fore and
aft from the main-mast to the taffrail, on the weather side of the deck,
it being his watch.

Suddenly the mate stopped short in his walk, and the skipper ejaculated
"Umph!"

The attention of both had at the same moment been arrested by something
peculiar in the motion of the brig.

"Sound the pumps," observed the skipper, apparently addressing the moon,
which at that moment gleamed brightly forth from behind a heavy cloud.

The mate took the sounding-rod, and, first of all drying it and the line
carefully, dropped it down the pump-well. Hauling it up again, he took
it aft to the binnacle, the somewhat feeble light from which showed that
the entire rod and a portion of the line was wet.

"More'n three feet water in th' hold!" exclaimed the mate.

"Call the hands," remarked Captain Turnbull, directing his voice down
the companion as though he were speaking to some one in the cabin.

The crew soon mustered at the pumps, and manned them both, relieving
each other every ten minutes.

After three-quarters of an hour of vigorous pumping there was as little
sign of the pumps sucking as at the commencement.

They were then again sounded, with the result that the crew appeared to
have gained something like three inches upon the leak.

The men accordingly resumed pumping, in a half-hearted sort of way,
however, which seemed to say that they had no very great hope of freeing
the ship.

Another hour passed, and the pumps were again sounded.

"Three foot ten! The leak gains on us!" proclaimed the mate in a low
voice, as he and the skipper bent together over the rod at the binnacle-
lamp.

Shortly afterwards the wheel was relieved; the man who had been steering
taking at the pumps the place of the one who had relieved him.

A hurried consultation immediately took place amongst the men; and
presently one of them walked aft to where the skipper was seated, and
remarked--

"The chaps is sayin', skipper, as how they thinks the best thing we can
do is to `up stick' and run for the nearest port."

The skipper looked inquiringly at the man for so long a time that the
fellow grew quite disconcerted; after which he shook his head
hopelessly, as though he had been addressed in some strange and utterly
unintelligible language, and, withdrawing his pipe from his mouth,
pointed solemnly in the direction of the pumps.

The man took the hint and retired.

The mate, who had witnessed this curious interview, then pas