the men,
breaking into the spirit-room, insisted on having some rum. One of
them, wiser than his companions, managed to lower down a couple of
breakers of water, while the rest were occupied in getting up three
casks of rum; precious time, which should have been employed in
searching for more provisions, being thus wasted in procuring what would
too likely prove their destruction. The spirit-casks had just been
lowered down, when the flames, bursting out with greater fury, made them
dread another explosion.

"Shove off!--shove off!" was the general cry; and the men who had been
labouring on the deck for the good of the others had barely time to
spring on to the raft, when the ropes which held it to the ship were
cut, and they shoved away from the side.

By this time a strong breeze had sprung up; the sail was hoisted, and
the raft, passing under the stern, glided rapidly away from the ship.
Though it was large enough to support the people on it, they found it
necessary that each man should keep a certain place in order to balance
it properly. The boatswain took the command, and insisted that all the
rest should obey him. His own people seemed willing to do so; but the
Frenchmen, who equalled them in numbers, from the first showed an
evident inclination to dispute his authority, under the leadership of
their own boatswain, a man not dissimilar to him in character. Capstick
had sense enough to know that he must assert his authority, and keep the
Frenchmen in check, or they would very probably take the raft from him.

"I see what these fellows are after, Mr Lawrie," he said to the
surgeon, who was seated near him. "You will stick by me, I know; for it
will come to a fight before long, when, if we don't gain the upper hand,
we shall all be hove overboard."

"Then I would advise you to get rid of the rum-casks at once," said the
surgeon. "I see that your people are already eyeing one of them as if
they were about to broach it; and if they get drunk, which they
certainly will, we shall be in the Frenchmen's power."

"I believe that you are right, sir; but I would not like to lose so much
good rum," answered the boatswain, who was himself much too fond of
liquor. "I will see what I can do, though."

"Avast there, lads," he shouted to the men. "If we wish to save our
lives, all hands must be put on a limited allowance of provisions and
spirits. I cannot say how far off we are from the land; but it may be
many a