A glass of spirits will do him good." A few minutes later Ralph was wrapped up in a blanket and the warm glow produced by that and the glass of strong grog soon sufficed to send him soundly to sleep, in spite of the painful uncertainty of his position and of his sorrowful thought of his mother, who would in the morning be inquiring for him in vain.

It was nearly midday before he woke.

Looking round he saw that he had the forecastle to himself.

His clothes were lying on a chest close by, and in a few minutes he was on deck.

A sense of disappointment stole over him.