“Give way together!” Then there would be a thunder and a roar behind them, and the seething of white foam would hiss alongside of the gunwale, and as it rolled past Jack’s voice would ring out: “Back, back all!” There were times when all four of these orders would be given inside the space of a minute. This is what they went through for nearly two days, so it may perhaps give you a notion of what they had to do to keep the boat alive for that time, and what a sea it was to keep her alive in. They had in the way of provisions about seventy-five pounds of hard-tack and two small breakers of water. They presently found that the water in one of the breakers was mixed with salt, so they heaved it overboard at once to make more room, as they were very much crowded. So the afternoon wore along, and at last evening began to settle down over them. Any one but a seaman might have wondered how the boat was to be kept afloat at night, when it was only by such unending care that she was kept alive in the daytime. But as darkness settled the crest of each wave glimmered with a pale phosphorescence that not only showed its position, but the course in which it was traveling. Nevertheless, it was an awful night, one of the most awful that Tom Granger has ever passed through. Above the ceaseless din and thunder of the roaring water Jack Baldwin’s voice could be heard singing out his orders to the oarsmen, and now and then to the others: “Bail her out smartly, lads! Keep her dry! Who’s bailing there? Lively now!” Tom had turned to, and was bailing a great part of the time. He had been pulling an oar in the afternoon, for every one had to take his turn; and so, what with weariness and cold and want of sleep, he was nearly done up. He managed to joke and laugh with the men, as though all that they were passing through was nothing to speak of; but for all that he would find himself half asleep at times, though he was still dipping out the water. When in this state he always had one thing before his eyeballs; it was a ship, her stern under water and her bows standing so high that she showed her copper bottom. Her maintop-gallant-mast was gone, and her fore-sail was shaking in the wind—it was the _Nancy Hazlewood_ as he had last seen her. It was the same all that night; whenever he would shut his eyes, even if it were only for a moment, he would see that sinking ship and the troubled waters around her. About four o’clock in the morning Jack gave up the tiller to Tom Granger. Tom felt very sorry for him, for he seemed harassed and worn. He himself was pretty well tired out, as I have said, for he had only had about two hours sleep for over three days. Nevertheless, he took the tiller, for Jack seemed more done up than he. Tom held the tiller for the rest of that day, and for most of the next night.