e, and I'll row or do
anything else, for I'm quite out of heart."

"Never mind your tobacco-box," said Fitz. "I'll give you a good new one
the first time I get the chance."

"Thankye kindly, sir," replied the man, "but what's the good of that?
It aren't the box I mind. It's the 'bacca. Can you give me a mossel
now?"

"I am sorry to say I can't," said Fitz.

"I've got plenty of that, Mr Butters, sir," said his wet companion,
dragging out a box with some difficulty, for his wet hand would hardly
go into his tight breeches-pocket, and when he had forced it in,
declined to come out.

"You've got plenty, Bob, my lad?" cried the boatswain. "Then you are a
better man than I thought. There, I'll forgive you for going overboard.
It were an accident, I suppose.--Hah! That's better," he continued,
opening his knife and helping himself to a quid, which completely
altered the tone of his voice. "There you are, my lad; put that there
box back, and take care on it, for who knows but what that may be all
our water and biscuit and other stores as will have to last us till we
get picked up again? Now, Mr Poole, sir, what's it to be? I am at
your sarvice if you will give the word."

"I think we had better keep pulling gently, Butters, and go by the stars
westward towards the land. It will be far better, and the feeling that
we are doing something will keep us all from losing heart."

"Right, my lad. Your father the skipper couldn't have spoken wiser
words than them. Here, you Bob Jackson, get out of that jacket and
shirt, and two of you lads hold the things over the side and one twist
one way and t'other t'other, like the old women does with the sheets on
washing-day. I am going to do just the same with mine. And then we two
will do what bit of rowing's wanted till we gets quite dry. Say, Mr
Fitz, sir, you couldn't get better advice than that, if you had been
half-drowned, if you went to the best physic doctor in Liverpool."

Shortly after, steering by the stars, the boat was headed pretty well
due west, and a couple of oars were kept dipping with a monotonous
splash, raising up the golden water, which dripped in lambent globules
from the blades. All above was one grand dome of light, but below and
around it was as if a thick stratum of intense blackness floated on the
surface of the sea.

So strangely dark this seemed that it impressed the boat's crew with a
sense of dread that they could not master. It was a