d, we dived down into the fore-peak. We could now
venture to leave the hatch off, so as to give light below. Sure enough
the water was coming in terribly fast, but not quite so fast as Jim
described, though already the men's chests and other articles were
afloat.

The largest hole was, I saw, in the very centre of a bunk, so that we
could easily get at it. Dragging out all the blankets from the other
bunks, I rammed them into the hole.

"Hand me a board or the top of a chest--knock it off quick!" I sang
out.

Jim, leaping on a chest, wrenched off the lid and gave it me.

"Now that handspike."

There was one close to him. By pressing the board against the blankets,
and jamming the handspike down between it and the outer corner of the
bunk, the gush of water was stopped.

"Here's another hole still more forward, I can see the water bubbling
in," cried Jim, holding a lantern, which he had lit that he might look
round, to the place.

We stopped it as we had the first.

"It will be a mercy if there are no other holes in the side under the
cargo," he said. "We'll try the well."

We returned on deck, and Jim sounded the well.

"Six feet of water or more," he said, in a mournful tone, as he examined
the rod.

"Then we must rig the pumps and try to clear her!" I exclaimed. "It
will be a hard job, but it may be done, and we must not think of letting
the old craft sink under our feet."

We set to work, and pumped and pumped away, the water coming up in a
clear stream, till our backs and arms ached, and we felt every moment
ready to drop, but we cheered each other on, resolved not to give in as
long as we could stand on our legs.

CHAPTER TEN.

ALONE ON THE OCEAN.

"Are we gaining on the leaks, think you, Jim?" I at length gasped out,
for I felt that if our efforts were producing some effect we should be
encouraged to continue them, but that if not it would be wise before we
were thoroughly exhausted to try and build a raft on which we might have
a chance of saving our lives.

My companion made no reply, but giving a look of doubt, still pumped on,
the perspiration streaming down his face and neck showing the desperate
exertions he was making. I was much in the same condition, though, like
Jim, I had on only my shirt and trousers. I was the first to give in,
and, utterly unable to move my arms, I sank down on the deck. Jim,
still not uttering a word, doggedly worked on, bringing up a stream of