ipper, who immediately stopped his quarter-deck walk to
hear what the chief had to say.

"They've corrected the propeller, sir," he exclaimed with a chuckle that
made his fat form shake all over; "and Stoddart says he's only waiting
for your signal to close the stop valves and let the steam into the
cylinder."

"By George, he shan't wait a minute longer!" cried Captain Applegarth,
moving the engine-room telegraph. "Go ahead, my hearties, as soon as
you please! Hullo, there, forrad, I want a hand here at the wheel. I
suppose the steam steering gear is all right again now?"

"Oh, yes, sir," replied Mr Stokes to this. "Grummet fixed that up on
Sunday afternoon, he told me. I am sure it was done. I remember he was
doing it when that man-of-war came alongside and spoke you."

"Strange I didn't see him at the job; he must have been pretty smart
over it!" replied the skipper. "But I'm very glad it is done, though."

In answer to the skipper's signal a sudden blast of steam rushed up the
funnel abaft the wheel-house, and I could feel the ship tremble as the
shaft began to revolve and the propeller blades splashed the water
astern with the familiar "thump-thump, thump-thump."

All hands joined in a hearty cheer, to which Masters and I in the top
lent what aid our lungs could give.

"Steady amidship, there," sang out the skipper as the old barquey forged
ahead once more. "Steady, my man."

"Aye, aye, sir," answered the foremost hand, Parrell, who had come from
the fo'c's'le to take the first "trick" at the steering wheel on the
bridge. "Steady it is."

"How does the boat bear now, Haldane?"

"Two points off our starboard bow, sir," I replied to this hail of the
skipper. "She's about three miles off, I think, sir."

"All right," he shouted back to me. "Port your helm, there!"

"Aye, aye, sir," repeated Parrell. "Port, sir, it is."

"We're rising her fast now, sir," I called out after a short interval.
"There's a man in the boat; yes, a man, sir. I can see him quite
plainly now, and I'm sure I'm not mistaken!"

"Are you quite sure, my lad?"

"Quite sure, sir. And he's alive, too, I'm certain. Yes, sir; he moved
then distinctly. I could see him plainly. Why, the boat is so near now
that you ought to see it from the deck."

"And so I can, by Jingo, Haldane!" replied the captain, peering out
ahead himself with a telescope from the end of the bridge. "I fancy I
can see a second figure, and it looks