slender stock of provisions, and stifled my
longings as best I could.

Presently the women folk emerged, one after the other, and, standing in
the cockpit, looked about them in something approaching amazement at the
change which the passage of a few hours had effected. When they entered
the boat about midnight, a black hurricane was raging; and now it was a
brilliantly beautiful morning. But Mrs Vansittart was greatly
concerned on account of the disappearance of the wreck. She realised as
clearly as I did all that it involved; and leaping down upon the sand
with my assistance, she walked with me to the highest point of the bank,
and intently surveyed the aspect of the sea. The question which we had
to decide was whether or not it was yet safe for us to put to sea. Had
we been provided with a mast and sails, I would not have hesitated a
moment; indeed the breeze, if a trifle fresh, would have swept us along
at a merry pace and soon brought land of some sort into our ken. But in
our present condition the risk of being overrun and swamped was as yet
too great. It was, however, of vital importance that we should make a
start at the earliest possible moment, for our stock of food and water
was exceedingly meagre, though it would have to suffice until we were
either picked up or could reach a more kindly shore than the sandbank.

But in any case we could not make a start for at least half an hour, for
my experience of the previous night, during our brief passage from the
wreck to the sandbank, had shown me that, in the absence of a rudder--
which I had not yet made--provision for a steering oar was an absolute
necessity. Hence my anxiety, a little earlier, to secure one of the
floating planks.

We were by this time all eager for breakfast, therefore before doing
anything else we took careful account of our stock of food and water,
and estimated that, with care, it might be made to last us all a week.
This was better than I had dared to hope; for it would be strange indeed
if in the course of a week we did not fall in with a craft of some sort,
or reach solid earth which would afford us at least the means of
sustaining life. We measured out an allowance of food sufficient to
serve for one meal in accordance with the scale agreed upon, and quickly
disposed of it. Upon opening the water breaker, however, I was vexed to
find that it was not full to the bung-hole, as I had confidently
expected to find it. On the cont