Nor was a resort to the boat so hopeless an undertaking as it might appear to have been. At the worst, they were in a part of the world where ships are frequent; and some of them thought that land was near enough to be seen in some direction if only the fog should be dispelled. The stores in the boat were sufficient to sustain life for a considerable time, and they would be free from the necessity of incessant and most exhaustive labor. There was now no time for any delay or any hesitation. They all felt this. The sight of the Antelope’s hold decided them. They must take to the boat. “Come along, captain,” said Bart. “We mustn’t stay any longer. The Antelope’ll go down before half an hour. If we pump any longer we’ll all be used up, and won’t delay her sinking more than five minutes. Come along.” “Goin doun!” said Captain Corbet, dreamily. “Only think of the Antelope goin doun!” “Come, captain,” said Bruce, taking his arm. “The boat’s all ready.” “O, yes,” said the captain; “and the Antelope’s goin doun! Dear me! Only think of it!” “Captain Corbet,” said Arthur, solemnly, “we’re all ready. Come, go aboard the boat.” “Well--well--well,” said the captain. “Very well. O, all right. O, yes. You jest git into the boat. Git along. Never mind me. I’ll wait a while, you know. You go ahead. I’ll jest meander around here while you’re gettin into the boat. All right.” At this the boys went off to the boat, and dropped in one after the other. Bruce, and Arthur, and Tom, and Phil, and Bart. Pat lingered behind. Those who had got into the boat expected that the others would follow at once, and now looked eagerly towards them. They were afloat astern; and there, at the stern of the Antelope, stood Captain Corbet, surveying them with a melancholy air. “Come along, captain,” said Bart. “O, all right. Wait till the rest go,” said he. “Tain’t right for me to clar out jest yet. The captain must allers be the last to quit the sinkin ship.” At this the boys called to the others,--to Pat, who had lingered behind, to Solomon, and to Wade. Pat was standing by the mainmast, To their amazement, they saw that he was busily engaged in binding himself to it with ropes. “Pat,” cried Bart, “why don’t you hurry up?” Pat made no reply, but went on as before, solemnly and methodically. “Pat,” cried Tom, “what in the world are you waiting for? Hurry up! What are you doing?” “Sure it’s tyin meself to the mast, I am,” said Pat. “What,” cried Bruce, “tying yourself to the mast! What nonsense! What do you mean?” “Sure it’s the right thing to do,” said Pat. “It’s what they allers does, so it is, wheniver a ship gits wracked. Sure I know; and I advise you to do the same.” “He’s tying himself to the mast!” cried Phil. “He’s mad. He’s insane. Some of us’ll have to drag him on board.”