The doctor struck Andy a heavy blow with the butt end of his pistol, and
the man dropped insensible on the deck. He then turned to Jennings.
"You must go with us now, Tom," he said, "or they will certainly murder
you. Go, I tell you, or I'll stay behind myself."

The old man made a great effort and rolled himself over the bulwarks,
reaching the boat by the help of the rope, and the hands of the boys
below, though he fainted from pain and exhaustion immediately
afterwards.

Mr Lavie fired at the nearest man, who dropped with a broken leg. The
others hung back alarmed and stupefied. Lavie skimmed down the rope,
and disengaged her before they had recovered their senses. Just at this
moment there was a heavy splash close beside them.

"Hallo!" cried Ernest, "one of the fellows has fallen overboard. We
must take him in. We can't leave him to drown."

"It isn't any of the crew," said Frank. "It's old Lion. I can see his
head above water. He has broken his fastenings and followed us. Haul
him aboard, Nick."

The dog was soon got in, and Lavie and Warley, seizing the oars, rowed
away from the ship. An attempt was made to lower a boat, and one or two
shots were fired. But the crew were in no condition for work of any
kind, and in a few minutes the _Hooghly_ was lost sight of in the
darkness. Lavie and Wilmore, who understood the management of a boat,
hoisted the sail and took the rudder.

Meanwhile, Warley and Gilbert were endeavouring to restore the old
quartermaster from his swoon. They threw water in his face, and poured
some brandy from a flask down his throat, but for a long time without
any result. At last the boat was in proper trim, and Mr Lavie set at
liberty to attend to his patient. Alarmed at the low state of the
pulse, and the failure of the efforts to restore consciousness, he
lighted his lantern, and then discovered that the bottom of the boat was
deluged with blood. The bandages had been loosened in the struggle to
get on board, and the wound had broken out afresh. The surgeon saw that
there was now little hope of saving the old man's life. He succeeded,
however, in stanching the flow of blood, and again bound up the wound,
directing that Jennings should be laid in as comfortable a position as
possible on a heap of jackets in the bow.

This had not been long effected, when morning appeared. Those who have
witnessed daybreak in the tropics, will be aware how strange and
brilliant a con