d shoulders, it would have been impossible to tell whether he
was black or white. In the midst of this Juno-like _nimbus_ however,
the negro continued to talk and act, helping the sailor and little
William, until not only were the water-casks restored to their proper
places, but the sail was hauled up to the mast, and the _Catamaran_ once
more scudding before the breeze, as if not the slightest accident had
occurred either to craft or crew.

Care was taken, however, this time to make fast the halliard rope with a
proper "belay"; and although Snowball might have deserved a caution to
be more vigilant for the future, it was not deemed necessary to
administer it, as it was thought the peril out of which they had so
miraculously escaped would prove to him a sufficient reminder.

There was but one misfortune arising out of the adventure that might
have caused the crew of the _Catamaran_ any serious regret. This was
the loss of a large portion of their stock of provisions,--consisting of
the dried fish,--partly those that had been half cured by Snowball
previous to the union of the two rafts, and partly the flitches of
shark-meat, that had been taken from the lesser raft, and added to
Snowball's store.

These, with the object of having them thoroughly dried, had been exposed
to the sun, on the tops of the water-casks which little William had let
loose. In the hurry and excitement of the moment, it was not likely the
lad should give a thought to the flitches of fish. Nor did he; and
while freeing the water-casks from their fastenings, and pushing them
off from the raft, the pieces were all permitted to slide off into the
water, and either swim or go to the bottom, as their specific gravity
might dictate. The consequence was, that, when everything else was
recovered, these were lost,--having actually gone to the bottom, or
floated out of sight; or, what was more probable than either, having
been picked up by the numerous predatory birds hovering in the heavens
above, or the equally voracious fish quartering the depths of the ocean
underneath.

It was not without some chagrin that Snowball contemplated his reduced
stores,--a chagrin in which his companions could equally participate.
At the time, however, they felt the misfortune less bitterly than they
might otherwise have done,--their spirits being buoyed up by the
miraculous escape they had just made, as well as by a hope that the
larder so spent might be replenished,