ult of this wise treatment was that in a
few days two of them--the second mate and another man--were able to
crawl about the deck, and that they all in time recovered.

They were part of the crow of a whaler, the _Helen_, which with nearly a
full cargo of oil had caught fire, some six hundred miles to the
westward of where we found them. They had remained by the ship to the
last, and then taken to the boats. But scarcely had they lost sight of
her, when a fearful gale sprang up, and the second mate's boat lost
sight of the rest. They had, as soon as the gale was over, steered for
a certain island, which they missed, then for another, which they missed
also. Then they had tried to reach the coast of Peru, but they had had
calms and foul winds, and their water and food came to an end. Four had
died before we found them, and the rest would not have lived many hours
longer. Such is one of the many dangers to which sailors are exposed.
I little thought at that time that I should one day be in the same sad
plight. This makes sailors ready to help each other, for they know that
some day they may themselves be in a like state.

The evening after this we sighted two sail, that is, we saw two vessels
just as the sun was going down. The weather at the time looked
threatening, but the wind was more fair than it had been for some time,
and the captain did not like to shorten sail, as he was in a hurry to
get to Callao. Toby Potts and I were in the first watch. The captain
was on deck. On a sudden he sang out sharply, "All hands, shorten sail!
Two reefs in the topsails. Furl top-gallant sails."

This last work was to be done by Toby and me. Up the rigging we ran.
"Let's see which will have done it first!" cried Toby.

I had given the last turn round my sail, and looked up to try if I could
see through the gloom what Toby was doing, and thought I saw something
fall from aloft. Toby was not on the yard. Just then I heard the cry
from the deck of "A man overboard!" The ship had given a sudden lurch
or roll to leeward. I slid down a backstay to the deck. Without a
moment's thought I seized a hencoop loose on deck, and threw it
overboard. The gale which the captain had seen was coming, at that
instant struck the ship. Over she heeled, till it seemed that she would
never rise again. Like a mad horse she rushed through the water. Sails
were flapping, ropes flying and lashing, and blocks swinging round here
and there