loat."

"You don't know, sir, what a superb swimmer Jack Rogers is," exclaimed
Adair: "he will keep up for an hour or more; I have no fear on that
score. Let us get this man on board, and we will soon find him."

Terence had never in his life felt so deeply anxious as he now did. The
boat rapidly returned to the ship, the nearly drowned man was hoisted on
deck, and then once more they shoved off, and fast as the men could bend
to their oars, they pulled in the direction it was supposed Murray and
Jack must have drifted.

The fire-ships were still blazing away as the boat approached them. "I
think that they cannot be far from here," said Mr Cherry. "Steady now,
lads; paddle gently; keep a look out on either side, all of you."

Terence however thought that they might have drifted farther on.

"Rogers, ahoy!" he stood up and shouted; "Jack Rogers, where are you?"

Just then, one of the fire-ships which had been burning most furiously,
and concealed everything on the other side of her, blew up with a loud
explosion, scattering her burning fragments far and wide around her.
Several pieces of blazing timber fell into the boat among the men. One
or two were much hurt, and they had enough to do to heave the bits
overboard to prevent the boat herself catching fire.

Terence was in an agony of fear for the sake of his friends. A single
fragment of the burning ship falling on them would have sent them to the
bottom. Still he would not give up all hope, but continued searching.
Mr Cherry now agreed that, if they still were on the surface, they must
have drifted farther on; so on they pulled slowly, looking out as
before. They had gone a little way, when the man in the bows said he
saw a boat in the distance.

Mr Cherry made her out also: "Perhaps they may have reached her," he
observed. This was very little consolation to Terence, because he did
not think it probable, if, as there was little doubt, she was a pirate's
boat, her crew would let them live. Still he was eager to go in chase.

Mr Cherry, who was more calm, thought that it would be wiser to look
about on every side, to ascertain if Jack was still floating near.
Again and again they called to him, but there was no answer.

"Either they have been picked up or are drowned," said the lieutenant.

Terence's heart sank within him. Mr Cherry now agreed to go in chase
of the Chinamen's boat. Away they dashed; their shouts of course had
given notice of their