Yet, just at first, a little sufficed, and when I had
despatched one leg I considered that I had made a particularly hearty
meal. And I felt so much the better for it that I strove to induce Miss
Onslow to try a morsel. She gently reiterated her refusal, however,
while expressing her satisfaction that I had been able to eat. Then,
noticing that her eyes looked heavy, and that her movements were
languid, I arranged the royal as a sort of couch in the stern-sheets for
her, and suggested that she should lie down and endeavour to secure some
rest; to which suggestion she acceded; and in a few minutes, completely
worn out with the unaccustomed excitement, fatigue, and exposure through
which she had so recently passed, she was sleeping by my side as
placidly as an infant.

The sun was sinking into a bank of smoky-looking cloud that stretched
along the horizon on our starboard quarter when my companion awoke,
greatly refreshed by her slumbers, but--as she confessed--ravenously
hungry. I also was beginning to feel anew the pangs of hunger; so,
surrendering the yoke-lines to Miss Onslow, I took advantage of what
remained of the fast-waning daylight to prepare a further portion of raw
fowl to serve us both, taking care to render the appearance of the flesh
as little repulsive as possible. By the time that my preparations--
which I had purposely somewhat protracted--were complete, darkness had
so far closed down upon us that it was scarcely possible to see what we
were eating; and, thus aided, and by dint of much persuasion--
accentuated by a reminder that we habitually ate oysters raw,--I
succeeded in inducing the poor girl to so far lay aside her prejudices
as just to _taste_ the food I offered her. That accomplished, I had no
further trouble with her, for her hunger was by this time so sharp that
food of any sort became palatable, and we both succeeded in making a
fairly good meal.

Meanwhile, the bank of cloud that at sunset had been hovering on the
verge of the western horizon, had been stealthily creeping zenith-ward,
and at the same time spreading out north and south, with a look in it
that seemed to portend more wind; so, as a measure of precaution, I went
to work, upon the conclusion of our meal, and shortened sail by taking
down a couple of reefs in the mainsail, and a single reef in the little
stay foresail which the boat carried. And, this done, I rearranged the
royal in the stern-sheets as a bed for my compa