e madness itself. He sighed, and then took off his cap. Allen and Otway
followed his example.

"Is there no hope for them?" Mrs. Lacy whispered to Otway.

"None," replied the supercargo in a low voice. "None." Then he urged her
to go below, as it was not safe for her to remain on deck. She went at
once, and met her husband just as he was leaving their cabin.

"What is the matter, Nell?" he asked, as he saw that tears were in her
eyes.

"Three poor men have been carried overboard, Wilfrid. They were in the
deck-house asleep ten minutes ago--now they are gone! Oh, isn't it
dreadful, dreadful!" And then she sat down beside him and wept silently.

Breakfast was a forlorn meal--Robertson and his officers were not
present, and Otway took the captain's seat. He, too, only remained to
drink a cup of coffee, then hurriedly went on deck. Lacy rose at the
same time, but at the foot of the companion, Otway motioned him to stop.

"Don't come on deck awhile, if you please," he said, "and tell the
ladies to keep to the cabin."

"Anything fresh gone wrong?"

"Yes," replied the supercargo, looking steadily at the clergyman--"the
ship is making water badly. Don't you hear the pumps going? Tell the
ladies not to come on deck--say it is not safe. And if the old
Weidermann girl hears the pumps, and gets inquisitive, tell her that a
lot of water got into the hold when that big sea tumbled aboard. She's
an inquisitive old ass, and would be bound to tell the other ladies that
the ship is in danger."

Lacy nodded. "All right, I'll see to her. How long has the ship been
leaking?"

"For quite a long time. And there is fourteen inches in her, and it's as
much as we can do to keep it under."

"That is serious."

Otway nodded. "Yes, it is serious in weather like this. Now I must go.
Daresay we may give you a call in the course of the morning. Ever try a
spell at old-fashioned brake pumps? Fine exercise."

"I'm ready now if you want me," was the quiet answer.

The _Tucopia_ was indeed in a pretty bad case. Immediately after the
fatal sea had swept her decks the carpenter had sounded the well and
found fifteen inches of water, some little of which had got below
through the fore-scuttle, but the greater portion, it was soon evident,
was the result of a leak. The barque was a comparatively new vessel, and
Robertson and his officers, after two hours' pumping, came to the
conclusion that she had either strained herself badly or a butt-end