"Most certainly," answered George earnestly. "We will at least ascertain whether there are any human beings on board her. Mr Ritson,"--to the carpenter, who since Cross's impressment had acted in the capacity of second mate--"steer your present course, please, as long as the wind will allow you; crack on all you can; and, as soon as the burning ship--or whatever it is--is fairly in sight, give me a call." He then descended to his cabin, and in another five minutes had fallen into a state of blissful oblivion. At eight bells (or four o'clock a.m.) Ritson knocked at George's state-room door, after calling the chief mate, and said-- "We can see the flames and smoke from the deck, sir, though the ship herself is still hull-down. I've been up in the fore-top, howsoever, with the glass, and make her out to be a large ship--close upon a thousand tons, I should say--but I can't see any people on board of her, nor I can't make out no sign of boats. She's all ablaze from for'ard right aft as far as the main-mast, which toppled over and fell for'ard while I was lookin' at her. I fancy the people must ha' left her, sir." "All right, Ritson," answered George, "I'll be on deck in a minute or two." Within the stipulated time Captain Leicester made his appearance on deck, and proceeded at once to the fore-top, where, with the aid of his glass, he made a careful inspection of the burning ship. "Well, Mr Bowen," he said, when he had completed his examination, and was once more down on deck, "it is as Ritson says: there is no sign of any human being on board her; I have looked long and carefully at her, and am quite sure I should have seen the people moving about, had there been any. We will stand on as we are going, however, and cross her stern; we shall then perhaps get a chance to make out her name. Somehow, she has a familiar look with her, as though I had seen her before; I wonder if she was in the fleet?" "Like enough, sir," answered Bowen; "we're right in the track of 'em; and maybe this is one of the slow-coaches as we run away from." "Possibly," answered George abstractedly; and then the two fell to pacing slowly fore and aft, from the main-mast to the taffrail, in that persevering way which is so characteristic of seamen. The _Aurora_ was now sliding gently along at a speed of about four knots, with every sail set that would draw; and gradually she crept up closer and closer to the burning ship, which, meanwhile, was slowly drifting to leeward. The watch on deck were clustered together in a body, forward, watching the unusual sight; the ship being now about a point on the lee bow and about half a mile distant. Suddenly there was a loud shout from them, followed by the cry-- "There's somebody still aboard the burning ship sir!"