was pulling bow oar, seized it as it fell
across and took a turn around a thwart. The oars were shipped and we fell
under the vessel's stern, riding the seas without mishap.

"We're sinking," cried the short man, who was the captain. "Can you take
some of us with you?"

"Aye, aye; get them aboard here as quick as you can," came the answer.

There was no time lost now. Men swarmed toward the taffrail, and for an
instant it looked as if there would be something of a panic. The short
skipper, however, flung them aside without ceremony, and the next instant
a female figure appeared at the rail.

"Haul easy," came the order. Hans and Tom pulled in the line slowly until
the boat's bow was leading almost directly beneath the ship's stern. A
bridle was rigged from the spanker boom and made fast to a life buoy.
Then the lady who had appeared at the taffrail was slung in it rather
uncomfortably and carefully lowered away. She was seized by one of the
men forward, and handed aft to me.

The woman was quite young. She was slightly built, and I supported her
easily until she was safely in the stern sheets. A few strands of curly
blond hair blew across my face, and gave me a most peculiar feeling as I
brushed them aside. Then she turned up her face, and I saw that she had
most beautiful eyes, soft and gentle, with a trusting look, such as one
sees in children.

"Thank you, Mr. Sailorman," she said, with a smile. "I'm all right now."

"Except, perhaps, for a little wetting, you will stay so, I hope,"
I answered.

A heavy woman was being lowered away, and Hans caught her boldly around
the body, trying to keep her from being thrown out of the tossing small
boat. She shrieked dismally.

"Don't be silly, mamma," cried the young lady aft. "You've been squeezed
tighter than that before, I am sure."

She was passed aft and took her place beside her daughter in the stern,
expostulating incoherently at the younger one's insinuations.

Then followed a little man, short and stout, who was evidently the ship's
carpenter, and he was followed by a dozen sailors.

"Haven't you any boats that will swim?" I asked of the mate, who hung
over the rail above me.

"We're getting them out now," he answered.

"Then let us go. We've got a big enough load already."

In a few moments we were on our way back to the _Pirate_, making good
headway before the wind and sea, and shipping little water.

The men explained as we went along that the _S