d stump to steady himself, proceeded to wave his coat
energetically. Luckily for the pair in distress, they were to the
westward of the approaching ship, with the evening sky, in which still
lingered a pale primrose glow, behind them, and against this background
their figures and that of the boat stood out black as silhouettes cut in
ebony. It is possible that, even with this advantage, they might have
escaped notice, had not Phil thought of waving his coat; but the figure
of him standing there, apparently upon nothing--for it was only now and
then that a small portion of the hull became visible--waving frantically
something big enough to show up strongly, soon attracted attention on
board the approaching ship, and Stukely had scarcely been ten minutes
engaged on his waving operations when he had the gratification of seeing
a flag float out over the rail and go soaring up to the main truck,
while the stranger's helm was slightly shifted and she swerved
perceptibly toward them.

"Glory be! they have seen us, and are bearing away for us, so it matters
little now whether the lugger sinks or swims," exclaimed Stukely, as he
sprang off the thwart and resumed his task of baling with renewed zest.
"Nevertheless," he continued, "it will be well to keep her afloat as
long as we may, since she affords a bigger mark to steer for than would
the heads of us two afloat upon the darkling water."

The stranger--a tall and stately ship of some two hundred and forty tons
measurement--was now close aboard of the dismasted lugger; and well was
it for the occupants of the latter that such was the case; for as the
ship cleverly rounded-to, with her topsails lowered, alongside and to
windward of the boat, so near was the latter to foundering that the bow
wave of the rescuing craft completed the disaster by surging in over the
gunwale in sufficient volume to fill her; and down she went, at the
precise moment when some half a dozen ropes, hurled by the sailors
above, came whirling down about the shoulders of Dick and Stukely.

"Haul away!" shouted the two, with one accord, each grasping the rope's
end that came first to hand as they felt the lugger sinking and
themselves going down with her; and the next moment they were dragged,
dripping wet, up the lee side of the ship and in over her high bulwarks.

"Better late than never; iss, fegs!" exclaimed a stout, burly man of
middle height, clad in a crimson doublet of slashed silk, and trunk
ho