The next moment he and the mate rushed past Will to the deck.
The latter, alarmed at the wild tossing of the ship, followed them.
The deck of the [Golden Moose] was a scene of indescribable confusion.
The skies were of inky blackness, the sea lashed into a mad fury by a terrific gale.
It is doubtful if the captain and the mate anticipated such a tempest, for, as the new boatswain announced that the ship was becoming water-logged, both men seemed terribly frightened.
Each moment the condition of the ship became worse. It tossed in the trough of the sea and then on the crest of the waves.
Tom Dalton, pale and excited, had reached Will Bertram’s side, and both clung to a rope to escape being swept off the deck.
“We shall all go down,” quavered Tom. “See, Will, they are pulling off the long-boat.”