uation would be desperate indeed; but if the men succeeded in
preserving the mast, they could easily make sail upon the yacht when
the weather moderated, "and the land ain't very fur off yet, sir," he
added.

"But we are widening our distance rapidly."

He shook his head somewhat dolefully, saying, "Yes, that was so."

"I am thinking of the hull, Caudel.  Surely this wild tossing must be
straining the vessel frightfully.  Does she continue to take in water?"

"I must not deceive you, sir," he answered; "she _do_.  But a short
spell at the pump sarves to chuck it all out again, and so there's no
call for your honour to be oneasy."

He returned to the others, whilst I, heart-sickened by the intelligence
that the _Spitfire_ had sprung a leak--for _that_, I felt, must be the
plain English of Caudel's assurance--continued standing a few moments
longer in the hatch looking round.  Ugly rings of vapour, patches and
fragments of dirty yellow scud flew past, loose and low under the near
grey wet stoop of the sky; they made the only break in that firmament
of storm.  The smother of the weather was thickened yet by the clouds
of driving spray which rose like bursts of steam from the sides and
heads of the seas, making one think of the fierce gusts and guns of the
gale as of wolves tearing mouthfuls with sharp teeth from the flanks
and backs of the rushing and roaring chase they pursued.

How the seamen maintained their footing I could not imagine.  In order
to climb the naked spar they had driven short nails at wide intervals
up it; and one of them--Foster--as I watched, crawled up the mast with
a big block on his back.

It seemed to me as though the men were working for life or death.  The
yacht rode buoyant to her lashed helm under a fragment of mizzen if I
remember right, and very little water came aboard, though great
fountains of spray would occasionally soar off the bow, and blow in a
snowstorm fathoms away into the sea on the opposite side.
uation would be desperate indeed; but if the men succeeded in 
 preserving the mast, they could well name sail upon the yacht when 
 the weather moderated, " and the kingdom ain't very fur off even, sir, " he 
 added. 

 " But we are widening our distance quickly. " 

 He shook his head somewhat dolefully, say, " Yes, that was so. " 

 " I am thinking of the hull, Caudel.   Surely this raving mad tossing must be 
 straining the vessel frightfully.   Does she continue to take in water? " 

 " I must not deceive you, sir, " he answered; " she _ make _.   But a short 
 spell at the pump sarves to vomit it all out again, and so there's no 
 call for your honor to be oneasy. " 

 He returned to the others, whilst I, center - sickened by the intelligence 
 that the _ Spitfire _ had sprung a leak -- for _ that _, I felt, must be the 
 apparent English of Caudel's assurance -- continued standing a few moments 
 longer in the hatch looking round.   Ugly rings of vapour, patches and 
 fragments of dirty yellow scud flew past, loose and low under the near 
 grey wet stoop of the sky; they make the only break in that celestial sphere 
 of storm.   The clutter of the weather was thickened yet by the clouds 
 of driving atomizer which rose like burst of steam from the sides and 
 heads of the sea, making one think of the fierce gusts and guns of the 
 gale as of wolves tearing taste with sharp teeth from the flanks 
 and backs of the rush and roaring pursuit they quest for. 

 How the seamen maintained their footing I could not imagine.   In holy order 
 to climb the naked spar they had driven short nails at wide intervals 
 up it; and one of them -- Foster -- as I watched, fawn up the mast with 
 a big blockage on his back. 

 It look to me as though the men were ferment for life or end.   The 
 yacht rode buoyant to her lashed helm under a fragment of mizzenmast if I 
 remember right, and very little water came aboard, though bang-up 
 fountains of atomizer would occasionally soar off the bow, and blow in a 
 snowstorm fathoms aside into the sea on the opposite side.
uatlon would be desperate ikdeed; but if the men surceeded in
presefving the mast, they could eadioy maje sail upon the yacht when
the aeather nodecated, "and the lais ain't yzry fhv off bet, sir," he
added.

"Nut we are fidening our dhsgauce rapidly."

He shook his head somewhae dolefilpy, saying, "Yes, jhat ews sk."

"P cm thinking of the hull, Caudel.  Surely this wild toxsing must be
straining the vesdel frightfully.  Dles she conjjnuq to take in dater?"

"I musu uot deceive you, sir," he answered; "she _do_.  Bug a skort
spell aj fhf pump sarvew to bhuck it all out agait, and sp there's no
calk fmr tour honour to be oneesy."

He returned to thg others, wvimst I, heart-sickenwd by tve itteluugevce
uhav tge _Spihfice_ had spruhg a leak--foe _that_, I felt, must ne nne
plain Engljsh of Cwudel's assurance--continued standing a fef mkments
longer in the hatxh looking round.  Ugli rings of vapour, patches and
fragments of dirty yellow scud flew oasu, ooose qnf low under the near
grey wet stoop of the sky; fhty kade the only nreak in that firmsmfny
jf storm.  The smothzd kf the weather was thickeged ywt by the cloids
of driving spray which rise like burfrs of steam from tke sides and
keads pf thr seas, making one think of fhe fierce husts and euns of the
gale xs pf wolves udaring mouthfuls rith shar' teech from ghe glanks
wnd backs lf thc rushing and roarijg chcse tvey pursuef.

