smoke
was not coming back over us.

I untied the line from Corny, and stood for a moment looking about me.
There seemed to be no one aft but us three. We had missed both boats.
Mr. Chipperton had helped his wife into the boat, and had expected to
turn round and take Corny. No doubt he had told the men to be perfectly
cool, and not to hurry. And while we were shouting to him and lowering
Corny, the other boat had put off.

There was a little crowd of men amidships, hard at work at something. We
ran there. They were launching the life-raft. The captain was among
them.

"Are there no more boats?" I shouted.

He turned his head.

"What! A girl left?" he cried. "No. The fire has cut off the other
boats. We must all get on the raft. Stand by with the girl, and I'll see
you safe."

The life-raft was a big affair that Rectus and I had often examined. It
had two long, air-tight cylinders, of iron, I suppose, kept apart by a
wide framework. On this framework, between the cylinders, canvas was
stretched, and on this the passengers were to sit. Of course it would be
impossible to sink a thing like this.

In a very short time, the raft was lifted to the side of the vessel and
pushed overboard. It was bound to come right side up. And as soon as it
was afloat, the men began to drop down on it. The captain had hold of a
line that was fastened to it, and I think one of the mates had another
line.

"Get down! Get down!" cried the captain to us.

I told Rectus to jump first, as the vessel rolled that way, and he
landed all right, and stood up as well as he could to catch Corny. Over
she went at the next roll, with a good send from me, and I came right
after her. I heard the captain shout:

"All hands aboard the raft!" and then, in a minute, he jumped himself.
Some of the men pushed her off with a pole. It was almost like floating
right on the surface of the water, but I felt it was perfectly safe.
Nothing could make those great cylinders sink. We floated away from the
ship, and we were all glad enough of it, for the air was getting hot.
The whole front part of the vessel was blazing away like a house on
fire. I don't remember whether the engines were still working or not,
but at any rate we drifted astern, and were soon at quite a little
distance from the steamer.

It was safe enough, perhaps, on the raft, but it was not in the least
comfortable. We were all crowded together, crouching on the canvas, and
the water just sw