gth we assured ourselves from the appearance of the planking, which
looked as if the bows had been stove in, that she had run against the
butt-end of a piece of timber. It seemed a miracle how the ship could
have kept afloat with so large a fracture in her bottom. We reported
our discovery to Mr Randolph, who descended with us to examine the
danger.

"Well, if the worst comes to the worst, we can but get on board the
_Nautile_," he observed. "In the meantime, we'll do our best to keep
the old ship afloat."

Mr Randolph directed me to take charge of the ship, and to keep an eye
on the proceedings of the Frenchmen, while he and Andrews, with two men,
descended below with all the planks and carpenter's tools to be found,
to try and repair, as far as they could, the damage. Night was coming
on, so that it was important to get the work done as speedily as
possible. I meantime turned my eye every now and then at our consort,
for she was evidently getting further ahead than she was accustomed to
do. I hoped, however, that she would soon shorten sail or lay to for
us, as she had always done at nightfall. Still she stood on.

Darkness was coming down rapidly on us, and at length I could scarcely
distinguish her. I did not like to tell Mr Randolph, for of course
this would only interrupt the work in which he was engaged; but I marked
well the point by the compass in which I had last seen the _Nautile_,
that we might know where to look for her in the morning.

Three hours passed away before Mr Randolph and Andrews returned on
deck. They said that they had been able to patch up the leak far better
than they expected, and that, if the weather held moderate, we might
hope to carry the ship into Plymouth.

The night passed by much as usual. The French prisoners had hitherto
behaved very well, and seemed so inclined to be peaceable and orderly
that insensibly our vigilance over them relaxed. It was my morning
watch on deck, I looked out anxiously for the _Nautile_ when daylight
dawned. Brighter and brighter grew the day, but in vain I rubbed my
eyes. Not a sign of her was to be seen.

Mr Simon had, then, cruelly and shamefully deserted us. Complaints,
and more than complaints, both loud and deep, were uttered. He knew our
condition,--he knew that we were any moment liable to founder,--and
still he had made sail and left us merely to get home a few days sooner,
or to run some little less risk himself of recapture.