ey ain't
in the fo'c's'le; I'm ready to swear to that!" answered one of the
little crowd that grouped themselves round the binnacle, their eyes
gleaming in the dim light of the binnacle lamp with that transient
horror that sailors feel at the sudden loss of a shipmate.

"Not in the fo'c's'le!" ejaculated the carpenter, staring wildly about
him, "Oh, my God! three men gone, and all of 'em in my watch!" he cried,
flinging his clenched fists above his head in his agony of
self-reproach. "You're sure that they ain't in the fo'c's'le? Then
they ain't nowhere else aboard this unlucky hooker; they're overboard--
that's where they are--went when the squall struck us and very nigh
throwed us on our beam-ends. And it's my fault--all my fault; it's _I_
that have lost them three men. Ye see, Mr Leslie, it's like this here.
I'm a man what can't do without his proper 'lowance of sleep, and this
here last gale have fair knocked me up and made me that stupid that I
haven't knowed what I've been doin' latterly. And the fact is, that in
this here last watch of mine I was fair overcome wi' want of sleep, and
I dropped off without knowin' it, and without wantin' to; and this
here's the consekence,"--flinging his right hand wildly out to indicate
the crippled state of the brig--"this an' the loss o' three good men."

"Well, Chips, it is a pity," said Leslie, soothingly and
sympathetically; "if you had but told me how completely you were knocked
up, I would have taken your watch for you, although I am pretty well
knocked up myself. The mischief, however, is done and cannot now be
helped, so it is useless to worry any more about it. We must not,
however, allow the ship to run further to leeward than we can help; so
clew up the foresail, lads; we will let her scud under bare poles until
daylight. Then we will see what can be done to mend matters. Now take
your grog, men; and when you have clewed up and furled the foresail, go
below. You, too, Chips. I have had a little rest, and can doubtless
hold out until the morning. I will look after the brig until then."

As the men shambled away forward, leaving Leslie at the wheel, the
latter dimly caught sight of something huddled up in the companion-way,
at the top of the ladder; and while he stood staring at it in an
endeavour to make out what it was, it moved; and the next moment Miss
Trevor, enveloped in a dressing-gown, stepped out on deck, and, with
teeth chattering with cold, excla