No word was spoken for at least a quarter of an hour, during which time,
although they rose buoyantly on the water, the waves washed continually
over the low-lying deck. As this deck was flush with the gunwale, or
rather, had no gunwale at all, the water ran off it as it does off a
whale's back.

Then there came a momentary lull.

"Now, Moses--'bout ship!" shouted Van der Kemp. "Stand by, Nigel!"

"Ay, ay, sir."

Although the canoe was long--and therefore unfitted to turn quickly--the
powerful strokes of the two paddles in what may be called
counteracting-harmony brought the little craft right round with her
stern to the waves.

"Hoist away, Nigel! We must run right before it now."

Up went the mainsail, the tiny foresail bulged out at the same moment,
and away they went like the driving foam, appearing almost to leap from
wave to wave. All sense of danger was now overwhelmed in Nigel's mind by
that feeling of excitement and wild delight which accompanies some kinds
of rapid motion. This was, if possible, intensified by the crashing
thunder which now burst forth and the vivid lightning which began to
play, revealing from time to time the tumultuous turmoil as if in
clearest moonlight, only to plunge it again in still blacker night.

By degrees the gale increased in fury, and it soon became evident that