f the ebb?
It would not be low water again till past midnight, and it would then be
very dangerous, if not altogether impracticable, to get on shore. They
must, therefore, make up their minds to remain on board till the
following day.

"The old ship is not going to tumble to pieces just yet," said Devereux.
"We might have had worse quarters than she can still afford, so we
shall have to turn into our berths and wait till the sun rises again."

Whether the young lieutenant felt as confident as he expressed himself
might have been doubted; but he was one of those wise people who always
make the best of everything, carrying out practically the proverb "What
cannot be cured must be endured." As they had plenty to do, and were
able to light a fire in the cabin stove and another in the galley to
cook their supper, they passed their time not unpleasantly. Their
habits of naval discipline would not allow them to dispense with a
watch, so, while the rest turned in, one officer and one man at a time
walked the deck, though, as O'Grady remarked, "We are not likely to run
foul of anything, seeing that we are hard and fast aground, and nothing
will purposely run foul of us; and if anything does, it may, for we
can't get out of its way." Devereux took the dog watch, O'Grady was to
take the first, and Paul the middle. Paul was not sorry to turn in, for
he was very tired. He had not slept, as he thought, when he felt
O'Grady's hand on his shoulder, telling him that it was time to turn
out.

He was on deck in a minute, where he found O'Grady, who was waiting his
coming. Just as O'Grady was going down, a loud, grating, crushing noise
assailed their ears. It was blowing very strong, and freezing extremely
hard. The night also was very dark, and occasionally heavy falls of
snow came on, making the obscurity greater. The rushing noise
increased. The tide they knew must have turned, and was now coming down
with terrific force.

"I say, Gerrard, I doubt if Devereux's plan will succeed, if the ice
continues to come down in this fashion; more likely to cut the old
barkie to pieces," observed O'Grady.

"I am afraid so," said Paul; "I'll ask Cole what he thinks of the state
of affairs."

Reuben was found, and confessed that he did not like them. The wind had
increased to a fearful gale, which howled and whistled through the
shrouds, and between the intervals of these gusts the roar of the
distant ocean could be heard, as the s