, upon a coral reef,
before we knowed where we was. There warn't much sea on, and we
happened to touch where there was nearly water enough to float us; so we
bumped and thumped gradually right over the reef into deep water--at
least about ten fathoms--on t'other side. The well was sounded, and we
found five feet of water in the hold; so, as there was land of some sort
close aboard of us, the Yankee rams her straight on to it to save her
from sinking under us.

"When daylight broke, we found ourselves on the sandy beach of a small
island, with reefs all round us; but a space of about a quarter to half
a mile of clear water everywhere between the reefs and the island.

"The cargo was roused out, and the ship examined, as well as it could be
done, to learn the extent of the damage, for the Yankee talked about
careening her to repair her bottom; but we soon found that the job was
too much for us. So we stayed on the island about a week, fitting out
the launch and the pinnace; and when all was ready, and everything
stowed in the boats that it was thought we should want, we made sail to
the nor'ard and east'ard; not, however, until the rest of the boats had
been destroyed, and the skipper and mate made all snug and comfortable
like in a tent ashore."

"Then you were inhuman enough," exclaimed I, "to leave my poor father,
sick as he was, on a desert island?"

"He was better off there than he would ha' been with us," replied the
man. "The island was a first-rate spot, with cocoa-nuts and bananas,
and lots of other fruits, no end; plenty of fresh water, and the bulk of
the ship's stores to draw from. It was a _lovely_ spot; lots of shade,
pure air, and pretty nigh everything a man could want, what with the
stores, and the fruit, and so on. He _must_ have died, had we taken him
away in the boats, for the sun beat down upon us _awful_, and the heat
was reflected back from the surface of the water to that extent we was
nearly roasted.

"Well, we'd been to sea nigh on to three weeks, and was getting pretty
short of water, though we touched at a couple of islands and filled up
again, on our way, when one evening--there wasn't a breath of air
blowing--we sighted a sail to the nor'ard of us. She was becalmed, like
ourselves.

"The Yankee takes a good long look at her, or at least at her
to'gallants'ls, which was all we could see, and then tells us he'd made
up his mind to have a slap at the chap during the night. We care