danger on a sudden
emergency, he also possessed that far higher courage which can face the
slow and apparently sure approach of death with equanimity and
self-possession. Moreover, he proved that the Word of God and prayer
are the true resources of man in such extremities.

Calling those who were willing, around him, he led them in prayer, and
then quieted the timid among them, as well as comforted all, not by
reading, but by quoting appropriate passages from Scripture, in which he
was profoundly versed.

"D'ee know when it'll be low water, sir?" asked Joe Slag of the captain,
when the ship gave one of her upward heaves and rasped her timbers again
on the sides of the cave.

"Not for three hours yet, but it's falling. I expect there will be less
sea on in a short time. If the ship holds together we may yet be
saved."

There was a murmured "thank God" at these words. Then Bob Massey
expressed some fear that there might be a danger of striking the rocks
underneath before low water.

"I wish it was the risin' tide," he said, and the words took his mind
back, like a flash of lightning, to the time when he used them in a very
different sense. Then all was peace, hope, sunshine, and his bride was
sitting like a good angel beside him, with a sweet smile on her fair
face. Now, something like darkness visible, showed him his poor wife--
still beside him, thank God--but clinging to his arm with looks of
terror amounting almost to despair. "What a contrast!" he thought, and
for the first time a feeling of rebellion arose in his mind.

"There's no use o' sittin' here to be drowned like rats," he cried,
starting up. "I'll go on deck an' take a cast o' the lead, an' see what
chances we have."

"No, you won't, Bob," cried Nellie, throwing her arms firmly round him.
"There's big stones falling all about the deck yet. Don't you hear
them?"

As if to corroborate her words, a piece of rock nearly half a ton in
weight fell on the sky-light at that moment, crashed completely through
it, through the table below, and even sank into the cabin floor.
Fortunately, no one was hurt, though Slag had a narrow escape, but that
worthy was not easily intimidated. He rose up, and, saying that, "it
was as well to be killed on deck doin' somethin' as in the cabin doin'
nothin'," was about to ascend the ladder when Dr Hayward suddenly
entered, all wet and dishevelled, and with blood trickling down his
face.

"No use going up just now