f wood capable of being easily and quickly
withdrawn; and finally the bights thus formed were passed over the hooks
of the blocks, the tackles, were boused taut and made fast again, and
the temporary supports were cast off, thus leaving the boat once more
suspended by the tackles. George explained the device to the men, and
when he was satisfied that they perfectly understood the working of it,
ordered them into the boat, himself following them and stationing
himself at the craft's tiller, when a short wait occurred during which
the _Nonsuch_ was working her way toward the position necessary for the
success of the experiment which was about to be made.

At length the critical moment arrived; the _Nonsuch_ rolled and plunged,
with creaking timbers and groaning yards, up to windward of and some
fifty fathoms distant from the wallowing Spaniard, and, the mainyard
having been backed with perfect judgment by Dyer, came to a standstill
exactly abreast the dismasted hulk, thus affording a lee and
comparatively smooth water in which her boat might make a dash for the
wreck; then, taking advantage of a heavy lee roll, the boat was very
smartly lowered away upon an even keel, and struck the water with a
resounding splash.

"Let go!" yelled George, as he felt the boat take the water, and prompt
at the word the two men who were stationed at the tackles drew the well-
greased toggles, releasing the boat, oars were thrown out, and away
dashed the boat right down to leeward, heading to pass under the stern
of the wreck and come up in the comparatively sheltered water under her
lee. The passage was but a short one, and some three minutes later the
small craft, tossed buoyantly aloft upon the great foaming surges, had
safely passed under the stern of the _Dona Catalina_ and rounded-to
under her lee. Then the _Nonsuch_, which had by this time driven down
perilously near to the wreck, filled away again and just managed to
handsomely draw clear.

The three Spaniards were still clinging for their lives to the broken
bulwarks, and as George looked up he caught a momentary glimpse of some
seven or eight other heads peering over the rail down in the vessel's
waist; but there was nothing to indicate that anything had been done by
those on board to help those who were risking their own lives to save
theirs. There was no time for argument or discussion, however;
therefore George simply hailed the trio on the poop, tersely explaining
that h