Part 43 (2/2)

The deck of the enements Her masts and yards and sails shot upwards, and her dark hull seemed suddenly to melt away

The _Lily_ reeled with the shock, and the crew, astounded by the awful catastrophe, for a ot their discipline Several of thethat any should have escaped Rayner re plank fell close to him, he was uninjured

The voice of the co thethe the shi+p on fire

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

A RESCUE

While soed on deck, others, led by the second lieutenant, the boatswain, and Rayner, ascended the rigging with buckets of water to heave over the sails, which in several places had caught fire

It was a work of extree had been done The shi+p all the ti on, her starboard tacks aboard

Nearly a quarter of an hour had elapsed before any one could look in the direction where their late antagonist had floated

A few dark fragments of wreck could alone be seen in the far distance, but no one supposed that any hus could have escaped frohts and stood on in chase of the stranger, which was now seen, under a press of sail, standing away to the north-west

Evening was approaching, and it was feared that if she wished to avoid the risk of an engage the first part of it the atmosphere was tolerably clear, and the chase could di all sail, evidently doing her best to escape The _Lily_ had all her canvas set, but as at night a squall cannot be seen, as in the dayti across the ocean, all hands were kept on deck, ready to take it in at aon the chase?” asked the coone forward, returned

”I think so, sir; but unless the breeze freshens, it will be a long tiuns”

Everything that could be thought of was done to h the water The sails etted, the hammocks were piped down, and the watch were ordered to turn in, with a couple of round shot with each, under the idea that as the hae of the shi+p, her speed would be increased

The privateers were at that tilish reatest iht drew on, the crescent ht, sank beneath the horizon, and the darkness increased, aall objects around The chase was thus shut out fro in the direction she had last been seen

Rayner was on the forecastle near Ben Twinch, both endeavouring to pierce the veil which surrounded the supposed privateer

”We h this ain,” observed Ben ”It won't do for a moment to shut our eyes, for maybe we shall find her much closer than before”

”I fancy that I can even now see her, but ination may deceive me,” said Rayner ”Can that be her out there?”

”I can't see anything,” said the boatswain, putting his hands on either side of his eyes

”What is that on the lee bow?” suddenly exclaimed Rayner

Before the boatswain could turn his eyes in the direction the , the latter added, ”I must have beenStill I o aft and report to the commander what I saw, or fancied I saw”

”It could only have been fancy,” reination is easily deceived in an at”

Rayner accordingly went forward He was not sorry at length to be relieved, as he was groeary fro to keep a strain on his eyes

At last, awakened by the gruff voice of the boatswain turning up the hands, he went on deck, and found that it was already daylight; but not a sail was in sight, and it was pretty evident that the chase had altered her course