rown aback, and the Young
America was hove to, in order to enable her people to perform their
humane mission.

"Stand by to lower the barge and gig!" continued Haven.

"Mr. Haven, you will board the wreck in the gig," said Captain Gordon.

"Yes, sir," replied he, touching his cap, and handing the trumpet to the
second lieutenant.

"Mr. Kendall, you will take charge of the barge," added the captain.

"The barge, sir," answered Kendall, passing the trumpet to Goodwin, the
third lieutenant, who, during the absence of his superiors, was to
discharge the duty of the executive officer.

The boats were cleared away, and every preparation made for lowering
them into the water. This was a difficult and dangerous manoeuvre in the
heavy sea which was running at the time. The professors' barge, which
was secured at the davits on the weather side of the ship, was to be
lowered with her crew on board, and they took their places on the
thwarts, with their hands to the oars in readiness for action. The
principal had requested Mr. Fluxion to go in the barge and Mr. Peaks in
the gig, not to command the boats, but to give the officers such
suggestions as the emergency of the occasion might require.

"All ready, sir," reported Ward, the coxswain of the barge, when the
oarsmen were in their places.

"Stand by the after tackle, Ward," said Haven. "Bowman, attend to the
fore tackle."

At a favorable moment, when a great wave was sinking down by the ship's
side, the order was given to lower away, and in an instant the barge
struck the water. Ward cast off the after tackle, and the bowman did the
same with the forward tackle. At the moment the order to lower was
given, as the wave sank down, the ship rolled to windward, and the boat
struck the water some eight feet from the vessel's side.

"Up oars!" said the coxswain, with energy.

"Lively, Ward," added the first lieutenant.

"Let fall!" continued the coxswain, as a billow lifted the boat, so that
those on board could see the ship's deck. "Give way together!"

The barge, tossed like a feather on the high seas, gathered headway, and
moved off towards the wreck.

The lowering of the barge had been so successful that the same method
was adopted with the gig; but as she was under the lee of the ship,
there was less difficulty in getting her off. She pulled round the
ship's bow, and having made less stern way in starting both boats came
up under the counter of the wreck at about th