but
to keep the boat right before the wind, although it carried us almost
in a contrary direction to the course we wished to steer.

At daylight, we looked anxiously around for the other boats; but in
vain did we strain our eyes--nothing was visible. Sad were our
forebodings as to the fate of our shipmates, and gloomy our
anticipations of the future for ourselves. The wind had moderated
considerably, but we were still obliged to run before it; and it was
not till late in the afternoon that we considered it safe to turn the
boat's head again to the southward. By this time it was almost calm,
but our two oars could do little against the head sea; and after
tugging away at them for some time, we were obliged to lay them in
from sheer exhaustion, merely keeping the boat's head to the sea. A
light breeze springing up at last from the northward, we got the stump
of the mast up, and set the reefed sail upon it, and began slowly to
make headway in the wished-for direction.

During the whole of our perilous voyage, the young lady, who had been
committed to my charge, behaved with the greatest courage and
resignation; not a complaint escaped her lips, though she was drenched
to the skin by the spray and rain; not a scream did she utter when the
dark sea rose under our stern, threatening to engulf our little bark.
We did all we could to make her as comfortable as circumstances would
allow; for rough indeed must be the nature that does not feel kindly
towards youth and beauty in distress. She received all our attentions
with such heartfelt expressions of gratitude, and bore her discomforts
with such cheerful resignation, that the men could not help audibly
expressing their admiration, and vowing to spend their life's-blood in
her service.

The sun was again smiling over our heads, and the water rippled under
the bows of the boat, as she danced before the breeze; and our spirits
were revived by the change. On examining our stock of provisions, we
found that most of our biscuit was completely saturated with salt
water, and that, with the most sparing economy, we had barely
sufficient rum and meat left to last us for a week longer. We
immediately spread the wet bread on the boat's thwarts to dry, and cut
the meat into small equal portions.

"Now, Miss Neville," said I, laughing--though, Heaven knows, there was
little joy in my heart--"I, as commander of this vessel, constitute
you acting-purser; you shall serve out our rations to