ing anxiously for the return of the
boats. One, however, only was seen to put off from the side of the
frigate with the remainder of the prize crew, Mr Hansom deeming it
imprudent to allow more than necessary to make the passage. It was not
without considerable difficulty that this boat reached the side of the
prize. Again Denham urged the captain to quit her, but he refused on
the same plea as before. Indeed, it was very evident the boat herself
would only carry in one trip the prize crew. Denham had ordered all the
men to go into the boat, and at length finding that the Dutchman
persisted in remaining on board, he could not bring himself to desert
the brave fellow.

"Well," he said, "I will remain too, and assist the men on board to keep
the ship afloat, for I feel I have no business to detain my own people
with so great a risk."

"If you remain, Mr Denham, so will I," exclaimed Ned Davis, who had
followed his friend. "It may be, if we keep the pumps going, that the
ship will float until there is time to get more boats alongside."

Before he allowed the boat to shove off Denham wrote a short note to Mr
Hansom, begging him, unless the sea continued to increase, to send boats
to carry off the wounded people; "but," he concluded his note, "should
it do so, run no risk of losing any lives--leave us to the care of God."

The boat shoved off, and the sinking frigate was left to struggle alone
amidst the fast-rising sea.

The French crew, encouraged by the example of their gallant captain,
exerted themselves to the utmost to stop the leak, while those not thus
occupied stood manfully at the pumps. By this means the sorely battered
frigate continued to keep afloat, but each time the well was sounded it
was found that the water had gained somewhat upon her, in spite of all
the efforts made to free her of water.

Ned Davis was a host in himself, flying here and there, aiding in
stopping shot-holes, and then returning to take his spell at the pumps.

The young lieutenant anxiously looked out for any signs of change in the
weather, but that continued as bad as ever, till it became too evident
that the frigate could not much longer be made to swim.

Denham thought of suggesting that the wounded men should be brought on
deck, to give them a better chance of escaping; but the doctor said they
would thus to a certainty perish, and that if the ship went down it
would be more merciful to them not to allow them to see the