Even the skipper looked a shade paler than usual as he slowly brought the speaking-trumpet from behind him and prepared to raise it to his lips.  We were now so near the reef that we could hear the hollow booming thunder and crash of the sea breaking upon it; its outer extremity was within half-a-cable's length of our lee-bow, and it was evident that, even if all went well, it was going to be "touch and go" with us, when suddenly the ship came upright and the sails flapped with a report like the discharge of a 32-pounder!  That fatal flaw of wind round the Point, which the master had foreseen, had come upon us.