far less vivid and
terrifying. Then the black pall of sky above them began to break up
into isolated patches, and a few minutes later the moon and stars showed
intermittently between the rifts; the storm was dying away almost as
quickly as it had sprung up. But, unfortunately, as soon as the wind
dropped the sea began to rise, until within a very short time there was
quite a heavy swell running.

The captain of the dispatch-boat lost not an instant in heading his ship
direct for the spot from which the rockets had been seen to rise. The
vessel's search-light was brought into action, and the skipper told off
a man to sweep the sea ahead with its powerful beam, so that the exact
position of the wreck might be located at the earliest possible moment;
for during the last few minutes no rockets had been sent up, which was a
very sinister sign.

With the cessation of the wind the heavy sea did not very greatly
interfere with the _San-Chan's_ speed, and she raced through the water
on her errand of mercy at the rate of fully eighteen knots, the bearings
of her engines smoking as the oil from the cups dripped upon their
heated surfaces; and it was not more than half an hour before the man at
the search-light found his object and kept the beam playing on her. She
was then only a few miles ahead, and stood out, a great mass of silver
in the rays of the search-light, against the black background of the
night, with the sea breaking over her. Through the telescope her people
could be seen running about her decks, and steam was still blowing off
through her waste-pipes, so, apparently, the water had not yet reached
her engine-room. Frobisher noticed that no effort was being made to get
the boats out; but this might be because of the heavy sea running.

At all events, the craft was still above water; and there was little
doubt that her crew could be saved, even though they might not be able
to save the ship.

In another quarter of an hour--speed having been meanwhile reduced so as
to lessen the danger of their running aground--the _San-chau_ arrived
abreast of the other craft, which proved indeed to be a cruiser, and
laid off at a distance of about half a cable's length, her screw
revolving slowly, so as to keep her from drifting down upon the wreck.
Then, seizing a megaphone, Wong-lih hailed, and asked the stranger's
name.

A man in a drenched Naval uniform similar to that which Frobisher was
wearing leant over the rail o