not raise a
vessel for days."

The oars were taken in, and the tarpaulin which had done duty for a sail
was rigged. Under the pressure of the light air the whale-boat made
steering-way and a little more. The moon now made the night as light as
day, and although it was slightly chilly in this latitude, we suffered
little from the exposure, each settling himself into the most comfortable
position possible, and gazing back at the strange black outline of the
wrecked ship. Her sunken decks and patched-up jury rig with the trysail
set from the after-stay gave her an uncanny look, while her masts and
spars with the set canvas seemed as black as ink against the light sky
beyond. There she lay, a horrid, ghastly thing, wallowing along slowly
toward a port she would never reach.

While I looked at her, Miss Sackett burst into a hard laugh which jangled
hysterically. She had been silent since she had entered the boat, and
this sudden burst startled me. Her eyes were fixed upon the grim
derelict. They shone in the moonlight and she choked convulsively.

"Can I hand you some water, ma'm?" asked Jenks.

"What made you come with us, you rogue?" she asked, without
turning her head.

"I was with ye from the start, s'help me," said Jenks. "I only goes with
the other side when I feared they'd kill all hands."

"Well, it's a good thing for you, you contemptible rascal," she answered
in an even tone.

All of a sudden I noticed a flicker of light above the cabin of the
_Sovereign_. It died away for an instant and then flared again, Miss
Sackett laughed convulsively.

"Look," she said.

At that instant a red glare flashed up from the derelict. It shone on her
maintopsail and staysails and lit up the ocean around her.

"Faith, but she's afire," cried Chips. "Look at them."

I turned the boat's head around and ran her off before the wind, hauling
up again and standing for the wreck to get near her. Miss Sackett seized
my arm and held it fast.

"Don't go back for them!" she cried. "You shall not go back for them!"

"I haven't the least intention of going for them," I answered; "I only
wanted to get close enough to see what they'd do. Did you set her afire?"
I asked bluntly.

"Of course I did," said the girl, passionately. "Do you suppose I didn't
hear them telling you I should have to remain aboard? What else was there
left for me to do? Would you have me fall into their hands?"

"Lord save ye, but ye did the right thing," s