ircumstances," answered the
other.

"Bother circumstances," rejoined the captain; "we must make the best of
them we can. Now, let us see what's to be done."

"Do you think we can right her, sir?" asked the mate repeating his old
query.

"Right her? yes, certainly, if we can cut away the masts. She's not
water-logged, and all sound below, I fancy, as far as I can see; for the
hatches have been battened down since Monday."

"But she's rather down by the head, sir," said Mr Marline, as the two
rose on their feet and proceeded to look round the vessel as well as
they could from the top of the poop bulwarks, whence they surveyed her
position and surroundings.

"Ah!" exclaimed Captain Miles, "the fore-peak must have been left open
when those spare sails were got out, so that she has taken in some water
there. Never mind, though, there's a stout bulkhead separating the
compartment from the main hold, and, if there's no leak below, we'll be
all right."

"But, the masts have been working the decks all this time," suggested
the mate, "and if the sea has got in through the straining of the
timbers we must sink in time."

"Sink your grandmother, Marline!" retorted the captain, "you forget that
our main cargo is rum, which is ever so much lighter than water, and
more buoyant. As long as we have that below we'll float, never you
fear! But, the job is to cut away the masts if we can; she'll never
right, of course, till that is done. A pity your rigging was so well
set up, Marline! If the sticks had only gone by the board when the
squall struck us we'd be all right now."

"I don't know that, captain," replied the other. "If the masts had been
badly stayed they would have gone in the height of the hurricane; and
then, where would we be now?"

"Not in the Sargasso Sea, I fancy," said Captain Miles with a hearty
laugh. "But we can't do anything yet, though, till the sea has gone
down more. Men," he added, "keep your pecker up! Providence having
watched over us thus far will now not desert us, I am confident, and
we'll yet weather on Mr Marline's circumstances!"

All hands gave a cheer at this hopeful speech, and the sun having by
this time dried our soddened clothes besides warming us, we began to
feel more comfortable and easy, the captain's words giving us fresh
courage.

Towards noon, however, the heat brought on a most terrific thirst, which
was all the more painful from our not seeing any chance of relieving