t go down, and that the ship might be kept afloat. At length,
however, some of the crew showed signs of giving in. Willy saw several
of them steal off to hide themselves away, but he instantly followed and
drove them up again; they grumbled, but obeyed.

"What's the use of working when we shall have to go to the bottom in a
few hours?" exclaimed one.

"I only wish we had a chance of getting to the spirit room," cried
another. "A short life and a merry one for me."

"You should be ashamed of yourselves," cried the young midshipman. "Are
you men with souls, and do you wish to die like dogs?" The seamen,
astonished at a mere boy thus addressing them, felt ashamed, and
returned to their duty. Others, however, soon afterwards were seen
behaving in the same manner. Willy, falling in with Mr Bolland,
reported what he had observed.

"We will soon put a stop to that," observed the boatswain, seizing a
rope's end. He was not long in hunting out the fellows.

The water continuing to rise, the poor women and children were now
collected on the poop cabins.

There they sat, crouching down on the deck, holding their children in
their arms, and hiding their pallid faces. Mrs Rumbelow was the only
one who remained calm. She might have been a little more excited than
usual, as she went among them, trying to cheer them up. "Do not be
downhearted, my dear women," she exclaimed. "There is a God in heaven,
remember, who takes care of us. He may make the storm to cease, and
keep the old ship afloat notwithstanding all the leaks she has got in
her bottom. Do you think the men of our regiment are not going to do
their duty, and work away at the pumps as long as the pumps will work?
If they do not, we will go and handle them ourselves, and put them to
shame. Hurrah, lasses! you think better of your young husbands than to
suppose that, and we old ones have tried ours, and know that they will
not shirk their duty." Still, though Mrs Rumbelow spoke thus
cheerfully, she had a heavy weight at her heart. She had been too often
at sea not to know the danger the ship was in, and she observed no signs
of the weather improving.

The night was again drawing on; Commander Newcombe had done his utmost.
The ship was kept under easy sail, to relieve her as much as possible.
He would get another sail fothered, which might help to keep out the
water a few hours longer. "Should that fail," he observed to Mr Tobin,
"we must get the boats