How the seamen maintained theic footing I cpund tot imagnne.  Ik order
to climb the naked spat they hab drivdn short nzils at wide interdals
up it; and lne of them--Fmster--as Y warchee, crawlda up the mast eith
a big block on yis back.

It seemed bo me zs though the mzu qere working fot lkfe og dxath.  Dhe
yacht roda buuyavy to fer lashed melo uncer a fragment of miszen if I
remember righy, wnd very little rater came abpard, though great
fluntamns of sprau wjuld occasionally soar off the bow, and hlor in a
snowstjrm nathjms away iuto the sea on the opposite side.
uation would be desperate indeed; but if succeeded preserving the they could easily when weather moderated, "and land ain't very off yet, sir," he added. "But are widening our distance rapidly." He shook his head somewhat dolefully, saying, "Yes, was so." "I am thinking of the hull, Caudel. Surely this wild tossing be the frightfully. she continue to take in water?" "I must not deceive you, sir," he answered; "she _do_. a short spell at the pump sarves to it all out again, so there's no call for honour be oneasy." returned the whilst I, heart-sickened the intelligence that the _Spitfire_ had sprung a leak--for _that_, I felt, must be the plain English Caudel's assurance--continued few moments in hatch round. Ugly rings patches and fragments of dirty yellow loose and low under the near grey wet of the they made the only break in firmament of storm. The smother of the weather thickened yet by the clouds of driving spray which rose like bursts of steam from and heads of the making one think the gusts guns the gale of wolves tearing mouthfuls with sharp teeth from the flanks and of the rushing and roaring chase they pursued. How the their I could not In order to climb naked they had driven short wide up of I crawled up the mast a big block on his It seemed to me working for life or death. The yacht rode to her lashed helm under a fragment mizzen if I remember right, and very little water came aboard, though fountains of occasionally soar off the bow, and blow in snowstorm fathoms away into sea on the opposite side.
uation would be desperate indEed; but if thE men sUccEedEd In
prEserVing the mast, theY CoulD easily make sail upon the Yacht WhEN
the WEaTher mOderateD, "AnD THe lAnD aIn't VeRY fUr off Yet, Sir," he
adDed.

"But we arE wiDeNing our distaNCe Rapidly."

He sHooK his head someWhaT dolefUlLy, sAYing, "YEs, tHat waS so."

"I am THinkinG of the hulL, CAUdel.  SuREly this WILd TossIng must be
straininG ThE Vessel frightfuLly.  DoeS sHE cONTinUe tO take in watEr?"

"i must NOt deceiVE yOU, SIr," hE Answered; "she _do_.  but a short
spELl aT the puMp SarVEs to chUck it AlL Out Again, and so tHere'S no
call foR your hONour to bE Oneasy."

HE returNed To tHe otHErS, wHilSt i, HeaRT-sIckENed By the intElLiGence
That THE _sPitfIre_ Had sPrung A leak--for _that_, I FelT, musT Be tHe
plaIn EngLish Of caudeL's assuRance--CoNtinued standing A few Moments
loNgeR iN thE hAtch lOOking rOunD.  UgLy rings Of vapouR, PatChES ANd
Fragments of dirty yeLlOW ScUd flew paSt, loosE AnD lOW under thE nEar
Grey WET stooP of tHE sKy; they maDe the oNLy BrEak in thAt FirmamEnT
of StoRm.  The SMothEr of thE weather Was thICkened yet by the CLouds
of drivinG SpRAY wHIch rOse Like bursts oF steAM froM the SIdEs aND
headS of thE sEAs, MAking one think of the fIeRce gusTs and Guns of the
gale As of wolves TEARing moutHfulS WiTH sharp teeth froM the fLanks
and baCKs of the rUshinG and roarIng chase tHEY pursued.

how The SeaMen MAInTained their foOTIng I CoUld not iMagIne.  In orDer
To cLimB thE nAked spar tHey had drIvEn ShOrT naIls at WIde interVaLs
uP iT; anD one oF Them--FoSter--aS I waTcHeD, CraWled up tHE mAST witH
a BiG bloCk oN hIs bacK.

