ked by it had it been
lighted. We managed, however, to serve out some bread and the old
Frenchman's fruit to all hands, and then we had to turn to and clear the
craft of water, which was finding its way in through every seam. It
seemed scarcely possible that she could float much longer, should the
hurricane continue, with the violent working to which we were exposed.
Had we been stationary, the tempest would have passed over us; but
driven along with it, we had for a much longer time to endure its fury.
It seemed, indeed, surprising that the boat should have floated so long.
As far as we depended, indeed, on our own exertions, the most careful
steering could alone have saved us. We had been longing for daylight;
now that it had come, the dangers of our condition appeared more
evident, and we almost wished again for night. We could not calculate,
either, in what direction we were being driven, but we feared it might
be where rocks and coral banks and islets abound, and that at any moment
we might be hurled on one of them. O'Carroll still sat at his post. I
asked if he did not feel tired. "Maybe, but till the gale is over, here
I'll stick!" he answered. "And sure it's as pretty a sample of a
hurricane as any of you'll be after wishing to see for many a day to
come."

At length, towards noon, the wind began to fall, and in a very short
time, though it still blew hard, and the sea ran almost as high as
before, and was consequently as dangerous, it was evident that the
hurricane was over. Our hopes revived. Still, we were obliged to run
on before the wind; and to avoid the danger of being pooped by the
quickly-following sea, we had to hoist more of our sail: indeed, we now
dreaded not having wind enough to avoid the sea. Thus passed the day,
and before nightfall we were rolling on a tolerably smooth swell with a
moderate breeze. Still we had to exert ourselves as before to keep the
boat afloat. The moment, however, that one of us was relieved at the
pump or baling bucket, he dropped off to sleep. I was even afraid, at
first, that we should all go to sleep together. Nothing, indeed, for
some hours could rouse up the two boys. My young brother and Trundle
were, however, after a short snooze, as lively as ever, and as merry
too. Midshipmen-like, they did not seem to trouble themselves about the
future. I, however, still felt very anxious about it. The Southern
Cross and many another bright constellation not l