ee were hanging on to the life-buoy, while
the ship, as it seemed to us, was running far away, already almost
concealed by the thick clouds of spray with which we were surrounded.

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

ADVENTURES IN MEXICO.

"I am so glad you are saved, Jerry," said I. These were the first words
I spoke after we had got hold of the life-buoy.

"But are we saved?" he exclaimed. "Will the ship be able to come back?
and if she does, will they see us, do you think?"

"They'll not desert us--of that we may be certain," I replied; and I
thought how heart-broken Captain Frankland would be when he found that
his son had fallen overboard and was in all probability lost. Strange
to say, I did not think at all of my own perilous position. I had gone
to save Jerry, and it seemed a matter of course that I must save him.
It must be remembered that our heads were very little above the level of
the water, and that although the sea had gone down considerably, we were
surrounded by masses of foam--now sinking into the trough, now rising to
the top of a wave. Our view, therefore, was very limited. We were
looking out eagerly for the ship through the thickening gloom. Happily,
when the life-buoy was let go, the trigger was pulled. This set off a
sort of blue light, which burned at the top, and which water could not
extinguish. We felt sure, therefore, that as long as that light
continued burning we should be seen by those on board. Our great dread
was that the light would go out before the ship could get back to us.
We strained our eyes in the direction of the ship. The thickening gloom
and mist were rapidly encircling her, and shrouding her from our sight.

"O Harry, Harry, she's going away, and they won't know where to look for
us!" cried Jerry. "Poor father, what will he do? and my carelessness
has brought you into this trouble, and poor Surley too. I wish you
hadn't jumped overboard for me."

"I'm very glad I did, for I don't think that you would have been alive
now if I had not," I answered; "and don't have any regrets about me--I
only did my duty, and I am sure that you would have done the same for
me. But I say, do you remember what Mr Brand talked about when we were
holding on by the bottom of the boat among the Falklands?"

"Yes, I do; something about our being summoned before many moments to
stand before the Judge of all the world," answered Jerry. "I've been
thinking of that just now."

"So have I," said