suck, but before they were utterly exhausted they reduced the water
much, and then they cast themselves clear and began to prepare for the
tide. They put the fore topsail on her, and then signalled for their own
vessel. With a last effort they got one anchor, but, when Joe proposed
trying the other, poor Billy groaned, "That's a pill enough for me, Joe;
I shall die if we stand to it any more. Slip the other cable, boy." Joe
agreed; the anchor was lost, and the men prepared for the first creak
that would show that the tide was coming. The sea seemed to be fining
off a bit, so they looked round, and found to their horror that the
rudder was gone. She wallowed. "There she goes, Bill. But Lord, what a
job! Tell you, the smack must go under bare poles; we'll make her fast
aft, and she'll steer us."

This was a genuine seamanlike idea, for, of course, the drag of the
smack would steady the barque, and the two vessels could crawl along
with some approach to surety. Another roll and groaning of timbers, then
came a lull and a flaw of wind; the topsail pulled, and, with a long
grind, the barque rolled off into deep water.

"Hooray! Let her drift as she likes till the skipper gets to us."

Bill jumped into the boat and guided her down wind to the Esperanza. The
smack came close round, another hand joined Bill, and in half an hour a
couple of warps were made fast to the Spaniard, and the two vessels went
on in procession. They could not do so much as a knot per hour, but, at
all events, they were drawing into open water, and the smack steered the
barque quite true.

It was a pity that a second hand did not remain with Joe, but no one
foresaw what would happen. The good mate went below forward, and found
the men worse than ever from drink, panic, and religion. He tried all he
knew to fetch them on deck, but nothing would serve. He tried the
captain, but that worthy seaman was sleeping like a hog, and the cognac
was running in slavers from his mouth.

"Shouldn't wonder if he has 'em on when he starts on the beer again,"
muttered Joe. He saw a large sheath-knife, and secured that in his own
belt; then he took a mouthful of wine, and went to his post.

There was plenty of sea, but the prize was far too valuable to be left,
and Glenn determined to make a bold bid for fortune. Not a single vessel
passed them all night, and they were lonely at dawn next day. The
sailors crept up one by one, but they only gathered in a jabbering kno