stormy night on the particular thwart on which
he had chanced to sit down when he first entered the boat, so that all
were looking more or less weary, but seamen are used to uncomfortable
and interrupted slumbers. They soon roused themselves and began to look
about and make a few comments on the weather. Some, recurring naturally
to their beloved indulgence, pulled out their pipes and filled them.

"Have 'ee a light, Jim?" asked a rugged man, in a sleepy tone, of a
comrade behind him.

"No, Jack, I haven't" answered Jim, in a less sleepy tone, slapping all
his pockets and thrusting his hands into them.

"Have _you_, Dick?" asked the rugged man in some anxiety.

"No, I haven't," replied Darvall, in a very serious voice, as he also
took to slapping his pockets; "no--nor baccy!"

It was curious to note at this point how every seaman in that boat
became suddenly sympathetic and wide awake, and took to hasty, anxious
examination of all his pockets--vest jacket, and trousers. The result
was the discovery of a good many clay pipes, more or less blackened and
shortened, with a few plugs of tobacco, but not a single match, either
fusee or congreve. The men looked at each other with something akin to
despair.

"Was no matches putt on board wi' the grub an' other things?" asked Jim
in a solemn tone.

"And no tobacco?" inquired the mate.

No one could answer in the affirmative. A general sigh--like a
miniature squall--burst from the sailors, and relieved them a little.
Jim put his pipe between his lips, and meekly began, if we may say so,
to smoke his tobacco dry. At an order from the mate the men got out the
oars and began to pull, for there was barely enough wind to fill the
sail.

"No rest for us, lads, 'cept when it blows," said the mate. "The
nearest land that I know of is five hundred miles off as the crow flies.
We've got a compass by good luck, so we can make for it, but the grub
on board won't hold out for quarter o' that distance, so, unless we fall
in with a ship, or fish jump aboard of us, ye know what's before us."

"Have we any spirits aboard?" asked the rugged man, in a growling,
somewhat sulky, voice.

"Hear--hear!" exclaimed Jim.

"No, Jack," returned the mate; "at least not for the purpose o' lettin'
you have a short life an' a merry one. Now, look here, men: it has
pleased Providence to putt you an' me in something of a fix, and I
shouldn't wonder if we was to have some stiffish experiences