s
the zenith, the crimson colour of the sky gradually fading away, as the
bright yellow sunlight took its place, and illuminated the utmost verge
of the apparently limitless sea; but the _Sea Rover_ was nowhere in
sight, nor was the tiniest speck of a distant sail to be seen on the
horizon!

"Never mind, Jonathan," said David, cheering up his companion; "you
mustn't be disappointed: it is only what I expected, although I didn't
tell you so before! Now that we have the boat, you know, we are not
half so badly off as we thought ourselves at first. We've no reason to
despair!"

And then, sailor-like, he immediately began to overhaul their God-sent
gift, to see whether it was all a-tanto and seaworthy, without losing
any more time in vain repinings, and scanning the ocean fruitlessly for
the _Sea Rover_; Jonathan sitting up, and beginning to be interested, as
he regained his courage and self-reliance, through his companion's words
and the warmth of the sun combined, and lost that feeling of hopeless
despair that seemed to overwhelm him and weigh him down since they lost
sight of the ship for the last time on the previous night.

"It must have been adrift a good while," said David, clambering on to
the keel of the boat, and getting astride on it. "The bottom is quite
slimy. Oh, my poor leg, how it hurts! I forgot all about that squeeze
I had between the rudder beam and the wheelhouse, for a moment. Never
mind," continued the brave boy, hiding his pain from his companion, who
winced in sympathy; "it was only a little wrench I gave it, and it has
passed off now. But pray hold on tight to the stern, Jonathan--you can
catch hold of it by the rudder-hinge--or else I'll be parting company,
and going off on a cruise by myself."

Working himself along with his hands and knees on the slippery surface
of the boat, he felt the exposed portion all over, and as far under
water as his arm could reach down, when he proceeded to give his opinion
like a consulting surveyor.

"The timbers are all sound, old chap," he said, "at least, as well as I
can make out; and not a hole anywhere that I can see. I can't tell for
certain, however, till we right her properly, and get the water out of
her; and I think we'll find our work cut out for us to do that,
Jonathan, my boy."

"I'm sure I don't see how we can manage it," replied his friend
despairingly.

"Oh, don't you?" answered David cheerfully, his spirits rising with the
sense of