en feet above the deck, and had taken with it her
jib-boom and her maintopmast. The forecastle deck was a litter of broken
timbers and tangled cordage that washed pitiably from side to side as
the waters rolled over the splintered rail, or sobbed through its gaping
seams. The mainboom was lashed amidships, and a jib-headed storm trysail
was sheeted aft. A spare jib had been set from the mainmast head to the
stump of the foremast, and under these two cloths the poor maimed craft
was desperately striving to keep her shattered head to the threatening
seas. High up in the main rigging flew the United States flag, union
down, poor Jack's red, white, and blue cry for help. There was an
ominous heaviness about the fall of her bows into the restless hollows
that told the Captain of the MOHAWK that she had not long to live.

"We'll send a boat for you," he roared down the wind, as his steamer
slipped slowly ahead.

The hapless wretches on the schooner waved their hands and uttered a
faint cheer. The whale-boat was lowered away when the _Mohawk_ was half
a mile to windward of the wreck. The buoyant little craft leaped over
the waves, disappearing between them, and then tossing high in air on
their foamy crests.

"It's all a wonder to me that she doesn't capsize," said the new
voyager.

"A good whale-boat will outlive a poor ship," said the veteran.

[Illustration: THE PASSENGERS SAW THE WHALE-BOAT SWEEP DOWN UNDER THE
STERN OF THE SCHOONER.]

And now watching with their glasses the passengers saw the whale-boat
sweep down under the stern of the schooner, and round up under her lee,
while the bowman stood up and hurled a line to one of the schooner's
people. By the aid of this the whale-boat was dropped under the lee
quarter of the cripple, and at each upward swing of the smaller craft
one of the shipwrecked marines contrived to tumble into her. Six men and
a boy of some fifteen years they were. Meanwhile the steamer was dropped
slowly down until she was within a fair pull of the schooner. The
whale-boat came leaping and dancing over the seas, the men laying down
their broad backs to the oars, and the white smoke of the spray flying
on either bow. It was no small task to get the men out of the boat
without crushing her like paper against the iron side of the steamer as
it swung downward, yet by patience and seamen's skill it was
accomplished. The whale-boat was hoisted to her davits, and the _Mohawk_
resumed her voyage, whi