was shining brightly; the sea was smooth as
glass, unbroken by a single ripple. Jim did not forget the leak; he
sounded the well.

"We must turn to at the pumps, Peter," he exclaimed. "She's made a good
deal of water during the night, and it will take us not a few hours to
get it out of her, but we'll not give in."

"I should think not, indeed," I answered. "But I'll go down and hear
what the captain wants us to do."

Before I had got half way down the companion-ladder I heard the clank of
the pump. Jim had lost no time in setting to work.

I hastened to the state-room. I was startled by the changed appearance
of the captain's countenance during the short time I had been on deck.
His eyes were turned towards me with a fixed look. I spoke, but he did
not answer; I leant over him, no breath proceeded from his lips; I
touched his brow, then I knew that the good old man was dead. Presently
I closed his eyes, and with a sad heart returned on deck.

"He's gone, Jim," I cried.

"Gone! The captain gone! Then I am sorry," answered Jim, as he stopped
pumping for a moment, though he still held the brake in his hands.
"Then, Peter, you and I must just do our best to take the brig into port
by ourselves."

"I was thinking the same, Jim," I said. "He told us to get up
jury-masts and steer west, and that's just what we must do if the wind
will let us."

The death of our good captain made us feel very sad, for we had learned
to look upon him as our true friend. It caused us also to become more
anxious even than before about ourselves. With his assistance we had
had little doubt, should the weather remain fine, of reaching a port,
but as we were neither of us accustomed to the use of charts, and did
not know how to take an observation, we could not tell to what port we
should steer our course.

We had both, however, dauntless spirits, and had been accustomed from
our childhood to trust to our own resources. Our grand idea was to
steer west, if we could manage to get sail on the brig, but before this
could be attempted we must pump her free of water.

There was no time to mourn for our old captain, so without delay we
turned to at the pumps. My arms and legs and every part of my body felt
very stiff. Jim saw that I should not be able to continue long at it.

"Peter, do you go below and look out for some spars to serve as
jury-masts," he said; "I'll meantime keep on. We shall soon get the
water under; it's on