or
else the shout of his _protege_ had drawn his attention to it; for,
quick succeeding the latter, the voice of the sailor went rolling across
the water in words of direction intended for the ears of little William.

"Will'm! Will'm!" shouted he, raising his lips above the surface so as
to enunciate more distinctly. "For marcy's sake, lad, lay hold on the
steerin' oar. Try to tack round, or we're lost one an' all o' us!"

At the same instant Snowball sputtered out some very similar orders; but
being sadly out of breath from his exertions in the long-continued
struggle with the zygaena, what proceeded from his mouth less resembled
words than the snorting of a porpoise; and was, in truth, altogether
unintelligible.

Little William needed no instructions,--neither to hear nor understand
them. He had perceived the danger, and, with intuitive promptness, had
commenced taking measures to avoid it. Partly guided by his own
thoughts and partly by the directions of Ben Brace, he sprang suddenly
towards the steering-oar; and, grasping it in both hands, he worked with
all his might to bring the _Catamaran_ about. After a time he succeeded
in getting her head as close to the wind as such a craft was capable of
sailing, but it soon became evident to him that the manoeuvre would be
of little or no avail. Although the raft did not make leeway quite as
much as before, still with its great sail, rudely bent as it was, she
made sufficient to preserve the distance from the swimmers; and, as
William anxiously observed, still slightly increasing. Even Snowball,
who, after giving the _coup de grace_ to the zygaena, had struck direct
towards the _Catamaran_,--even he, unencumbered by aught save his wet
shirt and trousers, although easily passing the others in his course,
did not appear to gain an inch upon the runaway raft.

It was an anxious time for all parties; and the anxiety reached its
height when they perceived, as one and all soon did, that the
unmanageable craft was keeping its distance, if not gaining a greater.

That state of things could not continue long. Both the swimmers had
already begun to show signs of flagging. Snowball, sea-duck that he
was, might have held out a good while; but the sailor, weighted with
Lalee, must soon "go under." Even Snowball could not swim forever; and,
unless some incident should arise to change the character of this
aquatic chase, and arrest the _Catamaran_ in her leeward course, so