position, be only the unhappy boat they had been obliged to abandon reluctantly to its fate. However severely disappointed, he congratulated himself secretly, in having avoided any precipitate disclosure of his erroneous conjecture; and lost no time in apprizing the captain, that the jolly boat was still standing on in their wake.

How far do you reckon we have dropped the poor fellows?" said Staunch, who adopted this tone; as if to divert, even for the passing minute, the attention of the sailors from contemplating their own disaster, to the more pitiable situation of their forsaken companions.

"About three or four miles, I should think, Sir."

Scarcely so far, Mr. Burton," said Staunch, who was desirous not to extinguish the hopes of the crew, that the co-operation of this boat might be depended on, were they compelled finally to desert the brig.

"Certainly better than three," replied the lieutenant, who now perceived his drift.

"Well, even so-she's sure to reach us, should the foremast go;" addressing this remark rather to the men near him, than to the lieutenant aloft: "and, if that don't occur, we can shorten sail, and pick her up."

This conversation had not been concluded above six or seven minutes, when Burton, his glass still to his eye, shouted in clear and exhilarating accents, kindly intended to reach every ear on deck-"A strange sail right astern!"

For a moment every operation on board was suspended, to listen, in breathless silence. The glad intelligence was again repeated from aloft-"A strange sail right astern!"

A loud shout of triumph burst from the crowded deck; once more that deafening cheer was heard; and again it swept, with the sough of the wind, across the wide waste of ocean.

"That's the boy!" cried the boatswain's-mate, who had as great a respect for the dreaded Sisters three; and was as rank a fatalist as most of his superstitious profession-"that's the boy, that always brings the luck. I never yet seed him go to the mast-head for nothing." All on board resumed immediately their several em

ployments, with an alacrity which seemed difficult to account for, at that very moment, when a new hope of succour had arisen, which was totally independent of their own exertions. Hasty exclaimed,

"Better round to, Sir, and heave the main-taupsle to the mast.'

"Impossible! my good fellow."

"But recollect, Sir! we're running away from relief!”. "Better so than hurry on our destruction, before relief can possibly reach us. No, no; keep the wind on the quarter-clew up every stitch we can get at, and deaden her way with every species of stop-water."

In some degree relieved from the onerous and agonizingly responsibility, which had weighed down his spirits, he turned from Hasty, and hailed the mast-head. "Well, Burton," said he, "what d'ye make of her? -standing this way, I hope?"

"She's a large, square-rigged vessel, with studden sails low and aloft."

Aye, aye?"

"Steering the same way as ourselves!"

"One of our cruizers, perhaps?" said the captain. "Can see half way down her taupsles."

"Hurrah!" said the boatswain, " Poll's got hold of the tow-rope!"

"Half way down her tau'sles ?" said Stowel-" then it 'ill take the standing part o' the first watch to

over.

"Hurrah! the engine my lads!" shouted Staunch aloud, anxious to drown the concluding part of this yet unfinished sentence. Then laying his hand on Stowel's arm, he thus addressed him, in a gentle tone of reproof, "Keep that at least to yourself-guard yourself, Sirsurely nothing can be more improper in any person, but more especially in an officer, than to suffer an expression to escape him, which may check the ardour of the crew, or repress their hopes."

Nothing could be better calculated to set off, by contrast, the conduct of another officer on this occasion, than the incautious language of Stowel, who was one of those rough knots, as tars term them, or matter-of

1

fact men, who unceremoniously uttered whatever he thought, however unseasonable the truth, or ticklish the inference drawn. Whatever might be the consequence of the practice, its principles could hardly be censured; since, in him, it was bottomed in plain dealing and downright honesty, which saw no reason to colour over truth. Burton was a bird of quite another feather. For he participating in the anxiety of his commander, had represented the stranger as much nearer, than she really appeared to be from the mast-head. Indeed, when he asserted he could see her half way down her topsails, had he adhered strictly to truth, he must have confessed he saw little more than her top-gallant sails above the horizon.

