compact bundle to the buoy, and the
bucket was a fixture. Thus, if Bob had the life-buoy, he also had the
means of indicating his whereabouts, and that, too, at a considerable
distance. And I knew pretty nearly in what direction I ought to steer,
in order to take the most effectual means of finding him.

Whilst hove-to, the _Lily's_ course or drift was, on the whole, as
nearly as possible at right angles to the direction of the wind. It
only remained then to turn her round and keep the wind directly abeam,
and I should be going back pretty nearly over the same ground I had been
traversing since Bob went overboard.

Accordingly, I lost no time in getting the _Lily_ round, when I once
more hove her to, and went aloft to the cross-trees with my glass to see
if the white flag were visible.

A long and anxious scrutiny followed, but without any discovery. I did
not feel any very great disappointment at this, for I thought it very
probable I was too far away to discover so small an object, even with
the aid of my glass.

Once satisfied that it was nowhere to be seen, I quickly descended to
the deck, trimmed the sheets flowing, and away the little craft bounded
over the bright flashing sea.

I stood on for an hour exactly, when I once more hauled the fore-sheet
to windward, and went aloft with my glass again.

My first look was ahead, first with the naked eye, and then with the
glass; but not a speck could I discern to break the monotony of the
blue-grey of the sea, except an occasional curling foam-crest. I next
carefully swept the ocean from forward round to windward, thinking I
might have run too far off the wind.

Once or twice I thought I detected a flickering of something white, but
it instantly disappeared again; and I was obliged to believe it was only
the foam of a breaking wave. I was about to descend once more to the
deck, when it occurred to me to take a glance to leeward. I once more
levelled my glass, and swept it over the surface of the sea; but again I
could see nothing. I reluctantly closed it, slung it over my shoulder,
and swung myself off the cross-trees to go down by the mast-hoops, when
my eye was arrested for a moment by what I _knew_ at once to be the
flag.

Almost as I caught sight of it, I lost it again; and as the craft was
constantly falling off or coming up again into the wind, I hardly knew
exactly in what point to look for it. However, I regained my position
upon the cross-tree