Part 14 (2/2)

Just then Jerry ca,” he answered, when Tom told him what he proposed

In the mean time, the boatswain, with the survivors of the crew, had lowered the boat, and were throwing various things into her Jerry o off

”Where are you going to?” he shouted ”Mr Rogers says he'll stick by the wreck, and you'll not be deserting him, I hope?”

”That I'll not Tim Nolan is not the man to desert his officer,”

answered Tim, as he made his way to the after part of the shi+p, where Jerry was Pat either did not hear Jerry, or detero off in the boat if he could The doctor and Peter, who had come on deck, seemed undecided It was evident from the dislike Peter had for the boatswain that he was unwilling to accompany him The boatswain, with six other men, who alone remained of the crew, disappeared over the side into the boat The doctor, seized by a sudden i--

”Take ot out, the boat shoved off, and was already tossing a the broken water on the lee of the shi+p, several fathoms off

”You are safer on the wreck than in that boat,” said Tom, as the doctor came back

”Dat you are, Massa Locock,” said Peter ”See dare where de boat go”

Through the gloowater The party on board watched her with anxious eyes, until she disappeared in the darkness

”Hark!” cried Peter ”Me tink I hear a shriek; dat coan”

As, however, she ht it iainst the wind still blowing as it did Tom and Desmond, with the rest of the party, discussed the probability as to where they were They must have passed over a sunken reef, on which the shi+p had first struck, and had then run right on to another part of the reef, soher, where she had become fixed This was probably on the inner or lee side

Though the sea broke over the fore part of the shi+p, the after part was tolerably dry, and hopes were entertained that she would hold together for soo down, perhaps for days, which would enable them to provide for their safety After the doctor had sufficiently recovered to take part in the discussion, he suggested that perhaps she ot off

”You wouldn't say that, sir, if you had been forhen she struck,”

answered Jerry ”She is entirely stove in, and must have twelve or fourteen feet of water in her by this tiet any provisions”

”Then the sooner we set about it the better,” said Toe to find our way in the dark”

”De laet hi the la to reach the fore hold, where the bulk of the provisions were stowed They were, however, very soon convinced that it would be utterly i until the tide had fallen, as the sea was rushi+ng in at the bows, and co the hold

”Then we ht, for at present it would be useless to atte up We will see, however, what is to be found in the afterpart of the shi+p”

Peter recollected that there were some eases of biscuits and other articles, which it was necessary to keep dry His report encouraged Tom to hope that they should not starve

”Now,we have to do is to collect all the spars and loose plank we can get hold of, to form a raft We are likely to find land either on one side or the other, perhaps not far off, though we are unable to see it now, and we e to reach it and carry provisions for our support, as we are not likely to findis that the people hereabouts are not cannibals, and are generally disposed to be friendly to white men, so that if the island we may reach is inhabited we are not likely to be ill-treated”

To up his own spirits, prevented his coan to hope that they ht escape All hands now set to work to collect materials for the raft as far as could be done in the dark, and to drag them up to the weather side of the quarter-deck, where there was not ed to secure a nuood supply of rope of various sizes

The cabin bulk-heads with other portions of the vessel which could easily be torn aould give theh to make a raft of sufficient size to carry the whole party as well as provisions By lashi+ng underneath ts of casks, it would be sufficiently buoyant

They were thus e up to the poop to look out, exclaiht!

she's only just hull down”