He was right. The boat which had been lowered on the lee side at that
moment appeared from under the stern of the vessel, and pulled rapidly
towards them.

Owen undid his handkerchief and waved it above his head. He had thrown
off his cap before he had jumped overboard.

The boat, which was commanded by the second mate, was soon up to them.

"You did that well and bravely, Hartley," said Mr Grey, as Owen was
seated by his side supporting poor Nat, who was in a very exhausted
state. "I did not know even that you could swim, and you are the only
one who thought of jumping overboard to the poor lad."

Loud cheers greeted them as they came alongside, and Owen received the
compliments of the captain and the officers; even Mr Scoones
condescended to acknowledge that he had done a brave thing.

Nat, under the care of the doctor, soon recovered.

"You have saved my life, Mr Hartley, and you have stood my friend ever
since I came on board this ship," exclaimed Nat, the tears bursting from
his eyes. "I wish I could show what I feel, but I cannot, and I never
can thank you as much as I ought to do, that I know!"

"I don't see that I did anything out of the way," said Owen. "I saw
somebody drowning, and I just acted as I judged best to save him; any
tolerable swimmer could have done the same."

"That may be, sir," answered Nat, "but no one thought of doing it, and
if you had not I should have been drowned, so I have good reason to
thank you."

Captain Aggett had been for some time unwell, although he had come on
deck as usual. He now grew worse, and for days together was confined to
his cabin. Owen endeavoured to repay the kindness he had received by
being unremitting in his attentions. He sat by his bedside smoothing
the pillow which supported his fevered head. He read to him whenever he
was able to listen, and was always at hand to give him a cooling mixture
with which to moisten his parched lips. Although he talked of going
ashore at the Cape, he had so much recovered by the time the ship
reached Table Bay that he resolved to continue the voyage.

The ship therefore only remained sufficient time to take in water and
fresh provisions, and to have some slight repairs made which could not
be done at sea, when she again sailed.

Owen had been very regular in taking observations, which Mr Grey always
found to be correct, although they differed frequently from those of the
first mate.

"The truth is that he is