Day broke, and the first sight it revealed to them was a brig to windward staggering along, and pitching under close-reefed topsails.
They started up, and waved their hats, and cried aloud. But the wind carried their voices to leeward, and the brig staggered on.
They ran up their little signal of distress; but still the ship staggered on.
Then the miserable men shook hands all round, and gave themselves up for lost.
But, at this moment, the brig hoisted a vivid flag all stripes and stars, and altered her course a point or two.
She crossed the boat's track a mile ahead, and her people looked over the bulwarks, and waved their hats to encourage those tossed and desperate men.
Having thus given them the weather-gage, the brig hove to for them.
They ran down to her and crept under her lee; down came ropes to them, held by friendly hands, and friendly faces shone down at them. Eager grasps seized each as he went up the ship's side, and so, in a very short time, they sent the woman up, and the rest being all sailors and clever as cats, they were safe on board the whaling brig Maria, Captain Slocum, of Nantucket, U. S.
Their log, compass and instruments were also saved.
The boat was cast adrift, and was soon after seen bottom upward on the crest of a wave.