The wind began to draw further and further aft, showing that the ship was gradually gathering headway in spite of her list to starboard.  Soon she began to right herself in the storm-torn sea.  All was white as snow about us, and the whiteness gave a ghastly light in the gloom.  I could now make out the maintopsail, dimly, from where I stood, and the outline of the hull forward.  Evidently the fore lower topsail was holding still.  Jackson, who was tall and strong, and who was an American by adoption, was put to the lee wheel, as his knowledge of English made him quick to obey.  John, a Swede, built very broad with stooping shoulders, and Erikson, a Norwegian with a great blond head and powerful neck, grasped the weather spokes.  Bill, the other quartermaster, had not shown up, and we found later that he was one of the missing from the fore topsail yard.

Trunnell and Captain Thompson called the men aft to the poop, and away we went into the gloom ahead.

She was doing a good fifteen knots under her two, or rather one storm topsail; for we found out afterward that the fore had gone almost instantly after she had payed off.  The water was roaring white astern, and the wind blew so hard that it was impossible to face it for more than a moment.  The sea was making fast, and I began to wonder how long the vessel could run before the great heave which I knew must soon follow us.

Thompson stood bareheaded near the binnacle, and roared to the men to be careful and keep her steady.  It was plain he knew nothing of seamanship, but could tell that a thing must be done well after the mate had given orders.  He was apparently perfectly sober now, and as cool as though on the beach.  It was evident the man feared nothing and could command.  I saw that I could be of little use aft, so I started forward, hoping to be able to keep a lookout for a shift of wind and get some gear ready to heave the vessel to.

On reaching the main deck, things showed to be in a hopeless mess.  Everything movable had gone to leeward when she was hove down, the running rigging was lying about, and no attempt had been made to coil it.  The sea, which had been over the lee rail, had washed that on the starboard side into long tangles which would take hours to clear.  I stumbled over a mass of rope which must have been the fore topsail brace.  I saw a figure moving through the gloom along the bulwarks and called for the man to lay aft and coil down some of the gear.  The man, however, paid no attention to me, but made his way into the forward cabin, and as the door opened and the light from within flashed out I recognized the third mate.

A man named Hans answered my hail, and I started forward again.  The sea by this time was running rapidly.  The ship was so deep that I knew she would not keep her deck clear, and I started to gain the topgallant forecastle where the height would make it safer.

Just as I gained the highest step, a tremendous sea following broke clear along the top of the rail in the waist, and went forward a good five feet above her bulwarks, the entire length of the main deck.