em both sit up and exclaim, "Hallo! who are you?"
The midshipman sprang from his seat, and in another instant Alick Murray
was shaking them warmly by the hand. "This is jolly, this is
delightful," exclaimed Jack; "tell us all about it, though." Alick
accordingly told them that the brig was the _Archer_, of sixteen guns,
that she was commanded by a relation of his, Captain Grant, who had got
him appointed to her, and that she had only just come out direct from
England. Murray then got his friends to give him an outline of their
adventures, which they had to repeat to Captain Grant himself, who
shortly after came into the cabin. Meantime the steward had brought
them some breakfast; for midshipmen are not heroes of romance, and
require feeding before they are fit for much. After breakfast they felt
wonderfully recovered, and were able to get up and go on deck. Hemming
had before this explained to Captain Grant his promise to bring relief
to the Spaniards, and the brig was accordingly beating up towards the
rock. As they drew near they looked out for signals, but none were
made. They got still nearer. "Where can the people have got to?"
exclaimed the captain, looking through his glass. As the brig
approached the rock the lead was kept going, but the water was found to
be quite deep. She sailed round and round it, but not a human being was
seen there alive. Whether some dreadful catastrophe had occurred after
the English left the spot, or whether some vessel had visited it and
carried off the survivors, was never ascertained. Jack and Terence did
their best to banish the dreadful scenes which had occurred from their
thoughts, and it was with infinite satisfaction that the three
midshipmen found themselves once more together. "This is the station
for adventure," exclaimed Jack; "depend on it before long we shall have
lots to do."

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

LIFE ON AN AFRICAN CRUISER.

That naval officers do not idle away their time when at sea, on beds of
roses, the adventures of my three old schoolfellows will, I think,
convince all my readers. Who would have thought when we were together
at dear old Eagle House, that they would, ere many years had gone over
their heads, have actually crossed swords with real red-capped or
turbaned Mahomedans, fought with true Greek romantic pirates, hunted
down slavers, and explored African rivers with voracious sharks watching
their mouths, hungry crocodiles basking in their s