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. “And now?” said Mr. Stubbs, interrogatively. “Now we have no force to man her. Little Jack and myself are the only sailors on board.” “But not the only men.” “That is true. I think, however, that you or the professor would find it rather hard to spread or take in sail.” Mr. Stubbs looked up into the rigging and shrugged his shoulders. The next day Mr. Clinton appeared on deck. He looked faded and played out, but he was no longer the woebegone creature of a day or two previous. Even he turned out to be of use, for he knew something about cooking, and volunteered to assist in preparing the meals, the ship’s cook having left the ship with the captain. Accordingly, he rose in the estimation of the passengers--having proved that he was not wholly a drone. Jack and Harry grew still more intimate. The young sailor was under no restraint now that the captain was not on board, for with the mate he had always been a favorite. All efforts were made to keep the ship on her course. They could not put up all the sails, however, and made but slow progress. They did little but drift. Nor did they encounter any other vessel for several days, so that there was no chance of obtaining the desired assistance. “I wonder where it will all end, Jack?” said Harry, one evening. “I don’t trouble myself much about that, Harry,” said the young sailor. “I am content as I am.” “Don’t you look ahead, then?” “I am happy with you and the few we have on board. They are kind to me; what more do I need?” “I can’t be contented so easily, Jack. I hope there is a long life before us. Here we are, making no progress. We are doing nothing to advance ourselves.” But this did not make much impression on Jack. He did not look beyond the present, and so that this was comfortable, he left the future to look out for itself. “What do you think has become of Captain Hill and his companions, Mr. Holdfast?” asked Mr. Stubbs, on the third evening after the separation.