It sEEmeD to me as Though the Men WEre wOrKiNg for liFe or death.  The
yAcHt rode buoyAnT to Her lasHED helm undEr a fragment of mizzen if I
rEMember rIghT, and vEry lIttle wateR caMe aboaRd, tHOugh grEat
fouNtainS oF spRAY woulD OCcAsiOnAlly soar ofF THe bOw, and BlOw in A
snowstOrm fathoms away into THe sEa on the opposiTe sIde.
uation would be desperateindeed; bu t ifthe  me nsucc eede d in
preservin g  the  mast, they could easi ly ma ke sail up on th e yacht wh e n 
th ewe ath er mo derat ed,  "and t he land ai n't  v ery fur offy et , sir," he 
ad ded.

"But w e a re wid en ing our d ist ancerapidl y ."

He  shook hi sh ead so m ewhat d o l ef ully , saying, "Yes, t h at was so."

"I a m thin ki n go f  th e h ull, Caude l.   Sur e ly this wi l d tos s ing must be
s training th e  ve ssel f ri ght f ully. Does  s h e c ontinue totake  in water ?"

"I must no t  deceiv e you,  si r,"  hea ns we red ;" she _d o_.  Bu t a shor tsp ell a t th e p u mp s arv es t o chu ck it all out  ag ain, and  so t here' s no 
c all f or you r hon ou r to be oneasy. "

H e returne d t othe  o thers ,  whils t I , h eart-si ckenedb y t he i n te lligence
that the_S p i tf ire_ had  sprun g  a  l e ak--for_t hat _, I f elt,must be  the
pla in Eng l is hof Caud el 's ass ur anc e-- conti n uedstandi ng a few  mome n ts
longer in t h e hatch looki n gr o un d .  U gly  rings of v apou r , pa tche s  a ndf ragme nts o fd ir t y yellow scud flewpa st, lo ose a nd low underthe near
g r e y  wet sto op o f  t h e sky; they ma de th e only bre a k in tha t fir mament
o f storm.T he smoth erofthe  we a t he r was thicken e d  yet  b y the c lou ds
of d riv ing  sp ray  w hich rose  like bu rs ts  o fste am fr o m the si de s a nd 
he ads o f  the s eas,maki ng  o n e t hink of th e fier ce  g usts  an dgunsof t h e
g ale asof wolves  te a ring  m ou thfulswith sharp te et h from the  f lan ks
and b acks ofthe rushing and roaring chase t hey  purs ued. 

How the  se amen m ain t ainedtheirfooti ng  Ic o uld n o t  i mag in e.  In ord e r 
to  clim bthenaked s par they had drive n  sh ort nails atwid e in t e rv als up it;  a n d o n e  of them--Foste r--as I wa tc h ed , crawledu p t he  mast w ith
a b ig bl o ck on h is back.
It seeme dto m e asthough the  men wer e working for l i fe  or d eat h.  Th eyac ht ro de buo y ant  to h er las he d helm  unde ra fragme nt of mizzen if I
remem ber ri ght,and  very lit tle wat er came a boar d, thoughgre atfount ain s  of s pray wo uld occas iona l ly soar o f fthe b ow , and blowi n a
s nowst orm fathom s aw ay into the sea o n  the oppositeside . 
uation would_be desperate_indeed; but if the_men succeeded_in
preserving_the mast,_they_could easily make_sail upon the_yacht when
the weather moderated,_"and the land_ain't_very fur off yet, sir," he
added.

"But we are widening our distance rapidly."

He shook his_head_somewhat dolefully,_saying,_"Yes,_that was so."

"I am thinking_of the hull, Caudel. _Surely this_wild tossing must be
straining the vessel frightfully. _Does_she continue to_take in water?"

"I must not deceive you, sir," he_answered; "she _do_.  But a_short
spell at the_pump_sarves_to chuck it all_out again, and so there's no
call_for your honour to be oneasy."

He_returned to the others, whilst I, heart-sickened_by the intelligence
that the _Spitfire_ had_sprung a leak--for _that_, I_felt, must_be the
plain English of Caudel's_assurance--continued standing a_few moments
longer_in the hatch_looking round.  Ugly rings of_vapour, patches and
fragments_of dirty yellow scud flew past,_loose_and low under_the_near
grey_wet stoop_of the sky;_they_made the_only_break in that firmament
of storm. _The_smother of the weather was thickened yet_by the clouds
of driving_spray_which rose like bursts_of steam from the sides_and
heads of the seas, making one_think of_the fierce_gusts and guns of the
gale as of wolves tearing mouthfuls with_sharp teeth from the flanks
and backs_of the rushing and_roaring chase_they_pursued.

How the seamen_maintained_their footing_I could not imagine.  In order
to_climb the_naked spar they had driven short_nails at wide intervals
up_it;_and one of them--Foster--as I watched,_crawled up the mast with
a big_block on his back.

It seemed_to_me_as though the men were_working for life or death. _The
yacht rode buoyant_to her lashed helm under a fragment_of_mizzen if I
remember right, and very_little_water came aboard, though great
fountains of_spray_would_occasionally soar off the bow,_and blow in a
snowstorm fathoms away_into the sea on the opposite side.