n a short while previously
when the watch was relieved at Eight Bells, it being the rule on board
for the gunner's mate to do this every day before sunset and take out
the percussion-tube again in the morning at daybreak when the hands
turned out to wash and scrub decks.

So, no sooner had the buoy touched the water than it floated away,
flaming in our wake; the lurid blue light casting a spectral glare on
the phosphorescent foam of the broken wave crests that contrasted
weirdly with the last expiring gleams of the setting sun, now nearly
hidden by the pall-like black cloud, which had gradually risen along the
horizon and stretched itself across the whole western sky, creeping up
steadily towards the zenith and shutting out little by little the last
bit of blue.

At the sound of the boatswain's pipe, too, the cutter's crew had begun
to muster on the poop, the leading hands unloosing the gripes with which
the boat was secured and the coxswain attending to the tiller; while two
or three of the men had already put on their cork jackets and taken
their seats on the thwarts, ready for lowering away, the little craft
being swung out from the davits to leeward.

Excitement there was, of course, amongst us all, everybody looking eager
enough, as was natural; but I noticed that, while the commander's orders
were executed with the utmost promptitude, there was no reckless hurry
and confusion.

The most perfect order and discipline prevailed, everything being done
systematically, although the accident had occurred so suddenly and
unexpectedly; ay, and despite the fact that every soul on board, from
Captain Farmer, who had come out of his cabin again immediately on
hearing the lifeboat's crew called away, down to the youngest cadet and
powder-monkey, was willing and anxious to do his best to save our
unfortunate shipmate, without one of us knowing as yet who the poor
fellow was whose life was thus imperilled.

No; nor, indeed, did we learn his name until after the topsails had been
double-reefed and hoisted again and the ship hove-to with her
maintopsail to the mast--which was accomplished in less time, I believe,
than was ever known before, the operation not taking more than three
minutes from first to last!

Then it was that we heard who had been lost overboard.

"It's poor Popplethorne," said Charley Gilham, the third lieutenant, who
had rushed up to the poop from amidships, where he had been stationed,
to take command