to enable him
to continue his work. How long he had closed his eyes he could not
tell, when he felt that the ship hove on her beam ends. He rushed up on
deck, and shouted to the crew. No voices replied. It was very dark,
but he made out that the jury-mast had been carried away, and the vessel
lay in the trough of the sea. He went to the helm. The rudder had been
injured, if not carried away; scarcely any of the bulwarks remained.
The _Surge_ lay a complete wreck amid the wild raging waters. Another
sea had apparently swept the deck and carried away every one within its
power. As he went below to ascertain if any of the crew survived, cries
and groans of the terrified passengers met his ears. He had little or
no hope to offer them. Going forward, he could not discover one of the
crew. He aroused the passengers, and urged them to turn to at the
pumps. They might keep the vessel afloat till the morning, and then
build a raft, or perchance a sail might heave in sight and rescue them.
Few, however, were able to labour efficiently. It seemed a wonder to
Stephen that his own strength had been kept up, when he saw stout
fellows, accustomed to wield the scythe and flail, reduced to mere
skeletons. The morning came, the _Surge_ still floated, but to build a
raft seemed beyond the power of those on board. They wanted both
strength and skill. Stephen urged them to try, however. Collecting all
the spars and planks to be found, he commenced to work, showing them as
far as he was able what to do. The wind had fallen, the sea was going
down, or they could not possibly have made even the attempt. The ship,
too, had risen more on an even keel than before. It seemed very
doubtful whether she would exist much longer above water. The hours
went slowly by. The poor fellows laboured as hard as they could. First
one dropped, then another, some from fever, others from fatigue. The
_Surge_ had been kept afloat during the day. Another night was
approaching; nothing could be done during it; even seamen could have
scarcely worked in the dark. Stephen, as he went below to kneel in
prayer, as was his wont, did not expect to see the sun rise again over
the waste of waters.

CHAPTER TWELVE.

We must now return to our hero, Roger Willoughby, who had fortunately,
from having joined Captain Benbow, been prevented from being drawn in by
Stephen to serve the cause of Monmouth. The _Ruby_, after relieving
Stephen and his com