28 I N A G U A 



as if we had run into a stone wall. How wood and iron could 

 hold together under such hammerings was inconceivable. Sud- 

 denly the cabin would be darkened as the mass swept over the 

 deck, burying it under several feet of indigo water. Then the 

 ports would become luminous green holes in which danced 

 hundreds of bubbles. Shuddering, the ship would lift, spilling 

 the water off the decks in white froth. 



At about two o'clock the sea anchor tore loose from the 

 hawser with a dull snap. In a trice the bow swung around until 

 we were broadside to the wind. Then, hurling out of the sea, 

 came a tremendous wave that caught the cabin full amidships. 

 I was suddenly lifted and thrown out of my bunk across the 

 full width of the cabin on top of Coleman. On the return lurch 

 we were both spilled on the floor. We struggled to our feet 

 and as soon as the water had cleared, climbed on deck, slam- 

 ming the companionway hatch hurriedly behind us. 



The scene that greeted us was awesome. All that was left 

 of the jib lazy- jacks were half a dozen short pieces of rope, 

 fuzzy frayed things only one-tenth of their original length. 

 The remainder had whipped away a little at a time. The bow- 

 sprit shrouds, steel cables, had torn loose on one side and the 

 attached footropes hung in a jumble. Part of the solid oak rail- 

 ing was in splinters and an iron boom-rest had been yanked 

 from its fastenings, carrying with it shredded pieces of wood 

 and metal. Two water casks lashed to wooden supports were 

 smashed and the anchor chain had been lifted out of its coil 

 box and was hanging straight down in the depths. A full ton 

 of it. Getting this last back on board nearly broke our backs. 

 We had unshackled it from the anchor before leaving Hamp- 

 ton Roads so as to have a perfectly clear deck, and now we 

 could not get it around to the winch to haul it in. 



Hurriedly twirling the wheel we coaxed the ship around un- 

 til we were flying under bare poles. But we were in an ugly 



