第 11 页

so tremendous as they tore through the water, that it was impossible

for the boys to hold on, and, in a moment, they were torn from their

hold.

"All right, Peter," Tom said cheerily, as they dashed the water from

their eyes, "there is the boat."

The remains of the boat were not ten yards distant, and in a few

strokes they had gained it. It was stove in and broken, but still held

together, floating on a level with the water's edge. With some trouble

the boys got inside her, and sat down on the bottom, so that their

heads were just out of water.

Then they had time to look round. The ship was already disappearing in

the gathering darkness.

"This boat will soon go to pieces, Tom," was Peter's first remark.

"I expect it will, Peter; but we must stick to its pieces. We had

better get off our boots. The water is pretty warm, that's one

comfort."

"Do you think the ship will come back for us, Tom?"

"I don't think she can, Peter; at any rate, it is certain she can't

find us, it would take a long time to bring her round, and then, you

see, she could not sail straight back against the wind."

"Look here, Tom, I remember when I climbed up to look into the boats

yesterday that there were some little casks lashed under the seats,

and a sailor told me they were always kept full of water in case the

boats were wanted suddenly. If they are still there we might empty

them out, and they could keep us afloat any time."

"Hurrah! Peter, capital, let's see."

To their great delight the boys found four small water-kegs fastened

under the seats. Three of these they emptied, and fastening one of

them to that which they had left full, and then each taking hold of

one of the slings which were fastened to the kegs for convenience of

carriage, they waited quietly. In less than ten minutes from the time

when they first gained their frail refuge, a great wave broke just

upon them, and completely smashed up the remains of the boat. They had

cut off some rope from the mast, which they found with its sail furled

ready for use in the boat, and now roughly lashed themselves together,

face to face, so that they had a keg on each side. They had also

fastened a long piece of rope to the other kegs, so that they would

float near them.

It was a long and terrible night for them, generally their heads and

chests were well above the water, but at times a wave would break with

its white crest, and, for a time, the foam would be over their heads.

Fortunately the water was warm, and the wind fell a good deal. The

boys talked occasionally to each other, and kept up each other's

courage. Once or twice, in spite of the heavy sea, they were so much

overcome with exhaustion that they dozed uneasily for a while, with

their heads upon each other's shoulders, and great was their feeling

of relief and pleasure when morning began to break.

"It is going to be a splendid day, Peter, and the wind is dropping

fast."

"Look, Tom," Peter said, "there are some of the planks of the boat

jammed in with the kegs."

It was as Peter said; the two kegs, one empty and the other full, were

floating about ten yards off, at the length of the rope by which they

were attached to the boys, while with them was a confused mass of

wreckage of the boat.

"That is capital, Peter, we will see if we can't make a raft

presently."

As the sun rose and warmed the air, the boys strength and spirits

revived, and in a few hours they were so refreshed that they

determined to set about their raft. The wind had now entirely dropped,

the waves were still very high, but they came in long, smooth, regular

swells, over which they rose and fell almost imperceptibly.

"They must be rolling a good deal more in the 'Nancy' than we are

here, Peter. Now, the first thing is to have a drink. What a blessing

it is we have water." With their knives they soon got the bung out of

the water-keg, and each took a long drink, and then carefully closed

it up again.

"There, Peter, we have drunk as much as we wanted this time; but we

must be careful, there is no saying how long we may be before we are

picked up. Hurrah, Peter, here are the masts and sails, so we shall

have plenty of cord."

It took the boys nearly three hours to complete their task to their

satisfaction. When it was concluded they had the three empty kegs

lashed in a triangle about five feet apart, while two planks crossing

the triangle, assisted to keep all firm and tight; floating in the

center of the triangle was the keg of water. "There, I don't think

we can improve that, Peter," Tom said at last, "now, let us get on

and try it." They did so, and, to their great delight, found that

it floated a few inches above water. "We may as well get the masts

on board, Peter, and let the sails tow alongside. They may come in

useful; and now the first thing is to dry ourselves and our clothes."

The clothes were soon spread out to dry, and the boys luxuriated in

the warmth of the sun.

"What great, smooth waves these are, Tom, sometimes we are down in a

valley which runs miles long, and then we are up on a hill."

"Here we lay, all the day, in the bay of Biscay, oh!" Tom laughed.

"I only hope that the wished-for morrow may bring the sail in sight,

Peter. However, we can hold on for a few days, I suppose. That is a

four-gallon keg, so that we have got a quart of water each for eight

days, and hunger isn't so bad to bear as thirst. We have pretty well

done for our uniforms, our bugles are the only things that have not

suffered."

For the boys' companies being on deck at the time of the accident,

they both had their bugles on when they jumped overboard.

"Our last upset was when that bargee canted us over at Eton, rather a

different business that, Peter."

"My shirt is not dry yet, Tom; but I shall put it on again, for the

sun is too hot to be pleasant."

Tom followed Peter's example.

"Do you think, Tom, that we had better try to get up a sort of sail

and make for land, or remain where we are?"

"Remain where we are, Peter, I should say. I suppose we must be a

hundred miles from the French coast, and even if the wind blew fair

we should be a long time getting there, and with the certainty of a

prison when we arrived. Still, if there were a strong west wind, I

suppose it would be our best way; as it is we have nothing to do but

to wait quietly, and hope for a ship. We are in the right line, and

there must be lots of vessels on their way, besides those which sailed

with us, for Portsmouth. So we must keep watch and watch. Now, Peter,

you lie down on that plank, it is just about long enough, you shall

have two hours' sleep, and then I'll have two, after that we will have

four hours each."

"How are we to count time?" Peter said laughing.

