d in the midst of them,
occupying the most sheltered spot on the whole deck, I noticed what at
first looked like a bundle of tarpaulin, but as we swept up on the
barque's starboard quarter I saw one of the men gently pull a corner of
the tarpaulin aside with one hand, while he pointed at the _City of
Cawnpore_ with the other, and, to my amazement, the head and face of a
woman--a young woman--looked out at us with an expression of mingled
hope and despair that was dreadful to see.

"Good God, there's a woman among them!" exclaimed Dacre. "We must save
her--we must save them all, if we can; but it looks as if we shall not
be given much time to do it in. I suppose they want to be taken off?
They'll never be mad enough to wish to stick to that wreck, eh? Hail
them, Mr Conyers; you know what to say!"

"Barque ahoy!" I hailed, in French, as, with main-topsail aback, we
surged and wallowed slowly athwart the stern of the stranger, "do you
wish to be taken off?"

At the first sound of my voice, the man who had pointed us out to the
woman rose stiffly to his feet and staggered aft to the taffrail, with
his hand to his ear.

"But yes," he shouted back, in the same language; "our ship is sinking,
and--"

"All right," I interrupted--for time was precious--"we will endeavour to
get the end of a hawser aboard you. Have you any light heaving-line
that you can veer down to us by means of a float? If so, get it ready,
and we will try to pick it up on our return. We are now about to stand
on and take room to wear, when we will come back and endeavour to
establish a connection between the two craft. Have the line ready and
veered well away to leeward at once."

"But, monsieur," replied the man, wringing his hands, "we have _no_
line--no anything--you see all that we have,"--indicating the bare poop
with a frantic gesture.

"You have a lot of small stuff among the gear upon your mizenmast," I
retorted; but although I pointed to the mast in question, and the man
glanced aloft as I did so, I very much doubted whether he comprehended
my meaning, for our lee drift was so rapid that we were by this time
almost beyond hailing distance.

"Fill the main-topsail," shouted the skipper. "What have you arranged?"
he demanded, turning to me.

I told him. He stamped on the rail with impatience. "It is clear that
it will not do to trust overmuch to them for help; we shall have to do
everything ourselves. Mr Murgatroyd!" he shouted