ts to speak, his visitor
refrained from asking more questions. He merely whispered a comforting
text of Scripture and left him apparently sinking into a state of
repose.

Then, having bandaged the finger of a man who had carelessly cut himself
while using his knife aloft, Charlie returned to the cabin to continue
an interrupted discussion with the first mate on the subject of
astronomy.

From all which it will be seen that our hero's tendencies inclined him
to be as much as possible "all things to all men."

CHAPTER SIX.

DISASTER, STARVATION, AND DEATH.

The least observant of mortals must have frequently been impressed with
the fact that events and incidents of an apparently trifling description
often lead to momentous--sometimes tremendous--results.

Soon after the occurrence of the incidents referred to in the last
chapter, a colony of busy workers in the Pacific Ocean were drawing
towards the completion of a building on which they had been engaged for
a long time. Like some lighthouses this building had its foundations on
a rock at the bottom of the sea. Steadily, perseveringly, and with
little cessation, the workers had toiled for years. They were small
insignificant creatures, each being bent on simply performing the little
bit of work which he, she, or it had been created to do probably without
knowing or caring what the result might be, and then ending his, her, or
its modest labours with life. It was when this marine building had
risen to within eight or ten feet of the surface of the sea that the
_Walrus_ chanced to draw near to it, but no one on board was aware of
the existence of that coral-reef, for up to the period we write of it
had failed to attract the attention of chart-makers.

The vessel was bowling along at a moderate rate over a calm sea, for the
light breeze overhead that failed to ruffle the water filled her
topsails. Had the wind been stormy a line of breakers would have
indicated the dangerous reef. As it was there was nothing to tell that
the good ship was rushing on her doom till she struck with a violent
shock and remained fast.

Of course Captain Stride was equal to the emergency. By the quiet
decision with which he went about and gave his orders he calmed the
fears of such of his crew as were apt to "lose their heads" in the midst
of sudden catastrophe.

"Lower away the boats, lads. We'll get her off right a way," he said,
in a quick but quiet tone.

Charlie Bro