262 BREAKERS AHEAD ! ANOTHER TIGHT PLACE. 
“‘Port!’ said the ready voice of the first lieutenant 
to the man at the wheel. ‘Brace up the head-yards! 
Quartermaster, let the captain know there’s land re- 
ported ahead.’ 
“‘Ay, ay, sir!’ and, as the messenger disappeared 
down the cabin-hatch, the old ship, as if conscious of 
her danger, swerved' slowly from her course until she 
brought the newly-discovered objects out upon her lee 
bow. 
“ ‘ Steady there !’ exclaimed the first lieutenant. ‘ How 
do you head now ?’ 
“ ‘ Nor’-nor’east, sir,’ replied the helmsman, as he 
‘met her’ with the lee wheel and fired an admirable 
shot at a distant spittoon. 
“ ‘Very well. Keep her so. 
“ ‘Ay, ay, sir.’ 
“The after-yards were now braced for the wind on 
the starboard quarter, and we were soon running on 
our new course with but slightly-diminished speed. 
“ ‘ That’s the point we’re looking for,’ said Carnes : ‘ I 
know it by those islands. We’re all right now.’ 
“‘Breakers ahead! breakers on the weather bow!* 
shouted the startled voices of both look-outs at this 
moment. 
“ ‘ Haul by the wind, Mr. McCullom,’ said the captain, 
who now came on deck, ‘and take in the topgallant-sails. 
“So we hauled by the wind, took in topgallant-sails, 
and passed the word to fire up strong. The poor ‘old 
John’ was apparently in another of her endless ‘tight 
places,’ and steam was the only thing we could ever 
hope to help her with. 
