"Has it occurred to you, Mr Ashurst, that if this gale continues we may never get there?" asked Owen, feeling suddenly prompted to put the question. "We have a wild rocky coast under our lee, and should the anchors fail to hold, we may, before morning, be cast on it with little hope of any one on board escaping." "Who told you that?" asked Ashurst, in a changed tone. "My own sense and observation," answered Owen. "When Mr Leigh sent me into the cabin this afternoon, I examined the Frenchman's chart, which lay open on the table, and I saw the sort of coast we are off. I do not wish to alarm you, nor any one else, but I only tell you what I know to be the state of the case." "Does Mr Leigh think the same?" inquired Ashurst, in the same tone he would have used to an equal. "I have no doubt he does, but of course he would not tell the crew until it was absolutely necessary to do so; unless he had foreseen that we should probably have to anchor he would not have ordered the cables to be ranged." "I hope things are not so bad as you think, Hartley," observed Ashurst, although, at the same time, his voice belied his words. Without apologising to Owen, he walked away in a very different manner to that he had just before assumed. "It is a great shame that that midshipman should treat you as he does," said Nat. "Although he is civil enough now, he will be as bad as ever before long, and I have made up my mind what to do." "You'd better not interfere, Nat," said Owen. "The officers probably would not listen to you, and you would only get yourself into bad odour." Nat did not exactly understand what that meant, but he did not mind doing anything which might benefit Owen. By midnight the gale had increased considerably, and the English crew, in addition to their previous exertions--having to work hard at the pumps--were almost worn-out. It was difficult, therefore, to spare hands to keep a proper look-out on the French prisoners. Mr Leigh, calling Owen, sent him below to ascertain what they were about. "I must get the fellows to take their spell at the pumps, if not, their lives will be sacrificed as well as ours." This last remark Owen did not hear, although the same idea had occurred to him. Supposing him to be an ordinary ship's boy, who had come among them for curiosity, the prisoners took little notice of him. The greater number were collected together in the fore-part of the lower deck. Some were playing cards, others with dice or dominoes. Some were lying down, others singing snatches of songs, talking and laughing, appearing to have forgotten altogether that they were prisoners. One group, composed chiefly, it seemed, of petty officers and able seamen, were standing together, engaged in more earnest conversation.