crash
and in a cloud of fiery sparks plunged hissing over the side, the
opposite side, fortunately, to that on which the launch lay. This
aroused Captain Staunton; he gazed about him a single moment longer in a
dazed bewildered way, and then, as the ship rolled and the launch rose
upon a sea, sprang lightly down into the boat, and in a voice stern with
emotion, gave the order to shove off.

"Oh, papa," cried little May, "I's so glad you's come; I sought you
_weren't_ coming;" and the sweet little creature threw her arms lovingly
about her father's neck.

Do not deem him unmanly that he hid his eyes for a moment on his child's
shoulder, perchance to pray for her safety in the trials, the troubles,
and the dangers which now lay before them. Then handing the little one
back to her mother, he hailed in a cheery voice the rest of the boats to
close round the launch as soon as she had withdrawn to a safe distance.

In a few minutes the little fleet lay on their oars close together, at a
distance of about a hundred yards from the blazing ship. Captain
Staunton then in a few well-chosen words first thanked all hands for the
strenuous efforts they had made to save the ship; and then explained to
them his plans for the future. He proposed in the first place, he said,
to remain near the _Galatea_ as long as she floated; because if any
other craft happened to be in their neighbourhood, her crew would be
certain to notice the light of the fire and bear down to see what it
meant, in which case they would be spared the necessity for a long
voyage in the boats. But if no friendly sail appeared within an hour or
two of the destruction of their own ship, it was his intention to
continue in the boats the course to Valparaiso which they had been
steering when the fire broke out. By his reckoning they were a trifle
over eighteen hundred miles from this port--a long distance, no doubt;
but he reminded them that they were in the Pacific, and might reasonably
hope for moderately fine weather; their boats were all in perfect order,
well supplied, and in good sailing trim, instead of being loaded down to
the gunwale, as was too often the case when a crew were compelled to
abandon their ship; and he believed that, unless some unforeseen
circumstance occurred to delay them, they could make the passage in a
fortnight. And finally he expressed a hope that all hands would
maintain strict discipline and cheerfully obey the orders of their
of