ry now and then,
either Jack or Grimshaw went below to ascertain the progress the water
was making. At length Grim came hurrying up.

"No time to lose, sir; I am very sure of that!" he shouted out. "If we
don't look sharp, the brig will be sinking under us!"

"Haul up the raft, then," said Mr Collinson. "The boys must go first
on it."

It was hauled up under the stern, and Bill and Tommy lowered themselves
down; Grimshaw followed, and Mr Collinson and Jack then lowered down
the various articles they had collected to take with them, which Grim
and the boys secured as well as they could. Mr Collinson told Jack to
descend, and, casting an eye round, he saw that nothing was left behind.
He himself then slid down upon the raft, and was caught by his
companions. He had scarcely calculated how weak he was; and, had it not
been for the men, he would have fallen into the water. His eye had been
on the stern of the vessel. He saw it give a peculiar movement, lifting
upwards.

"Cut! Cut!" he shouted.

Jack was just in time to cut the tow-rope, and with a long pole to shove
off, before, the vessel's stern lifting high in the air, she went down
bows foremost. Then, getting out the paddles, they paddled away quickly
to avoid being drawn down in the vortex.

"Well, we are unlucky!" cried old Grim, as he saw the vessel go down.

"I think rather we are very fortunate," said Bill. "Suppose we had not
had the raft, where should we be now? We ought to thank Him who has
preserved us, and not to cry out that we are unlucky."

Bill had always some answer to make to old Grim's growls.

"You are right, boy," said Mr Collinson. "I calculate that we are not
more than fifty miles from the American coast, if so much; and if the
wind comes from the north, as I think it is likely to do, we shall be
able to reach it in a couple of days or so: besides which, we are nearly
certain to fall in with some vessel before long, even if we cannot reach
the shore."

Though the lieutenant made these remarks, he could not help confessing
to himself that there were still many dangers to be encountered. The
wind having gone down sufficiently, they were able to hoist their sail,
and to steer towards the nearest point of the American coast, which lay
about south-west from them.

The lieutenant felt their condition even more than his companions. He
had been indulging in the hope of sighting Jamaica in the course of a
few days: and now he cou