. For some of them Jerry
or Pat dived into the hold. Others were found on the spar-deck and the
after part of the ship, where they were got up without difficulty. Tom
and Gerald, when they came on deck, frequently took a glance around to
see how the weather looked, and were satisfied that there was every
appearance of its holding fine. They accordingly made up their minds to
remain during the night. Having collected all the stores which such a
raft as they intended to build could carry, they at once commenced
forming one. The mizzen and part of the mainmast still remained
standing; Tom proposed forming shears and trying to hoist out the
former; but as this was found impracticable, they cut both the masts
away, to serve as the main beams of their raft. Several more spars were
got up, and they then began cutting away the spar-deck. They worked on
until it was dark, when Pat cooked some supper--the first food they had
eaten since the morning.

"Now, we shall want some sleep," said Tom; "but though the ship won't
run away with us, it will be prudent to keep watch in case bad weather
should come on; although it looks very fine at present, we should not
trust to that. I'll keep the first watch; you, Desmond, take the
middle; and Bird shall have the morning watch. We will excuse Billy,
because it is just possible he may fall asleep and tumble overboard, or
at all events forget to call us, and Pat requires another night's rest
after his night on the bottom of the boat and the hard work he has done
to-day."

Tom, in reality, did not wish to trust Pat entirely, thinking it very
possible that as soon as they were all below he would stow himself away
and go to sleep. The deck cabin being free from water, the party were
far more comfortably off than they would have been on shore. The deck
having too great an inclination to afford a good walk, Tom managed to
keep awake by holding on to the weather bulwarks, and moving backwards
and forwards, constantly looking to windward for any change of weather.
Though, after all the trouble they had taken, they would have been sorry
to lose the various things they had found on board, it would have been
unwise to have risked remaining on the wreck should the wind get up.
The sky, however, was perfectly clear, the stars shone out brilliantly,
undimmed by the slightest vapour, while scarcely a breath of wind
disturbed the surface of the now slumbering ocean.

"We shall want a breeze t