noon
` We surely shall have a breeze before the evening , and some craft or other coming to look for us . ' For the life of me I could n't say ` yes . ' I shook my head -- I was beginning to lose all hope . At noon Mr Rogers served out half a glass of wine to each of us and some biscuit . This put a little more life into me , and I again took to thinking whether we could form a raft with the bulkheads and lining of the cabin , which we might tear away by main strength , and the two empty water-casks , and the hatches , and the gaff and boom . The job would be to lash them together ; for though we might stand on the bulwarks which were under water , there would be no small danger of being carried off by the sharks swarming round us . At all events , if the craft was to sink , as I made no doubt she would , we should have a struggle for life , instead of going down with her and being eaten up by the sharks .