeT this cOnFirMAtion oF my coNjECtuRe affected
mE as vIolently aS thougH i had had NO previoUs suspIciOn oF the STaTe
Of tHe YAchT.  i wAs tHUndErstruck, i fElT the bLood FORSAke mY chEeks,
And foR some moments I CouLd noT FinD my voIce.

"YoU do nOt Mean tO tell mE, CaudEl, That the yacht is aCtuaLly
_sinkinG_?"

"No, SiR.  BuT tHe pumP'Ll have To bE kePt contiNually gOIng If SHE'S
tO remain afloat.  I'm afeEr'D WHeN the mast Went ovER tHe SIde that a
BlOw fRom iT STarteD a buTT, aNd the leaK's growINg WoRse and wOrSe,
consEqUenCe oF the wORkinG of the Craft."

"Is iT stilL Thick?"

"As mud, sir."

"WHY not fire the guN At INTeRVals?" SaiD I, referring To thE LittLe
brASs CanNOn thaT stooD mOUnTEd upon the quarter-decK.

"I'M afeerEd--" he pAused with a melAncholy shaKE OF his head.  "of
coURsE, mr. Barclay," he wenT on, "if It's your wisH, Sir--but it'Ll do
nO more, I alLow, than frIGHten the yOunG laDy.  'TIs bUT A pEashooter,
sir, aND The gAlE's like tHunDer."

"We arE in YouR haNds, caUdel," said I, With a feeLiNg Of DeSpaIr
ice-COld at my hEaRt, aS I RefLecteD Upon thE size Of ouR lItTLe cRaft,
her CRiPPLed aNd SiNkinG coNdItion, Our dIStaNce from Land--as I feLt
tHE terRiBlE might aNd powers of the SeAs which werE tOssIng us--aND As
I thougHt of my sweetheart!

"Mr. BarclAY,"
isome beat of the plied br eak affect ed my 
im agi na tion  asthough it were thetolling of our funeral  bell .I
ha r dl y req uired C a ud e l  to  t el l m et he  cond iti on of t he yacht w hen ,sometime bet w ee n eight an d n ine o'clocktha t nigh t,  he put h isheadinto t h e hatc h and mot io n ed met o ascen d . 
"It' s my duty to tell ye ,  Mr. Barclay,"  he ex cl a im e d , w his pering
hoa rs ely i n to my e a r, i n  th e  comparativeshelter oft hecompan io n
c o ver, t hat G ra c e m ight not ov erhe ar him, " that t h e leak' s  againi ng
upo n u s." 

Ih ad  g ues se d  as mu ch; yet  this co nf ir matio n of m y conj ect ureaffec ted
me as vio len tlya s t hough  I ha d ha dno pr evious  susp ic ion of the stat e
of  the yach t. I  wa sthund e rstruc k,I f elt the  bloodf ors ak e m ycheeks,
and for so me m om ents I c ould n o tfi n d my voi ce .
"You d o not  mea n  t o tell m e, Cau d el ,that th eyachtis  ac tua lly
_ s inki ng_?"
"No, si r.  B u t the pump'llh ave to be kep t  c o n ti n uall y g oing if she 's
t o  rem aina fl oat .   I'm  afee r' d  w h en the mast went ov er  the s ide t hat a
blow fr om it star t e d  a butt,  and th e  leak's growin g wor se and wor s e,
conse quenc e of the  workingo f  the cra ft. "
"Is  it s ti ll thick?"

" A s  mud ,sir."
"Wh y not f ire  th e g unat  interval s?" said  I ,re fe rri ng to the litt le 
br as s c annon that s toodmoun te du pon  the qu a rt e r -dec k. 
"I'm  af ee red-- " he pau sed wit h a melan cho l y sh ak eof hishead.  "Of
co ur se, Mr. Ba rc lay ," hew e nt on, " if it's your wish, sir- - but it' lldo
no  mor e, I allo w,than f rig h ten th e youn g lad y.   ' T i s but a  p eas ho oter,
sir, a ndthe g al e'slike th under."

"We are i n  yo ur hands, Cau del ," s a i dI,w it h  afe e lin g of despair
ice- cold at my  h e ar t, as I re f lec te d uponthe siz e ofo ur litt le craft, 
her crip pl ed a n d  si nking cond ition, o ur distan c e fro m  l and-- asI felt 
t heterri ble mi g htand p owersof  the s eas w hi ch weretossing us--and as
I th oughtof my  sw eetheart! 

" M r.Barclay," 
isome beat_of the_plied break affected my
imagination_as though_it_were the_tolling_of our funeral_bell.  I
hardly_required Caudel to tell_me the condition_of_the yacht when,
sometime between eight and nine o'clock that night, he put his head
into_the_hatch and_motioned_me_to ascend.

"It's my duty to_tell ye, Mr. Barclay," he_exclaimed, whispering
hoarsely_into my ear, in the comparative shelter of_the_companion
cover, that Grace_might not overhear him, "that the leak's againing
upon us."

I_had guessed as much; yet this_confirmation of my_conjecture_affected
me_as violently as though_I had had no previous suspicion_of the state
of the yacht. _I was thunderstruck, I felt the blood_forsake my cheeks,
and for some moments_I could not find my_voice.

"You do_not mean to tell me,_Caudel, that the_yacht is_actually
_sinking_?"

"No, sir. _But the pump'll have to be_kept continually going_if she's
to remain afloat.  I'm_afeer'd_when the mast_went_over_the side_that a
blow from_it_started a_butt,_and the leak's growing worse and_worse,
consequence_of the working of the craft."

"Is it_still thick?"

"As mud, sir."

"Why_not_fire the gun at_intervals?" said I, referring to_the little
brass cannon that stood mounted_upon the_quarter-deck.

"I'm afeered--"_he paused with a melancholy shake of his head.  "Of
course,_Mr. Barclay," he went on, "if_it's your wish, sir--but_it'll do
no_more,_I allow, than_frighten_the young_lady.  'Tis but a peashooter,
sir, and_the gale's_like thunder."

"We are in your hands,_Caudel," said I, with_a_feeling of despair
ice-cold at my heart,_as I reflected upon the size_of our little craft,
her crippled_and_sinking_condition, our distance from land--as_I felt
the terrible might and powers_of the seas_which were tossing us--and as
I thought of_my_sweetheart!

"Mr. Barclay,"