),
there were still upwards of fifty men on board the wreck.

"D'you think the ship will hold together long?" said Bax, going aft to
the captain, who clung to the mizzen-shrouds superintending the
operations of the men.

"Not long, I fear," he replied. "If she had been thoroughly repaired
before starting on this voyage she might have weathered the gale; but,
but--"

"But," interposed Mr Clelland,--the dark passenger, who during the
whole of the proceedings which we have narrated had stood calmly beside
the captain looking on--"but Messrs. Denham, Crumps, and Company, being
penny wise and pound foolish, thought that the ships were strong enough
for _their_ purpose, both ship and cargo being fully covered by
insurance!"

There was a spice of bitterness in this man's tone and manner which
displeased Bax. He was about to administer a rebuke to him, when a
larger wave than usual lifted the ship up, and let her fall with such
force that another of her large timbers broke across like a pipe-stem,
and the two remaining masts went by the board, sweeping several of the
passengers and crew into the sea along with the wreck of spars and
cordage.

Just under the quarter a child fell into the water. It had been
wrenched from its mother's arms by the coil of a flying rope. The
mother leaped frantically on the bulwarks, and would have plunged into
the sea had not Bax seized her. At that moment Mr Clelland passed a
rope round his waist, tied it in that swift and perfect manner peculiar
to seamen, and sprang into the sea. He seized the child in his arms.
The captain of the "Trident" had caught the rope as Clelland sprang over
the side. Bax assisted him, and in a few minutes both were hauled
safely on board.

"You're better stuff than I gave you credit for," said Bax, as the dark
passenger delivered the child to its mother.

"Indeed!" said Mr Clelland, with a touch of sarcasm in his tone; "I
hope that I may be able to return you the like compliment at a more
fitting season. At present there is other work for us to do. Come,
lads, we must try to right the lifeboat, who will help me?"

Mr Clelland sprang into the sea as he spoke and swam towards the boat,
which still lay under the lee of the wreck with its keel uppermost. Bax
followed instantly, and so did nearly the whole crew of the boat. These
latter, having on their cork-jackets, ran comparatively little risk of
drowning, but they, as well as Bax and Clelland, were