pt to gain a footing on it, and thus overload it."

"No, no; I do not think that Ben would willingly have deserted us," I
observed. "I am very certain that he would have done his best to help
us. He probably lost sight of our raft during the night, and could not
find it again; or one of the boats might have returned, and taken him
and his companion on board."

"Little chance of that," answered Boxall. "There is no excuse for their
cowardly desertion of us, and they are not likely to have come back for
the sake of rescuing any one."

This style of conversation, more of which I need not repeat, served to
pass away the time. While the calm continued, our condition did not
change for the better, as we could not move, and no sail could approach
to our assistance. The Spaniards around us were talking in even a more
gloomy strain,--uttering curses, not loud but deep, on the heads of
those who had basely deserted them; while the mutineers sat together at
the end of the raft muttering to each other, and, as we suspected,
hatching mischief.

The day wore on, and the sun struck down on our unprotected heads with
intense force; while the bright glare on the water affected our eyes,
and compelled us to shield them with our hands,--for the sail, though
hoisted, afforded us only a partial shade. The mutineers now began to
cry out that they wanted more food and water.

"It is not time yet to serve it out," answered the carpenter, who had
assumed the command. "If we use it up now, we shall have none for
to-morrow."

"Better eat and drink while we are hungry and thirsty, and let to-morrow
take care of itself," exclaimed one of the mutineers.

The carpenter took no notice of the remark, and the mutineers remained
quiet for some minutes, apparently not having made up their minds how to
act.

"Depend upon it, these fellows will attack us before long," observed
Boxall; "we must be prepared. Tell the carpenter what I say." The
latter agreed with Boxall, and spoke to the few around him whom he could
trust.

Boxall now suggested that we should place the three casks and some loose
planks so as to form a barricade in front of us, by which means we might
better resist an attack. We were engaged doing this, when the leader of
the mutineers cried out,--"What are you about? Let these things remain
as they are. We want food and water: if it's not given to us, we will
come and take it."

The carpenter, instead of boldly adherin