w then, lads," said Leslie, as the men came aft and began to cast off
the gripes, "we have no time to lose. The sun will set in another ten
minutes, and then it will very soon be dark. We must look lively, or we
shall not reach that wreckage without having a troublesome search for
it. Ah, that is all right," as he stood on the rail and looked into the
boat, "I see that her gear is all in her, and that you have kept her
tight by leaving some water in her. We may as well get rid of that
water before we lower her."

And so saying, he stepped into the little craft, and, pulling out the
plug, allowed the water to run off.

"We are all ready for lowerin', sir," sang out one of the men,
presently.

"Then lower at once," answered Leslie, as he pushed back the plug into
its place, "and then jump down into her as quickly as you like."

In another moment the boat squelched gently into the water; the men
tumbled over the brig's low side into her and unhooked the tackle
blocks; the man who was going to pull the bow oar raised it in his hands
and with it bore the boat's bow off the ship's side; the other three men
threw out their oars; and Leslie crying, "Give way, men," as he grasped
the yoke lines, the little craft started on her errand of mercy, heading
straight for the wreckage, the bearings of which in relation to the fast
setting sun, Leslie had very carefully taken just before the boat was
lowered.

It was at this moment absolutely a flat calm; there was not the faintest
breath of air stirring anywhere in the great dome of cloudless sky that
overarched the brig; the swell had subsided until it was scarcely
perceptible; and the whole surface of the sea gleamed like a polished
mirror, faithfully reflecting the rich blue of the sky to the eastward--
against which the commonplace little brig, illumined by the brilliant
ruddy orange light of the setting sun, glowed like a gem of exquisite
beauty--while away to the westward it repeated with equal fidelity the
burning glories of the dying day.

The sun was just vanishing beneath the horizon when Leslie caught his
first glimpse of the raft from the stern-sheets of the boat, in which he
stood, instead of sitting, in order that he might extend his horizon as
much as possible. For the next five minutes he was able to steer by the
glow of the sunset in the sky; but by the end of this time the glow had
faded to a tender grey, and the night descended upon them almost with
the ra