tinct commotion became perceptible on board
her. Presently a figure appeared in the fore-rigging, and a deep,
gruff, hoarse voice hailed:

"Schooner ahoy! Did you say as Mr Smellie and Mr Hawkesley was on
board you?"

"Yes I did. Do you not recognise my voice, Collins?"

"Ay, ay, sir! in course I does _now_," was the boatswain's hearty
response. Then there followed, in lower tones, certain remarks of which
we could only catch such fragments as:

"--lieutenant hisself, by--reefer, too;--man--rigging, you sea-dogs--
give--sailors' welcome."

Then in an instant the lower rigging became black with the figures of
the men, and, with Collins as fugleman, they greeted our unexpected
return with three as hearty cheers as ever pealed from the throats of
British seamen.

For the life of me I could not just then have spoken a word had it been
ever so necessary. That hearty ringing British cheer gave me the first
convincing assurance that I was once more _safe_ and among friends, and,
at the same time, enabled me to _fully_ realise, as I never had before,
the extreme peril to which I had been exposed since I last saw the craft
that lay there rolling gracefully upon the ground-swell, within a
biscuit toss of us.

The men were just clearing the rigging when a small slight figure
appeared on the sloop's quarter, and Captain Vernon's voice hailed us
through the speaking-trumpet:

"Schooner ahoy! How many hands shall I send you?"

"A dozen men will be sufficient, sir," replied Smellie. "And I shall
feel obliged if you will send with them the necessary officers to
relieve us. We are both hurt, and in need of the doctor's services."

"You shall have the men at once," was the reply. "Shall I send Burnett
to you, or can you come on board the sloop?"

"We will rejoin the sloop, sir, thank you. Our injuries are not very
serious," replied Smellie.

"Very well, be it so," returned the skipper; and there the conversation
ended.

The next moment the clear _tee-tee-tweetle-tweetle-weetle-wee-e-e_ of
the boatswain's whistle came floating down to us, followed by his gruff
"Cutters away!" and presently we saw the boat glide down the ship's
side, and, after a very brief delay, shove off and come sweeping down
toward us.

Five minutes later the prize crew, under Williams, the master's mate,
with young Peters, a fellow mid of mine, as his second in command, stood
upon the schooner's deck, and Mr Austin, who had accompanied th