the tressel-trees to free the lower yard; so that, before it was
dark, the whole stick of the mainmast was nearly clear. Only the
shrouds and stays on the starboard side now held it to the hull; and,
consequently, when it felt inclined to shift its position athwart ship
it could easily do so.

Jackson, and those with him forward, having now done as much as they
could to cast-off the foremast gear, Captain Miles hailed them to come
aft.

"I think," said he, "if we can only contrive to cut away the mizzen, and
a breeze springs up, as there seems every prospect of from these clouds
to windward, then, through the greater buoyancy now possessed by the
ship amidships and astern, the foremast will go of its own accord. At
all events, we can try it; for, as you say, there isn't any chance of
our getting rid of it by any unaided efforts of our own."

The lighter spars that Jake and Moggridge had detached were now hauled
in and made into a sort of raft, upon which Jackson and the whole lot of
the crew clambered, proceeding to attack the mizzen-mast, the lower part
of which spar was just out of the water.

Slash, bang went the axe with a will, wielded by hands nerved with all
the strength of desperation, each man cutting away as long as he could,
and then another hand taking his turn. Even I was busy with a knife,
sawing away at the thick ropes, and doing what I could to help the
others.

The mizzen, being of considerably less diameter than the mainmast, took
a much less time to conquer; so, soon it gave way with a splintering
crash, the jagged heel floating up in the same way as the other, and
working about freely as the rigging was severed so that it could easily
pass overboard.

"Now, men, we may cry a spell," said Captain Miles when the task was
accomplished. "Nothing more can be done now. We must wait for a breeze
to clear away the wreck, when, I've no doubt, the ship will right
again."

"I'm sure I hope so, dear captain!" said I fervently. "Do you think she
really will?"

"Not a doubt of it, my boy," he answered. "She would have never come up
so far if she had meant to stop on her beam-ends. See, now! Why, I can
almost stand up here on the poop, the deck has risen so much already.
By the morning, I hope she'll be right end uppermost again."

"But, how about our lodging for the night?" suggested Mr Marline. "If
we lie along the bulwarks, in the same way as before, and the ship
rights suddenly in the nigh