Story-Portal

Then holding a lighted lantern to the floor, he saw that some water was washing from side to side.
Whence came this water? Did it come from a leak? That must be ascertained at once.
Forward of the saloon was the day-saloon, then the dining-saloon, and then the crew’s quarters.
Briant went through these in order, and found that the water had been taken in from the seas dashing over the bows, down the fore-companion, which had not been quite closed, and that it had been run aft by the pitching of the ship. There was thus no danger on this head.
Briant stopped to cheer up his companions as he went back through the saloon, and then returned to his place at the helm. The schooner was very strongly built, and had only just been re-coppered, so that she might withstand the waves for some time.
It was then about one o’clock. The darkness was darker than ever, and the dark clouds still gathered; and more furiously than ever raged the storm. The yacht seemed to be rushing through a liquid mass that flowed above, beneath, and around her. The shrill cry of the petrel was heard in the air. Did its appearance mean that land was near? No; for it is often met with hundreds of miles at sea. And, in truth, these birds of the storm found themselves powerless to struggle against the aerial current, and by it were borne along like the schooner.
An hour later there was another report from the bow. What remained of the foresail had been split to ribbons, and the strips flew off into space like huge seagulls.
‘We have no sail left!’ exclaimed Donagan; ‘and it is impossible for us to set another.’
‘Well, it doesn’t matter,’ said Briant ‘We shall not get along so fast, that is all!’
‘What an answer!’ replied Donagan. ‘If that is your style of seamanship—’
‘Look out for the wave astern!’ said Moko. ‘Lash yourselves, or you’ll be swept overboard—’
The boy had not finished the sentence when several tons of water came with a leap over the taffrail. Briant, Donagan, and Gordon were hurled against the companion, to which they managed to cling. But the negro had disappeared in the wave which had swept the deck from stern to bow, carrying away the binnacle, a lot of spare spars, and the three boats which were swinging to the davits inboard. The deck was cleared at one blow, but the water almost instantly flowed off, and the yacht was saved from sinking beneath the flood.
‘Moko! Moko!’ shouted Briant, as soon as he could speak.
‘See if he’s gone overboard,’ said Donagan.
‘No,’ said Gordon, leaning out to leeward. ‘No, I don’t see him, and I don’t hear him.’
‘We must save him! Throw him a buoy! Throw him a rope!’ said Briant
And in a voice that rang clearly out in a few seconds of calm, he shouted again, —
Moko! Moko!’
‘Here! Help!’ replied the negro.
‘He is not in the sea,’ said Gordon. ‘His voice comes from the bow.’
‘I’ll save him,’ said Briant.