ashion, and looking, it seemed to me,
as if they had been drinking, though they may not have been exactly
drunk. As they approached one nudged the other, and, looking at Uncle
Jack, exchanged a few words.

They would have passed us, when he, having noticed this, hailed them--

"What cheer, my hearties, have we ever sailed together?"

"Can't say exactly, sir, for we've knocked about at sea so long that
it's hard to mind all the officers we've served under. But now I looks
at you, sir, I think you used to come aboard the `Amphion' before she
left Old England. We heard say you were the captain's brother."

"The `Amphion!'" exclaimed Uncle Jack, eagerly, looking hard at the men.
"Can you give me any news of her?"

"Aye, sir, but it's bad news."

"Out with it, whatever it is," exclaimed Uncle Jack, fixing his eyes on
the man, to judge whether he spoke the truth.

"It's a matter of over four years gone by when we sailed for the Eastern
seas. We had been knocking about in them parts for some months, when we
were caught in a regular hurricane, which carried away our topmasts and
mainyard, and did other damage. At the same time we sprang a leak, and
had to keep the pumps going without a moment's rest. When night came
on, and a terrible dark night it was, sir, matters grew worse and worse,
not a hope but that the ship would go down, though we well-nigh worked
our arms off to keep her afloat. Howsomedever before long, she struck
on a reef, though she hadn't been thrashing away on it three minutes
when she drove off, and the water came rushing in like a mill stream.
`Out boats,' was the cry. Bill here and I, with three others, got into
the jolly-boat, but before another soul could spring aboard her she
drifted away from the ship. We felt about, and found a lugsail and an
oar. To go back was more than we could do, and it's our belief that
scarcely had we left her than the ship went down. As our only chance of
keeping the boat afloat was to run before the sea, we stepped the mast
and set the lug close reefed, hoping to come upon some land or other.
When morning broke no land was in sight. We thought we saw what looked
like it far away on the starboard quarter, but we could only go where
the wind drove us. Three days we scudded on without a drop of water or
bit of food to put into our mouths. I speaks the truth, Bill, don't I?"

"Ay, ay!" said Bill, looking as if he did not even like to think of that
time; "you d