p. The boat
was swamped, and smothered cries arose from the surging depths. The
other boats were lowered, and old Colley remained to the last.

"Now, captain," he said, "it's your turn. She's settling down fast."
And between the roar of the storm and the more distant roll of the
thunder, a swishing, gurgling noise told that the water was fast
gaining ground, and the _Galatea_ going down.

"I leave the ship last, or die with her. Forward, Colley! Do you
hear?"

"After you, captain; after you."

"Colley, old fellow, you never disobeyed me before. You won't do it
now."

Then a great shudder seemed to thrill through the ship, and she turned
on her side, and with a mighty rush the waves seized their prey, and
the _Galatea_ went down into the stormy waters.

Jack found himself struggling in the surging waves; but a boat was near
him, and a hand seized him and dragged him in.

It was old Colley's hand, and he had in his other arm little Peter, and
a whine told that Toby was with his master.

It was a perilous position--the boat was tossed like a feather on those
stormy billows; while above the raging of the storm could be heard
cries for help from those who were clinging to broken rafts and pieces
of the wreck.

"She was cracked like a walnut," Colley said; "and the captain's heart
was broken--that's why he said he would die with her."

CHAPTER IX.

_ON THE WIDE, WIDE SEA._

The boat was drifting off, and every minute seemed to put a further
distance from the place where the _Galatea_ had struck the rock and
perished. At this time the fury of the storm had abated, and a rift in
the clouds showed the moon in its last quarter floating like a boat on
its back in a silvery sea. The pale rays shed a flickering light upon
the waters, and there was a lull. Behind them rose a low black mass,
with the points of the masts showing where the _Galatea_, had gone
down. No other object was visible, and Colley covered his face with
his hands.

"I don't believe there's one of 'em saved," he said; "I don't indeed.
The boats were swamped, and this is the only one that righted. But,
boy, I don't know where we are, nor where we are drifting."

"Are we going home?" said a little voice from the bottom of the boat.
"I want to get home with mother."

"Ay, my lad; but I expect we must all three give up an earthly home,
and turn our thoughts to a heavenly one."

When morning dawned they were far out on the trackles