both of them plainly heard
the sucking, "squilching" noise made by the copper pump, from which the
cook was trying to draw water from the tanks below.

"What of it?" demanded Raymond, who did not see anything remarkable in
the circumstance.

"Never mind; you will find out soon enough," answered the chief
runaway, as he left his companion thoroughly mystified, and not a
little alarmed; for it was evident that some terrible mischief had been
perpetrated.

The pump sucked and groaned under the efforts of the cook, who had been
directed to make a pot of coffee for the use of the watch, and was now
trying to obtain water for that purpose. None would come, and it was
plain to him that the pump was out of order. Taking a bucket and a
lantern, he passed into the steerage, and opened the scuttle. The
runaways observed him with intense interest; for the time had come when
they were to "make themselves felt." The cook went down into the hold,
and was absent about a quarter of an hour. He returned with an empty
bucket in his hand, and hastened on deck with the alarming intelligence
that the water tanks were all empty, which he communicated to the head
steward.

As the tanks had been filled just before the ship left the dock at
Havre, the head steward was not willing to believe the startling
report. He went into the hold himself with the cook. By this time the
runaways thought it prudent to keep out of sight, and all of them
retired to their rooms, and most of them to their berths. The head
steward tried the tanks, and was satisfied with the truth of the
report. When the ship rolled, the faucets on the lee side poured out a
few drops of water. Sounded with a mallet, the tanks gave forth only a
hollow, empty sound. The steward was astonished and mortified at the
discovery, for he was responsible for keeping the ship supplied with
water, as well as with all other necessaries in the culinary
department. He inquired very particularly in regard to the state of the
faucets when the cook had first come below to draw water, and was
assured that they were firmly closed. He lifted up some of the ballast,
and saw that it was wet. He went to the well, where all the leakage of
the ship is collected to be thrown up by the pumps.

The ship was regularly pumped out twice a day, and this duty had been
performed just before the crew were piped to supper. There should have
been but little water in the well; but there was enough to satisfy the