hance be fallen in with some time or other.

Mr Scrofton, meantime, who, though a bad philosopher, was a thorough
seaman, had run down at about the distance from the shore he understood
the pinnace had been when capsized. He had, however, passed the spot,
according to his calculations, some way, no sign of the wreck having
been seen, when a hail was heard.

"There they are! hurrah!" cried some of the men.

"No, no; that came from a boat. I see her."

"What boat is that?" asked Mr Scrofton.

"A shore-boat, and I am Tom Rogers," was the answer.

The boats were soon alongside each other. Tom said that as soon as he
could procure a boat he had shoved off, and that Archy Gordon had done
the same--he was at no great distance in another boat.

"You don't expect to find her hereabouts," said Mr Scrofton. "She will
have been carried according to my calculation, four or it may be five
miles more to the southward by this time, and it will take us the best
part of an hour before we are up to her. My plan is to run down that
distance, or more than that, and then to beat back. It's better to go
rather beyond her than a little short, and if she is still floating we
shall fall in with her."

Tom saw the wisdom of this plan, and the two boats stood on in company,
a bright look-out being kept on either side. They had run on for some
time when Tom thought that they must have gone far enough, but the
boatswain persevered. Tom's boat being manned by blacks he had nothing
to do but look out. Fully half-an-hour had passed, when he thought he
saw an object ahead. He hailed Mr Scrofton's boat.

"All right!" was the answer, "I see her."

"Let go the halyards," cried the boatswain, and the sails were lowered,
but as they approached great was Tom's sorrow to see only five people
clinging to the boat. Mr Houghton and Lieutenant Jennings were among
them, but he could not distinguish Gerald Desmond.

"Poor fellow, he must have gone," he murmured.

"Where are the rest?" asked Mr Scrofton, as the boat ran alongside, and
eager hands were stretched out to lift the sufferers on board, for they
could with difficulty help themselves. "We are glad to see you,
though."

"They had not left us five minutes before we saw you," answered Mr
Jennings; "they cannot as yet be many hundred yards off."

Tom immediately pulled away towards the shore in the direction the
swimmers must have taken. He knew that though the time was short they
m