Then there ensued a dialogue, incredible to landsmen, between these two sailors, the captain of the ship and the captain of the foretop, one perched on a stationary fragment of that vessel, the other drifting on a pianoforte, and both bawling at one another across the jaws of death. “Thompson ahoy!” “Hal-lo!” “Whither bound?” “Going out with the tide, and be d----d to me.” “What, can't ye swim?” “Like a brass figure-head. It's all over with poor Jack, sir.” “All over! Don't tell me! Look out now as you drift under our stern, and we'll lower you the four-inch hawser.” “Lord bless you, sir, do, pray!” cried Thompson, losing his recklessness with the chance of life. By this time the shore was black with people, and a boat was brought down to the beach, but to attempt to launch it was to be sucked out to sea. At present all eyes were fixed on Thompson drifting to destruction. Dodd cut the four-inch hawser, and Vespasian, on deck, lowered it with a line, so that Thompson presently drifted right athwart it. “All right, sir!” said he, grasping it, and, amidst thundering acclamations, was drawn to land full of salt water and all but insensible. The piano landed at Dunkirk three weeks later. In the bustle of this good and smart action the tide retired perceptibly. By-and-bye the sea struck lower and with less weight. At 9 P. M. Dodd took his little party down on deck again, being now the safest place; for the mast might go. It was a sad scene: the deck was now dry, and the dead bodies lay quiet around them with glassy eyes; and, grotesquely horrible, the long hair of two or three was stiff and crystallised with the saltpetre in the ship. Mrs. Beresford clung to Vespasian: she held his bare black shoulder with one white and jewelled hand, and his wrist with the other, tight. “Oh, Mr. Black,” said she, “how brave you are! It is incredible. Why, you came back! I must feel a brave man with both my hands or I shall die. Your skin is nice and soft, too. I shall never outlive this dreadful day.” And now that the water was too low to wash them off the hawser, several of the ship's company came back to the ship to help the women down. By noon the _Agra's_ deck was thirty feet from the sand. The rescued ones wanted to break their legs and necks, but Dodd would not permit even that. He superintended the whole manoeuvre, and lowered, first the dead, then the living, not omitting the poor goat, who was motionless and limp with fright. When they were all safe on the sand, Dodd stood alone upon the poop a minute, cheered by all the sailors, French and English, ashore, then slid down a rope and rejoined his companions. To their infinite surprise, the undaunted one was found to be snivelling. “Oh, dear! what is the matter?” said Mrs. Beresford tenderly.