tried to bale the hold out, standing in a row to pass them from hand to

hand; but the buckets were past use, the leather of some was unstitched,

there were holes in the bottoms of the others, and the buckets emptied

themselves on the way. The difference in quantity between the water

which was making its way in and that which they returned to the sea was

ludicrous--for a ton that entered a glassful was baled out; they did not

improve their condition. It was like the expenditure of a miser, trying

to exhaust a million, halfpenny by halfpenny.

The chief said, "Let us lighten the wreck."

During the storm they had lashed together the few chests which were on

deck. These remained tied to the stump of the mast. They undid the

lashings and rolled the chests overboard through a breach in the

gunwale. One of these trunks belonged to the Basque woman, who could not

repress a sigh.

Oh, my new cloak lined with scarlet! Oh, my poor stockings of

birchen-bark lace! Oh, my silver ear-rings to wear at mass on May Day!"

The deck cleared, there remained the cabin to be seen to. It was greatly

encumbered; in it were, as may be remembered, the luggage belonging to

the passengers, and the bales belonging to the sailors. They took the

luggage, and threw it over the gunwale. They carried up the bales and

cast them into the sea.

Thus they emptied the cabin. The lantern, the cap, the barrels, the

200

The Man Who Laughs