“Hurrah! hurrah!” cried Mike. “We are seen.” The rest echoed the cheer. A boat was lowered, and came pulling towards the point. As she approached, the party on shore unshipped the flagstaff and hurried with it to the bay to guide her in; she soon reached the beach. Langton explained to the officer in command in a few words what had occurred. They were helped on board, and the boat immediately pulled back to the corvette.
She proved to be the “Kestrel,” of 18 guns, Commander Holmes. Directly the commander heard of the loss of the “Sylvia,” he steered for the spot where the ill-fated vessel had gone down, in the hopes of rescuing any more of her crew who might have escaped.
Mike and Nat were placed under the doctor’s charge, but Langton and Owen, though still feeling very weak, were anxious to remain on deck while the corvette was searching for their shipmates.
Owen learned, with satisfaction, that, after her cruise among the islands, she was at once to return home. He was naturally anxious to ascertain the truth of the account given him by Reginald Ashurst. Sometimes he thought the imagination of his dying shipmate might have been excited, and that the story he had told was without foundation. Langton, when he talked the matter over, did not give him much encouragement.
“He was always fond of romancing. Sometimes I do not think he knew himself whether he was speaking the truth or falsehood,” he observed.
“He knew that he was dying, and would scarcely have invented a tale to deceive me,” answered Owen; “but at the same time I am not ambitious, nor shall I be much disappointed if I find you are right.”
A calm at nightfall compelled the corvette to come to an anchor just inside the island, where blue lights were burned and rockets discharged to attract the attention of any who had escaped, and might have the means of reaching her; the boats were also manned and sent off, some to visit the scene of the disaster and others to search for any rafts or floating pieces of wreck on which the people might have sought refuge.
The doctor would not allow Langton or Owen to go in the boats, anxious as they were to ascertain the fate of their shipmates.
The night passed away; the boats had not returned. It was not until late the next day that they appeared.
“Hurrah! they have a number of people on board; some of the poor fellows have escaped then!” was uttered by those on the look-out.