oment my eyes fell upon the main-boom, and I missed the life-
buoy which we kept suspended from it in readiness for any sudden
emergency. Bob then had gone overboard, taking the life-buoy with him,
and that too upon an impulse so sudden that there had been no time or
opportunity to arouse me.

The _Lily_ was indeed hove-to, as I had observed when I first awoke; but
it was with _both_ jib and fore-sheet to windward. The probability was
then that, on Bob quitting the helm, she had flown up into the wind
until her head sails were taken aback, when she would, of course, or
_most probably_, pay off on the opposite tack, and remain hove-to. This
must necessarily have happened _at least_ four hours ago (it was now
eight o'clock), because, had Bob been on deck at eight bells, he would,
of course, have called me. And during all this time the boat had been
sailing away from him, not very rapidly it is true, being hove-to, but
probably at a rate of at least three knots an hour. What might not have
happened to the poor fellow in that time? He was a splendid swimmer, I
knew, having acquired the art on our last voyage, and well able to take
care of himself in the water; and there was very little sea on.
Besides, I felt pretty certain he had the life-buoy; and, with its
assistance, I knew he could keep himself afloat in such weather until
worn out with exhaustion from want of food. But there were other perils
than that of drowning; and, if attacked by a shark, what chance had he?

These thoughts flashed through my mind whilst busily employed in taking
the necessary steps to return in search of him, for I had no idea of
continuing the voyage without making such a search; indeed, it would
have been impossible. And my chances of success were not so meagre as
might at first sight be supposed.

In the first place, knowing how difficult it would be to see such an
object as a life-buoy, even with a man in it, at any great distance,
from so low an elevation as our deck, I had taken the precaution to have
each buoy fitted with a contrivance for hoisting a signal.

This consisted of a small bundle of jointed rods, which could be put
together like a fishing-rod, and on the topmost of these was a white
flag two feet square. On the buoy itself was firmly lashed a step
similar to the "bucket" (I believe it is called) in which a carriage-
whip is placed when not in use by the driver. The rods, taken to
pieces, were securely lashed in a