ng to see what was to
be seen.

I found myself by Alister once more, and he helped me to hold on, and
pointed where every one else was pointing. There was a lull in the eager
talking of the men, and the knot of captain and the officers on the
bridge stood still, and Alister roared through the wind into my
ear--"Bide a wee, the moon 'll be out again."

I waited, and the cloud passed from her face or she sailed from beneath
it, and at the same instant I saw a streak of light upon the water in
which a black object bobbed up and down as the porpoises had bobbed, and
all the men burst out again, and a crowd rushed up on to the forecastle.

"It's half-a-mile aft."--"A bit of wreck."--"An old sugar
hogshead."--"The emperor of the porpoises."--"Is it the sea sarpint
ye're maning?"--"Will hany gentleman lend me 'is hopera-glass?"--"I'm
blessed if I don't think we're going to go half speed. I sailed seven
years in the _Amiable_ with old Savage, and I'm blessed if he ever put
her a point out of her course for anything. 'Every boat for herself, and
the sea for us all,' he used to say, and allus kept his eyes forwards in
foul weather."--"Aisy, Tom, aisy, ye're out of it entirely. It's the
Humane Society's gold medal we'll all be getting for saving
firewood."--"Stow your jaw, Pat, _that's_ not wreck, it's--"

At this moment the third mate's voice rang through the ship--

"A boat bottom up!"

The men passed from chaff to a silence whose eagerness could be felt,
through which another voice came through the wind from the
poop--"_there's something on her_!" and I turned that way, and saw the
captain put down his glass, and put his hand to his mouth; and when he
sang out "A MAN!" we all sprang to our feet, and opened our lips, but
the boatswain put up his hand, and cried, "Silence, fore and aft!
Steady, lads! Look to the captain!"

The gold cap-bands glittered close together, and then, clear to be seen
in a sudden gleam of moonlight, the captain leaned forward and shouted
to the crew, "Fo'cs'le there!" And they sang out, "Aye, aye, sir!"

"Volunteers for the whaleboat!"

My heart was beating fast enough, but I do not think I could have
counted a dozen throbs, before, with a wild hurrah, every man had leaped
from the forecastle, Alister among them, and I was left alone.

I was just wondering if I could possibly be of use, when I heard the
captain's voice again. (He had come down, and was where the whaleboat
was hanging, which,