The midshipmen awaking, were much surprised to find that it was light again already, and couldn't believe that they had slept through the night. Having cast off their lashings they began to move about to stretch their cramped limbs, not that there was much space for that. "`Now, messmates,' said Mr Rogers, `there's one thing we ought to do before we think of anything else, and that is, to thank God for having preserved us through the night, and to pray to Him to protect us, and to take us ashore in safety. Needham, you'll join us, I know.' "`Of course, I will, sir,' says I, and well pleased I was to hear the youngster speak in that way without any shamefacedness. It was just what I'd been thinking, for if a man dare not ask God to help him, he must be in a bad way indeed. "Without another word we all knelt on the side of the vessel, and a right good honest prayer did Mr Rogers offer up. No parson or bishop either could have prayed a better, though he might have put more words into it. The young gentleman, do ye see, knew exactly what we all wanted, and that's just what he asked God to give us, and no more. "`And now, Needham, what do you consider is the first thing we ought to do?' said Mr Rogers, as soon as he had finished. "`Let us try and get some water,' sang out Mr Desmond. `I'm terribly thirsty, I could drink a bucketful if I had it. "`So could I, for my thrapple is as dry as a dustbin,' added Mr Gordon. "`As to that, I am not better than either of you,' says Mr Rogers, `but I thought that I'd try to hold out as long as I could.' "`Well,' says I, `I'll make my way below and see what I can bring up. Water will be better than wine or spirits, and if I can find any you shall have it.' "`No, no, Needham, you stay where you are,' says Mr Rogers. `Just pass a rope aft and I'll make it fast round my waist till I can get the hatch off. The water is pretty well up to the coamings already, and my weight won't make the difference which yours might.' "He seemed to think that there was more danger than I did--that the weight of a single man might capsize the craft altogether. I believed that if we had all gone below together it wouldn't have mattered. However, I did as he ordered me. It was a sliding-hatch, you remember, and he soon got it off far enough to let himself down into the cabin. We all sat watching for him to come back again. At last I heard his voice singing out to me to hoist away. Looking down I saw him seated on the companion hatch with Master Spider, the monkey clinging to his neck while he was making fast the end of the rope to a basket full of all sorts of things which he had collected below. I hauled it up, and he followed with Spider. "`Water! water!' cried the others.