Rapidly the sun sank towards the horizon. In a short time it would be dark, and we should have no chance of being seen from the ship. The men cried out for the remainder of the liquor, saying that they could pull all the better if they could get it. This, also, to my surprise, Nettleship served out to them,--the bottle-neck full to each of us, for we all shared alike,--and again they pulled as lustily as before for a short time; but we all felt our thirst increased. Few of them spoke; but Larry every now and then gave a shout, or made some comic remark to encourage his companions. Nettleship also did his best to keep up our spirits. Darkness, however, was fast approaching; the wind appeared to be freshening, and, should a strong breeze fill the stranger's sails, all hope of getting alongside her before she passed us would be lost. Not a word was now uttered; but every now and then the men turned their heads to ascertain what progress we were making. Nettleship now steered the boat rather more to the northward. Presently a light streamed out towards us across the water. Again our hopes of getting on board increased. The wind once more dropped. "We shall reach her, lads!" cried Nettleship at length, in a confident tone. The men cheered, though their voices sounded husky, the ring of a British seaman's voice sadly wanting. They pulled bravely on, however. The light rose higher above the surface. It was now almost ahead. Then another streamed forth from a port. Presently Nettleship's voice rang out clear and loud-- "Ship ahoy! What ship is it?" "His Britannic Majesty's ship _Hector_. What boat is that?" came over the water. Nettleship replied. Presently the order sounded out from aboard the ship-- "Raise tacks and sheets! clew up mainsail and foresail! Let fly topgallant-sheets!" The wind having fallen, the ship soon lost her way, and we pulled up alongside. A light gleamed through the entrance port, and ready hands, coming down, quickly assisted us up on deck, while the boat was secured, for none of us had much strength left to help ourselves. Nettleship, Tom, and I were at once conducted to the upper deck, where we found the gallant commander of the _Hector_, Captain Bouchier, to whom Nettleship at once gave a brief account of what had happened. "We have reason to be thankful that we escaped the gale, Drury," said the captain, turning to an officer in a captain's uniform standing near him. "We should to a certainty have shared the fate of many others." Captain Bouchier made this remark, I found, in consequence of the unseaworthy condition of his ship. To enable her to perform the voyage, before she sailed from Jamaica she had had twenty-two of her guns taken out of her, and her masts replaced by others of smaller dimensions. Her crew amounted in all to scarcely three hundred men, many of whom were invalids, and others French and American prisoners, who had volunteered to assist in working the ship.