ght feet of water. Our boats had all been destroyed,--
indeed, had one remained, she would even now scarcely have lived.

"We may keep the brig afloat some hours longer, but that is uncertain,"
said Mr Harvey, after he had ceased pumping to recover strength. "We
must get a raft built without delay, as the only means of saving our
lives. At present we could scarcely hold on to it, but as the sea is
going down, we will wait to launch it overboard till the brig gives
signs of being about to founder."

We agreed with him. He told us to take off the main hatch, and get up
some spars which we knew were stowed below. While we were thus
occupied, my head was turned aft. The companion-hatch was drawn back,
and, greatly to our surprise, there appeared the head of Jacques Little.
He was rubbing his eyes, looking more asleep than awake.

"_Ma foi_!" he exclaimed, gazing forward with an expression of horror on
his countenance, "vat hav happened?"

"Come along here and lend a hand, you skulking fellow!" cried Dick.
"Where have you been all this time?"

"Sleep, I suppose, in de cabin," answered Jacques. "Vere are all de
rest?"

"Gone overboard," said Dick. "Come along, there's no time for
jabbering."

"Vat an Le Grande?" exclaimed Jacques. "_Oh! comme je suis fache_! Dat
is bad, very bad."

Jacques had evidently been taking a glass or two of cognac to console
himself, and even now was scarcely recovered from its effects. We made
him, however, help us, and once aroused, he was active enough. Between
whiles, as we worked at the raft, we took a spell at the pumps. At last
Mr Harvey told us that our time would be best spent on the raft. We
sent Jacques to collect all the rope he could find, as well as to bring
up some carpenter's tools and nails. Having lashed the spars together,
we fixed the top of the main hatch to it, and then brought up the doors
from the cabin, and such portions of the bulk-heads as could be most
easily knocked away. We thus in a short time put together a raft,
capable of carrying four persons, provided the sea was not very rough.
Most of the bulwarks on the starboard or lee side had been knocked away;
it was therefore an easy task to clear a space sufficient to launch the
raft overboard. We hauled it along to the side, ready to shove into the
water directly the brig should give signs of settling. Still she might
float for an hour or two longer.

Dick, while searching for the spars, had f