ing, and, in two or three
minutes, no less than five were in the water, including that in which
Yelverton was already rowing round the ship to catch the presumed
swimmer, or drowning man.

"The Frenchman is gone, sir," said Winchester, "and he must have passed
out of the port. I have sent one of the gentlemen to examine if he is
not stowed away about the chains."

"Where is the boat of the old Italian and his niece?"

A pause succeeded this question, and light broke in upon all at the same
instant.

"That yawl _was_ alongside," cried Griffin--"no one was in her, however,
but Giuntotardi and the girl."

"Beg your pardon, sir," said a young foretop-man, who had just descended
the rigging--"I saw the boat from aloft, sir, and it hung some time,
sir, under the starboard main-chains. It was so dark, I couldn't fairly
make it out; but summat seemed to be passed into it, from a port. I
didn't like the look of the thing, and so our captain just told me to
come on deck, and report it, sir."

"Send Ithuel Bolt here, Mr. Winchester--bear a hand, sir, and let us
have a look at that gentleman."

It is needless to say that the call was unanswered; and then all on
board began to understand the mode of escape. Officers rushed into the
several boats, and no less than five different parties commenced the
pursuit. At the same time the ship hoisted a lantern, as a signal for
the boats to rally to.

It has been said that the Proserpine, when this incident occurred, was
off the point of the Campanella, distance about half a marine league.
The wind was light at east, or was what is called the land breeze, and
the vessel had about three knots' way on her. The headland was nearly
abeam, and she was looking up through the pass which separates Capri
from the main, hauling round into the Bay of Naples, intending to anchor
in the berth she had left the previous day. The night was too dark to
permit an object small as a boat to be seen at any distance, but the
black mass of Capri was plainly visible in its outlines, towering into
the air near two thousand feet; while the formation of the coast on the
other side might be traced with tolerable certainty and distinctness.
Such was the state of things when the five boats mentioned quitted
the ship.

Yelverton had acted as if a man were overboard; or, he had not waited
for orders. While pulling round the ship alone, he caught sight, though
very dimly, of the yawl, as it moved in toward the la