e went, highly delighted at finding he had the power of doing
something, however little, toward succouring the poor wretches whose
pitiable condition was so patent to us all.

Meanwhile sail had been shortened on board the _Esmeralda_ to topsails
and fore-topmast staysail; the gig had been prepared for lowering, and
everybody was at his station.

"Are you all ready for lowering, Mr Roberts?" I asked, as Sir Edgar
left me on his charitable errand.

"All ready, sir," was the prompt response.

"In with you, then, into the gig, lads," said I. "I must leave you to
act as you think best, Mr Roberts, in the matter of getting alongside
the wreck; but there seems to be a small clear space just abaft the
mizzen channels, if you can reach it without getting under the counter.
If you fail in that, the only alternative that I can see is for you to
get as close as you can to the wreck's lee quarter, and let her people
jump overboard, when you must look out for them and pick them up."

"Ay, ay, sir," answered the mate cheerily; "I have a plan that I think
will do. All ready, sir, whenever you are."

We were now within a hundred feet of the wreck, and heading so as to
cross her stern at about that distance.

"Back your main-topsail, lads; round-in smartly upon your weather
braces," said I. "So! well there; take a turn; but be ready to fill
again when I give the word. Now, Mr Forbes, are you ready with the
davit tackles?"

"All ready, sir."

"Then, when I give the word, let them run smartly and evenly. Mr
Roberts will attend to his share of the work. Now, stand by."

The tackle-falls had some time previously been taken off their proper
pins, except for a single half-turn, and carefully laid out along the
deck, so as to insure their running out clear, after which they had been
placed under contiguous pins in the spider-band of the mizzenmast, and a
single turn taken with them, thus enabling the second mate to hold them
both in his hands, and sustain the entire weight of the gig and her
crew. Now, as I gave him the caution to "stand by," and at the same
time stepped on to a hen-coop in the wake of the mizzen-rigging to watch
for a favourable opportunity for lowering, he took off half the turn
round the belaying-pin, and held the boat by mere main strength and the
grip of the rope on the pins. We were by this time fair across the
stern of the wreck, and within a hundred feet of her, with not much way
on us, and were re