meal.

"I shall do better another time," he observed, putting the remainder of
the fish down by his side, and drinking up the water.

David sat for some time very silent, bailing out the water. At last he
looked into the basket and took out a fish, which he began to scrape
with his knife. He held it in one hand while he bailed with the other,
then he scraped a little more, and finally cleaned the fish completely.
He looked at it, his lips curled, as is often the case when a person is
about to take nauseous physic. A pang came into his inside. He could
stand the hunger no longer, and, putting the fish between his teeth, he
began to gnaw away at a great rate. He far outdid Harry. When the
water rose to the side of the boat, he dipped the fish into it. It
added to the flavour, and made it more digestible. The boys were
thankful that there was not much risk of their starving as long as the
fish kept good and the water lasted. It was not food that would keep
them in health for any length of time; yet it stopped the pangs of
hunger, and that was a great thing. All this time they were looking out
for some abatement in the gale, but not a break appeared in the mass of
dark lead-coloured clouds which formed a canopy above their heads,
reaching down to the horizon on every side.

"Whereabouts do you think we are?" asked David, after a long silence.

Harry thought for some time.

"Somewhere in the chops of the British Channel, to the westward of
Scilly, I fear," he answered. "Possibly, if the wind shifts to the
southward, we may get driven up the Irish Channel, and then it will be a
tremendous time before we get home; I may be wrong, but I fear not."

"That's what I think too," said David. "I wish that the old man was
sensible. We might consult him what to do."

Old Jefferies, however, continued in the same unconscious state as
before. They had some hope of getting assistance from any vessels which
might pass them, but though they saw a number at a distance gliding
quickly by, not one came near them. On they drove, further and further
they feared from land. Again darkness came on. They were very drowsy,
but they feared, should they yield to sleep, that the boat would be
swamped. Harry had, he said, more practice in keeping awake, so he
insisted that David should lie down on one of the thwarts and take an
hour's rest, while he could steer and bail out at the same time.

"I can manage it," answered David,