laugh, at the very instant
when something giving way aloft let the ship right herself again. "Hold
on a minute," I said. "Take this water. Now drink a little. I'll be back
in a moment." The ship was rolling drunkenly in the trough of the sea;
but I made a nimble rush to the cabin, where the captain's cruet of
brandy bottles still swung from a hook in the beams. I ran back to her
with a bottle of brandy. There were a few unbroken mugs in the pantry,
so I gave her a drink of brandy, which brought the colour back to her
cheeks. While she sat there, in the mess of gear which slid about as the
ship rolled, I got a good big jug of water from the scuttle-butt in the
'tweendecks. I nipped on deck with it to ask the mate for some balsam,
an excellent cure for cuts which most sailors carry to sea with them.
There was mess enough on deck in all conscience. I found the foretopmast
gone over the side, in a tangle of torn rope at which all hands were
furiously hacking. The mate was on the fo'c'sle hacking at some gear
with a tomahawk. I did not see the captain.

"Mr. mate," I cried. "I want some balsam, quick."

"Get out of this," he shouted. "Get out of this. I can't attend to your
hurts. Don't come bothering here."

"It's for the lady," I said, "the lady down below."

"In my chest. Look in my chest till," he said. "Now stand dear. I've
trouble enough without ladies in the case. Are you all clear, you, aft
there?"

"All gone here, sir," the men shouted back. "Shall we sling a bowline
over the foot?"

"No," he shouted. "Look out. She's going."

For just a second I saw the mass of spar all tangled up with sail rise
up on a wave as it drifted past. I found myself wondering why we had all
been in the shadow of death only a couple of minutes before. There was
no thought of danger now. I ran below for the balsam, which I found
without difficulty.

CHAPTER XIV. A DRINK OF SHERBET

I took what handkerchiefs I could find into the pantry with me. "There's
no danger," I said. "The ship's all right. How are you now? Let me give
you some more brandy." I gave her a little more brandy; then I helped
her on to the top of the locker. Pouring out some water into the basin I
bathed the cut on her head. It was a clean long cut which would probably
have gone through the bone had not her hair been so thick. I dressed it
as well as I could with balsam, then bound it tightly up with a white
handkerchief. The hand was a good deal more, diffi