Grey, after a
vain struggle with its might, shrieked for help; down tumbled the nearest
hands, and hauled on the tackle in vain. Destruction was rushing on the
ship, and on them first. But meantime the captain, with a shrewd guess at
the general nature of the danger he could not see, had roared out, "
Slack the main sheet." The ship righted, and the port came flying to, and
terror-stricken men breathed hard, up to their waists in water and
floating boxes. Grey barred the unlucky port and went aft, drenched in
body, and wretched in mind, to report his own fault. He found the captain
looking grim as death. He told him, almost crying, what he had done, and
how he had miscalculated the power of the water.
Dodd looked and saw his distress. "Let it be a lesson, sir," said he,
sternly. "How many ships have been lost by this in fair weather, and not
a man saved to tell how the craft was fooled away?"
"Captain, bid me fling myself over the side, and I'll do it."
"Hummph! I'm afraid I can't afford to lose a good officer for a fault
he--will--never--repeat"
It blew hard all night and till twelve the next day.
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