d I'm not so extravagant as
to serve out two courses for dinner. Chaffing aside," he added more
seriously, "we'll have to be rigidly economical, Jonathan, for we can't
tell how long it may be before we fall in with a ship or reach land, and
we've already experienced something of what the pangs of starvation are
like, though, thank God, we were not put so severely to the test as some
have been! I wish, old fellow, we were as well off for water as we are
for grub. I don't think there is a pint more in the breaker, now that
we've had that last drink, and I'm sure we've not been very prodigal of
it, and I've measured it out carefully every day."

"Perhaps it will rain," said Jonathan cheerfully--the sight of the molly
hawk, which David had dexterously plucked and cut in two, the same as he
had done the cape pigeon on the previous day, making him feel ravenously
hungry, and limiting all his considerations to the present, instead of
his being impressed with their future needs, as was the case with his
more reflective companion, "Perhaps it will rain, David. `Sufficient
for the day is the evil thereof.' Let us set to work; I'm starving!"

The appetites of the boys being hearty, they finished every scrap of the
bird, which, raw as it was, tasted like roast goose to them, although it
was not nearly so large as it had appeared with all its feathers on; and
then both lay down in the boat and had a hearty sleep, the first they
had had without interruption since they left their bunks for the last
time on board the _Sea Rover_.

Poor fellows! they had need of rest, for the calm lasted a week, during
which time their water ran out, and for more than two days they had not
a single drop, although they reduced their allowance to such an
infinitesimal quantity that their final draught did not amount to more
than a minim.

They now endured all the agonies of thirst, their diet of dried fish
making them feel it worse; and it was as much as David could do to
prevent Jonathan from drinking the sea water and losing his senses, as
he would have done--like many others who would not control their
inclinations, but insisted on having it, and afterwards went mad and
died.

Then, in the very height of their sufferings, a storm of rain came on
which half filled the boat with water, giving them plenty to drink, but
spoiling the remainder of their fish, so that they had to throw them
overboard.

After the rain the wind sprang up again, and