my eyes. The
foaming waters raged over the spot where the old _Cerberus_ had floated;
and I knew too well that every one of our helpless shipmates had
perished, unless the other boat had got safely off. Their fate might be
ours before long, we all knew, though we did not despair.

Nettleship's first care was to see what provisions we had got. We found
that we had but two quart bottles of water, a bag of biscuits, a small
ham, a single piece of pork, and three bottles of French cordials.
These he had placed in the stern-sheets, that they might be kept dry,
and that none of the men might be tempted to take more than their share.
We might be days, or even weeks, before we were picked up or reached
land. Nettleship pointed out to us the importance of husbanding our
stores. The afternoon was far gone before we left the ship, and night
was now approaching, while the gale had shown no signs of abating.

Humanly speaking, our lives depended on Nettleship's steering. There
was everything to try the skill and nerves of a man; but it was
difficult in the darkness to watch the seas coming up so as to avoid
those likely to break aboard.

He sat in the stern-sheets like a figure of iron, his countenance fixed,
his eyes turned now ahead, now on one, now on the other side. He seldom
spoke, for his attention was occupied with the task he had undertaken.
Older seamen had given in, while his courage and resolution had remained
unshaken.

I had always liked him, ever since I joined the _Liffy_, but now I
admired and respected him above all men, barring my uncle the major, who
would, I am sure, have acted in the same way, though he might not have
had the nautical skill to steer the boat.

"Stretch yourselves as best you can, youngsters, in the stern-sheets,
and go to sleep," said Nettleship; "I intend to steer till daylight, and
then let either Hunt or Ray (they were two quartermasters) take the
helm."

"But I don't like to leave you without company," I said.

"Don't trouble yourself about that, Paddy," he answered; "the seas are
my company, and precious rough company they are too; they'll prevent me
nodding."

He laughed at his own remark.

At last Tom and I did as he advised us; indeed, we couldn't keep our
eyes open longer, for we had had no sleep, lashed as we had been to the
bulwarks on the previous night.

We both of us slept on right through the night. I awoke with a weary
heart-sinking feeling. Dawn was already