, nothing of consequence occurred, until she had
got considerably to the north of the line. She had reached about the
latitude of Madeira, when a heavy gale sprang up.

For three days she lay exposed to its fury, so severely tried that Jack
entertained serious thoughts of heaving Long Tom overboard. Needham
gazed at his old friend with sorrowful eye, as Jack suggested that such
might be necessary.

"He has done good service, and she has carried him a good many thousand
miles without complaining, sir, and, unless it comes on worse than it is
at present, she will carry him home safe enough, I hope."

It, however, did come on worse; and, moreover, a leak was sprung, which
required half the watch constantly at the pumps. Long Tom was doomed.
Jack tried to comfort Needham by saying--

"From what I hear, when the ship is paid off, he will only be looked on
as so much old iron, or laid up in the gun-wharf never to bark again, so
we shall do him more honour by lowering him into an ocean grave."

The order was given, and, as the brig rolled, Long Tom sent over the
side into the foaming waters. The brig evidently floated more buoyantly
on being relieved of his weight.

At length the gale broke, and sail being made, the _Supplejack_ once
more stood on her course.

Evening was coming on; dark, leaden seas, still foam-topped, were rising
up sullenly around her as she made her way amidst them, now on the
summit of one, now sinking into the valley below, when the lookout
shouted--

"The hull of a ship, either dismasted or on her beam-ends away on the
lee-bow, sir."

Jack went aloft with his telescope.

"She is a dismasted vessel, there is little doubt about that," he
observed to Bevan, as he returned on deck. "Keep the brig away for
her."

Evening was approaching, but Jack hoped to be up with the stranger
before dark. As the brig drew near her, she was seen to be a large
ship, her three masts gone, while no attempt apparently had been made to
rig jury-masts. So deep was she, that as she rolled in the heavy seas,
the water came rushing over her decks, and gushing out through the
scuppers on the opposite side.

Jack felt thankful that he had seen her, as, in all probability, her
fate during the night would have been sealed. The brig was steered to
pass just under her stern, Jack intending to heave-to to leeward. Just
as she got up to her, Tom exclaimed--

"I see her name--it is the _Carib_, the very ship in whi