answered the boatswain.

"Perhaps you expect that we may still find the captain and boats crews;
and if we were to work to windward during the night, and run back
to-morrow over the same course, we may fall in with them, should they
have kept afloat during the gale," said Tom suggestively, for he was
afraid of saying that this was the course he would advise.

"Wait until you see what I do," said the boatswain. "As you may be
wanted on deck, I advise you to turn in and get some sleep; the ship is
hove to now, and for what I can tell, hove to she will remain for some
hours longer."

Tom and Desmond agreed that they had better follow the boatswain's
advice, and accordingly they went below. They found Billy Blueblazes
snoring away, not troubling himself about what was likely to happen.
Throwing themselves on their beds, they were both in another minute fast
asleep. They expected to have been called to keep watch; but no one
arousing them, fatigued as they were, they slept on until daylight. Tom
was the first to awaken; he roused up Desmond and Billy, and all three
went on deck together, where they found that the wind had again
freshened up from the old quarter, and that the ship was standing close
hauled to the eastward. The carpenter had charge of the deck, but they
could get nothing out of him. The doctor soon afterwards came up. Tom
inquired whether he knew the boatswain's intentions?

"He has not thought fit to enlighten me, but I conclude from the course
he is steering that he intends visiting the Sandwich Islands," was the
answer.

"I wish that he had thought fit to steer in the opposite direction,"
observed Tom. "However, we may perhaps find one of our ships there, and
should then have no reason to complain."

"I hope that you will keep to your intention of taking an observation
every day, and ascertaining our position," said the doctor, in a low
voice, so that he might not be overheard.

"You may depend upon that," answered Tom.

"I conclude that you can tell whereabouts we now are?" said the doctor.

"Not unless I can learn at what hour sail was made and we began to stand
on our present course," was the reply.

When Tom inquired of the carpenter, he received an evasive answer, and
on going forward to learn from Jerry, Tim, or Pat, they all said that
they had gone below at night, and had not been roused up. Some of the
crew replied that it was in the first watch, others that it was in the
middl