"I am Mr. Royle. Bo'sun, are you below? For God Almighty's sake answer and let me know that you are living." "Have the skunks cleared out?" responded a voice, and, stumbling as he moved, the boatswain came under the forescuttle and turned up his face. "What have you done?" I cried, almost delirious. "Why, plugged up two on 'em. There's only one more," he answered. "One more what?" "Leaks--holes--whatever you call 'em." So saying, he shouldered his way back into the gloom. It was now all as clear as daylight to me. I waited some minutes, bursting with impatience and anxiety, during which I heard him hammering away like a caulker. My fear was that the men would discover that they had omitted to put a compass in the boats, and that they would return for one. There were other things, too, of which they might perceive the omission, and row to the ship to obtain them before she sank. Just as I was about to cry out to him to bear a hand, the boatswain's face gleamed under the hatchway. "Have you done?" I exclaimed. "Ay, ay." "Is she tight?" "Tight as a cocoa-nut." "Up with you, then! There is a bit of a breeze blowing. Let us swing the mainyards and get way upon the ship. They are waiting to see her settle before they up sail. It is dark enough to act. Hurrah, now!" He came up through the forecastle and followed me on to the main-deck. Though not yet dark, the shadow of the evening made it difficult to distinguish faces even a short distance off. There was a pretty little wind up aloft rounding the royals and top-gallant sails, and flattening the sails on the mainyards well against the masts. I stopped a second to look over the bulwarks, and found that the boats still remained at about three cable-lengths from the ship. They had slipped the mast in the long-boat; but I noticed that the two boats lay side by side, four men in the quarter-boat, and the rest in the long-boat, and that they were handing out some of the stores which had been stowed in the quarter-boat, to lighten her. "We must lose no time, Mr. Royle," exclaimed the boatswain. "How many hands can we muster?" "Three." "That'll do. We can swing the mainyard. Who's the third?--the steward? Let's have him out." I ran to the cuddy and called the steward. He came out of the pantry. "On to the poop with you!" I cried. "Right aft you'll find the bo'sun there. Miss Robertson!" At the sound of her name she stepped forth from her cabin. "The men are out of the ship," I exclaimed. "We are ready to get way upon her. Will you take the wheel at once?" She was running on to the poop before the request was well out of my mouth. The boatswain had already let go the starboard main-braces; and as I rushed aft he and the steward were hauling to leeward. I threw the whole weight of my body on the brace, and pulled with the strength of two men. "Put the wheel to starboard!" I called out; and the girl, having cast off the lashing with marvellous quickness, ran the spokes over.