little chance of our being picked up, and as to any of us
reaching the shore that seems impossible."

No answer was made to his remark. The squall which had capsized the
boat was succeeded by others. The weather was evidently changing for
the worse, and the boat drifting farther and farther from the land.
Their prospects were dreary in the extreme, indeed almost hopeless. The
gunwale of the boat on which they were seated was only six inches out of
the water, so that should a sea get up they might all quickly be washed
away.

Norris felt very unhappy, as he had been at the helm. "I hope that you
fellows will forgive me," he said. "I little expected the boat to
capsize so suddenly, though I ought to have kept a better look-out."

"Don't talk about it," answered Tom. "It was as much our fault as
yours. We have each of us much to ask forgiveness for if we were to
count up old scores."

"Mr Jennings, I hope you will forgive me for capsizing you in the gale
when we were coming out from England."

"Of course, youngster," he answered gravely; "I have not thought about
it since."

"Thank you, sir," said Tom, as if his mind had been relieved of a
burden.

"I hope old Scrofton won't be thinking about the tricks we have played
him."

"I was just after thinking that I wish he may not ill-treat Spider,"
cried Desmond; "I don't know what the poor baste will do without us."

"What we have to do is to forgive all others from the bottom of our
hearts," remarked Archy. "We need not trouble ourselves what they will
think or say of us."

Archy, who was a true Christian, made several other fitting remarks,
clearly pointing out to his companions the only way by which they could
be prepared for the new existence into which there seemed every
probability they would soon have to enter.

"It's a grievous thought, my friends, that we do not all so live that we
may be fit at any moment to die," he observed calmly.

Few of those present failed to agree with him, and for the time, at all
events, to wish that they were as well prepared as he appeared to be.

Again they were all silent for some minutes.

"Something must be done!" exclaimed Tom, who had been thinking over the
matter, and in his own mind had resolved what to do.

"It's too far for any of us to swim to shore," observed Mr Jennings; "I
would try it, but I never could keep afloat five minutes together."

"I, too, am a miserable swimmer," sighed Mr Houghton. "Be