The poor blacksmith lost control over himself at this point and—­found partial relief!

The act tended to relieve others.  Most of the men were much too miserable to make any remark at all, a few of them had not heart even to groan; but five or six sat up on the edge of their beds, with a weak intention of turning out They sat there swaying about with the motions of the ship in helpless indecision, until a tremendous roll sent them flying, with unexpected violence, against the starboard bulkheads.

“Come, lads,” cried Ruby, leaping out of his hammock, “there’s nothing like a vigorous jump to put sea-sickness to flight.”

“Humbug!” ejaculated Bremner, who owned a little black dog, which lay at that time on the pillow gazing into his master’s green face, with wondering sympathy.

“Ah, Ruby,” groaned the smith, “it’s all very well for a sea-dog like you that’s used to it, but——­”

James Dove stopped short abruptly.  It is not necessary to explain the cause of his abrupt silence.  Suffice it to say that he did not thereafter attempt to finish that sentence.

“Steward!” roared Joe Dumsby.

“Ay, ay, shipmate, what’s up?” cried the steward, who chanced to pass the door of the men’s sleeping-place, with a large dish of boiled salt pork, at the moment.

“Wot’s up?” echoed Dumsby.  “Everythink that ever went into me since I was a hinfant must be ‘up’ by this time.  I say, is there any chance of gettin’ on the rock to-day?”

“O yes.  I heard the cap’n say it would be quite easy, and they seem to be makin’ ready now, so if any of ’ee want breakfast you’d better turn out.”

This speech acted like a shock of electricity on the wretched men.  In a moment every bed was empty, and the place was in a bustle of confusion as they hurriedly threw on their clothes.

Some of them even began to think of the possibility of venturing on a hard biscuit and a cup of tea, but a gust of wind sent the fumes of the salt pork into the cabin at the moment, and the mere idea of food filled them with unutterable loathing.

Presently the bell rang again.  This was the signal for the men to muster, the boats being ready alongside.  The whole crew at once rushed on deck, some of them thrusting biscuits into their pockets as they passed the steward’s quarters.  Not a man was absent on the roll being called.  Even the smith crawled on deck, and had spirit enough left to advise Ruby not to forget the bellows; to which Ruby replied by recommending his comrade not to forget the matches.

Then the operation of embarking began.

The sea at the time was running pretty high, with little white flecks of foam tipping the crests of the deep blue waves.  The eastern sky was dark and threatening.  The black ridges of the Bell Rock were visible only at times in the midst of the sea of foam that surrounded them.  Anyone ignorant of their nature would have deemed a landing absolutely impossible.