ll, while they and the biscuits lasted, and the monkey Spider to
fall back on, I wasn't afraid of starving, though I didn't say anything
to the young gentlemen about him, as I knew they wouldn't like the
thoughts of feeding on their pet. When we had finished our breakfasts
we began to talk of what we had best do. We had the choice of three
things, to try and right the drogher, to make a raft out of her spars
and upper works, or to sit quietly where we were till some vessel should
come by and take us off. At last I got leave from Mr Rogers to go
below, and judge what chance there was of righting the craft. I soon
saw that without buckets we should never be able to bale her out. There
wasn't one to be found, nor would the pump work, while, as I had
guessed, the ballast had shifted over to the port side, so till we could
free her of water we couldn't reach that; besides, it would have been a
difficult matter to get it back to its place. As I was groping about in
the hold I came upon two water-casks. Here is a prize I thought, but
the bungs were out, and the only water in them was salt. At last I went
back with my report.

"`Then we must set to and build a raft,' said Mr Rogers, nothing
daunted.

"`How are we to cut away the spars and bulwarks without axes?' asked Mr
Gordon. `It would be a hard job to do it with our knives and hands.'

"`You are right, my boy, and faith, the only thing we can do that I can
see is to sit quiet, and wait till Providence sends us help,' says Mr
Desmond, quite calmly. `We should be thankful that the old tub keeps
above water.

"We were all agreed as to this. When I came to think of it, I saw that
without a single axe or tool of any sort there was no hope of making a
raft fit to carry tins, though it had seemed possible to me in the
night-time, when I was half asleep. The midshipman was right, all we
could do was to sit quiet, and look out for a sail. I made another trip
below, and got up some more biscuit and fruit and three pots of
preserves, which were very welcome, and some nuts for Spider. These we
put into the basket, which was secured to the rigging. I then shut to
the companion hatch, and sat down on the bulwarks. The sun soon dried
out clothes, but we shouldn't have minded having them wet to have
escaped the heat. As the sun rose in the sky it grew hotter and hotter,
but not a word of complaint did the young gentlemen utter. All day long
they sat talking to each ot