when she went on deck next morning, she found everything in a state
of wreck and confusion.

Dinner ended, Bob and I adjourned to the deck to make preparations for
transferring our fair young guest to the _Water Lily_, so as to be
fairly away from the wreck again before nightfall.

As soon as we were out of the cabin, Bob observed:

"I call the falling in with this here _wrack_," (so he pronounced the
word) "downright providential, Harry. Here we has, fust of all, the
very great pleasure of being of sarvice to a most charming young 'oman;
and next, we has a chance of filling up our stores and water--and not
afore 'twas time, too, for I bethought me this morning of seeing how our
tank stood, and I'm blest if we ain't a'most at our last drop. It's
lucky there's plenty of it aboard here. I sees more water-casks about
the deck than will supply all as we wants; and I think our first job had
better be to get the hose and pump under weigh, and fill up our water;
a'ter which we can soon strike a few odds and ends into the cutter such
as'll be useful, and then the sooner we're off the better."

We set to work with a will; and Ella coming on deck at the moment, I
requested her to pack her boxes in readiness for sending them over the
side, asking her, at the same time, whether it would take her long.

She replied briskly, Oh, no; she had brought hardly anything with her--
only three large boxes and one small one.

Only! A chest apiece held Bob's and my own stock of clothing, and we
considered ourselves opulently supplied; and here was a young girl who
had brought hardly anything with her--only such few trifles as she could
stow away in three large boxes and one small one. The three large
boxes, by the way, turned out to be considerably larger than either of
our sea-chests, and the small one would have sufficed for a seaman on a
three years' voyage.

We did not hesitate about helping ourselves freely to the best the ship
afforded, judging that it was highly improbable she would ever reach a
port, unless fallen in with and taken possession of by an exceptionally
strong-handed vessel (and even then our petty appropriations would never
be missed); and we laid in a liberal stock of dainties of various kinds,
for the especial benefit of our lady passenger, which we should never
have dreamed of taking on our own account. We also transferred one
coop, with as many fowls as it would conveniently accommodate, to the
cutter; an