You will work an hour; then Mr. Stubbs and
Mr. Vane will relieve you. I will look out for the vessel's course."
"I am afraid I couldn't pump," said Montgomery Clinton. "I feel so
awfully weak, you know, I think I'm going to die!"
Harry looked out to sea and saw the little boat containing the remnant
of their company growing smaller and smaller. A sudden feeling of
loneliness overcame him, and he asked himself, seriously: "Is death,
then, so near?"
The sea was still rough, but the violence of the storm was past. In a
few hours the surface of the sea was much less agitated. The spirits
of the passengers rose, especially after learning from the mate that
he had been able to stop the leak, through the experience which he
acquired in his younger days as assistant to a ship carpenter.
"Then the old ship is likely to float a while longer?" said
Mr. Stubbs, cheerfully.
"Not a short time, either, if the weather continues favorable."
"Captain Hill was in too much of a hurry to leave the vessel,"
remarked Harry.
"Yes," answered Holdfast. "Such was my opinion when I thought the
Nantucket in much worse condition than at present. If the captain and
sailors had remained on board, we could have continued our voyage to
Melbourne without difficulty.
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