into a feverish sleep, with Kate
watching by his side.

Mr Meldrum, who had been urgently asked by Mr McCarthy and Adams to
take command of the ship while the captain was incapacitated, a request
that the crew heartily endorsed and which Captain Dinks himself
confirmed as soon as he recovered consciousness proceeded in the interim
to devise the best means he could for saving all on board; and, in the
first place, he ordered the men to renew the lashings of the jolly-boat.
This was their sole remaining means of escape, and was now in danger of
being washed overboard by the heavy seas that were breaking over the
ship in cataracts of foam.

Immediately the mutineers had got away in the long-boat it had come on
to blow harder; and, shortly after they were out of sight in the haze
that hung over the land, a tremendous squall had swept over the water in
the direction they were last seen, the billows mounting so high as they
raced by the stranded vessel that it was very problematical whether the
boat would ever reach the shore. Mr Meldrum could not help observing
that those left on board had much greater chance of saving their lives,
in spite of the waves breaking over the ship, which trembled through her
frame with the repeated shocks she was subjected to as she was jolted on
the rocks as if coming to pieces every minute.

"The poor captain was right after all," said he to Mr McCarthy. "Those
scamps in the long-boat had better have waited till morning, as he said.
I don't think they'll ever get to land."

"Nor I, sorr," replied the first mate; "but it sarves them right, bad
cess to 'em!"

"Well," said the other, "if they have gone down, they've gone with all
their sins on their heads, for they certainly believed that they left us
to perish, and did so purposely, too!"

"Jist so, the murtherin' villins!" ejaculated Mr McCarthy.

Mr Lathrope at that moment came up from the cuddy.

"Whar's that sanctimonious cuss of a steward!" inquired he. "I've
shouted clean through the hull ship, and I'm durned ef I ken find him to
git some grub; for I feels kinder peckish arter that there muss. I
guess the critter has sloped with them t'other skunks!"

"We'll muster the hands and see," said Mr Meldrum.

This was soon done; but the steward did not answer to his name--nor
could he be found anywhere on board, although parties of the men hunted
through every portion of the ship fore and aft for him.

"Snakes and alligators, mis