Nothing short of an Almighty Being could have steered this ship for the past two days." The Captain nodded his head slowly, his gaze fixed on something above and far beyond the horizon.
"I suppose it's too much to ask of Him, though," said he, audibly completing a thought.
Mr.Mott evidently had been thinking of the same thing, for he said: "I'm sorry to say it's gained about two feet on the pumps since last night." Captain Trigger's face was very grave.

"That means a couple of days more at the outside." His eyes rested speculatively on the three lifeboats still hanging above the starboard rail.

There was another being repaired on the port side.

"More than six hundred of us on board, Andrew." His head dropped suddenly, his chin twitched.

Mr.Mott looked away.
"I don't believe it will come to that," said he, an odd note of confidence in his voice.