The wind sang shrilly amongst the spars; and at every slight
lurch we expected her to slip to the bottom sideways from under our
backs. When dead before it she made the first distinct attempt to stand
up, and we encouraged her with a feeble and discordant howl. A great sea
came running up aft and hung for a moment over us with a curling top;
then crashed down under the counter and spread out on both sides into
a great sheet of bursting froth. Above its fierce hiss we heard
Singleton's croak:--"She is steering!" He had both his feet now
planted firmly on the grating, and the wheel spun fast as he eased the
helm.--"Bring the wind on the port quarter and steady her!" called out
the master, staggering to his feet, the first man up from amongst our
prostrate heap. One or two screamed with excitement:--"She rises!" Far
away forward, Mr. Baker and three others were seen erect and black on
the clear sky, lifting their arms, and with open mouths as though they
had been shouting all together. The ship trembled, trying to lift her
side, lurched back, seemed to give up with a nerveless dip, and suddenly
with an unexpected jerk swung violently to windward, as though she had
torn herself out from a deadly grasp.
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