hink of nothing but the leaking ship.

And "Thud! thud! thud!" It was like the heart of the _May Queen_,
beating, beating! How long would it take to burst?

After breakfast we were allowed to go on deck. Oh! how the brilliant
sunshine seemed to mock us there! And such a sea! Blue, beautiful,
peaceful, smiling! A vast mill-pond. And water, water everywhere!

Sea and sky! Nothing but sea and sky! And not a little, littlest speck
of Mother Earth!

"Mr. Wheeler, are we nearer land?"

"A little nearer, Miss Sylvia."

"How much nearer?"

"She's run two hundred and fifty miles," he said.

"Two hundred and fifty miles! And yesterday we were nearly a thousand
miles from land!"

"Yes, Miss Sara."

I could have screamed. It was sheer despair that kept me silent--perhaps
a little shame. Sylvia stood beside him with her hands clenched tight.

"Isn't there any likelihood of some ship passing by?"

"Every likelihood," he said.

At that moment the relieved gang came up. They were changed. Not the
brave hopeful men we had seen yesterday. They were disheartened. Indeed,
we read despair in many faces.

One big burly fellow lighted a pipe. He gave a puff or two. "No use
pumping this darned ship," he said. "She's doomed."

And as if to corroborate this awful fact a voice sang out:

"Seven feet o' water in the hold!"

This announcement seemed to demoralise the sailors. One burst out
crying. Another cursed and swore. Others ran in a flurried way about the
ship. For ten minutes or so all was confusion. And then a stentorian
voice rose above the din.

"All hands to the boats!" It was the captain's. And immediately every
man came scrambling from the pumps, and I felt my hand taken in an iron
grasp.

"We're going to abandon the ship. We're going to take to the boats. Come
down to your cabin and gather all you value. Be quick about it," said
the doctor, "there isn't much time to spare. They're going to provision
the boats before they lower them, so you can pack up all you want."

He spoke roughly. He pushed me along in front of him. I was so
dumfounded that I could not resent it. Down in the cabin he looked at
me. His stern eye dared me to faint.

I heard Sylvia say, "Can we take that little box?"

And I heard him answer, "Yes."

He was gone. I saw Sylvia, through a mist, pushing things into the box.
And the doctor was back again.

A fiery something was in my mouth, and trickling down my throat. I
tasted brandy.