dipping their heads and hands in
the cool liquid when they could drink no more. Their thirst was slaked
at last, and they were happy. All their past sufferings were forgotten
in that great hour of relief, and they looked, and laughed, and spoke to
each other like men who were saved from death. As they stripped off
their garments and washed the encrusted salt from their shrunken limbs,
all of them doubtless felt, and some of them audibly expressed,
gratitude to the "Giver of every good and perfect gift."

So glad were they, and so absorbed in their occupation, that they
thought not of and cared not for the fact that a great storm was about
to break upon them. It came upon them almost before they were aware,
and before the sails could be taken in the boat was almost upset.

"Stand-by to lower the sails!" shouted the captain, who was the first to
see their danger.

The old familiar command issued with something of the old familiar voice
and energy caused every one to leap to his post, if not with the agility
of former times, at least with all the good will.

"Let go!"

The halyards were loosed, and the sails came tumbling down; at the same
moment the squall burst on them. The _Maid of the Isle_ bent over so
quickly that every one expected she would upset; the blue water curled
in over the edge of the gunwale, and the foam burst from her bows at the
rude shock. Then she hissed through the water as she answered the helm,
righted quickly, and went tearing away before the wind at a speed that
she had not known for many days. It was a narrow escape. The boat was
nearly filled with water, and, worst of all, the provision can, along
with Ailie's sleeping-box, were washed overboard and lost.

It was of no use attempting to recover them. All the energies of the
crew were required to bale out the water and keep the boat afloat, and
during the whole storm some of them were constantly employed in baling.
For three days it blew a perfect hurricane, and during all that time the
men had nothing whatever to eat; but they did not suffer so much as
might be supposed. The gnawing pangs of hunger do not usually last
beyond a few days when men are starving. After that they merely feel
ever-increasing weakness. During the fall of the rain they had taken
care to fill their jars, so that they had now a good supply of water.

After the first burst of the squall had passed, the tarpaulins were
spread over the boat, and under one