Rapid as he was, a single jet of water came squirting viciously in. But
Wylie lost no time; he tapped the plug smartly with his hammer several
times, and then, lifting a mallet with both hands, rained heavy blows on
it that drove it in, and shook the ship's side.

Then Hazel found his voice, and he uttered an ejaculation that made the
mate look round; he glared at the man who was glaring at him, and,
staggering backward, trod on the light, and all was darkness and dead
silence.

All but the wash of the sea outside, and that louder than ever.


But a short interval sufficed to restore one of the parties to his
natural self-possession.

"Lord, sir," said Wylie, "how you startled me! You should not come upon a
man at his work like that. We might have had an accident."

"What were you doing?" said Hazel, in a voice that quavered in spite of
him.

"Repairing the ship. Found a crack or two in her inner skin. There, let
me get a light, and I'll explain it to you, sir."

He groped his way out, and invited Mr. Hazel into his cabin. There he
struck a light, and, with great civility, tendered an explanation. The
ship, he said, had labored a good deal in the last gale, and he had
discovered one or two flaws in her, which were of no immediate