oke in a voice
very different to his usual tone. The exertions he had gone through had
been almost too much even for his well-knit frame; a sort of stupor was
stealing over him, and his senses began to wander. Murray discovered
his condition with great alarm. He called to him to arouse himself.

"Oh, Jack, don't give way," he exclaimed. "If you fall asleep, the cold
may overpower you."

Mr Gale, hearing Murray's exclamation, gave Jack a few drops of brandy,
which revived him. Murray gladly took a few drops. At the moment of
trial he was not found wanting. In spite of his more delicate frame, he
bore up as well as the strongest. Thus the night drew slowly on. How
earnestly did all on the wreck long for the blessed light of day. Three
of them had the consciousness that they had remained both from a high
sense of duty and from the call of friendship, and this undoubtedly
contributed to support them. They too well knew in whose right arm they
had to trust to save them. Jack had not forgotten the lessons he had
received at home, nor the counsel given him by Admiral Triton. But Jack
on no subject was much of a talker; he was a _doer_, however, which is
more important. The nearer a matter was to his heart, the less he
allowed it to come out on his tongue, except at the proper moment. By
some of his shipmates, who did not understand him, he was considered
rather a close fellow. The same might be said of Murray, even in a
greater degree. Few indeed guessed, when they saw his slight frame and
delicate features, how much he would both dare and do. The power of
passive endurance of all three was most fully tried during that awful
night. None of them flinched. Murray alone, however, never allowed
himself for a moment to lose his consciousness. The rain and sleet came
down with pitiless force; the bleak wind howled round them, the sea beat
over them, the ceaseless breakers roared in their ears all the night
through. Murray felt as if it would never come to an end. Every moment
too the ship seemed as if she was about to break up, when he knew that
death must be the lot of all remaining on board. How thankfully he saw
the first faint gleam of dawn breaking in the east, to him a sign, as he
afterwards said, that the moment of their preservation was at hand. He
shook Jack, and pointed it out to him.

"All right, old fellow," answered Jack; "I'm ready for a swim." But
Rogers did not know what he was saying, for