things
well, blessed be His name! Now you understand what you're to do about
the money, don't you, if you should ever find yourself without me in
Scotland, eh?"

Polly did not quite clearly understand, but after a little further
explanation she professed herself to be quite prepared for the
transaction of that important piece of financial business.

Poor Captain Samson sought thus to secure, to the best of his ability,
that the small savings of his life should go to Polly in the event of
her being saved and himself lost. Moreover, he revealed the state of
his finances to Philosopher Jack, Ben Trench, and Watty Wilkins, whom he
found grouped apart at a corner of the raft in earnest conversation, and
begged of them, if they or any of them should survive, to see his
daughter's interest attended to.

"You see, my lads, although I would not for the world terrify the dear
child uselessly, by telling her that we are in danger, it must be clear
to you that if a gale springs up and our raft should be broken up, it's
not likely that all of us would be saved. Yet Polly might escape, and
some of you also. We are all in the Lord's hands, however, and have
nothing to fear if we are His followers."

Ah! that "if" went home. The captain did not lay stress on it;
nevertheless stress was laid on it somehow, for the three youths found
it recurring again and again to memory that night, though they did not
speak of it to each other.

As the night advanced, the threatening gale passed away; the stars came
out in all their splendour, and the morning sun found the glassy sea
again ready to reflect his image. Thus they floated for several days in
comparative peace and comfort. But it came at last.

One evening a squall came rushing down on them, turning up the sea, and
converting it to ink and foam as it approached. The rag of sail with
which they had previously courted the breeze in vain was hastily taken
in; the fastenings of everything were looked to. Polly was placed in
her canvas bower, and the whole structure of the raft was strengthened
with a network of hawsers and cordage.

When the squall struck them, the raft appeared to tremble. The seas
broke clean over them, several articles not properly secured were swept
off, and weak points in the main fastenings were made plain, as the
spars, beams, and planks writhed and struggled to get free.

But Captain Samson and his men were equal to the occasion; an iron clamp
here,