t, too, in the same general direction that we were
steering, thus prolonging the time that must necessarily elapse ere we
could overtake her, while it would greatly increase the expenditure of
energy on the part of the oarsmen to enable us to get alongside.

"Give way with a will, men," I cried. "The rascals have not only set
fire to the ship, but they have also cast loose her wheel, so that she
is now running away from us to leeward. The harder you pull the sooner
shall we catch her, and the better chance will there be for us to put
out the fire. And remember, for aught that we know, her crew may be
lying there upon her deck, bound hand and foot, utterly helpless, to
roast alive, unless we can get alongside in time to save them!"

This appeal was not without effect upon the men; hard as they had been
pulling, they now put out every available ounce of strength they
possessed, their brawny muscles standing out like ropes upon their bare
arms, while the perspiration literally poured off them, and the stout
ash blades bent like wands, as they all but lifted the gig clean out of
the water at every stroke. We tore along over the low, oil-like ridges
of the swell at the speed of the dolphin, leaving the schooner as though
she were at anchor; yet to my eager impatience our headlong pace seemed
to be little better than a crawl, for the light wreaths of smoke that I
had seen winding lazily upward from the ship's hull and twining about
her spars increased in volume with startling rapidity, while it
momentarily grew darker in colour, until, within ten minutes of its
first appearance, it had become a dense cloud of dun-coloured smoke,
completely enveloping the ship, in the heart of which long, forking
tongues of flickering flame presently appeared. They had apparently set
fire to the poor old barkie in at least half a dozen places, and she was
burning like match-wood.

"Pull, men, pull!" I cried, "or we shall be too late; she is well
alight even now, and in another quarter of an hour she will be a blazing
furnace if she goes on at her present rate. Heaven above! if there are
people aboard her what must their feelings be now?"

A groan of sympathy burst from the men in response to this ejaculation
of mine, and they tugged at the oars with a strength and energy that
filled me with amazement. We were coming up with the ship hand over
hand; but, fast as the boat flew, the fire grew still faster, and
presently I saw the flame