ies for
help reached our ears, but we could assist no one. Some were clinging
to spars and planks, and pieces of the shattered bulwarks; a few were
swimming, but the greater number were floundering about; and now I saw a
hand disappear--now two were thrown up to sink immediately beneath the
waves--now a shriek of agony reached our ears. It was very terrible.
The companion-hatch to which Toby and I clung had been so knocked about
that it scarcely held together, and I expected every moment that it
would go to pieces, and that we should be separated. I earnestly wished
for the boats to come to us, and it appeared to me that the frigate was
far longer than usual in heaving-to and lowering them. At last, as we
rose to the top of a wave, I saw three boats pulling towards us. The
men were giving way with all their might as British seamen always will
when lives are to be saved, even those of enemies. Several Frenchmen
had been picked up, when I saw a boat making towards us. Mr Johnson
was steering, and Spellman was the midshipman in her. We were not
recognised when we were hauled into the boat, and might not have been
had I not said--

"What, Spellman, don't you know me?"

"You, Merry," he exclaimed, looking at me with an astonished gaze.
"What business have you here? Why we left you drowning--up Channel
somewhere--hours ago."

"Thank you, but we have taken a cruise since then," said I.

"And rather a perilous one, young gentleman," exclaimed the boatswain,
now recognising me. "You had the shot rattling pretty thick about you,
and I'm heartily glad to see you safe, that I am." And he nearly wrung
my hand off as he shook it. "I never saw guns better aimed than ours
were, except once, and that was when I was attacking a Spanish
line-of-battle ship in a jolly boat. I'll tell you all about it some
day, but well just pick up some of these drowning Frenchmen first. Give
way, my lads."

The other two boats rescued several of the lugger's crew; we got hold of
six or seven more who were floating on spars or planks; one of them was
the second officer of the privateer; but out of a hundred and forty men
who were on her decks when she went down, not more than thirty were
rescued. Toby and I met with a very pleasant reception when we got on
board, and as soon as I had got on some dry clothes and had had a glass
of grog to restore my circulation, Captain Collyer sent for me into the
cabin to hear an account of our advent