the level of the lower-mast-head, and her
mizenmast intact. I noticed that she appeared to be floating very deep
in the water, and that most of the seas that met her seemed to be
sweeping her fore and aft; and I believed I could detect the presence of
a small group of people huddled up together abaft the skylight upon her
short poop. An ensign of some sort was stopped half-way up the mizen
rigging, as a signal of distress; and after a while I made it out to be
the tricolour.

"Johnny Crapaud--a Frenchman!" I exclaimed to the skipper, who was
standing near me, working away at her with the ship's telescope.

"A Frenchman, eh!" responded the skipper. "Can you make out the colours
of that ensign from here? If so, that must be an uncommonly good glass
of yours, Mr Conyers."

"Take it, and test it for yourself," I answered, handing him the
instrument.

He took it, and applied it to his eye, the other end of the tube swaying
wildly to the rolling and plunging of the ship.

"Ay," he said presently, handing the glass back to me, "French she is,
and no mistake! Now that is rather a nuisance, for I am ashamed to say
that I don't know French nearly well enough to communicate with her.
How the dickens are we to understand one another when it comes to making
arrangements?"

"Well, if you can find no better way, I shall be very pleased to act as
interpreter for you," I said. "My knowledge of the French language is
quite sufficient for that."

"Thank you, Mr Conyers; I am infinitely obliged to you. I will
thankfully avail myself of all the assistance you can give me," answered
the skipper.

The sea being rather in our favour than otherwise, we drove down toward
the wreck at a fairly rapid pace, despite the extremely short sail that
we were under; and as we approached her the first thing we made out with
any distinctness was that the barque was lying head to wind, evidently
held in that position by the wreck of the foremast, which, with all
attached, was under the bows, still connected with the hull by the
standing and running rigging. This was so far satisfactory, in that it
acted as a sort of floating anchor, to which the unfortunate craft rode,
and which prevented her falling off into the trough of the sea. It
would also, probably, to some extent facilitate any efforts that we
might be able to make to get alongside her to take her people off.

To get alongside! Ay; but how was it to be done in that wild sea? Th