The words were hardly out of his mouth when the vessel heeled over, and didn't right herself again.
"Fore-topmast gone, captain; rigging hanging!" bawled Nils Buvaagen down the stair.
Salve turned to her for a moment with a face full of mute, crushing self-reproach, and sprang up on deck.
"Keep her away, if she'll answer her helm!" he shouted to the man at the wheel.

"To the axes, men!" The brig lay over on one side, with her brittle rigging at the mercy of the wind and sea, the waves making a clean breach over her.

Salve himself went up and cut away the topmast, which went over the side to leeward; and as the first grey light of dawn appeared, and made the figures of the crew dimly distinguishable, the axes were still being feverishly plied in strong hands among the stays, backstays, and topmast rigging.

While the work was going on the fearful rolling caused first the main-topgallant sail to go, and then the topsail, with the yards and all belonging to it.

The forestay snapped, the mainsail split, and the lower yards and foremast were damaged.