oulder, for it is quite stiff." Gascoigne pulled off his
coat, and found his shirt bloody and sticking to the wound, which, as we
before observed, was slight. He again took the helm, while Jack washed
it clean and then bathed it with aquadente.

"Now take the helm again," said Gascoigne; "I'm on the sick list."

"And as surgeon--I'm an idler," replied Jack; "but what shall we do?"
continued he; "abandon the speronare at night and sink her, or run in
for a town?"

"We shall fall in with plenty of boats and vessels if we coast it up to
Palermo, and they may overhaul us."

"We shall fall in with plenty of people if we go on shore, and they will
overhaul us."

"Do you know, Jack, that I wish we were back and alongside of the
_Harpy; _I've had cruising enough."

"My cruises are so unfortunate," replied Jack; "they are too full of
adventure; but then, I have never yet had a cruise on shore. Now, if we
could only get to Palermo, we should be out of all our difficulties."

"The breeze freshens, Jack," replied Gascoigne; "and it begins to look
very dirty to windward. I think we shall have a gale."

"Pleasant--I know what it is to be short-handed in a gale; however,
there's one comfort, we shall not be blown _off shore _this time."

"No, but we may be wrecked on a lee shore. She cannot carry her whole
sail, Easy; we must lower it down, and take in a reef; the sooner the
better, for it will be dark in an hour. Go forward and lower it down,
and then I'll help you."

Jack did so, but the sail went into the water, and he could not drag it
in.

"Avast heaving," said Gascoigne, "till I throw her up and take the wind
out of it."

This was done; they reefed the sail, but could not hoist it up: if
Gascoigne left the helm to help Jack, the sail filled; if he went to the
helm and took the wind out of the sail, Jack was not strong enough to
hoist it. The wind increased rapidly, and the sea got up; the sun went
down, and with the sail half hoisted, they could not keep to the wind,
but were obliged to run right for the land. The speronare flew, rising
on the crest of the waves with half her keel clear of the water: the
moon was already up, and gave them light enough to perceive that they
were not five miles from the coast, which was lined with foam.

"At all events, they can't accuse us of running away with the boat,"
observed Jack; "for she's running away with us."

"Yes," replied Gascoigne, dragging at the tiller wit