that they can see where we are."

"Aren't any more," said the man in the stem. "I held that one till it
did burn my fingers, and it was the last."

"Humph!" grunted the boatswain. "Well, they can't see us, of course,
and the sea's a bit big and wide out here; let's try if we can't make
them hear."

He had scarcely spoken when there was a soft bellowing roar; but the
sound took form and they made out--"Ahoy-y-y-y! Where away there?"
breathed, it almost seemed, so distant and strange was the hail, through
a speaking-trumpet.

"Cease pulling!" shouted the boatswain. "Now then, all together. Take
your time from me. One, two, three--Ahoy-y-y-y!"

Every lusty throat on board the boat sent forth the cry at once, and a
strange chill ran through Fitz's breast as he noted not only how feeble
the cry sounded in the immensity of space, but how it seemed thrown back
upon them from something it could not penetrate--something soft and
impervious which shut them in all round.

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

BOATING.

"Well, Mr Poole, sir, we seem to have got ourselves into a pretty jolly
sort of mess. I feel quite damp. You are skipper, sir; what's to be
done?"

"Shout again," cried Poole; "all together,"--and another lusty yell was
given.

"There, 'tarn't no use, sir," said the boatswain, "if so be as I may
speak."

"Speak? Of course! I am only too glad of your advice. What were you
going to say?"

"Only this 'ere, sir--that it aren't no use to shout. I am wet and
cold, and hollering like this is giving me a sore throat, and the rest
of the lads too. There's Dick Boulter is as husky as my old uncle Tom's
Cochin fowl. Here, I want to know why the skipper don't show a blue
light."

"He dare not," said Poole hastily. "It would be showing the gunboat
where the schooner is."

There was a sharp slap heard in the darkness, caused by the boatswain
bringing his hand smartly down upon his sturdy thigh.

"Right you are, my lad. I never thought of that. I oughter, but it
didn't come. 'Cause I was so wet, I suppose. Well, sir, what do you
think?"

"Try, every one of you," said Poole, "whether you can make out a light.
The _Teal_ oughtn't to be very far away."

"Nay, sir, she oughtn't to be, but she is. Off shore here in these seas
you get currents running you don't know where. We don't know, but I
expect we are in one of them, and it's carrying us along nobody knows
how fast; and like as not another curren