Part 3 (1/2)
”No,” said the first lieutenant, with his glass to his eye; ”only one”
A ht, but it passed away; and, with the feeling of suffocation at his throat increasing now, he kept his glass upon the black head in thehard for life Brought allass, Mark could nearly onised look upon the swimmer's face, as, at every stroke, he ht; and every reet and his hands clammy, the midshi+p, man expected to see the waves close over the poor wretch's head
Just then his attention was taken up by the voices of the Captain and lieutenant
”The scoundrel! the fiend!” cried the fore upon the deck; ”if it were not for those on board I'd sink him”
”I e could, sir,” replied the first lieutenant; ”we shall lose him”
”No,” cried the captain ”He has thrown that poor wretch overboard, believing that we shall heave to and pick hiets a mile away,” said the first lieutenant; ”and as soon as we overhaul hiain, he'll throw over another--that is, sir, if we stop to pick the poor creatures up”
”Help! boat! help!” cried Mark, unable to contain his feelings longer; and lowering his glass, he turned to the captain ”Look, sir, look!” he cried, pointing in the direction of the drowning black; ”the poor fellow's going down”
CHAPTER THREE
SAVING A BROTHER'S LIFE
There was a moment's dead silence after Mark had, in his excitement, cried for help Then the word ”Fire!” was uttered sharply, and there was the deafening report of a gun, whose shot again passed between the schooner's led with the bass roar of the cannon, the captain's orders rang out; the boatswain's pipe sounded shrilly, and as the _Nautilus_ was thrown up into the wind, and her sails began to shi+ver, doent the boat with its crew, Mark, at a sign fro in Then there was a quick thrust off by the coxswain, the oars fell on either side with a splash, and the younghi the officer who held the rudder-lines how to steer, for far-away on the h, he could still see the dark head and the ripplingfor his life
”Starboard!” shouted Mark ”Pull, my lads, pull Starboard a little more”
”Starboard it is,” cried the officer ”See him still?”
”Yes,” cried Mark ”Oh, pull, et to hier on one side than on the other--not too ht Yes, I can--no, he is down in the hollow There he is again Pull your hardest,” he cried, excitedly; and the men jerked at their oars as they cheered
”Hold on; we're cohtless of the fact that the negro would not understand his words, even if he heard thele, as with breath growing short, weak as he was froht hard with the waves for his unhappy life
”See him still?” cried Mark's companion, as the boat made the water foam
”Yes--no--no,” said Mark, hoarsely; ”he's down in the hollow again
Straight on We're going right for hione down,” cried the officer
”No; I shall see him directly We must be close to him now Ready there with the boathook”
”Ay, ay, sir,” cried the man in the bows, as he stood up ready toman ”See him, sir?”
Mark was silent as he strained his eyes over the surface of the sea, looking vainly for the struggling figure which had beenof dread oppressing him, as for the first time he was face to face with death; and in those awful uns as the _Nautilus_ kept up her fire at the flying schooner He heard nothing, saw nothing but the sea shi+ht, with the water rising higher about his lips, the unfortunate black had groeaker and weaker, and at last had given one trelare wildly round for help; then he had ceased his struggle and gone slowly down, the water closing over his staring eyes and glistening teeth; there were a few bubbles, and the sea heaved and fell gently over the spot where he sank
”I have been close here, sir,” cried the coxswain
”Easy,lieutenant in co it, lad, look! We er”
Mark uttered a groan He had co--a fellow-creature cast to destruction by the brutal captain of the slaver--and he had failed