who overheard her, made no reply,
but looked unusually grave, and told me to bring the chart from below.
Spreading it out on the companion-hatch, we again, for the third or
fourth time, gave a careful look at it.

"I cannot understand the set of this current," he said. "It probably
sweeps round the island. But we are being carried much closer than I
like to be in so perfect a calm. If we get a breeze it will be all
right, but--"

Just then the sails gave several loud flaps, as if some one had shaken
them out, and the schooner rolled now to one side, now to the other.
Her head had moved so as to bring the swell abeam. Once having begun,
she went on making the same unpleasant movements. It was evident that
the swell had increased.

"Is there no way to stop her from doing that?" asked Mary.

"Not till the wind fills her sails," answered Harry. "I hope, however,
that we shall get a breeze before long."

Harry did not say this in a very cheerful tone. He soon afterwards
beckoned Tom Platt to him, and I saw them talking earnestly together for
some minutes. I joined them. They were discussing the probable set of
the current, which was at present sweeping us at the rate of at least
three knots an hour towards the reef.

"We might keep her off it, at all events, until a breeze springs up,"
remarked Tom.

"We'll have the boats out, then, and do our best," said my brother, and
he gave the order "Out boats."

We carried two boats on the davits, but as they were too light to be of
much service, we hoisted out the long-boat, which was stowed amidships.
We also lowered one of the gigs. The two boats were at once made fast
to the tow-line. The men gave way, and the schooner's head was kept off
from the threatening reef, against which the sea was breaking with
tremendous force. The men bent to their oars, for they knew the danger
as well as we did.

We all watched the reef with anxious eyes. Should the vessel be driven
against it, we should, in a few seconds, we well knew, be dashed to
pieces; and, though we might escape in the boats before that catastrophe
occurred, we should be left to make a long voyage before we could reach
any civilised people. All around us were islands, most of them, we had
reason to fear, inhabited by treacherous and blood-thirsty savages.

We, of course, did not express our anxiety to the ladies, who, however,
I thought, began to suspect that the vessel was in danger, although they
sa