her speak. Not that we felt much inclined for
conversation, answering for myself; for, I was chilled to the bone from
the cool evening air penetrating my wet clothes, which got more and more
saturated as the waves came over the poop, while I was faint with hunger
and exhausted from want of sleep.

Thus the weary night passed, the sky being clouded over so that even the
lights of heaven could not shine down to cheer us up; and, to add to the
bitterness of our unhappy plight, our hearts were full of the untimely
end of poor Gottlieb, the German sailor who had passed away so suddenly
from amongst us, and the shocking disclosure he had made just before his
tired spirit sought eternal rest, of the treachery of Davis--whose
terrible fate, in front of our very eyes, seemed a just judgment for his
murder of Hermann and foiled vengeance on Jackson, the latter of whom
had evidently only escaped with his life through the wretched man's
mistake.

At last, when it seemed as if we could hold out no longer, a faint gleam
appeared in the east lighting up the horizon, and morning dawned
gloomily upon us; but, a heavy mist hung over the sea and it took the
rays of the rising sun a long time to pierce through this, albeit there
was light enough for us to survey the scene around.

The ocean now, instead of rising and falling with the sullen swell that
had given motion to it the day before, was covered with short broken
waves that rolled up from the westwards with the wind, dashing against
the partly-submerged vessel and throwing clouds of spray over those
portions of the hull above the surface of the water, a large share of
which we also came in for.

This motion of the sea, we could perceive, had considerably altered the
position of the masts that had been cut away, for they were rolling over
and grinding down the starboard bulwarks, the inboard ends working
themselves gradually fore and aft the ship, the lee side of which had
risen quite a couple of feet higher out of the water during the night.

"Another good wave or two will send all that hamper adrift," said
Captain Miles, looking round and calculating our chances.

"Yes," replied Mr Marline, "they are coming from the right direction
too, for if they broke over us abeam, then the foremast could not free
itself. Now it possibly may, from the leverage it has against the
fo'c's'le."

"You're right," said the captain; "and here comes a good-sized roller
that may finish the job.