e had been left some way astern. Reginald, on hearing the
cry, ran aft, and without waiting to take off even his hat, lowered
himself into the water and struck out towards the wellnigh drowning lad.
It was evening, and darkness was rapidly coming on. Intense was the
excitement of all on board. Violet Ross did not exhibit her feelings,
as some of the other ladies did, by shrieking and crying out, but she
was seen standing on the poop, her gaze fixed on the two young swimmers.

Running at the rate the ship was going, they were soon lost to sight;
for though the crew were under good discipline, it was not to be
expected that sail could be shortened as rapidly as on board a
man-of-war.

Opinions of all sorts were being hazarded. Some gave them up for lost,
declaring that the best of swimmers could not keep afloat in such a sea.

"The young fellow may drown, for what I care," muttered Captain
Hawkesford, as he turned forward, away from the rest of the lookers-on.
The captain and officers were too busy to answer the questions put to
them on the subject.

At length the ship was hove-to, and a boat with the first mate and a
crew of volunteers was lowered. Away she pulled in the direction in
which the swimmers had been last seen, the thick gathering gloom and the
foaming seas surrounding her, and quickly hiding her from sight. The
excitement on board was intense, even the captain could scarcely retain
his composure. It would have been great had Jack Andrews, the lad who
had fallen overboard, been alone; but young Hamerton had excited the
interest of all, and even the stern old brigadier declared that he would
be ready to give up all the loot he had bagged at the taking of Mooltan
for the sake of recovering the lad; and those who knew the old soldier
best, were aware that his feelings must have been highly excited to
induce him to say so. Poor little Violet! Her father could not fail to
remark her agitation, but believed that she would have felt the same if
any other among her fellow-creatures had been placed in the fearful
peril to which young Hamerton was exposed.

The moments seemed minutes, the minutes hours, as those on board watched
anxiously for the return of the boat. At length the captain began to
fear for her safety, as well as for that of the swimmers.

"Silence on deck," he cried. "Does any one see her?"

No reply was made. The ship had for some time been hove-to. The wind
whistled through her rigg