ds
desperately and unavailingly for our lives.

Through all that dismal night there was but little for us to do, and so
I passed a portion of my time in the cabin fortifying my heart with the
perusal of the book Mr. Davies gave me. I did not on that night neglect
the thoughts of religion. Indeed, if I had been of a mind to, which
Heaven be praised I was not, I could not have very well done so. For
among our people there was a reverend man, one Mr. Ephraim Ebrow, whom
extreme poverty had tempted to accompany Captain Amber's party, and
this excellent man was at all times ready to deliver an exhortation, or
to favour us with readings from the Holy Book. He was truly one of the
Church Militant, and came of an old fanatique stock, and in moments of
danger he was as gallant and as calm as any seasoned adventurer. He had
a very fine voice, and it was no slight pleasure to hear him put up a
prayer, or deliver a sermon, or read out chapters of the Scriptures in
the authorised version. He himself, because he was no mean scholar, was
wont to search the Scriptures from a Hebrew copy which he always carried
with him. On this night he read to us many portions of the Scriptures,
and got us to pray with him, and did many things of the kind that went
to stay our alarm and strengthen our trust in the merciful wisdom of
Providence. But that I found balm in the Holy Word was no reason why I
should not find courage also from the plain words of a plain swordsman.
So I read in my book by the light of a ship's lantern, and tried to give
my thoughts to the exercise of weapons.

While I was reading thus in the cabin the door swung ajar, for ever
since the accident the furniture of the ship was all put out of gear.
Presently I heard the tramping of feet along the passage, and then the
door was pushed open and Cornelys Jensen stood in the doorway and stared
at me. I lifted my eyes and stared back at him.

'This is a wise way of passing the time,' he said with a sneer.
'Book-learning, forsooth, when the ship may go to pieces every instant.'

The tone of his voice galled me, and I answered him angrily, perchance
rashly.

'I am no bookman,' I said. 'But there is nothing to do at this hour, and
I feel no need for sleep.' For we had divided the night in watches, but
I was wakeful as a hare that is being chased, and could not close my
eyes to any purpose.

'Nay,' said I, 'there are worse things than reading a good book. Where
is your black flag,