ently about to swoop down upon them.
It was but a glance, for I sprang over to the other side to jump into
the boat, eager to be among those going to save them. The second mate
was already in the boat, three other hands following. As soon as we got
under the stern of the brig, we saw the captain standing aft, pointing
in the direction we were to steer. The second mate, I thought, appeared
very cool.

"Give way, lads," he shouted. "We shall be up to them before that bird
strikes either of them on the head, for it seems that is what he is
trying to do."

A long rolling sea was running, and only when we were at the top of a
wave were those ahead of us visible to the mate, who stood up every now
and then the better to watch them.

"There's that bird making another swoop!" he exclaimed, and soon
afterwards he cried out, "He has risen again. Give way, lads! He may
not have struck both."

I did give way as may be supposed. If one had been struck, might it not
have been Uncle Jack!

"He has hold of the grating at last!" cried the mate. "I see him waving
his hand. There comes the bird again!"

Once more my heart sank within me. I could not turn round to look, or I
might have missed my stroke. The boat seemed to be making but fearfully
slow progress as I watched the brig rising to the seas, and as she
pitched into them, throwing the spray over her bows. There stood the
captain pointing with his hand, as if to encourage us to persevere. On
and on we pulled, I expecting every moment to hear the mate exclaim that
the albatross had made a fatal swoop. At last I heard a voice, though a
very weak one, cry, "Take the boy in first."

I knew it was that of Uncle Jack; I saw him lift little Jem up while he
held on to the gunwale. The two men in the bow then hauled him in, and
next the grating on which he had supported himself.

Uncle Jack sank down utterly exhausted. We passed the boy aft. He
seemed to be dead. We then dragged the first mate into the
stern-sheets, but could not attend to him, for we were compelled to keep
our oars going to get the boat round as soon as possible. Uncle Jack
lay without moving. I saw that one of his shoes was off. He presently
came to. His first thought was for the boy, whose hands and chest he
began to chafe as well as his weakness would allow.

The second mate, I thought, might have spared a hand to help him, but he
looked on, it seemed to me, with indifference, jealous tha