cast his eye in his direction, when he at
once motioned him to come away.

But, "the imp" took no notice of the warning, and Mr Meldrum was
hesitating whether he should leave his station by the binnacle, where he
had been doing yeoman's service in aiding the helmsman ever since the
first squall burst over the ship, when a heavy wave came over the
quarter to windward, and, dashing violently against the port bulwarks,
carried a large portion away into the sea; and, along with the broken
timber-work, away went young Master Negus!

Mr Meldrum hesitated no longer as to crossing the deck; but another was
sooner at the scene of action.

Frank Harness, the "third mate," as he was euphemistically called--a
dashing young fellow of nineteen, and just completing his sea-time as
midshipman before passing the Trinity House examination for his
certificate in seamanship--who had been aloft bearing a hand in making
the mizzen-topsail snug, the leech of the sail having blown out through
the violence of the gale, was just on his way down the rigging again to
see where he could be of use elsewhere, when he noticed the boy's peril
as quickly as the passenger; and, with one bound, he alighted on the
deck.

In a rapid eye-glance he took in the situation.

Raised on the top of a curling wave, the fragments of the broken
bulwarks and stanchions had got entangled with the wreck of the fore-
topgallant mast, some twenty yards or so to leeward of the ship; and,
clinging to the mass, Frank could see the boy holding on with a grip of
desperation and terror, drenched with his ducking and the surf that
washed over him, and with his mouth wide open as if yelling for
assistance--although never a sound reached those on board for the roar
of a giant could not have been heard against the wind.

Taking a turn of the signal halliards round his wrist, Frank Harness at
once leaped into the sea and struck out gallantly for the boy; those on
the poop cheering him as he cleaved through the foaming billows and
quickly neared the wreckage, forgetful for a moment of their own
immediate peril in the exciting scene before them, and waiting anxiously
for their turn to assist the rescuer and the rescued on board again.

In the meantime, Mrs Major Negus--alarmed at the disappearance of her
young hopeful from below, neither the steward or stewardess being able
to give any account of him after searching the cabins in vain--had
managed to scramble up the companion-