was in the middle of the waist, a sea swept the deck, and would have
carried him off had it not been for the rope round him.

He was hauled back not a little bruised. Still he insisted on making
another attempt. Having kicked off his shoes, away he went. The deck
was clearer than usual of water. He ran and leaped along, and before
another sea came had reached the fore-hatch. His first care was to make
the rope fast to the windlass. Then he slipped off the hatch and
descended. He soon again appeared, and succeeded in reaching the after
part of the vessel with a good supply of food and a can.

"There," he said, "that's full of honest grog; it will do all hands
good. But, I say, we must try and get the poor Frenchman up out of his
bunk. He'll be drowned in it if we don't in a short time."

It was agreed that the Frenchman and the black ought to perform the
duty; but it was not till they had taken several pulls at the grog can
that they seemed to understand what was required of them. Even then Mr
Nott had to show a pistol, and hint that they should not remain where
they were if they did not go and help the wounded man.

The rope which Fid secured made the task comparatively, easy. Led by
the little fellow himself, at last they set off. When they got below,
they found so much water that the poor fellow was very nearly washed out
of his berth. They managed, however, to get him on deck. To carry him
aft, however, was the most difficult part of their task. As it was, the
Frenchman, in his anxiety to take care of himself, let go his hold of
his wounded countryman; and had it not been for Fid and the black, he
would have been washed overboard.

At length they reached the stern in safety. The account Fid gave,
however, of the quantity of water below, was truly appalling. They
could not hope that the brig could swim many hours longer, and should
she go down, they had nothing on which to float; the boats were gone,
not a spar remained. There were the hatches, certainly; but there would
scarcely be time to construct a raft out of them.

Mr Nott had, during this time, been attending to his messmate. It was
some time before young Elmore again revived.

Nott was curious to know how his messmate had come to be on board the
schooner which had chased them.

"I will tell you in a few words," said Elmore. "We had not parted
company with the frigate many hours before a strange sail hove in sight.
As I knew that we