she'll do no good keeping at it, and a sudden squall may carry
away our masts."

Accordingly the schooner was at once brought to under her close-reefed
foresail; and then she lay riding with tolerable ease over the seas,
which foamed and hissed as they rushed past her.

Everything having been made secure, True Blue went below to report what
had been done. He found Paul sleeping more soundly than usual. Perhaps
some of the medicine the surgeon had given him, on account of his wound,
had affected him, True Blue thought. He had to speak two or three times
before he could make him comprehend what he had to say.

"All right," he answered at length; "if the weather gets worse, call me
again."

Scarcely had he uttered the words when he was thrown out of his
bed-place, and True Blue was sent with great violence against the
bulkhead of the cabin.

"On deck! on deck!" they both shouted; but as they made for the
companion-ladder, they were driven back by a tremendous rush of water:
the lights were extinguished, and they were left in total darkness.
Paul had scarcely recovered his senses, and neither he nor True Blue
could find their way to the companion-ladder.

The water continued rushing furiously into the cabin, and one thing only
was certain, that the schooner had upset. How the accident had
happened, it was difficult to say; in all probability, too, she was
sinking. The cabin was now more than three-quarters full of water, and
the only places where they could escape being instantly drowned were in
the berths on the starboard side. In vain they shouted to their friends
on deck to come and help them out of the cabin. No one answered to
their cries.

"They are all gone, I fear," said Paul. "It's the fate of many brave
seamen; it will be more than likely our fate before many minutes are
over. Still, godson, as I have always told you, it's our duty to
struggle for life to the last, like men; so climb up into these
starboard berths. We shall be free of the water there for a little time
longer."

True Blue followed Paul's advice; and there they clung, while the water
rose higher and higher. It got up to their waists, then up to their
armpits, and by degrees it almost covered their shoulders, though their
heads were pressed against the starboard side of the vessel, which lay
on her larboard beam-ends. Both were silent; they could not but expect
that their last moments were come, and that the vessel must shortly