At last I could withstand the desire no longer of rushing forward to
ascertain what had become of him. What mattered it, if he were lost,
what else might happen? I made a dash forward, keeping my eye on the
stars. I had got as far as the mainmast when I saw that the brig's head
was moving round, so I sprang back to right the helm.

Again and again I shrieked out my companion's name at the top of my
voice, springing forward, but had only got a little farther than before
when I had to return.

The wind continued to get up. The masts would go, I saw, if sail were
not shortened. I let go the main-topsail, and throat and
peak-halliards. The sails flapped loudly in the wind, but as the brig
now kept more steadily before it, I thought that I should be able to
reach the forecastle, though I had very little hope of finding Jim.

I was still shouting his name, when what was my joy to hear him cry out,
"Hillo! What's the matter?" and I saw his head rise from just before
the windlass. I never in my life felt more inclined to abuse him for
the fright he had given me, thankful as I was that no harm had happened
to him. I did not even tell him how much I had been alarmed, but merely
cried out, "Come, be smart, Jim, we must stow the canvas." We were
beginning to do so, when the wind fell, and instead we again hoisted the
fore-topsail. Jim owned that while he fancied he was looking out his
legs gave way and that he had sunk down on the deck.

"Take care that the same doesn't happen when you are steering, or worse
consequences may follow," I remarked.

He now let me take my nap, and when I awoke he said that we had had a
famous run; but towards noon the wind dropped, and it became towards
evening a stark calm. This lasted all night and far into the next day.

"Peter, do you know if there's a prayer-book aboard?" asked Jim.

The question surprised me. I was nearly certain that there was not.

"Well then, you can say some prayers without one," he continued. "For,
Peter, there's no use talking longer about it; we must bury the
skipper."

Reluctantly I agreed. Jim got a piece of canvas, a sail-maker's needle,
and some twine, with a pig of iron ballast which had been used in one of
the boats. As there was no sign of a breeze, with these he went below,
and for the first time since his death opened the captain's state-room.
We brought the corpse into the main cabin, and placing it on the canvas,
without loss of time Jim