h heavy pieces of stone so that the wind should not scatter it away,
as would otherwise probably have been the case.

"Soon get drop hot coffee, massa," said he to Mr Meldrum, who was an
early riser too and not far behind the darkey; "Um berry good for de
tomack fust thing in mornin'!"

But the other was too much concerned about the fate of the ship to think
of coffee then; and, long before Snowball had finished his remark, he
was actively ascending the highest rock near to get a good view out to
seaward. Here he was shortly joined by Mr McCarthy and Ben Boltrope,
who were also equally anxious in the matter; although the others, not
having been called, did not hurry themselves to leave the warm
atmosphere of the tent for the cold and raw air without.

The lookers-out, however, could not see much as yet; for the usual
surface fog--which in these regions generally creeps up in the evening
and hangs over the sea till broad daylight--had not yet completely
cleared away; and so, a curtain of haze shut out the offing from their
gaze. Still, as far as the eye could reach, the sea was very rough,
with heavy rollers rolling in landward. The gale of the night had not
abated much, albeit the wind was not so gusty as it had been, while its
force seemed to be lessening as the morning drew on.

"I'm afraid," said Mr Meldrum, after vainly trying for a long time to
peer through the impenetrable veil of mist which hid the reef from
sight, "that this last blow has settled the old ship."

"Faix, and I'm thinking just that very same," responded the first mate.
"It blowed tremenjus towards four bells, sorr, an' the poor crathur must
be clane smashed up by now!"

"It's very unfortunate if that has happened," replied the other. "The
sea is running too high for us to launch the jolly-boat, and so we'll
lose all chance of saving the wreckage."

"True for you, sorr, save and onless it drifts ashore."

"There's not the slightest hope of that," replied Mr Meldrum. "Nothing
has come up on the beach here yet, that I've been able to perceive!"

"But, sure an' the wind's bin blowing on to the land, sorr, all night.
P'r'aps that might make a difference!"

"Perhaps it might," said the other; "but I very much doubt it."

"Well, sorr, we'll say," retorted the mate. However, the argument was
settled offhand by Ben Boltrope, who had clambered up to a higher ledge
of rock from whence he could see further out to seaward over the fog,
which h