As we did so, a single wave nearly filled the boat, and we had nothing for it but to bear away before the roaring blast.
Through the black drift we could see the brig, from which we were only a few yards distant, sinking deeper and deeper; at last the waves rolled in fierce tumult over her deck; still not a word escaped us. Our hearts were too full for utterance; but a pang of sorrow and dismay thrilled them when the poor little Leda, with her masts still standing, went down into the waste of waters and disappeared for ever!
Hartly now took off his sou'-wester, and briefly told us "to be of good heart, for God would be sure to protect us."
All present untied and took off their hats, and listened to him in silence, though he could scarcely be heard amid the wild fury of the gale. Then Paul Reeves, who pulled the bow oar, shouted—
"Three cheers, my lads, for our captain!"
And they gave them with all the heartier will that he was now as poor as themselves, for all that Hartly possessed in the world had gone down with the Leda, as she was not insured. To keep the boat from being swamped, with incredible difficulty we now stepped her mast, hoisted a little of the sail, and bore away before the wind; but when we were in the trough of the sea, it flapped against the mast, and the next instant, when we rode on the summit of a wave, the wind almost tore it to shreds. Then the wild water bubbled over her stern, often immersing the steersman to his ears, and obliging us incessantly to bale with our hats; but the increasing light of dawn, and an evidence of some abatement in the tempest, encouraged us to persevere in our efforts to save our lives; and so we struggled manfully with the warring elements.
CHAPTER XXXI.
THE CRY.
The wind and sea went down together as day brightened on the cheerless scene. After the night we had passed, how grimly pale and wan our faces seemed in the cold grey dawn of morning!
This catastrophe occurred in the middle of May, when we were about three hundred miles from St. John, our destination. Our compass was broken, but we continued to steer south-west and by west, as well as we could determine.