"I never thought of that," Tom said, looking at his watch. "Of course

it has stopped. We must guess as near as we can; at any rate, you go

to sleep first, and, when I am too sleepy to keep watch any longer, I

will wake you up."

So passed that day and the next night. A light breeze sprung up from

the southwest, and the sun again shone out brightly.

"I feel as if I wanted breakfast horribly," Peter said, with an

attempt at a smile. "Do you think that there is any possibility of

catching anything?"

"We have nothing to make hooks with, Peter, and nothing to bait them

with if we had."

"There are lots of tiny fish swimming all about, Tom, if we could but

catch them."

Tom was silent for awhile; then he said, "Look here, Peter. Let us cut

a piece off the sail about five feet long, and say three feet wide,

double it longways, and sew up the ends so as to make a bag; we can

unravel some string, and make holes with our knives. Then we can sink

it down two or three feet, and watch it; and when we see that some

little fish have got in it, we can draw it up very gently, and, by

raising it gradually from the sea, the water will run out, and we

shall catch the fish."

Peter agreed that at any rate it was worth trying; for, even if it did

not succeed, it was better for them to be doing something than sitting

idle. The sail and the floating wreckage were pulled alongside, and

the boys set to work. In three hours a large and shallow bag was made,

with some improvements upon Tom's original plan. The mouth was kept

open by two crossed pieces of wood, and four cords from the corners

were attached to the end of the oar which formed their fishing-rod. At

last it was finished, and the bag lowered.

To the horror of the boys, it was discovered that it would not sink.

They were ready to cry with vexation, for the want of food had made

them feel faint and weak.

"What have we got that is heavy?" Tom asked in despair.

"I have got fourpence in halfpence, Tom, and there are our knives and

watches."

Their pockets were ransacked, and the halfpence, knives, and watches

were placed in the bottom of the bag and lowered. Still the wood-work

kept afloat.

"There are the bugles, Tom," Peter cried in delight. These had been

fastened to the raft, and were now hastily untied and placed in the

canvas bag.

It sank now, and the boys lowered it five or six feet, so that they

could partly see into it. "There are lots of little fish swimming

about, Tom," Peter said in a whisper. "Some are almost as long as

one's hand. Do you think that they will go in, Tom?"

"I hope the glitter of the bugles and watches will attract them,

Peter."

"There, Tom, there--I saw a whole swarm of little ones go in."

"Wait a minute or two, Peter, to let them get well down, and then draw

up as quietly as possible."

Very cautiously the boys raised the point of their rod until the

top of the square-mouthed bag was level with the surface; then they

brought it close to them and looked in, and as they did so gave a

simultaneous cheer. There, in the bottom of the canvas, two feet below

them, were a number of little fish moving about. Raising the rod

still higher, they gradually lifted the net out of the sea, the water

running quickly off as they did so, and then they proceeded to examine

their prize.

"We will take out one and one, Peter; give them a nip as you take them

up, that will kill them." There were two fish of about three inches

long, another three or four of two inches, and some thirty or forty

the size of minnows. It was scarcely more than a mouthful each, but

it was a stay for a moment to their stomachs, and no one ever said a

thanksgiving with deeper feeling and heartiness than did the boys when

they had emptied their canvas net.

"We need not be anxious about food now, Peter; if we can catch these

in five minutes, we can get enough each day to satisfy us. They quench

the thirst too. We must limit ourselves to half a pint of water a day,

and we can hold on for a fortnight. We are safe to be picked up before

that."

All the afternoon and evening the boys continued to let down and draw

up their net, sometimes bringing in only a few tiny fish, sometimes

getting half a dozen of the larger kind. By nightfall they had

satisfied the cravings of hunger, and felt stronger and better. One or

two sails had been seen during the day, but always at such distances

that it was evident at once that they could not pass within hail. That

night, fatigued with their exertions, both laid down and went to sleep

until morning, and slept more comfortably than before; for they had

fastened a piece of the sail tightly on the top of the raft, and lay

softly suspended in that, instead of being balanced upon a narrow and

uncomfortable plank. They felt new creatures when they woke, pulled

up their net, had a mouthful of raw fish, took off their clothes, and

had a swim, and then set to earnestly to fish. The sun was brighter,

and the fish in consequence kept deeper than upon the preceding day;

still by evening they had caught enough to take the edge off, if not

to satisfy, their hunger. The fishing, however, during the last hours

of daylight was altogether neglected, for behind them they could see

a sail, which appeared as if it might possibly come close enough to

observe them. There was still the long, steady swell coming in from

the Atlantic, and a light breeze was blowing from the north. The boys

had been so intent upon their fishing, that they had not noticed her

until she was within nine or ten miles of them. "She will not be up

for an hour and a half, Peter," Tom said, "and the sun will be down

long before that. I fear that the chance of their seeing us is very

small indeed. However, we will try. Let us get the net out of the

water, and hold it and the oar up. It is possible that some one may

see the canvas with a telescope before the sun goes down. Take the

things out of the net."

The oar with the canvas bag was elevated, and the boys anxiously

watched the course of the vessel. She was a large ship, but they could

only see her when they rose upon the top of the long smooth waves. "I

should think that she will pass within a mile of us, Peter," Tom said,

after half an hour's watching, "but I fear that she will not be much

closer. How unfortunate she had not come along an hour earlier. She

would have been sure to see us if it had been daylight. I don't think

that there is much chance now, for there is no moon. However, thank

God, we can hold on very well now, and next time we may have better

luck."

The sun had set more than half an hour before the ship came abreast of

them. They had evidently not been seen.

"Now, Peter," Tom said, "let us both hallo together; the wind is very

light, and it is just possible they may hear us."