like another man, too, lying down
in the bows of the boat, as well as the figure at the stern, who seems
to me to be holding up an oar or something!"

"Yes, there is, sir," I called out, stopping on my way down the rigging
to have another look. After a pause I exclaimed, "I can see both of
them, and with my naked eye. I can see them now!"

"Well, then, you'd better come down from aloft. Tell your friend, the
boatswain, to come down as well. He'll be wanted at the fo'c's'le when
we presently come up to the boat, as I trust we shall!"

"Lucky Masters saw the boat, sir," said I when I reached the deck and up
to the skipper's side again. "But even more fortunate it is for the
poor fellows that our engines are working again, sir, for otherwise we
could not have been able to get up to the boat and save them."

"It isn't luck, my boy," observed Mr Stokes, whom the death of poor
Jackson and his own narrow escape from a like fate had led to think of
other matters besides those connected with his mundane profession.
"It's Providence!"

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

AN APPEAL FOR AID.

"Aye, that's the better way of looking at it," chimed in the skipper,
raising his arm at the same time from his station at the end of the
bridge, where he was conning the ship. He then called out sharply, to
enforce the signal.

"Luff up, you lubber, luff!"

"Luff it is, sir," rejoined the helmsman, rapidly turning round the
spokes of the little steam steering wheel. "It's hard over now, sir."

"Steady there," next sang out the captain. "Steady, my man!"

"Aye, aye, sir," repeated the parrot-like Tom Parrell, bringing the helm
amidships again. "Steady it is!"

"By George, we're nearing the boat fast!" cried the skipper after
another short pause, during which we had been going ahead full speed,
with a quick "thump-thump, thump-thump" of the propeller and the water
foaming past our bows. "Starboard, Parrell! Starboard a bit now!"

"Aye, aye, sir," came again the helmsman's answering cry from the wheel-
house. "Starboard it is, sir!"

"Keep her so. A trifle more off. Steady!"

"Steady it is, sir!"

"Now down with it, Parrell!" sang out the skipper, bringing his hand
instanter on the handle of the engine-room gong, which he sounded twice,
directing those in charge below to reduce speed, while he hailed old
Masters on the fo'c's'le. "Hi, bo'sun! Look-out there forrad with your
rope's end to heave to the poor fellows! We're j