George shouted again, with a like result, and then--still feeling very doubtful as to the best mode of proceeding--he struck out, and swam quietly round the ghastly floating figure. A stroke or two sufficed to place him in such a position as enabled him at last to get a clear and distinct view of the stranger's features, fully illumined by the glare of the flames, and instant recognition followed. "Walford!" he exclaimed. Then, without another moment's hesitation, he dashed up and, throwing himself upon his back, seized his rival by the hair and drew him into such a position as permitted of his taking Walford's head upon his shoulder and supporting it high enough above the surface to prevent the sea washing over it and so suffocating him. Walford offered no resistance, and gave not the faintest sign of being aware of George's presence; and there the two lay, quietly floating on the bosom of the long heaving swell, until the boat came to their assistance and conveyed them both on board the _Aurora_. On reaching the ship, George had his rival promptly stripped, rubbed vigorously down, and comfortably bestowed in his own berth, well and warmly wrapped up in blankets, with Tom Price--one of the forecastle hands, and a very smart, intelligent young fellow--to watch over him. After which, the skipper gave a little attention to his own comfort, and finally went on deck once more, it being by that time too late to think of turning in again. By the time that George regained the deck, the _Aurora_ had crept to a distance of about four miles from the _Princess Royal_. The unfortunate craft was by that time blazing fiercely fore and aft, the fire having at last reached her store-room, in which there was a considerable quantity of highly inflammable material; and half an hour afterwards her powder-magazine (almost every ship of any size in those days was provided with a magazine) exploded; and the charred fragments of half-consumed timber, which were widely scattered over the now sleepily heaving surface of the sea, alone remained as relics of the once noble and stately ship, the destruction of which had been the last link in a chain of disastrous occurrences resulting primarily from the overbearing, tyrannical, and imprudent behaviour of her officers. With the appearance of the sun above the horizon the clouds gradually disappeared, the wind dropped, the surface of the ocean became like heaving oil; and the _Aurora_, losing steerage-way, rolled almost gunwale-to, with her canvas flapping loudly and monotonously against her masts. About two bells (or nine o'clock) one of the hands, upon being sent aloft to "grease down," reported a sail in the southern quarter, and on the usual inquiry being put to him, as to what he made her out to be, he replied that she was a small topsail-schooner.