aw that should he try to do so, he might involve his ship in
her fate.

Though many others had signals of distress flying, Jack knew well that
he could render them no effectual assistance, and therefore once more
put the _Tornado's_ head off-shore. He now for the first time had
leisure to inquire from Murray how he happened to be on board the vessel
which had gone down. Murray briefly told him that he had been sent by
the admiral, who had steamed on to the Katcha, with despatches on board
the Turkish flagship, with directions afterwards to visit several other
vessels, and then to run in to Balaclava. He had been detained on board
the Turkish ship longer than he expected, and his boat being nearly
swamped before he had finished his mission, he had gone alongside the
nearest vessel, intending to remain on board till the morning. His boat
had been lost before she could be hoisted up, and the gale having so
rapidly increased, he had been prevented leaving in one of her boats.
Three of his people had unhappily been lost, but the remainder succeeded
in reaching the _Tornado_.

"I am indeed thankful that we came to you in time," said Jack; "though I
little expected when I determined to run down to the assistance of that
vessel, that I should be the means of saving your life."

"Not the first time that we have helped each other, and I am very sure
that it will not be the last if we either of us require help and have
the opportunity of rendering it," answered Murray. "I expect soon to be
appointed to the command of a ship, as the admiral has offered me the
first vacancy, which Hemming advises me to accept, as the smaller craft
will in future have more to do than the line-of-battle ships."

As may be supposed, there was but little time for conversation. Jack
still wished, if possible, to try and render assistance to some of the
many other vessels at anchor off the coast, but both Higson and Green
strongly expressed their opinion that the attempt to do so would
endanger the ship; and Murray concurring with them, he was compelled to
abandon his intention. The _Tornado_ proved herself a first-rate
seaboat; indeed, had she not been so, she would have shared the fate of
so many other vessels during that fearful gale. By keeping her head to
the southward, she was able in a short time gradually to draw off-shore.
For the greater part of the night the gale blew with unabated fury.
Towards morning, however, the wind began to ab