another native got into the second mate's boat.

"We'll have to run before this, Atkins," said the mate, alluding to the
approaching squall; "it will last a couple of hours or more by the look
of it. Are you very wet, Miss Remington?"

"Very, Mr. Oliver," answered the girl, with a laugh; "but I don't mind
it a bit, as the rain is not cold. I am too old a 'sailor man' to mind
a wetting. Are you all quite well? I can't see your face, Mr. Studdert,
nor yours, Mr. Morrison, it is so dark. Oh, Mr. Studdert, I wish I had
one of your cigarettes to smoke."

"I wish I had one to give you, miss," answered the pale-faced young
engineer. "A pipe is no to my liking, but I fear me I'll have to tackle
one in the morning."

Alas, poor Studdert, little did he know that the morning, now so near,
was to be his last.

"Goodbye for the present, Miss Remington," called out Oliver as the
boats again separated. "Take good care of her, Harvey, and of yoursels
too. He'll be getting an attack of the shakes in the morning, miss,
after all this wetting. Give him plenty of rum, my dear, whether he
likes it or not. You're a plucky little lady, and next to having you in
my own boat I am glad to see you with Atkins. Cheer up, lads, one and
all; we'll have the sun out in another hour."

Half an hour later both boats were driving before the fury of the
squall, and the crews had to keep constantly bailing, for this time the
violence of the wind was such that, despite the most careful steering
of the two officers, large bodies of water came over amidships, and
threatened to swamp the boats.

When dawn came the sky was again as clear as it had been on the previous
morning, and Atkins stood up and looked for the captain's and mate's
boats.

"There they are, Harvey," and he pointed to the westward; "the skipper
is under sail, and making back towards Oliver. Well, that's one thing
about him, dog as he is--he's a thorough sailor man, and is standing
back to take Oliver in tow again."

At this time the captain's boat was about three miles distant from that
of the second mate, and Oliver's between the two, but much nearer to
Hendry and Chard's than to Atkins's. She was under both mainsail and
jib, and as the sea was again very smooth was slipping through the water
very quickly under a now steady breeze, as she stood towards the mate's
boat.

As the red sun burst from the ocean Atkins told the crew to cease
pulling for a few minutes and get something