ard
here, you would serve us nicely for breakfast," exclaimed Trundle, as he
observed them.

He had scarcely spoken when upwards of a dozen out of a large shoal
leaped, or flew rather, right in among us, while as many more passed
clean over the boat. It was a curious coincidence, and at all events
afforded us not only a substantial, but a very delicious meal, cooked by
the skilful hands of Monsieur Jacotot. It put us all in good spirits,
and we began to look at the future in a tolerably hopeful spirit, till
my midshipman brother exclaimed--

"I say, if this sun lasts much longer, what shall we do for grub? The
sea-pie we have brought has gone bad, and I am afraid that the beef and
pork won't keep good many hours out of the brine."

"You may put them in the past instead of the future tense, my boy,"
observed Trundle, who had been examining the lockers; "I doubt if any
stomach with less powers than a shark's could swallow a bit of the meat
we have got on board."

"Then on what have we got to exist till we can reach the shore?" I
asked, with a feeling of serious anxiety.

"Why," answered William, "we have biscuits and half a cheese--at least
we had half when we sailed, but it is rather gone--and a few mangoes,
and bananas, and plantains, and a melon or two, and some tea and coffee,
and sugar. I am afraid we haven't much else, except a cask of water,
and that was rather leaky, like this craft."

"Then let us look to the cask, gentlemen," said O'Carroll. "And don't
throw the meat away, putrid though it may be. The Frenchman may cook it
so as to make it go down, and we don't know how hard we may be pressed
for food."

The water-cask was examined, happily not altogether too late, but a
third of the precious liquid had run out. I said nothing, but sad
forebodings filled my mind. Even with a compass to steer by and a good
breeze to carry us along, we might be several days reaching Port Louis,
or, indeed, any habitable coast we could make. We might be kept out
much longer, and then how could we exist? We could scarcely hope that
another covey of flying fish would come on board, though we might catch
some others if we could manufacture hooks, for I was afraid we had none
on board. This calm might continue for a week, and then we might have
another gale, for we were in the hurricane season. I advised that we
should at once go on an allowance of food and water, a suggestion which
was, of course, adopted. We ha