“How far are we from the coast?” he said at last. “Perhaps five miles, perhaps three, sir!” quietly replied the man. “And we have a long run to make before we get sea-room,” said the captain. “We shall all be in eternity before morning,” answered the man, solemnly. The captain paused a moment, when he replied, “Our only hope is in the topsail-clews—if they give way, we are indeed lost—God help us!” “Amen!” I answered, involuntarily. Silence now ensued, though none of us changed our positions. For myself, I was occupied with thinking of the female passengers, soon, perhaps, to be the prey of the wild waters. Every moment it seemed as if the topsails would give way, she strained so frightfully. It was impossible to stand up if exposed to the full force of the gale. So we sheltered ourselves in the waist as we best could. The wind as well as spray, however, reached us even here, though in diminished violence, the latter stinging the face like shot thrown against it. It seemed to me, each minute, as if we made more lee-way. At last, after half an hour’s suspense, I heard the surf breaking, with a noise like thunder, on the iron-bound coast to the eastward. Again and again I listened, and each time the awful sound became more distinct. I did not mention my fears, however, for I still thought I might be mistaken. Suddenly the captain looked up. “Hark!” he said. He stood with his finger raised in the attitude of one listening intently, his eyes fixed on the face of the old sailor. “It is the sound of breakers,” said the seaman. “Breakers on the lee-quarter!” cried the look-out at this instant, his hoarse voice sounding ominously across the night. “Breakers on the lee-beam!” answered another. “Breakers on the lee-bow!” echoed a third. All eyes peered immediately into the darkness. A long line of foam was plainly visible, skirting quite round the horizon to leeward. “God have mercy on our souls!” I involuntarily ejaculated. The captain sprung to the wheel, his eye flashing, his whole frame dilated—for he had taken a sudden and desperate resolution. He saw that, if no effort was made, we should be among the breakers in twenty minutes; but if the mainsail could be set, and made to hold for half an hour, we might yet escape. There were nine chances to one that the sail would split the instant it was spread, and in a less terrible emergency he would have shrunk from the experiment; but it was now our only hope. “Keep her to it!” he shouted; “keep her well up. All hands to set the main-course!” Fortunately we were strong-handed, so that it would not be necessary to carry the tack to the windlass, notwithstanding the gale. A portion of the crew sprung to man this important rope; the remainder hurried up the rigging, almost disappearing in the gloom overhead. In less than a minute the huge sail fell from the yard, like a gigantic puff of white smoke blown from the top. It struggled and whipped terribly, but the good ropes held fast.