ft or other coming to look for us.' For the life of me I couldn't
say `yes.' I shook my head--I was beginning to lose all hope. At noon
Mr Rogers served out half a glass of wine to each of us and some
biscuit. This put a little more life into me, and I again took to
thinking whether we could form a raft with the bulkheads and lining of
the cabin, which we might tear away by main strength, and the two empty
water-casks, and the hatches, and the gaff and boom. The job would be
to lash them together; for though we might stand on the bulwarks which
were under water, there would be no small danger of being carried off by
the sharks swarming round us. At all events, if the craft was to sink,
as I made no doubt she would, we should have a struggle for life,
instead of going down with her and being eaten up by the sharks. It
cost me a good deal to say it, but at last I told the young gentlemen
that I was sure the vessel wouldn't float much longer, and what I
proposed doing.

"`Don't let us lose any time about doing it, then,' says Mr Rogers,
jumping up as brisk as possible; `we'll get the two casks from below,
and lash the stoutest pieces of board we can tear from the bulkheads on
the top of them. This will make a small raft, and I will go out on it
and cut away the gaff and get out the topmast.'

"While he was speaking I saw him turn his eye to the eastward.

"`See! see there comes the breeze; and look--yes, I am sure of it--a
sail! a sail!'

"He was right. Just rising above the dark blue line which marked the
coming breeze were the royals of a vessel, standing directly towards us;
her topgallant-sails quickly appeared, and in a short time we could see
half-way down her topsails. We were so eagerly watching her that we
forgot all about the raft we had intended putting together. The young
gentlemen made no doubt that the stranger would pass close to us, but I
had my fears that, low down as we were, we might not be seen. This made
me sorry that we had not built the small raft, that one of us might
paddle off to the stranger should she seem as if about to pass at any
moderate distance from us. As there was still time I made my way below
to bring up the casks. As I was feeling for them in the hold my legs
struck against a pretty long spar. I hauled it out and handed it up to
the midshipmen. `This will serve as a signal-staff,' I said; `it will
give us a good chance of being seen by the stranger, and I'll try to