"Let her away now."
"Why, that will run us right into the Long Shoal!" exclaimed Manton, anxiously, as the squall which had been approaching struck the schooner and laid her almost on her beam ends.
"I know it," replied Gascoyne, curtly, as he thrust aside the man at the wheel and took the spokes in his own hands.
"It's all we can do to find our way through that place in fine weather," remonstrated the mate.
"I know it," said Gascoyne, sternly.
Scraggs, who chanced to be standing by, seemed to be immensely delighted with the alarmed expression on Manton's face. The worthy second mate hated the first mate so cordially, and attached so little value to his own life, that he would willingly have run the schooner on the rocks altogether, just to have the pleasure of laughing contemptuously at the wreck of Manton's hopes.
"It's worth while trying it," suggested Scraggs, with a malicious grin.
"I mean to try it," said Gascoyne, calmly.
"But there's not a spot in the shoal except the Eel's Gate that we've a ghost of a chance of getting through," cried Manton, becoming excited as the schooner dashed towards the breakers like a furious charger rushing on destruction.
"I know it."