e stern-
sheets and four hands to pull the oars, was lowered down all standing,
the helmsman "luffing up" at the proper moment, so that the way of the
ship might be arrested to prevent the gig being upset before getting on
an even keel in the sea, it being a rather ticklish thing to launch a
boat from a vessel under sail.

Luckily, however, the manoeuvre was safely accomplished without any
mishap, the fall tackles being unhitched the instant the gig touched the
water; and then, the boat's crew shipping their oars without delay, she
was pulled off to windward of us in the direction indicated by the look
out man in the foretop, who with his hand extended pointed the course to
be steered.

The _Josephine_ meanwhile gathered way again slowly and followed astern
of the boat, although somewhat more to leeward, the wind being almost in
her teeth and the ship having to sail close-hauled.

After a little time--for we had run nearly half a mile before going
about and some minutes were consumed in getting the ship round on the
opposite tack--we approached the spot where the accident had occurred;
then, all of us could see Jackson plainly from the deck.

He was swimming grandly; now rising up on the top of a rolling wave, and
then, as he surmounted this, sinking for a moment from sight in the
hollow of the next, but making steady progress towards the ship all the
while. Every now and again, too, he lifted one of his hands out of the
water on commencing his stroke, as if to tell us he was all right and in
good heart, noticing that we were coming to his rescue. The boat, the
while rowed ahead of us as fast as the men in her could pull, putting
their backs into the oars with all their strength, although making for
the gallant swimmer in a slanting course to that of the _Josephine_.

Nearer and nearer we sailed, but much more slowly than all hands on
board could wish, for the breeze was very light; nearer and nearer the
gig approached Jackson, until we could see the very expression of his
face.

He was actually grinning, and appeared from the movement of his mouth
once when on top of a roller, to shout out some chaffing exclamation to
us, seeming to regard the whole thing as a huge joke; and, Captain Miles
was just about issuing some order about backing the main-topsail in
order to heave the ship to, so as to get him and the boat aboard again,
when, all at once, our anticipated joy at welcoming the poor fellow was
turned into