d to a long way to
leeward. The light burned but dimly amid the mass of spray which
surrounded it, and they knew that their voices would be drowned in the
loud howling of the tempest, should they exert them ever so much. They
waited, therefore, still hoping against hope that the ship would make
her way up to them. Adair well knew the difficulty she would have in
finding them, and the fearful danger there would be in lowering a boat;
he even doubted whether he would have made the attempt himself.

Still neither he nor Tom gave way to despair. They both hung on
securely to the lifebuoy, and felt little or no exhaustion. They kept
their eyes fixed on the ship, believing to the last that she would stand
down to them. At length she disappeared in the darkness, and Adair knew
that his first lieutenant, despairing of finding them, had borne up.

"I did not blame him, for I knew he had done his best," he said; "my
only fear was that an attempt had been made to lower a boat, and that
some of my poor fellows might have lost their lives in trying to save
us.

"Hour after hour went by. Tom kept up his spirits wonderfully; and I
did my best to keep up mine and to cheer him. I thought of a good many
things during that period; indeed it seemed to me that I was living my
life over again.

"We were looking out anxiously for morning, in the hopes that we might
be seen by some passing ship, when Tom cried out that he saw a steamer
standing right for us. She came near; we shouted at the top of our
voices, which were still pretty strong. When not half a cable's length
from us, what was our joy to see her stop her way and alter her course
so as to avoid running us down. When just abreast of us a boat was
lowered, and, on being taken on board, great was our surprise to find
ourselves on the deck of the _Giaour_. It was only equalled by that of
Murray at seeing us.

"We had no opportunity of sending home information of our merciful
preservation, and, as Murray had to sail again at once, we, as you see,
were the first to bring home intelligence of our safety."

"And thankful I am, my boy, that you have escaped," exclaimed the
admiral, again wringing Adairs and Tom's hands. "Well, Commander Jack,
and what have you to say for yourself? I suppose you will be starting
immediately for Halliburton?"

"That must depend upon the arrangements of Colonel Giffard and his
daughter, who took a passage home in my ship," answered Jack; "