The spirits of all on board were now as much elated, as a few minutes before they had been depressed. Although nearly worn out with fatigue, the substitution of other duties, besides those connected with subduing the flames, appeared to give the men a respite from sameness of labour and exertion. Sailors hate monotonyand Staunch had now an opportunity of relieving some from a duty of which they began to be weary, by changing their vocation. Those who had been drawing water, and working the pumps and engine, were now slinging shot-boxes, and towing them over different parts of the sides. The spare topsail yards in the chains, were lowered into the watar, and the main-boom launched over the quarter, clear of the boats astern; all which produced a corresponding visible decrease in the rapidity of the ship, which might be said to hurry from friendly succour, and fly for its life. The sails had been all clewed up abaft, but the yards were still kept square; for though "bracing them by," or pointing them to the wind, might have somewhat contributed to decrease the ship's way through the water, still Staunch was apprehensive of so bracing them, lest the foremost extremities of the yards should come within the action of the fire.

By this time the foresail and foretop-sail were both literally burned to tinder, and their fiery fragments were whirled in eddies across the gathering gloom. The ponderous, and pitchy spars, on which the bellying

canvass had been spread, were now heard crackling amid the rustling flames, fanned by the fickle element; while the yard-arms, now deprived of their "lifts," and other supporting gear, by the destructive fire, were seen topping on-end, in a manner truly revolting to the feelings of poor Brace the boatswain.

"Aye, there she is all in mourning* for her fate,” cried Brace, evidently affected by the tottering condition of every thing aloft. Then resuming his loquacity, which, since Burton had descried the stranger, was observed to gain ground apace-" Hurrah!" said he, to those engaged in raising water" Hurrah, boys! drag and draw-she nears us fast-don't you smell 'em mixing the grog astarn?"

From its greater thickness, and perpendicular position, the fire did not so soon penetrate the heart of the foremast, while the lighter spars were vividly burning throughout. The horizontal position, and greater breath of flat surface presented to the rising flames by the foretop, gave ample fuel for the conflagration.

The foretop-mast was now seen tottering in the cap. The head-braces, and every rope which led from the foremast aft, were all let go, and overhauled; so as to facilitate the fall of this weighty spar clear of the ship.

"I say, Brace," cried the captain, conveying a mandate directly through the medium of an interrogatory-" I say, --can't we manage to cut away the laniards of the starboard quarter backstays?"

"Eye, eye, Sir," said the boatswain, who piqued himself on anticipating, whenever he could, his captain's driftHand us that there'axe-here goes,"--then flying into the thick of the fire, he hardly had time to make one ineffectual cut at the laniard, before the scorching blaze compelled him to retreat, without accomplishing his purpose. "Come -spell-oh!" cried he," a fresh hand at the axe.

For want, however, of a rival of the true salamander breed, the challenge was not so freely accepted; and the axe for some moments remained out of commission. This was not to be endured by Brace, who, after rolling and sousing himself well in the flooded scuppers, to soothe the

*When a ship, or square-sigged vessel appears in mourning, the yards on each mast are alternately topped on end.

anguish of his scorched skin, seized once more the axe, and casting a contemptuous look at the topmen around him, he bellowed aloud--" What! d'ye think then you're all for Fidler's Green ?--When you come to unreeve your life-lines, you lubbers, some on you 'll find a hotter birth than this."

Then making a desperate rush on to the blazing bul wark, he succeeded, is back turned to the flames, in scvering the triple turns of the laniards, which bound the backstays to the channels. The backstays now disengaged from their fastenings, Staunch directed the master to watch a favourable opportunity for "heaving the brig up in the wind;" with the hope, that the lurch to leeward, which would naturally accompany the sudden alteration in her course, would pitch the topmast, already wounded by the fire, over the side.

"It can't be doon, Sir," said Stowel, in a sullen tone, who had not as get recovered from the effects of his captain's rebuke;" unless ye sheet-home the main-tau'sle, and haul your stop-waters up.'

"That's soon done," cried Staunch, with an atoning air of ready acquiescence, strongly contrasted with that of the blunt north-countryman. "Hasty, sheet-home the main-taupsle--Burton, rowse the shot-boxes out o' the water, and—a—”

"Better first, Sir," said Burton, "apprise the boatkeepers astern of our intention."

66

True, we must mind the powder."

"Aye, and mind, too, and not swamp the boats in the bargain," again growled the master.

"We can veer 'em further astern," cried the first lieutenant.

66

Only for the fire flakes, I'd rather tow them at a shorter scope," said Staunch.

66

Why not heave the powder out of the cutter at once?" said Burton; "there can be little doubt the ship in pursuit of us is a friend."

66

True," said Staunch," and if she were a foe, the powder would now little avail us.

"Besides," said Stowel," you'll have to lighten her at last; for the boats are shipping green seas every minute."