Curtis tied a rope round his waist and tried to swim to their assistance; but long before he could reach them the unfortunate men, after a vain struggle for life, sank below the waves and were seen no more.

Curtis, bruised and beaten with the surf that raged about the mast-heads, was hauled back to the ship.
Meantime, Dowlas and his men, by means of some spars which they used as oars, were exerting themselves to bring back the raft, which had drifted about two cables-lengths away; but, in spite of all their efforts, it was fully an hour,--an hour which seemed to us, waiting as we were with the water up to the level of the top-masts, like an eternity--before they succeeded in bringing the raft alongside, and lashing it once again to the "Chancellor's" main-mast.
Not a moment was then to be lost.

The waves were eddying like a whirlpool around the submerged vessel, and numbers of enormous air-bubbles were rising to the surface of the water.
The time was come.

At Curtis's word "Embark!" we all hurried to the raft.

Andre who insisted upon seeing Miss Herbey go first, was helped safely on to the platform, where his father immediately joined him.