The escapes of the boat from damage or destruction were many and narrow, even under this ceaseless watching, and the strain at last began to show its effects upon the tough nerves of Captain Phil. He almost lived upon strong coffee. The coffee was an excellent thing for him under the circumstances, but his neglect to take other food was a dangerous mistake. He was still strong of body, but he was growing nervous and even a trifle irritable. His comrades remonstrated with him for not sleeping, and begged him to eat. “I don’t want to eat, I tell you,” he said, with much irritation in his voice. “But you’ll break down, Phil, if you keep this up,” said Ed, “and then where shall _we_ be? Without your judgment and quickness to see the right thing at a critical moment this boat would have gone to the bottom days ago. We _need_ you, old fellow.” The boys all joined in the pleading, and Phil at last sat down with them and tried to eat, but could not. “No, no, don’t drink any coffee yet,” said Will, almost pulling the cup out of his hands. “It’ll kill the little appetite you’ve got. Eat first, and drink your coffee afterward.” “Wait a minute,” said Irv, stretching out his long legs, and with a spring rising to his feet. “Wait a minute, and I’ll play Ganymede, the cup-bearer.” He went below, where he broke an egg in a large soda-water glass and whipped it up with an egg-beater. Then he filled the glass with milk, of which they still had a gallon or so left, and again using the egg-beater, whipped the whole into a lively froth, adding a little salt to give it flavor and make it more digestible. “Here, Phil,” he said, as he reappeared on deck, “drink this. You’ll find it good, and it is food of the very best sort, as well as drink.” Phil took the glass, tasted its contents, and then drained it at a draught. “Make me another, won’t you, Irv?” said Phil about five minutes later; “somehow that one has got lonely and wants a companion.” Irv was glad enough to do so, and by the time Phil had slowly swallowed his second glass, he not only felt himself fed, but he was so. His nerves grew steady again, there was no further irritation in his voice, and by the time that the next meal was ready the boy had regained his appetite. The boat came to anchor for the night a little after supper, and as the anchorage was particularly well protected behind a heavily timbered point of submerged land, Phil consented to take a longer sleep than he had done for several days past. Irv and Constant remained on duty for several hours, after which Ed and Will took their places. Only twice during the night did Phil awake. Each time he arose, went all around the deck, inspecting the situation, and then lay down again upon the boards. By morning he was quite himself again. CHAPTER XXII IN THE FOG