was against us; if she had been a few seconds quicker we should have
caught her broadside, but as it was she rammed us, knocking a hole in our
side as big as a house, and we had just time to jump on board her. Our old
craft went down two minutes after the skipper, who was of course the last
man, left her. The other fellow had stove his bow in. Luckily we were only
about a couple of miles off Dungeness, and though she leaked like a sieve,
we were able to run her into the bay, where she settled down in two and a
half fathoms of water. As soon as it was light we landed and tramped to
Dover. A hoy was starting for the river that evening, and most of us came
up in her, arriving at the Pool about three hours ago. It is a bad job,
Harry, and I am horribly put out about it. Of course nothing could be
saved, and there is all the new kit you bought for me down at the bottom.
I sha'n't bother you again; I have quite made up my mind that I shall ship
before the mast this time, and a five-pound note will buy me a good enough
outfit for that."

"We need not talk about that now, Bertie. You are certainly an unlucky
beggar; this is the second time you have been wrecked."

"It is a frightful nuisance," the boy said. "It is the kit I am thinking
of, otherwise I should not mind. I didn't care for the skipper. He seemed
all right and decent enough before we started, but I soon heard from
fellows who had sailed with him before that he was a tartar; and what was
worse, they said he was in the habit of being drunk two nights out of
three. However, that has nothing to do with it. I am really awfully sorry,
Harry. You have been a thundering good elder brother. I hated to think
that you had to shell out last time, and I have quite made up my mind that
you sha'n't do it again."

"Well, it cannot be helped; it is no fault of yours; still, of course, it