e wind would have drowned any words, but his
gesture was sufficient. Most of the men had, like their officer, lost
their hats, but those who had not done so took them off. Several of them,
including Stephen and Joyce, threw themselves on their knees, the others
stood with bent heads, and all uttered a fervent thanksgiving for their
preservation from what had seemed almost certain death. The mate was the
first to move. He went to the side of the boat, and began to take double
handfuls of sand, and to throw them into her. The others looked at him in
surprise, but he made signs that the wind might lift the boat up, whirl
her round, and dash her to pieces; then all set to at the work, which they
continued until the boat was half-full of sand. Then the two barrels of
water were carried up, together with a bag of biscuits and a bottle of rum
from the locker, where a supply was always kept in case of an emergency
like the present. They went on beyond the brow of the sand-hill, and
ensconced themselves in a hollow at its foot, where they were completely
sheltered from the wind. The mate got out his jack-knife, and managed to
get the cork out of the bottle, and pouring water from one of the breakers
into a tin pannikin that formed part of the boat's equipment, gave a
ration of grog to each, and served out a biscuit all round.

As soon as these were eaten and the grog drank, they threw themselves on
the sand and were soon fast asleep, utterly worn out with the prolonged
strain they had gone through.

When they woke, day was just breaking. The mate was the first to leap to
his feet.

"Tumble up, lads," he said, "we must have had twelve hours' sleep. The
storm is over."

All were soon at the top of the sand-hill. A heavy sea was still breaking
on the sands, but there was scarce a breath of wind, and the sea, though
rough and agitated, was no longer covered with white heads, and looked
bright in the rosy light. The boat lay where they had left it, securely
anchored by the weight of the sand it contained. Their next glance was
inland. For a quarter of a mile away the sand covered everything, then a
few bushes rose from it; beyond were some stunted trees, and a hundred
yards further a thick forest bordered the sandy belt as far as they could
see on either hand. It was evidently a large island, for two or three
miles away the country rose hill beyond hill, culminating in a jagged
mountain dome twenty miles distant.

"Do you know w