The sea now began coming up, and Sam saw that their chief danger was that of getting washed overboard.

He cautioned the boys against this, and changed the boat's course, so as to keep her as nearly as possible where she was.

A heavy sea broke over her, and carried away their only water keg, which was a dire calamity.

After a little while their store of food went, and they were at sea, in a storm, without food or water! "I say, Sam," said Tom.
"What is it ?" "Is there land all to the north of us ?" "Yes." "How far is it ?" "Twenty miles, perhaps,--possibly less." "Why can't we head the boat about, and run for it ?" "Because the wind is blowing on shore, and there's a heavy surf running." "What of that ?" "Why, simply this, that if we run ashore on a long, flat beach, the boat will be beaten to splinters a mile or more from land." "How ?" "By the waves; they would lift her up, and receding let her drop suddenly on the sands, splitting her to pieces in no time, and the very next wave would do the same thing for us.

We must stay out here till the storm's over.