Presently Holdsworth came out of the hold, wet and exhausted, followed by the carpenter in worse plight.
“Well?” exclaimed the captain, in a subdued but eager voice.
“I am afraid it is a hopeless case, sir. She’s leaking in a dozen different places.”
“The worst leak is just amidships,” said the carpenter. “It’s under the water in the hold. You can hear it bubbling, but there’s no getting at it.”
“What soundings have you got?”
“Eleven feet, sir!”
“Good God!” cried the skipper; “that’s an increase of a foot and a half since seven bells.”
“We had better look to the boats, sir,” said Holdsworth, scanning the horizon.
“Don’t talk of the boats yet, sir!” panted the skipper. “Clap some backstays on to the fore-mast and turn to and rig up the spare staysail.”