alone. They waited for him anxiously. He
quickly put his head up the hatchway.

"She's the _Snapper_--no doubt about that; but there's not a soul aft,"
he exclaimed. "At all events, however, they were not starved, for there
are plenty of provisions in the locker."

Having let himself down into the hold, holding on to the coaming with
one hand, he stretched out the other with the lantern, so as to let its
light fall on every side. No one was there. He then made his way into
the fore-peak. It seemed to Jack that he was a long time absent, though
in reality scarcely a minute passed before he scrambled out again.

"What has become of the youngsters I can't say, but on board this craft
they are not; nor is their monkey Spider, who with his long tail to hold
on by was not likely to be washed overboard," he exclaimed, as he sprang
back into the boat. "The sooner we shove off the better, for she is
filling fast, and may go to the bottom at any moment."

"I can't bear to leave her though without having a look round," said
Jack, taking the lantern from Higson.

He made his way into the little cabin, and was soon convinced that
Higson was right. Not a trace of the midshipmen could he see. He
searched the hold and the fore-peak. They were not there, dead or
alive. Jack came back to the boat and sat down, feeling very sorrowful.

"Let me go in again," said the old mate, as he took the lantern.

He was back very soon with three small carpet-bags in his hand.

"Be sharp," cried Adair. "She is going down!"

He spoke truly. Higson made a leap into the boat, which shoved off just
as the drogher, giving a slight roll, sank from sight. The crew pulled
away from her.

"I could only find my own and two other fellows' bags," said Higson.
"The others must have slipped down into the water."

The boat at once returned to the schooner with the sad intelligence.
Norris and the master's-assistant were very glad to get back their
carpet-bags. Their recovery, it is possible, somewhat consoled them for
the loss of their young messmates. They, at all events, congratulated
themselves that they had not been on board the drogher when she was
blown away from Saba.

Jack, who loved his brother dearly, was very much grieved at his loss;
so was Terence for Gerald, though he thought most of the sorrow his
sister would suffer when she heard of her boy's death.

"Arrah now; I wish that I'd let him stay at home and turn farmer; but