lowered was not in general use, and consequently had in her all
sorts of things which should not have been there. It appeared a long
time before she was in the water. I watched my poor foster-brother with
intense anxiety, expecting to see him go down before Tom could reach
him. He was on the point of sinking when my gallant little messmate got
up to him, and throwing himself on his back, placed Larry's head on his
own breast, so as completely to keep it out of the water. My fear was
that Larry might come to himself and begin to struggle or get hold of
Tom, which might be fatal to both. They were drifting farther and
farther away from the ship. Tom had not uttered one cry for help,
evidently being confident that the boat would be sent to pick them up.
Every movement of his showed that he was calm, and knew perfectly what
he was about. At length the boat was got into the water, the first
lieutenant and four hands jumped into her, and away the men pulled as
fast as they could lay their backs to the oars. It was blowing fresh,
and there was a good deal of ripple in the harbour, so that the wavelets
every now and then washed over Tom. Suddenly Larry, coming to himself,
did what I feared; he seized hold of Tom, and in another instant would
have dragged him down had not Tom dexterously got clear and held him up
by the collar of his shirt. The boat was quickly up to them, and they
were, to my intense satisfaction, safely hauled on board. She then
rapidly pulled back to the ship, and both greatly exhausted, Larry being
scarcely conscious, were lifted up on deck. McPherson, the
assistant-surgeon, who had been summoned at once, ordered Tom to be
taken below.

"Never mind me," said Tom. "I shall be all to rights presently, when
I've changed and had a cup of grog. You'll let me have that, won't you,
McPherson? And now you go and attend to the poor fellow who wants you
more than I do."

"Vara true; he ought, from the way he fell, to have broken every bone in
his body; and it's wonderful he did not do it. He seems, indeed, not to
be much the worse for his fall, except a slight paralysis," he remarked
when he had finished his examination. "Take him down to the sick bay,
and I'll treat him as he requires."

I first went below to thank Tom Pim for saving my follower, and to
express my admiration of his courage and resolution.

"Oh, it's nothing," he answered; "I can swim better than you, or you'd
have done the same.