I am
beginning to think, with you, that the course you suggest is the only
one likely to be of any service to those poor souls yonder--so I
suppose--I must say--Yes, and God be with you!"

The little crowd round about us, who had been listening with breathless
interest, cheered and clapped their hands at this pronouncement of the
skipper's--the cheer being taken up by the crowd of miners gathered in
the waist--and General O'Brien, who was standing at my elbow, seized my
hand and shook it enthusiastically as he exclaimed:

"God bless you, Conyers; God bless you, my boy; every man and woman
among us will pray for your safety and success!"

"Thanks, General," answered I. "The knowledge that I have the sympathy
and good wishes of you all will add strength to my arm and courage to my
heart; but the issue is in God's hands, and if it be His will, I shall
succeed." Then, turning to the skipper, I said:

"I propose that you shall take the ship up as close as possible to the
wreck, precisely as you did at first; and I will dive from the
flying-jib-boom-end--which will approach the wreck more closely than our
hull; and it will be for you to watch and so manoeuvre the ship--either
by easing up the fore-topmast staysail sheet, or in any other way that
you may think best--that she shall be kept fair abreast of and dead to
leeward of the wreck until we can get the end of the hawser aboard and
made fast. After that I think we may trust to the difference in the
rate of the drift of the two craft to keep the hawser taut."

"Yes, yes," answered the skipper; "you may trust to me to do my part,
Mr Conyers. If you can only manage to get the end of the hawser aboard
and fast to the wreck, I will attend to the other part of the job. And
now, you had better go and get ready for your swim; for I am about to
wear ship."

I hurried away to my cabin and shifted into ordinary bathing attire; and
while thus engaged I became aware that Dacre was wearing ship and
getting her round upon the starboard tack once more. By the time that
my preparations were completed and I had made my way out on the main
deck, the ship was round, and heading up for the wreck again. As I
appeared, threading my way forward among the great burly miners who were
clustering thick in the waist, they raised a cheer, and the cuddy party
again clapped their hands, some of them shouting an encouraging word or
two after me.

On the forecastle I encountered Murgatroyd,