he side, and getting right aft, began to scoop out the
water with his joined hands.

A quarter of an hour later a fresh order was given, and two more men got
into the boat to seat themselves and take the balers, while the pair who
had been acting prepared to get out again and hang on.

But a short, sharp order checked them.

"There is no need, my lads," said the lieutenant. "You can begin
scooping out water as soon as you are a bit rested. The boat will hold
you now."

He was quite right, for, though the presence of four men weighed her
down heavily, and sent her gunwale once more nearly level with the
surface, it soon began to rise again as, pint by pint, the interior was
relieved, until another man crept in, and soon after another, till the
whole crew were back, and the lieutenant got in last.

Ten minutes later two men forward were steadily baling, whilst two
others seized their oars, under the lieutenant's direction, and getting
the boat's head round as they sat there with the water still well up
over their ankles, they began to pull steadily in the direction of the
_Nautilus_, now nearly invisible in the distant silvery haze.

They were still so heavily water-logged that progress was very slow, but
this was no discouragement, for their position improved minute by
minute, and the men were so much cheered that they put plenty of spirit
into their work.

But before they had taken many strokes the lieutenant gave the order to
stop, and Mark shuddered as he saw the reason. Mr Russell had turned
to the rudder-lines, and there was a terrible burden towing astern.

Those were solemn moments which followed. The lieutenant signed to the
coxswain to come, and then helped him to draw the lifeless body of the
poor fellow over the gunwale, and, as decently as was possible, laid the
remains of what had once been a big, strong man in the bottom of the
boat. A flag was then taken from the locker and covered over him, just
as, by a strange coincidence, and very faintly heard, came the report of
a gun.

The coxswain then went forward and helped with the baling, while the men
recommenced rowing in silence.

"The lads will think all this unnecessary, Vandean," said the lieutenant
in a low voice, as Mark sat by his side; "but it would be horribly
un-English to leave the poor wretch floating at the mercy of the waves.
He was free enough, poor fellow, before we shaded him with the British
flag. What would you have done?"