ess," exclaimed Larry.

"You've heard of Captain Bligh, Larry, I suppose?" said the captain, in
a loud voice, with the intention of letting the men hear his remarks.

"May be I have," replied Larry with caution, "but if so I misremimber."

"He was the captain of the _Bounty_, whose crew mutinied and turned him
adrift in an open boat in the middle of the Pacific. What I was goin'
to tell ye was, that his circumstances were a trifle worse than ours,
for he was full four thousand miles from the nearest land, and with
short allowance of provisions on board."

"An' did he make out the voyage, sur?" asked Larry.

"He did, and did it nobly too, in the face of great trouble and danger,
but it's too long a yarn to spin just now; some day when the weather's
fine I'll spin it to 'ee. He weathered some heavy gales, too, and what
one man has done another man may do; so we've no reason to get
down-hearted, for we're nearer land than he was, and better off in every
way. I wish I could say as much for the other boats."

The captain's voice dropped a little in spite of himself as he
concluded, for, despite the strength and buoyancy of his spirit, he
could not help feeling deep anxiety as to the fate of his companions in
misfortune.

Thus, talking at intervals in hopeful tones, and relapsing into long
periods of silence, they spent that stormy night without refreshment and
without rest. The minutes seemed to float on leaden wings, and the
weary watchers experienced in its highest degree that dreary feeling--so
common in the sick room--that "morning would _never_ come."

But morning came at length--a faint glimmer on the eastern horizon. It
was hailed by Larry with a deep sigh, and the earnest exclamation--

"Ah, then, there's the blessed sun at last, good luck to it!"

Gradually the glimmer increased into grey dawn, then a warm tint
brightened up the sky, and golden clouds appeared. At last the glorious
sun arose in all its splendour, sending rays of warmth to the exhausted
frames of the seamen and hope to their hearts. They much needed both,
for want of sleep, anxiety, and cold, had already stamped a haggard look
of suffering on their faces. As the morning advanced, however, this
passed away, and by degrees they began to cheer up and bestir
themselves,--spreading out their clothes to dry, and scanning the
horizon at intervals in search of the other boats.

About eight o'clock, as nearly as he could guess, the captain