mall
service for me."

"Why, of course I will," assented the girl, eagerly. "Why did you not
ask me before? And there is another thing that I can do for you, now--
this moment--if you will only let me. I can steer the ship for you
while you go downstairs and obtain a few hours' much-needed rest. Your
eyes are heavy and red for want of sleep; you look to be half dead with
fatigue! And if you should break down, what would become of the rest of
us? Please let me try at once, will you? I am quite sure that I could
manage it; it looks perfectly easy."

Leslie laughed. "Yes," he assented; "I have no doubt it does; because,
you see, I happen to know just how to do it. But _you_ would find it
very hard work, and would soon be terribly tired. No; you could not
possibly steer the craft in this heavy sea, especially as we are running
before the wind--which constitutes the most difficult condition for
steering. But, if you wish to learn to steer, I shall be delighted to
teach you as soon as we again get fine weather and smooth water."

And with this promise the girl had to be content, although she persisted
in believing it to be quite easy to turn the wheel a few spokes either
way, and so keep the brig sailing on a perfectly straight course.
Meanwhile, the crew got to work and rigged a pair of sheers over the
stump of the mainmast, firmly staying it with guys leading aft to the
taffrail and forward to the windlass-bitts. Then they rigged at the
apex of the sheers the strongest threefold tackle that they could
extemporise; and with the assistance of this they swayed aloft a spare
main-topmast, that had been carefully prepared by the carpenter for
fishing to the stump of the mainmast. This spar was accurately adjusted
in the precise position that it was intended it should occupy, and its
heel was then firmly secured to the stump of the mainmast by means of
strips of stout planking about eight feet long, closely arranged all
round and secured in position by a long length of chain wound tightly
round, and further tightened by driving in as many wedges as possible.
Then the spar was further secured by shrouds, stays, and backstays; thus
providing a very respectable substitute for a mainmast. The sheers were
then struck; a spare main-yard, fitted with brace-blocks and all other
necessary gear, was next swayed aloft and firmly secured to the head of
the extemporised mainmast; a spare main-course was bent and set; and by
s