"Jump below, Bob, and rouse up a coil of line, whilst I get the life-
buoys ready," exclaimed I, after a single moment's pause to collect my
scattered faculties.

In an instant I had all four of the buoys ready, and two of them bent on
to the longest rope-ends I could lay my hands on, and, in another, that
glorious Bob appeared with a coil of ratline on his shoulder and a
lighted blue-light in his hand.

The stops were cut and the ends of the coil cleared in no time, and the
two remaining buoys bent on, while Bob held the blue-light aloft at
arm's length, for the double purpose of throwing the light as far as
possible over the water, and also to indicate our whereabouts to any
strong swimmer who might be struggling for his life among the mountain
surges, and to guide him to our tiny ark of refuge.

For nearly an hour did we peer anxiously into the gloom, in the hope of
seeing some poor soul within reach of such assistance as it was in our
power to afford, but in vain; there is no doubt that the vessel sucked
all hands down with her when she sank into her watery grave.

When at last we reluctantly desisted from our efforts, and were in the
act of securing the lifebuoys once more, Bob cast his eyes aloft, and
called my attention to the fact that the corposants had disappeared.

"Depend on't, Harry," quoth he, "them lanterns didn't come aboard of us
for nothing. They mightn't have meant mischief for _us_ exactly--for
you can't always read Old Davy's signs aright; but you see they _did_
mean mischief, and plenty of it too, for they no sooner appears aloft
than a fine ship and her crew goes down close alongside of us; and as
soon as that bit of work was over, away they go somewhere else to light
up the scene of further devilry, I make no manner of doubt."

It was utterly in vain that I attempted to argue the honest fellow out
of his belief that their appearance was a portent of disaster, for his
mind was deeply imbued with all those superstitious notions which appear
to take such peculiarly firm hold on the ideas of sailors; and against
superstitions of lifelong duration, argument and reason are of but
little avail.

As may readily be believed, our slumbers that night, after witnessing so
distressing a scene, were anything but sound. Bob and I were up and
down between the deck and the cabin at least half a dozen times before
morning, and it was with a sense of unutterable relief that, as day
broke, we found that the