hand covered with graceful trees coming down to
the very edge of the water. Here and there fantastic rocks rose above
the surface. It was the middle watch, which Owen was keeping under
Langton, who now did lieutenant's duty. Owen was walking the deck,
gazing on the calm sea, now on one side then on the other, now going
forward to ascertain that the ship was not by chance dragging her
anchors.

The first stroke of four bells was just sounding when, having just
reached the forecastle, he suddenly saw a bright light astern, followed
by a loud roar, which he knew alone could proceed from the Malay proa.
She had blown up. He heard Langton's voice ordering a boat to be
lowered, and was on the point of running aft when he felt the deck
beneath his feet tremble. A roar far greater than that which had just
been heard sounded in the midnight air. For a moment the ship appeared
to be enveloped in flame. He experienced the sensation of being lifted
up, when he lost all consciousness. How long he continued senseless he
could not tell. On recovering he found himself in the water, amid a
mass of spars and rigging and fragments of timber, and he caught a
glimpse of the upper works of the frigate descending beneath the waves.
Here and there, scattered over the surface, were struggling human forms.
Arms held up, and hands clasped together. One by one they speedily
disappeared. Although almost overcome with horror, he struck out
towards a spar of a size which promised to afford him support. As he
got nearer, he saw that two other persons had just reached the spar, and
were in the act of climbing up to place themselves on it.

"I'll swim on and find another position on the wreck to support me!"
Owen cried out.

"Hurrah! 'shure it's Mr Hartley. No, no, sir; come here. Bedad
there's room enough for you, and half a dozen more of your weight!"
cried out Mike Coffey, who was one of the persons, and Nat was the
other. "I'd sooner swim off myself, Mr Hartley."

Owen accordingly complied, and found that the spar would support them
all.

"What has been and happened?" asked Nat, still not recovered from the
terror.

"The frigate has blown up by accident, or through treachery, of that
there is no doubt," answered Owen. "It is dreadful, most dreadful, and
I fear that the greater number of our shipmates have been lost; still a
few may have escaped, and we must try to help them. Hark! I heard some
one cry out not far off. If