long day before we get there."

"We will think about that to-morrow," answered one of the men. "We are
thirsty now, after the hard work we have been doing, and we want a glass
of grog or two to give us a little strength."

The boatswain expostulated; but he himself longed to have a glass of
rum, and his opposition grew weaker. The cask was broached, and a
cupful--a large allowance--was served out to each Englishman, including
the doctor and Tidy. Mr Lawrie, however, managed to throw some of his
away, and to fill it up with water from a breaker which he had secured,
and on which he was sitting--treating Tidy's in the same way. The
Frenchmen, on seeing what was going forward, clamoured loudly for rum;
for French sailors, and especially under the circumstances in which
these were placed, generally show as strong an inclination for spirits
as do Englishmen.

"Well, you shall have it if you obey orders," answered the boatswain;
the grog he had taken making him more inclined to be good-humoured than
before, as well as to forget his suspicions. The seamen were also
willing enough to share their treasure with their companions in
misfortune. The quantity they had taken at first produced no apparent
ill effects, though it tended to raise their spirits and make them
forget the dangerous position in which they were placed. Some became
loquacious, others sang songs; and both parties shook hands, and vowed
that they regarded each other as brothers and friends.

The next day, however, a change had come over their spirits. The French
boatswain declared that, as he had assisted to build the raft, he had as
much right to the command as Capstick, as well as to half the rum and
provisions. To this the latter would not agree; but the Frenchmen,
after remaining quiet for some little time, suddenly sprang up, made a
dash at one of the casks of rum, and capturing it, carried it in among
them.

"Let them have their way," said Mr Lawrie. "Keep your own people
sober, and if the Frenchmen get drunk, you will the more easily master
them."

This advice, however, was not followed; some even of the better men
making such frequent visits to the cask that several of them were
utterly stupified. The Frenchmen meantime having broached their cask,
many of them were soon in the same condition. The raft, however, was
tumbling about too much to allow them to move,--this more than anything
else preventing the two parties from coming to blow