e dared not attempt to lay the boat alongside, and that
consequently those who were anxious to have a chance for life must
simply jump overboard and trust to those in the boat to pick them up.
And at the same time he directed the two bow oarsmen to lay in their
oars and hold themselves ready to pick up those who cared to jump while
the other two oarsmen paddled the boat up as close to the heaving and
staggering wreck as it was prudent to go.

Then ensued a long and heated debate among the Spaniards themselves, not
one of whom seemed to possess the courage necessary to trust himself
even momentarily to the raging sea, during which the crew of the boat
patiently maintained their position within a fathom or so of the
wallowing hulk; but at length some sort of a decision seemed to have
been arrived at, for the short, stout, black-bearded man suddenly made
his appearance at the gangway, grasping a handspike, and, having first
inquired whether those in the boat were ready, and receiving an
affirmative reply, sprang outward, feet foremost. He struck the water
within less than half a fathom of the boat, vanished beneath the surface
for a moment, and re-appeared, coughing and spitting, still convulsively
clutching the handspike, close enough to enable those in the boat to
instantly seize him by the collar and haul him in over the gunwale, none
the worse for his plunge and dip. He was at once hustled aft into the
stern sheets, out of the way, and his rescue had been effected with such
absolute promptitude and simplicity that there was now no further
hesitation on the part of those left behind, who, one after another,
presented themselves at the gangway, some provided with handspikes, some
with oars, and one or two with short lengths of planking, or a grating,
and leaped, with the courage of desperation, into the swirling foam, to
the number of just a dozen. Then, as no more appeared, George inquired
where the remainder were; upon which the black-bearded man, after
counting heads, informed him that all the living had now left the ship,
the rest of the crew having been either killed or washed overboard when
the ship became dismasted.

And now came the most difficult part of the whole undertaking, namely,
getting the boat and its cargo safe aboard the parent ship. The
_Nonsuch_ was just then about a mile distant from the derelict, hove-to
on the larboard tack, awaiting a signal from George indicating that the
rescue had been ef