Y A CATASTROPHE!

SLept till long after daybreak, did they?

Why, it was getting on for noon when Mr McCarthy roused the crew from
their unusually long caulk amongst the blankets in the corner of the
tent reserved for them with his cheery call of "All hands ahoy! Tumble
up there! tumble up!" coupled with the information that the sun was
"scorching their eyes out"--which latter observation, it may be casually
remarked, was a slight stretch of his imagination, considering the
feeble power of the solar orb at that time of the year on the snow-
covered wastes of Kerguelen Land!

Still, late or early as they might be in rising, the first point to
which everybody turned their gaze on getting out into the open, was the
little spot on the horizon to seaward where they had left the ship,
where she had been last seen on the previous afternoon just as the
evening was beginning to close in. Since they had quitted her, however,
the wind had been blowing pretty stiffly all night, although it had
calmed down again towards the morning; while the last thing they had
heard, ere they had sunk into the sound dreamless sleep all had enjoyed
through the complete exhaustion of their frames, had been the roaring
noise of the breakers thundering against the base of the cliffs beyond
their sheltering fiord. So, it was with but very faint hopes of
perceiving the remains of the poor old _Nancy Bell's_ hull still fixed
on the treacherous reef of her destruction, that they looked wistfully
out into the offing!

But, lo and behold! in spite of all their forebodings, there in the
distance they could yet dimly descry the stern section of the ill-fated
vessel still intact, as far as they could judge with the naked eye,
amidst the rocks; and about it the waves played and circled and the surf
showered its spray. Above the wreck, too, there still fluttered feebly
the flag which Mr Meldrum had attached to the stump of the mizzen-mast,
as if defying the powers of the wind and the waters to destroy the
gallant old ship and her belongings, strive how they might in all their
majesty!

Every heart felt glad at the sight.

"It does me ra-al good, mister, it dew!" said Mr Lathrope to the first
mate, who was intently watching the object of general interest, as if he
could not take his eyes off it. "When I riz just neow, I felt kinder
lonesome, a thinking we'd parted company with the old crittur fur ever
and wouldn't never see her no more; but thar she i