, to his excited
fancy, already began to look small.

But he had very little time for thinking.

"Be ready with that boathook," shouted the second lieutenant.

"Ay, ay, sir. Mustn't miss this one," muttered the speaker to himself.

"See him, Mr Vandean?"

"No, not yet, sir."

"You ought to, by now. Watch for the rippled water where he is
swimming."

"That's what I am doing, sir," replied Mark, "but I can't see anything."

"He's floating, perhaps. Pull away, my lads. Steady; we don't want to
pass him."

There was a few minutes' silence.

"See him now, Mr Vandean?" said the lieutenant again, and Mark was
silent for a few moments, as he scanned the surface round from beneath
his hand.

"No, sir, no sign of him."

"Oh, don't say that, my lad. Look, look. We mustn't miss the poor
fellow. Strikes me that we're going to pick up the whole cargo this
way. Now then, wasn't that a splash yonder?"

"No, sir, I can't see anything," said Mark sadly; and as he still
eagerly scanned the surface amidst a breathless silence, only broken by
the flapping of the water against the bows of the boat, it again struck
Mark with a chill of awe that they were being left alone there; and he
asked himself what would happen if the _Nautilus_ could not find them
again.

This was momentary, for his attention was taken up by his search, and
the officer said again, in angry impatience now,--"Come, Mr Vandean,
where's this poor fellow? Here, lie to, my lads."

The men ceased rowing, and sat with their oars balanced, looking out on
either side for some sign of the man overboard but there was none, and
Mark heaved a deep sigh.

"Yes," said the lieutenant, as if that sigh were in words; "it's a bad
case, my lad. I am afraid he's gone, poor fellow."

"Someone struck him before he went overboard," said Mark.

"You saw that?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then he has gone. We never saw him swimming. I'm afraid we must begin
to row for the ship if we do not see him in a few minutes. She's
leaving us a long way behind."

"I see him, sir," cried the coxswain. "Here he is!"

He made a dash with his boathook, but the object he sought to reach was
so far out, that he overbalanced himself and went in with a heavy
plunge.

"You clumsy dog!" roared the lieutenant. "Back water port, pull
starboard. That's it. Now then, in oars there, and lay hold of him."

The men on the port side obeyed, and in their excitement, three started
up and r