took a lantern, and, accompanied by
Jack, went below to discover, if I could, how much water the ship had in
her. I was not quite comfortable during the time, for I thought she
might take it into her head to go down before we could regain the deck.
The water we found was over the cabin floors; but, as far as we could
judge, it was not gaining on her. Half of it might have got in while
the sea broke over the ship. The contents of the cabin, bedding, and
tables, and chairs, and crockery, and books, and clothing, were washing
about together. Returning on deck, we went forward. The forepeak was
much in the same condition.

"She'll not sink yet awhile, sir," said Jack. "Hark, now! don't you
hear a bubbling sound right forward, there? Now, to my mind, if we were
to get a sail thrummed and brought across her bows, we might carry her
into harbour yet."

"If you think so, we'll try it, by all means," I answered, feeling no
little pride at the prospect of saving the ship.

No time was to be lost in setting about the work, if it was to be done.
I had only three men; and the four we found able to move about on board
were still too weak to be of much use. Officers there were none. I
shall have to tell a sad tale on that subject, by-and-by. We had no
little difficulty in getting at the sail-room; but, after much rummaging
about, we discovered a spare topsail, with which we set to work as we
proposed. What with searching for the ropes and getting the sail ready,
it took us an hour before it was brought under the ship's bows.
Meantime the water gained very slowly on us. It was nervous work, for
we could not tell at what moment the last bucketful might come in which
would send her to the bottom.

"That will do, sir, I think," said Jack Stretcher, who, I must own, was
the prime mover. "The leak seems to suck in the sail, and we may now
try to clear her of the water."

With a will we manned the chain-pumps, and after an hour's hard work it
became evident that we had materially lessened its depth. In the
meantime the little girl and her father, with the weakest of those we
found on board, had remained in the boat.

"You may come on board again, sir; I don't think the ship is going to
sink this time," I sung out, as I looked down on them.

At first the gentleman would not venture to quit the boat, for he could
not believe that the ship was not on the point of sinking. After some
persuasion, however, I got him and his