There was no time just then to ask questions. The companion-hatch had
not been washed away, and as the seaman held up the lantern, its light
fell on the figure of a man kneeling on the deck, bending over the fair
face of a young girl, who reclined on a seat by the side of it.

"Rouse up a bit, sir; there's help come when we didn't expect it," said
the seaman.

The gentleman, for such I saw that he was, had not his voice proved it,
rose from his knees. "Heaven be praised, my child may yet be saved!" he
exclaimed, clasping his daughter in his arms, and scarcely appearing to
notice my presence. "Alice, dearest, bear up but a little longer; we
may once more hope to reach the shore."

The young girl endeavoured, to raise herself, and feebly returned his
embrace.

Then turning to me, he said, "You have arrived most opportunely. We had
well nigh abandoned all hope of escaping death. What do you propose we
should do?"

"As the people on board seem to say that the ship may go down any moment
with slight warning," I replied, "I think, sir, the sooner you and the
young lady get into the boat, the better. We will follow you when it
becomes absolutely necessary. Meantime we must see what can be done on
board."

I then told him that I belonged to a cutter, which could not be far off,
and that I hoped by daylight we should see her, and that she would come
to our assistance.

The gentleman, on this, took his daughter in his arms and carried her to
the gangway.

"How are the poor men who were so ill?" I heard her ask.

"They are free from all pain," was the evasive answer; but it seemed to
satisfy her.

We soon got them safely placed in the boat, in which I left two
boat-keepers, with orders to be ready to shove off at a moment's notice.
The rest of the boat's crew came on board to lend a hand to what might
be required.

I then set to work to see what was best to be done. There was no time
to ask questions as to how the ship had got into her present condition.
My first care was to attend to the wants of the sick. The seaman who
had received us and my own people went round with me. Unhappily, we
found that most of the other poor fellows were beyond human aid. Three
only were still alive, verging on the portals of death. We fortunately
had a flask of spirits, a keg of water, and some biscuits in the boat;
of these I served out sparingly among the crew. The food had the effect
of speedily reviving them. I next