had subsided for some
time, again increased, and the danger he had apprehended became greater.
He had stepped the mast in a hurried, and therefore imperfect manner,
while he had not stayed it up as he could have wished. As it was very
necessary to remain at the helm, he could do nothing to strengthen it.
All he could say was, "Hold on, good mast! hold on!" as he saw it
straining and bending before the breeze. In what direction he was going
he could not tell. Land had been seen the day before, and he might be
running towards it; but then, again, the attempt to get on shore might
be more dangerous than to remain on the raft. He also knew well that
the inhabitants of the islands in that part of the world were generally
savage cannibals, who would murder Alice and him without the slightest
compunction; or if their lives were spared, that they would probably be
reduced to the most abject slavery. Though he could not keep these
thoughts from entering his own mind, he did his best to cheer up the
little girl by assuming a confidence which he himself did not feel.

The sky still looked wild and threatening, the wind blew stronger than
ever. Suddenly there came a sharp report and a cracking sound, and in
an instant the mast was broken off, the shrouds torn away, and, with the
sail, carried overboard. Nub sprang forward to secure it, but it was
too late; the raft, with the impetus it had received, drove on, and the
sail was irretrievably lost. Happily at the same instant the wind
suddenly dropped, and though the seas dashed the raft alarmingly about,
none washed over it.

Alice, hearing the noise, and seeing Nub's agitation, became frightened.
"Oh, what has, happened?" she exclaimed, for the first time giving way
to tears. Nub did his utmost to quiet her alarm by assuring her that
they were in no greater danger than before, and begged her to hold fast
to the hen-coop, lest any of the seas which were tumbling about around
them should break on the raft and sweep her overboard. Nub did his best
with the long oar he had fixed as a rudder in the after part of the raft
to keep it before the wind, so that it still drove on, though at much
less speed than when the sail was set. Happily, soon after the last
violent blast, the gale began sensibly to abate and the sea to go down,
and when at length the long wished-for morning came it was almost calm.
As soon as it was light enough Nub looked anxiously around in the hopes
of seei