at, it was clearly
impossible to commence the work of getting things in order.

"Did the bowsprit and mast both go, together?" Bob asked Joe
Lockett, who was holding on to the bulwark, near him.

"Yes, the bowsprit went with the strain when she rose, having
buried herself halfway up the waist; and the topmast snapped like a
carrot, a moment later. That was the worst dive we made. There is
no doubt that getting rid of the leverage of the bowsprit, right up
in her eyes, eased her a good bit; and as the topmast was a pretty
heavy spar, too, that also helped."

"How long will it be before the sea goes down?"

"If you mean goes down enough for us to get to work--a few hours.
If you mean goes down altogether, it will be five or six days
before this swell has quite flattened down, unless a wind springs
up from some other quarter."

"I meant till the mast can be got up again."

"Well, this afternoon the captain may set the men at work; but I
don't think they would do much good, and there would be a good
chance of getting a limb broken. As long as this calm holds there
is no hurry, one way or the other."

"You mean, because we couldn't be sailing, even if we had
everything set?"

"Well, yes, that is something, but I didn't mean that. I am not
thinking so much of our sailing, as of other people's. We are not
very fit, as we are now, either for fighting or running, and I
should be sorry to see a French privateer coming along; but as long
as the calm continues, there is no fear of that; and I expect there
have been few ships out, in this gale, who have not got repairs to
do as well as we have."

After dinner, an effort was made to begin the work; but the captain
soon ordered the men to desist.

"It is of no use, Mr. Probert. We shall only be getting some of the
men killed. It wouldn't be possible to get half done before dark
and, if the sea goes down a bit, tonight, they will get as much
done in an hour's work, in the morning, as they would if they were
to work from now to sunset.

"The carpenter might get some canvas, and nail it so as to hide
those gaps in the bulwark. That will be something done. The boys
can give it a coat of paint, in the morning. But as for the spar,
we must leave it."

All hands were at work, next morning, with the first gleam of
daylight. The rollers were still almost as high as the day before;
but there was now a slight breath of wind, which sufficed to give
the vessel steerage way. She w