n about a mile of the heavily
labouring craft, George ordered sail to be shortened, and announced to
his officers his intention to stand by the wreck until the sea should
moderate sufficiently to enable boats to be lowered, when he would take
off the crew, and every preparation was made accordingly. The English
ship was so manoeuvred as to enable her to pass athwart the stranger's
stern and heave-to close under the lee of the latter; and presently, as
the space between the two craft rapidly narrowed, George was enabled to
distinguish, painted in large letters, the name _Dona Catalina_.
Springing into the weather main rigging of his own ship, the young
commander waited until but a few fathoms separated the two vessels, and
he was able to clearly distinguish the features of the three men who
were clinging desperately to the shattered poop bulwark rail of the
wreck, and then, with his hand placed trumpet-wise to his mouth as he
stood with his back supported by the rigging, he hailed in Spanish:

"Ho! the _Catalina_, ahoy! Do you wish to be taken off?"

"_Si, Senor, si, si_," answered a short, stout, black-bearded individual
who formed one of the trio on the stranger's poop, "we are full of water
and sinking. Take us off, for the love of God! We have pumped until we
can pump no more, our strength being completely exhausted, and the leak
is gaining on us rapidly."

"Very well," returned George. "I will remain near you until the sea
goes down sufficiently to launch a boat. Until then you must do the
best you can."

"But, Senor," shrieked the black-bearded one, "if you wait until then it
will be too late. It will be hours before the sea goes down enough to
permit of a boat being launched, and meanwhile our ship is filling fast.
Cannot you devise some means of taking us off at once? See how we are
rolling, and how the sea is breaking over us! Every moment I am in fear
that a heavier sea than usual will strike us and roll our vessel
completely over. Holy Mother of God! Do not leave us to drown like
rats in a trap, Senor!"

But by this time the two craft had drifted so far apart that further
speech just then was impossible, and as George descended from the
rigging he gave orders to fill the main topsail and get way on the ship
again. Then he ascended to the poop and joined Dyer, who was already
there.

"Well, Cap'n, what be us goin' to do?" demanded the pilot, whose
knowledge of Spanish was just sufficient to e