down, or that he would allow
her to send him up some food.

Walter laughed. "I am sure he will not do that," he answered. "He is
too much occupied at present to come below."

When Walter went on deck again, Alice felt very forlorn. Nub, however,
now and then looked in to cheer her up.

"It's all right, Miss Alice, only de wind it blow bery hard,--enough to
shave a man in half a minute. The captain told me to keep below or I
turn into one icicle." Towards the evening Nub brought in a pot of hot
coffee, which he had managed to boil at the galley-fire; and presently
the captain and Walter came down. The captain had no time to eat
anything, but he drank two cupfuls of the coffee scalding hot.

"Bless you, my child," he said to Alice. "We have a stormy night before
us; but God looks after us, and I wish you to turn in and try and go to
sleep. We are doing our best, and the ship behaves well, so keep up a
good heart and all will be right."

The mates and Mr Lawrie came down, and Nub supplied them also with
coffee. The surgeon declared he could stand it no longer, and as he was
not required on deck he sat down in the cabin and tried to read; but he
had to give it up and stagger off to his berth. Walter at last came
below again, saying that his father would not allow him to remain longer
on deck; though, like a gallant young sailor, he had wished to share
whatever the rest had to endure. In a very few minutes, notwithstanding
the tossing of the ship and the uproar of the elements, he was fast
asleep.

All night long the ship stood on close-hauled, battling bravely with the
gale, showers of sleet, snow, and hail driving furiously against the
faces of the crew. The captain, with his mates and both watches,
remained on deck, to be ready for any emergency.

The topgallant-masts and royal-masts had been sent down; the
studding-sail-booms and gear unrove, to lighten the ship as much as
possible of all top hamper.

It was still dark when Walter awoke. The ship was pitching into the
seas as heavily as before, and the wind roaring as loudly. He longed to
go on deck to ascertain the state of things; but the captain had told
him to remain in his berth till summoned, and he had learned the
important duty of implicit obedience to his father's commands. At
length the light of day came down through the bull's-eye overhead into
his little berth. He quickly dressed, and entering the main cabin,
found that his father ha