operation had been successfully accomplished, and that the boat was
fast. The ship had by this time recovered herself, and was now nearly
upright in the performance of a correspondingly heavy lee roll.

"Round-in upon the tackles, lads, for your lives!" I shouted; and at
the words the slack was taken in like lightning, the strain coming upon
the tackles exactly at the right moment, namely, when the ship was
pausing an instant at the steepest angle of her lee roll, prior to
recovering herself.

"Now, up with her, men, as smartly as you like!" And in an instant the
boat, within six feet of the davit-heads, was jerked out of the water,
and, before the ship had recovered herself sufficiently to dash the
frail craft against her side, was swinging clear of all danger, and in
her proper position, to the triumphant shout of "Two blocks" from the
men at the falls. To secure the gallant little craft in the gripes was
the work of a few minutes only; after which the mainyard was swung, sail
was made upon the ship, and we resumed our voyage, deeply thankful that
our efforts to rescue our fellow-beings, in their moment of dire
extremity, had been crowned with such complete success.

CHAPTER SIX.

THE TRAGEDY ON BOARD THE "CITY OF CALCUTTA."

The men we had just rescued were destitute of everything save the
clothes they brought on board us on their backs, and those were, of
course, saturated with salt-water; it therefore became necessary to
supply them with a new rig from the contents of the ship's slop chest;
but our first business--while the unfortunates were being stripped and
vigorously rubbed down under Sir Edgar's personal superintendence, and
afterwards liberally dosed with some of his mulled port--was to clear
out the deck-house forward, and get the bunks ready for their reception,
they being, naturally, very greatly exhausted by the long hours of
exposure that they had been called upon to endure. The baronet, with
that warm-hearted kindness and delicate consideration that I had already
discovered to be characteristic of him, had, after consulting me, and
obtaining my permission, caused one of the spare state-rooms in the
saloon to be cleared out and prepared for the captain; and, once warm
and snug in their berths, we saw no more of any of the rescued men until
the next day.

The next morning, at breakfast, the skipper put in an appearance,
introducing himself as Captain Baker, late of the barque _Wanderer_, of