, and a shudder ran through him.

It needs all the strict discipline and long training to prevent
confusion even on board a man-of-war, in a time of emergency. Here the
disposition of the men was to run to the ship's side, and shout words of
advice, but a sharp command or two brought the crew back to order, and
the men rushed to the boat nearest to the spot where the man was
struggling in the water.

It was a fine, smart young sailor, who had been standing on a stay below
the bowsprit, holding on with one hand, and straining out to aim a good
throw at a large fish gliding beneath the bows. He had darted the
harpooning "grains" or trident, struck the fish deeply, but from
inexperience he had not carefully arranged the line attached to the
staff. The result being that there was a sudden rush on the part of the
fish as soon as it was struck, a ring of the line was tightened round
the man's arm in a firm tangled knot, and he was jerked from his hold
and dragged down into the deep water for some distance before he rose
again, struggling wildly and calling for help. He would get his lips
above water for a moment or two, and then be dragged under again. Then
he would rise to the surface and shriek for help in tones which thrilled
his hearers.

"Quick, my lads!" roared the first lieutenant. "Bless the man! Why
can't he cut himself loose?"

There was a gurgling cry and silence, as the wheels of the falls
chirruped and the boat began to descend; but at that moment there was a
fresh excitement plainly seen from where Mark had tottered to the
bulwark, and stood looking over the side at what seemed to be a moving
shadow, far down under the surface, jerked about in a most extraordinary
manner.

He looked round sharply, for there was a loud cry, a babble of tongues,
and the shouting of fresh orders, and simultaneously a life-buoy
splashed in the sea, near where the man had been dragged down; the boat
was descending and a white figure was seen to leap on to the bulwarks
after a desperate struggle to free itself from those who had held it,
and plunge head-first into the darkening waters.

It was the bigger of the two blacks, who had in his insane rage taken
advantage of the confusion and excitement to escape from those who held
him prisoner and leap overboard, to swim for his liberty.

The loud cries of excitement increased at this fresh development of the
trouble. Two were overboard now; and one of the men who had held