"We must do our best, and submit to His will," replied Ready, who then
went aft, and shifted the helm, so as to put the ship again before the
wind.

As the old man had foretold to the seamen before they quitted the
vessel, the gale was now over, and the sea had gone down considerably.
The ship, however, dragged but slowly through the water, and after a
short time Ready lashed the wheel, and went forward. On his return to
the quarter-deck, he found Mr. Seagrave had thrown himself down
(apparently in a state of despair) upon the sail on which Captain
Osborn had been laid after his accident.

"Mr. Seagrave, do not give way," said Ready; "if I thought our
situation hopeless, I would candidly say so; but there always is hope,
even at the very worst, - and there always ought to be trust in that
God without whose knowledge not a sparrow falls to the ground. But, Mr.
Seagrave, I shall speak as a seaman, and tell you what our
probabilities are. The ship is half-full of water, from her seams
having opened by the straining in the gale, and the heavy blows which
she received; but, now that the gale has abated, she has recovered
herself very much. I have sounded the well, and find that she has not
made many inches within the last two hours, and probably, as she closes
her seams, will make less. If, therefore, it pleases God that the fine
weather should continue, there is no fear of the vessel sinking under
us for some time; and as we are now amongst the islands, it is not
impossible, nay, it is very probable, that we may be able to run her
ashore, and thins save our hives. I thought of all this when I refused
to go in the boat, and I thought also, Mr. Seagrave, that if you were
to have been deserted by me as well as by all the rest, you would have
been unable yourself to take advantage of any chances which might turn