thout any
certain, definite knowledge as to the precise direction in which to look
for him. Therefore, all these circumstances coming to my mind in a
flash, I jumped to the wheel and helped Chips to put it hard up again,
luckily managing to get the little hooker before the wind once more with
no further damage than the loss of a studdingsail-boom and the splitting
of the lower studdingsail.

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

THE WRECK OF THE "MARTHA BROWN".

This last fatality had the rather curious result that of the entire crew
who left Baltimore in the _Martha Brown_ only the cook and the cabin boy
now survived, the remainder of the existing crew consisting of
Cunningham, myself, and the boatswain, carpenter, and sailmaker of the
_Zenobia_; it also resulted in the destinies of the ship and those
aboard her, and the interests of poor old Ephraim Brown's widow,
suddenly falling into my inexperienced hands. This being the case, I
decided to consult with Cunningham at once as to the proper steps to be
taken under the circumstances, although my own view of the matter was
perfectly clear and decided. And that view, stated briefly, amounted to
this: that my obvious duty was to do the very best I possibly could for
Mrs Brown, and that, knowing quite clearly what the skipper's
intentions were, I could not do better than carry them out in their
entirety. It was in this form that I laid the matter before Cunningham,
asking him to give me his opinion upon it, and requesting him to suggest
a better course if he could think of one; but he fully agreed with me
that, the schooner being practically full of sandalwood, and being also
within three weeks' sail of Canton, we could not do better than proceed
to our destination, dispose of our cargo, invest the proceeds in tea,
and then be guided by circumstances--or, rather, the state of the
market--as to whether we should take the tea to Europe or America,
ultimately returning to Baltimore, and there rendering an account of our
stewardship. And upon this understanding being arrived at, the voyage
to Canton was continued.

It was on the afternoon of the third day following the suicide of the
skipper that the Trade wind, which up to then had been blowing with its
usual steadiness, began to weaken, and upon consulting the barometer I
found that the mercury was falling rather rapidly. At the same time I
became aware that the aspect of the firmament was undergoing a subtle
change, the clear, br