He found Captain Pecklar in the fire-room, shovelling coal into the furnace.

He seemed to be again nearly exhausted by the efforts he had made during the morning; and Christy took the shovel from him, and did the work himself.
"You must not kill yourself, Captain Pecklar.

This is too hard work for you," said Christy.
"If I can only get out of this scrape, it will not make much difference what becomes of me," replied the invalid faintly.
"I will do this work myself.

Don't you touch that shovel again." "But things are looking very badly indeed for us, Christy," said the captain, bracing himself up as if for a renewed effort.

"The Belle is almost up with the boat, and she will take Major Pierson and his party on board; and she is nearer to us than the Bellevite." "Is that so?
I have not looked astern for some time," replied Christy, rather startled by the information.
"The Bellevite is not sailing as fast as she has some of the time, and both the Belle and the Dauphine are nearer to us than she is," added Captain Pecklar.