g up the ship; and the
other, that we had an enemy in our stomachs that was more formidable in
his attacks than the enemy on deck. Hunger is a d----ble circumstance,
as any man who has lived on it eight-and-forty hours will acknowledge."

"Uncle," said Mabel in a mournful voice and with an expostulatory
manner, "my poor father is sadly, sadly hurt!"

"True, Magnet, true; I will sit by him, and do my best at consolation.
Are the bars well fastened, girl? for on such an occasion the mind
should be tranquil and undisturbed."

"We are safe, I believe, from all but this heavy blow of Providence."

"Well, then, Magnet, do you go up to the floor above and try to compose
yourself, while Pathfinder runs aloft and takes a look-out from the
cross-trees. Your father may wish to say something to me in private,
and it may be well to leave us alone. These are solemn scenes, and
inexperienced people, like myself, do not always wish what they say to
be overheard."

Although the idea of her uncle's affording religious consolation by the
side of a death-bed certainly never obtruded itself on the imagination
of Mabel, she thought there might be a propriety in the request with
which she was unacquainted, and she complied accordingly. Pathfinder had
already ascended to the roof to make his survey, and the brothers-in-law
were left alone. Cap took a seat by the side of the Sergeant, and
bethought him seriously of the grave duty he had before him. A silence
of several minutes succeeded, during which brief space the mariner was
digesting the substance of his intended discourse.

"I must say, Sergeant Dunham," Cap at length commenced in his peculiar
manner, "that there has been mismanagement somewhere in this unhappy
expedition; and, the present being an occasion when truth ought to be
spoken, and nothing but the truth, I feel it my duty to be say as much
in plain language. In short, Sergeant, on this point there cannot well
be two opinions; for, seaman as I am, and no soldier, I can see several
errors myself, that it needs no great education to detect."

"What would you have, brother Cap?" returned the other in a feeble
voice; "what is done is done; and it is now too late to remedy it."

"Very true, brother Dunham, but not to repent of it; the Good Book tells
us it is never too late to repent; and I've always heard that this is
the precious moment. If you've anything on your mind, Sergeant, hoist
it out freely; for, you know, you trust