ave been capsized. Keep her away towards it." The
schooner, with a fair breeze, rapidly approached the object they had
seen. It was soon ascertained that Hemming was right in his
conjectures. They got close up to the wreck. There was no one on her!
"By the set of the current here, I judge that she may have come over the
very bar we have just crossed--not very long ago either," observed
Hemming, thoughtfully. Twice he sailed round the wreck, examining her
narrowly. "I am afraid something has happened," he observed at last; "I
am not happy on the subject. It cannot be helped though. It may be the
lot of any of us. Keep her up once more for the brig."

Alick and Terence became very sad when they heard these remarks. They
scarcely liked to ask Hemming what he meant. As they talked over the
matter, they felt very much alarmed on Jack's account. Still they could
not believe that he, their old friend and companion, could possibly be
lost.

"No, no, he'll turn up somewhere, I'm sure," cried Paddy.

"I trust he will," answered Alick, gravely; but he felt very sad and
depressed in spirits.

Hemming seemed doubtful what to do; whether he would across the bar,
make a dash at the pirates, and run up the river and look for his
friends, or stand on at once and get greater force from the brig. The
latter was the wisest course, and he determined to follow it. The
_Archer_ had stood away in chase of another vessel of a suspicious
appearance, and when night fell she was nowhere to be seen. Hemming,
therefore, hove the schooner to, to wait till her return. Had he gone
after her they might very probably, in the darkness of night, have
missed each other.

Never, perhaps, had my two old schoolfellows passed a more anxious
night, even when they were wrecked on the coast of Greece; then the
three friends were together; now their minds were racked with doubts of
the most painful description as to what had become of Jack and his
companions. Had they known of the destruction of the boat and her crew,
they would, if possible, have been still more anxious.

Hemming also kept pacing the deck all night long, looking out on every
side, like a good officer, as he was, who felt that the lives of the
people with him were entrusted to his care. He did not dread any attack
from boats, but he knew that armed slavers might be attempting to run in
or out of the river while the brig was away, and that if they attempted
to molest him, h