ct, and even admiration, of the
first officer. He was cool and self-possessed in spite of the peril of his
situation, and was observing with painful solicitude the struggles of a
person about ten fathoms from him.

"Stand by to lay on your oars!" said Mr. Boulong with energy, when the
first cutter was within a boat's length of the individual. "Hold water!
Stand by to haul him in, Knott!" he added to the bow man. "Stern all!"

These orders were given as the boat came within her length of the man; and
Knott was unshipping his oar, when the stranger raised his left hand,
pointing to the struggling person he had been observing in spite of the
near approach of the cutter.

"Save that man first, for he is drowning!" he shouted in tones full of
anxiety, if not positive suffering. "I can take care of myself for a while
longer."

Mr. Boulong's vision had taken in the drowning man, and he fully realized
that the person's situation was desperate, if he was not already hopelessly
lost. He had struggled and twisted himself in his involuntary efforts, till
his life-preserver had worked its way down to his hips, and then it
overthrew him; for he turned a somerset, and disappeared under a coming
wave. He had utterly "lost his head," and was like an infant in the fury of
the billows.

The men were still backing water with their oars, in obedience to the order
of the officer; but as soon as the oars would go clear of the
self-possessed gentleman, Mr. Boulong gave the command to "Give way!" and
again the cutter went ahead.

It required but a few strokes to give the necessary headway to the boat;
and Knott was again ordered to stand by to haul him in. The great wave
ingulfed and swept over him, and again left him aimlessly battling with the
killing billows. The bowman was in position, and leaned over so far to
reach the sufferer, that the officer ordered the next two men to seize him
by the legs, to prevent him from being dragged overboard.

Knott grasped him by his upper garment, and drew his head out of the water.
He held on like an excited bulldog, in spite of the erratic vaulting of the
boat and the struggles of him whom the deep sea seemed to have chosen as
its victim. But the bowman was a muscular seaman of fifty, and he won the
victory over the billows, and hauled the man into the cutter. He was a
person of rather swarthy complexion, dressed in Hindu costume. He was
passed along through the oarsmen to the stern-sheets, where