The first object was to draw water and extinguish the flames, which were
spreading over the vessel; as soon as that was accomplished, our hero
went aft to the taffrail, and looked for the cutter which had been
sunk.--"Gascoigne, jump into the boat with four men--I see the cutter
floats a quarter of a mile astern: there may be some one alive yet. I
think now I see a head or two."

Gascoigne hastened away, and soon returned with three of the cutter's
men; the rest had sunk, probably killed or wounded by the discharge of
the broadside.

"Thank God, there's three saved!" said Jack, "for we have lost too many.
We must now see if any of these poor fellows are yet alive, and clear
the decks of the remnants of those who have been blown to pieces. I
say, Ned, where should we have been if we had boarded with the pinnace?"

"You always fall upon your feet, Easy," replied Gascoigne; "but that
does not prove that you are right."

"I see there's no convincing you, Ned, you are so confoundedly fond of
argument. However, I've no time to argue now--we must look to these
poor fellows; some are still alive."

Body after body was thrown through the ports, the habiliments, in most
cases, enabling them to distinguish whether it was that of a departed
friend or foe.

Jack turned round, and observed Mesty with his foot on a head which had
been blown from the trunk.

"What are you about, Mesty?"

"Massa Easy, I look at dis, and I tink it Massa Vigor's head, and den I
tink dis skull of his enemy nice present make to little Massa Gossett;
and den I tink again, and I say, no, he dead and nebber thrash any
more--so let him go overboard."

Jack turned away, forgiving Vigors in his heart, he thought of the petty
animosities of a midshipman's berth, as he looked at the blackened
portion of a body, half an hour before possessing intellect.

"Massy Easy," said Mesty, "I tink you say right, anyhow, when you say
forgive: den, Massa Vigors," continued Mesty, taking up the head by the
singed hair, and tossing it out of the port, "you really very bad man--
but Ashantee forgive you."

"Here's somebody alive," said Gascoigne to Jack, examining a body, the
face of which was black as a cinder and not to be recognised, "and he is
one of our men too, by his dress."

Our hero went up to examine, and to assist Gascoigne in disengaging the
body from a heap of ropes and half-burned tarpaulings with which it was
entangled. Mesty followed, and looking