you must make up
your minds to do with the allowance you have already had to-day. I'll
take no more."

He then told Tom and me to give him what we had given the rest; and,
after eating the biscuit and bit of ham, he drank the bottle-neck full
of water. My own sensations made me hope that we should not have many
days to live on so small an allowance. Still, though my throat felt
like a dust-bin, I determined to support Nettleship, and I knew Tom
would do so, in whatever he thought necessary. We ran on all day, the
wind going down very slowly. At noon, Ray took the helm. Whether he
steered with less care, or, as I think, the seas broke in a different
way, two in succession came aboard, and we had to bale as fast as we
could, to get the water out of the boat. As it came in, it washed right
aft and wetted through our bag of biscuits, which Tom and I in vain
tried to save. Nettleship didn't blame Ray, but warned him to be more
careful.

"I intend to steer to-night," he said, "so I'll finish out my snooze,
and call me at sundown."

Both Hunt and Ray asked him to let them steer during part of the night,
but he was firm.

"No," he answered; "your lives are entrusted to me, and it's my duty to
keep at the helm while there's most likely to be danger."

Tom and I, however, determined to have our eyes open, so as to make
company for him during part of the night, which, it being summer time,
was fortunately not long. Had it been in the winter, none of us could
have survived. Nettleship appeared to have completely recovered
himself. I sat up through part of the night, and Tom through the
remainder. We talked cheerfully and hopefully. When I lay down, I
slept as soundly as I ever did in my bed. Towards morning, I suppose it
was, I dreamed of the various scenes I had gone through since I came to
sea, among others of the earthquake at Savannah, and then I was looking
out into the barrack-yard, and there was Larry fiddling away, with
soldiers and blacks dancing to his music,--everything seemed so vivid
that I had no doubt about its reality. Then Mr Talboys and Lucy and
Captain Duffy came in and joined in the dance. I thought it very good
fun, so I ran down and began to dance, and who should I see but the
admiral and captain and old Rough-and-Ready, each with a black partner,
and there we were jigging away right merrily, till I awoke, to find
myself in the stern-sheet of the boat, and to see Nettleship steering,
wh