e side of the vessel.
Their boat was sunk beneath them; still they fought on, clutching hold
of ropes and the chain-plates--never for a moment losing heart. "That
is the way to fight the battle of life against all enemies, spiritual
and carnal," said a voice. It was Cousin Silas who spoke. Then the
pirates made another desperate attack on him and Ben, and they were
forced back into the deep ocean.

I awoke with a loud cry. "What's the matter? where are we?" asked
Jerry, stretching out his arms. "O Harry, what dreadful dreams I have
had! What is going to happen? Now I know. Oh dear! Oh dear! My poor
father, how miserable he will be when he fancies I am lost!" When we
told each other our dreams, we found that they had been very much of the
same nature.

Our talking awoke the doctor. He was, I daresay, not less unhappy than
we were, but he told us not to give way to unmanly fears, and scolded us
for talking about our dreams. "It is a foolish and bad practice silly
people are apt to indulge in. It makes them nervous, promotes
superstition, and, worse than all, frequently causes them to doubt God's
superintending care and watchfulness. Your dreams have just been made
up of what has occurred, and of what your imagination has conjured up.
Just set to work and think and talk of how we may escape from our
present position, and perhaps you may think and talk to good effect."
As soon as we got up, we took our place as we had done the previous day,
as much out of the way of the rest of the people as possible.

We took the doctor's advice, and did little else for some time than talk
of how we might escape. The most feasible plan which occurred to us was
to watch for an opportunity of deserting the ship whenever she might
touch at any place for water. We agreed that it would be well to try
and lull the suspicions of our captors, by pretending to be perfectly
contented with our lot, and by making ourselves as much at home as
possible.

"We'll not seem to care about going on shore ourselves," observed Jerry;
"but after a time we'll talk about old Surley not being accustomed to
remain on board so long, and we'll ask leave to take him a run on the
beach; then he'll run on, and we will run after him, till we get out of
sight of the vessel, and then won't we put our best legs foremost--
that's all. Surley will like the fun, and we will whistle him on; and
if any of the pirates meet us, we can say we are running after