Phil had scarcely spoken when a side door to one of the staterooms burst open and a man came forth, wild with terror, his face scratched and bleeding. Much to their amazement, they saw it was Jasper Van Blott.
"Is the ship really going down?" cried the former supercargo, in a trembling voice.
"Where did you come from?" cried Dave.
"I—er—I've been in hiding. But, tell me, are we going down?"
"I don't know."
"I—er—I must go on deck and see. It nearly killed me, the bark bounced around so," went on Van Blott.
He started for the companionway, but had not yet reached the top when a big wave hit the Stormy Petrel broadside, sweeping the deck from end to end and sending some of the water into the cabin. The former supercargo was washed off the steps and came down flat on his back, screaming with terror.
The former supercargo was washed off the steps and came down flat on his back.—[Page 225].
The boys were nearly as much alarmed, and, as soon as it was possible to do so, all three crawled up to where they could get a view of the deck and the sea beyond.