asing
notice of our approach. There was a pause, as if they were recovering
from their surprise; and then it was answered by a shout so feeble, that
it sounded more like the sighing of the wind among the crumbling walls
of some old building, than a cheer of welcome. It was now too dark to
distinguish any one, but I fancied that I saw the heads of several
people over the taffrail, as if eagerly watching us. We were soon
alongside, when some one attempted to heave us a rope, but it fell short
of the boat. We, however, hooked on to the main-chains, and, followed
by Jack, I was not long in scrambling on board. A seaman stood there,
holding a ship's lantern, which shed a feeble light around, where all
was wreck and confusion; and it besides exhibited more strongly his own
countenance, which looked haggard and emaciated in the extreme. The
greater part of the bulwarks, the spare spars, the caboose, and the
boats had been carried away,--indeed, the sea must have made a clean
sweep over her; and it seemed not a little surprising, from the
appearance of the deck, that any human beings should have remained, and
that the ship herself should have escaped foundering. Besides the man
who held the lantern, three equally wretched-looking beings came to meet
us. I observed that some others were lying on the deck, round one of
the chain-pumps, as if they had sunk down with fatigue; while two more
were stretched out alongside the only remaining gun, the report of which
we had heard. I thought to myself, Can those poor fellows be dead? but
I dared not ask the question.

"You seem in a bad plight," I observed, as I looked round.

"Bad enough," answered one of the seaman; "and if you don't bear a hand,
we shall have the ship sinking under us."

"We'll do our best for you; but how can our boat carry all your ship's
company?" I asked, for I thought I saw other people moving aft, and
fancied that some must be below.

"Oh, she'll carry all of us that's alive," returned the same
rough-spoken seaman. "But, sir," he continued, "we have two aboard here
whom we must get out of harm's way before we look after ourselves."

"Where are they?" I asked.

"Right aft, sir," he answered, leading the way along the deck.

As I followed him, I passed two bodies stretched out at full length.

"They'll never break biscuit again," observed one of the men. "We were
near thirty souls in all, and this night there only remain six of us
alive."