David eyed her keenly, and full in the face.  She met his glance calmly, with her fine nostrils slightly expanding, and her compressed lip curving proudly.

“It is all right, Jack.  It is not a flash in the pan.  She is as steady as a rock.”  He then addressed her rapidly and business-like, but with deference.  “You will stand by the helm on this side, and the moment I run forward, you will take the helm and hold it in this position.  That will require all your strength.  Come, try it.  Well done.”

“How the sea struggles with me!  But I am strong, you see,” cried Lucy, her brow flushed with the battle.

“Very good; you are strong, and, what is better, resolute.  Now, observe me:  this is port, this is starboard, and this is amidships.”

“I see; but how am I to know which to do?"’

“I shall give you the word of command.”

“And all I have to do is to obey it?”

“That is all; but you will find it enough, because the sea will seem to fight you.  It will shake the boat to make you leave go, and will perhaps dash in your face to make you leave go.”

“Forewarned, forearmed, Mr. Dodd.  I will not let go.  I will hold on by my eyelids sooner than add to your danger.”

“Jack, she is on fire; she gives me double heart.”

“So she does me.  She makes it a pleasure.”

They were now near enough the point to judge what they had to do, and the appearance of the sea was truly terrible; the waves were all broken, and a surge of devouring fire seemed to rage and roar round the point, and oppose an impassable barrier between them and the inky pool beyond, where safety lay under the lee of the high rocks.

“I don’t like it,” said David.  “It looks to me like going through a strip of hell fire.”

“But it is narrow,” said Lucy.

“That is our chance; and the tide is coming in.  We will try it.  She will drench us, but I don’t much think she will swamp us.  Are you ready, all hands?”

“Oh! please wait a minute, till I do up my hair.”

“Take a minute, but no more.”

“There, it is done.  Mr. Dodd, one word.  If all should fail, and death be inevitable, tell me so just before we perish, and I shall have something to say to you.  Now, I am ready.”

“Jump forward, Jack.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Stand by to jibe the foresail.”

“Ay, ay, sir.”

“See our sweeps all clear.”

“Ay.”

David now handled the main sheet, and at the same time looked earnestly at Lucy, who met his eye with a look of eager attention.

“Starboard a little.  That will do.  Steady—­steady as you go,” As the boat yielded to the helm, Jack gathered in on the sheet, took two turns round the cleat, and eased away till the sail drew its best:  so far so good.  Both sails were now on the same side of the boat, the wind on her port quarter; but now came the dangerous operation of coming to the wind, in a rough and broken sea, among the eddies of wind and tide so prevalent off headlands.  David, with the main sheet in his right hand, directed Lucy with his left as well as his voice.