before cooked, while I hung up Jim's clothes to dry.

The hot broth seemed greatly to restore him, but as he was pretty well
worn out before he had gone overboard, it is no wonder that as soon as
the basin was emptied he fell fast asleep. I had not stopped to ask him
how the accident had occurred, but I suspected, as I afterwards found
was the case, that as the masts fell a rope had somehow or other caught
his legs and whisked him overboard. He was, however, never very clear
how it happened.

Having performed my duties below, and taken some food, which I greatly
needed, I went on deck. It was still blowing fresh, but there was not
much sea on, and the brig lay like a log on the water. To my great
relief I found that none of the spars or sails had been lost, all of
them having fallen inboard, so I set to work to secure them as well as I
could, knowing that till Jim was strong enough to help me I could do
nothing towards getting up the masts again.

I did not for a moment contemplate giving up the struggle. I next went
down into the fore-peak to see if our arrangements for keeping out the
water were secure. Nothing had moved. Still, as I knew that the water
must be coming in and might gain upon us dangerously, I took a spell at
pumping. This pretty well exhausted all my remaining strength, yet
before turning in to get some rest there was another thing to be done.
We might be in the track of some vessel or other, and should the night
prove dark might be run down and sent to the bottom while we were
asleep. I therefore trimmed the lamp in one of the lanterns, and with
great labour having lashed a spar to the stump of the foremast, hoisted
the lantern to the top of it. This done I could do no more, and
crawling into my cabin was soon fast asleep in my berth.

I slept tranquilly, knowing that He who had hitherto preserved us was
watching over us still. I was awakened by the clanking sound of the
pump. It was broad daylight; Jim was not in his berth, and on springing
on deck there I saw him in his shirt and trowsers hard at work, forcing
up the water at a great rate.

"I'm all to rights, Peter," he said, in a cheerful tone, "and as I
guessed that you had been up long after I went to sleep, I thought as
how I would take a spell at the pump before rousing you up."

Thanking him for his thoughtfulness, I seized the other brake and pumped
till my arms ached.

"Now, Peter, we must see about getting up the masts a