d prettiest ship afloat. She heeled gently to the breeze and
went through it to the tune of seven knots, rolling the heft of the long
sea away from her clipper bows and tossing off the foam without a jar or
tremble. I looked hard at the distant speck which was now just visible
from the deck, and wondered how Andrews and his crew felt. I could see
nothing of the _Sovereign's_ hull, and hope rose within me. I found
myself saying over and over again to myself, "She's gone under, she's
gone under." Then just before it grew too dark to see any longer I went
aft and took up the glass. Through it the black forecastle of the wreck
showed above the sea.

XIX

It was quite dark before the _Pirate_ had come up with the wreck. The
skipper and Trunnell had gone below to their supper, and I had charge of
the deck, with orders to heave the ship into the wind when we came
abreast, and sing out for the mate to man the boat.

We were barely able to make within half a mile dead to leeward, but when
we did, I backed the main yards and clewed up the courses, taking in the
royals to keep from drifting off too fast in the gloom.

Trunnell came on deck and gave orders to get out the boat. She was soon
at the channels, jumping and thrashing in the sea, for the breeze was now
quite strong. The mate jumped into her with four men, and Thompson went
to the break of the poop and told me I could go below to supper. Chips
and the steward came aft, also, and we made out to eat a square meal in
silence, each making a sign to his neighbor toward the back of his belt.

While we ate, listening for the sound of oars that would tell of the
return of the boat, we could hear snatches of the sad talk of the
two women in the after-cabin, through the bulkhead. This did not
tend to raise our spirits, and we hurried through to be on deck when
Trunnell returned.

Scarcely had we gained the main deck when we heard the regular sound of
the oars and oar-locks. Soon the dim shadow of the boat was seen heading
toward us, outlined against the light in the eastern sky where the moon
was rising.

We took our places at the waist and awaited developments. Jackwell stood
directly above me, and I could see his face with its glinting eyes turned
toward me. His mustache was waxed into sharp points and curved upward,
while his protruding chin and beak-like nose appeared to draw even nearer
together. He was evidently quite well satisfied that he would be able to
tak