ll then perhaps get a chance to make out her name.
Somehow, she has a familiar look with her, as though I had seen her
before; I wonder if she was in the fleet?"

"Like enough, sir," answered Bowen; "we're right in the track of 'em;
and maybe this is one of the slow-coaches as we run away from."

"Possibly," answered George abstractedly; and then the two fell to
pacing slowly fore and aft, from the main-mast to the taffrail, in that
persevering way which is so characteristic of seamen.

The _Aurora_ was now sliding gently along at a speed of about four
knots, with every sail set that would draw; and gradually she crept up
closer and closer to the burning ship, which, meanwhile, was slowly
drifting to leeward.

The watch on deck were clustered together in a body, forward, watching
the unusual sight; the ship being now about a point on the lee bow and
about half a mile distant. Suddenly there was a loud shout from them,
followed by the cry--

"There's somebody still aboard the burning ship sir!"

George and the mate, who at the moment were walking towards the
taffrail, with their backs towards the burning ship, turned quickly at
the cry, and the former, hastily seizing the telescope which lay ready
to hand on the skylight, swiftly brought it to bear. There, sure
enough, standing right aft on the raised poop, could be distinctly seen
a solitary figure, apparently that of a man. He seemed to be gazing
intently into the water astern, pointing and gesticulating, and was
evidently wholly unaware of the approach of the _Aurora_.

"Yes," said George, "truly enough there _is_ a man on board; and he does
not seem to have seen us yet; perhaps the glare of the flames has
dazzled his eyes. Just step down into the cabin, Mr Bowen, if you
please, and bring up a couple of muskets; we will fire them, one after
the other, and the reports will call his attention to the fact of our
presence."

The mate turned away to do George's bidding, and he had hardly
disappeared down the companion-ladder when the skipper, who had the
telescope once more at his eye, saw the figure start--look behind him,
as though he had heard some alarming sound--and then spring, in apparent
terror, into the sea.

"He's jumped overboard, sir!" reported the men forward, who were now
eagerly watching the actions of the stranger.

"Ay, ay," answered Leicester, "I see he has. One of you call the watch
below; the rest of you lay aft here and clear away the