fortable. However, I think you are right."

The two midshipmen collected three or four hands, and in a very short
time they had more blankets than they could carry--there was no trouble
in wetting them, for the main deck was afloat--and followed by the men
they had collected, Easy and Gascoigne went down with large bundles in
their arms to where Captain Wilson was giving directions to the men.

"Excellent, Mr Easy! excellent, Mr Gascoigne;" said Captain Wilson.
"Come, my lads, throw them over now, and stamp upon them well;" the
men's jackets and the captain's coat had already been sacrificed to the
same object.

Easy called the other midshipmen, and they went up for a further supply;
but there was no occasion, the fire had been smothered: still the danger
had been so great that the fore magazine had been floated. During all
this, which lasted perhaps a quarter of an hour, the frigate had rolled
gunwale under, and many were the accidents which occurred. At last all
danger from fire had ceased, and the men were ordered to return to their
quarters, when three officers and forty-seven men were found absent--
seven of them were dead--most of them were already under the care of the
surgeon, but some were still lying in the scuppers.

No one had been more active or more brave during this time of danger
than Mr Hawkins the chaplain. He was everywhere, and when Captain
Wilson went down to put out the fire he was there, encouraging the men
and exerting himself most gallantly. He and Mesty came aft when all was
over, one just as black as the other. The chaplain sat down and wrung
his hands--"God forgive me!" said he, "God forgive me!"

"Why so, sir?" said Easy, who stood near, "I am sure you need not be
ashamed of what you have done."

"No, no, not ashamed of what I've done; but, Mr Easy--I have sworn so,
sworn such oaths at the men in my haste--I, the chaplain! God forgive
me!--I meant nothing." It was very true that Mr Hawkins had sworn a
great deal during his exertions, but he was at that time the
quarter-deck officer and not the chaplain; the example to the men and
his gallantry had been most serviceable.

"Indeed, sir," said Easy, who saw that the chaplain was in great
tribulation, and hoped to pacify him, "I was certainly not there all the
time, but I only heard you say, `God bless you, my men! be smart,' and
so on; surely, that is not swearing."

"Was it _that_ I said, Mr Easy, are you sure? I really had an