r unfortunate people to be transferred from
her deck to our own? One had only to note the wild rush of the surges,
their height, and the fierceness with which they broke as they swept
down upon our own ship, and the headlong reeling and plunging of her as
she met their assault, to realise the absolute impossibility of lowering
a boat from her without involving the frail craft and her crew in
instant destruction; and how otherwise were those poor, half-drowned
wretches to be got at and saved. Something might perhaps be done by
means of a hawser, if its end could by any means be put on board the
sinking craft; but here again the difficulties were such as to render
the plan to all appearance impracticable. Yet it seemed to offer the
only imaginable solution of the problem; for presently, as we continued
to roll and stagger down toward the doomed barque, Captain Dacre turned
to me and said:

"There is only one way to do this job, Mr Conyers; and that is for the
Frenchmen to float the end of a heaving-line down to us, by which we may
be able to send them a hawser with a bosun's chair and hauling lines
attached. If it is not troubling you too much, perhaps you will kindly
hail them and explain my intentions, presently. I shall shave athwart
her stern, as closely as I dare, with my main-topsail aback, so that you
may have plenty of time to tell them what, our plans are, and what we
want them to do."

"Very well," said I; "I will undertake the hailing part of the business
with pleasure. Have you a speaking-trumpet?"

"Of course," answered the skipper. "Here, boy,"--to one of the
apprentices who happened to be standing near--"jump below and fetch the
speaking-trumpet for Mr Conyers. You will find it slung from one of
the deck beams in my cabin."

Dacre then took charge of the ship in person, conning her from the
weather mizen rigging, and sending Murgatroyd for'ard with instructions
to clear away the towing-hawser, and to fit it with a traveller, bosun's
chair, and hauling-lines, blocks, etcetera, all ready for sending the
end aboard the barque when communication should have been established
with her. And at the same time, the boy having brought the
speaking-trumpet on deck, and handed it to me, I stationed myself in the
mizen rigging, alongside the skipper, for convenience of communication
between him and myself.

CHAPTER THREE.

WE RESCUE THE CREW OF A FRENCH BARQUE.

We were now drawing close down upon t