rom the waves, the wind, the elements, or the enemy, and they will bear
up against them with a courage amounting to heroism. All that they
demand is, that the one plank "between them and death" is sound, and
they will trust to their own energies, and will be confident in their
own skill: but _spring a leak_ and they are half paralysed; and if it
gain upon them they are subdued; for when they find that their exertions
are futile, they are little better than children.

Oswald sprang to the pumps when he heard the carpenter's report. "Try
again, Abel--it cannot be: cut away that line; hand us here a dry
rope-yarn."

Once more the well was sounded by Oswald, and the result was the same.
"We must rig the pumps, my lads," said the mate, endeavouring to conceal
his own fears; "half this water must have found its way in when she was
on her beam-ends."

This idea, so judiciously thrown out, was caught at by the seamen, who
hastened to obey the order, while Oswald went down to acquaint the
captain, who, worn out with watching and fatigue, had, now that danger
was considered to be over, thrown himself into his cot to obtain a few
hours' repose.

"Do you think, Bareth, that we have sprung a leak?" said the captain,
earnestly, "She never could have taken in that quantity of water."

"Never, sir," replied the mate; "but she has been so strained, that she
may have opened her top-sides. I trust it is no worse."

"What is your opinion, then?"

"I am afraid that the wrecks of the masts have injured her: you may
recollect how often we struck against them before we could clear
ourselves of them; once, particularly, the mainmast appeared to be right
under her bottom, I recollect, and she struck very heavy on it."

"Well, it is God's will: let us get on deck as fast as we can."

When they arrived on deck, the carpenter walked up to the captain, and
quietly said to him, "_Seven feet three, sir_." The pumps were then in
full action; the men had divided, by the direction of the boatswain,
and, stripped naked to the waist, relieved each other every two minutes.
For half an hour they laboured incessantly.

This was the half-hour of suspense: the great point to be ascertained
was, whether she leaked through the top-sides, and had taken in the
water during the second gale; if so, there was every hope of keeping it
under. Captain Ingram and the mate remained in silence near the
capstan, the former with his watch in his hand, during t