rt."

"There, Master Tom," put in Captain Miles here, "I think you know now
all that Mr Marline can tell you about the Sargasso Sea and the weed to
be found there. It's about time we all turned in now for the night, for
the sun has set and it will soon be dark. Have all you men," he called
out aloud, "lashed yourselves securely?"

"Aye, aye, sir," they answered one by one, Moggridge coming last.

"Then good night, and good cheer, my lads!" he cried. "Keep your
peckers up, and to-morrow morning. I daresay, we'll see our way out of
this predicament. I don't think it is going to blow any more, so you
may compose yourselves to rest as cosily, my lads, as if you were in
your bunks here, without fear of anything much troubling you, for the
sharks can't harm you!"

The sun had set by this time and the evening grew gradually dark, for
there was no moon, as the heavens were overcast; but still, the wind did
not get up again, and the motion of the ship being easy enough we lay
along the side of the ship very comfortably, most of the men soon
falling asleep, and I soon following their example.

It must have been towards morning, for a dim sort of light was beginning
to be perceptible in the east, we were wakened up by a terrible yell.

A moment afterwards a heavy splash sounded in the water alongside.

"Good heavens! what is that?" cried Captain Miles, starting up and
trying to peer through the darkness, so as to see who was missing.
"Anyone gone overboard?"

"Yes, sir," answered Jackson's voice presently, as if he had waited to
reconnoitre, "it is one of the German sailors, poor Hermann. He has
probably slipped his lashings and slid down the side. I'm afraid the
sharks have taken him, for he has never called out once!"

"Poor fellow!" exclaimed the captain, raising a hail.

"Hi, hullo!"

But, there came no response; and so, Jackson's surmise must have been
correct. The man had evidently fallen in his sleep, through the
slipping of the rope which had secured him to the rigging; and he must
either have been drowned at once or fallen a victim to the maw of one of
the sharks, whose movements we could hear in the water still below us.

The accident, however, wakened us all up thoroughly, and we waited
anxiously for daylight.

When this came, however, a terrible scene was enacted before our eyes.

No sooner had the rising sun lit up the ocean and enabled us all to see
each other distinctly, than I noticed Davis,