right and fine, the wind had gone down, though
the sea was still fretting and breaking on the rocky islet; but the high
spirits in which the lads were became damped directly as they stood
gazing down at the wreck of the fine handsome man lying there before
them, hovering as it were between life and death.

"I wouldn't care, Roy," said Syd, "if I could only do anything but
attend to those wretched bandages."

"You do a good deal," was the reply.

"Oh, it seems like nothing. One gets no further, and I always go in to
see him feeling as if it was for the last time."

Partly to get rid of his painful thoughts Sydney worked hard with the
men till everything possible under the circumstances had been done.
Rocks had been shifted, breastworks built, and the place was so added
to, that if an enemy should come, the scaling of the cliff over the
landing-place and capture of the lower gun did not mean defeat. There
was quite a little fort to attack half-way up the gap, and then there
was a stout wall built across behind the second gun, which could be
slewed round ready for an attack from the land side.

Two mornings later, just after Sydney had been again combining the
duties of surgeon and commander, Strake came up to him.

"Going to order that boy a rope's-ending now, sir?" he said.

"Not yet, Strake."

"Done with him, sir?"

"Yes."

"Then I'd like a word with you in private."

The privacy consisted in a walk to the upper gun, where, after a look
round in the calm sunlit sea in search of the frigate, the boatswain
said--

"Enemy's here, sir."

"Where?" cried Syd, excitedly, looking out to sea again. "I was up at
the flagstaff an hour ago, and Mr Terry's there now. He has not given
the alarm."

"Didn't look in the right place," said the boatswain, oracularly. "I
did."

"Don't play with me, Strake; where is he?"

"In the tubs, sir."

"What!"

"On'y water enough to last four more days."

Syd looked at him aghast.

"We must have sails and casks ready to catch every drop when the rain
comes," cried Syd.

"Ay, sir, when it comes; but it don't come."

"Then what shall we do?"

"I ought to say die o' thirst, sir, on'y it sounds so unpleasant."

"But my father, surely he'll be here soon. He knows how we are
situated, and the other ship knows too. They will be sure to come."

"I don't want to upset you, sir, but I do say the captain's a long while
coming."

"What's to be done, Roy? Hi, Mr Terry,