all amount of water broke over
the counter. The heavier mass, however, was prevented from coming in;
and the boat flew on with greater speed, as if to escape from the danger
which threatened her.

"Willy, your forethought has saved our lives, I fully believe," observed
Harry, as he, with others, began baling away with might and main.

Mrs Rumbelow, who at that instant made her appearance from the cabin,
followed their example, having seized a saucepan at her feet. Another
and another sea followed.

"Bale away, my lads! bale away!" cried Mrs Rumbelow. "We will try if
we cannot send the water out as fast as it comes in."

Her courage inspired the men, who now and then stopped, believing that
all their efforts to preserve their lives would prove useless. The boat
was quickly again clear of water, and several minutes passed without a
sea having struck her. Harry began to hope that once more the gale was
abating. He now, remembering that the people might be suffering from
want of food, ordered provisions to be served out.

The doctor had spoken but little, except occasionally to offer a word of
consolation to some of the poor women. He now, however, undertook to
superintend the distribution of the provisions. Some time was occupied
in searching for them, as it was necessary to select such as did not
require cooking. A keg of butter was first found, with a cask of
biscuits, but the latter had suffered already from the salt water. As,
however, they could be most easily got at, they were served round, and
constituted the chief portion of the first meal taken on board. A few
bottles of rum were next routed out from a case amid a number of things
hastily thrown in. A small measure full was served out to each person,
and injurious as spirits may prove when taken habitually, this small
dose served to restore the well-nigh exhausted strength of the men.

Willy was hunting about in hopes of finding something more suitable for
poor Mrs Morley and the other ladies. He was delighted to discover
some cold fowls, a ham, and a couple of loaves of bread, which the
purser had thoughtfully placed in a basket for the very object for which
they were now so much-desired.

"Here, Mrs Rumbelow," he said, handing his prize into the cabin. "You
must get your charges to eat some of these things."

"Bless you! that I will, Mr Dicey," said the good woman, perfectly
ready herself to sup off her biscuit and salt butter. She began a