imperceptibly up to them, a few
strokes of Leslie's arms took the pair alongside, where some half a
dozen rope's ends, with loops in them, already dangled in the water.
With a deft movement, Leslie seized and dropped one of them over his
head and under his armpits; then, taking Miss Trevor about the waist, he
gave the word "Hoist away, handsomely," and four men, standing on the
brig's rail, dragged them up the vessel's low side, and assisted them to
gain the deck.

The vessel, on board which they now found themselves, was a small craft
compared with the _Golden Fleece_, measuring, as Leslie had already
guessed, about two hundred and thirty tons register. That she was
British the language of her crew had already told him; and he was
thankful that it was so, for he might now reasonably hope for courteous
treatment of himself and his companion--which is not always to be
reckoned upon with certainty, under such circumstances, if the craft
happens to be manned by foreigners. The vessel, moreover, appeared to
be tolerably clean; while the crew seemed to be a fairly decent lot of
men.

As he gained the deck, a tall, dark, rather handsome man--but with an
expression of countenance that Leslie hardly liked--stepped forward. He
was clad entirely in white, and was clearly the master of the brig.

"Good morning," he said, without offering his hand, or uttering any word
of welcome. "Where the devil do you come from?"

"We are," answered Leslie, "survivors--the only two, I am afraid--of the
passenger ship _Golden Fleece_, bound to Melbourne, which was run into
and sunk by an unknown steamer last night about eleven o'clock, during a
dense fog. My name is Leslie; I was one of the cuddy passengers; and
this lady--who was likewise a cuddy passenger--is Miss Trevor."

The man's rather saturnine features relaxed as he gazed with undisguised
admiration at the lovely girl, wet and bedraggled though she was; and,
stepping up to her, he held out his hand, saying--

"Your most obedient, miss. Glad to see you aboard my ship. My name's
Potter--James Potter; and this brig's the _Mermaid_, of London, bound
out to Valparaiso with a general cargo. And this," he added, directing
the girl's attention toward a slight, active-looking man who stood
beside him, "is my only mate, Mr Purchas."

Miss Trevor bowed slightly, first to one and then to the other of the
two men, as these introductions were made; then, turning once more to
Potter, s