ip. Over she heeled before it, the fore-staysail
with a loud report flew out of the bolt-ropes ere it had done its duty
of paying off the ship's head. Again and again the savage blast struck
her side, pressing her still farther down, while the ever-increasing
seas broke in foaming masses over her. The captain gave the order to
cut away the mizzen-mast, and set another staysail. For a moment there
was a lull, the ship rose, and her head feeling the wind, away she flew
before the howling gale. The carpenter sounded the well. He had an
alarming report to make to the captain--the water was gaining faster
than ever on the ship. Dick heard it.

"To my mind the old barky will be going down," he said to himself. "I
must look after Master Charley, for if she does, it won't do to have the
little chap going to Davy Jones' locker. It is all very well for those
as are bred to it, but, bless his young heart! I must do what I can to
keep him afloat."

Dick was a man of action rather than words. He immediately filled his
capacious pockets with all the provisions he could lay hands on. In the
launch on deck he found a basket which had been brought on board with
vegetables. There were a number of broken spars and other fragments of
wood, the remains of the boats which had been carried away. He began to
lash them firmly together in a mode which a seaman only could have
accomplished; and in the centre of the raft he had thus formed he
secured the basket, which had a lid to it. One of the officers saw him,
and told him to knock off.

"Ay, ay!" he answered; but it was not a moment, he conceived, to stand
on ceremony, and immediately again went on with his work. The boatswain
also set his eyes on him.

"What are you about there, Dick?" he asked. "Off with you to the pumps;
it will be your spell directly."

"I am building a raft for your godson, Mr Slings," answered Dick. "You
would not wish the pretty little chap to be drowned if there's a chance
of saving him, and please Heaven, I will try and do it, though I am as
ready as any on myself to stick to the old barky to the last."

"Don't you be talking of the ship going down," exclaimed the boatswain,
gruffly; "you will be making the rest chicken-hearted."

"You know as well as I do, Mr Slings, that go down she will, before
many hours are over, unless old `Harry Cane' takes himself off pretty
smartly."

Dick could not resist the sailor's common joke even at that momen