Page:Dick Sands the Boy Captain.djvu/39

 A RESCUE. 25 In spîte, however, of the convictions of the captain and Dîck, Cousin Benedict would not be moved from his opinion that the object of their curiosity was some huge cetacean. " It îs certainly dead, then," remarked Mrs. Weldon ; " it is perfectly motionless/' "Oh, that's because it îs asieep/* saîd Benedict, who, although he would hâve willingly given up ail the whales in the océan for one rare spécimen of an insect, yet could not surrender his own belief. "Easy, Bolton, easy!" shouted the captain when they were getting nearer the floating mass ; " don't let us be running foui of the thing; no good could corne from knocking a hole in our side ; keep out from it a good cable's length." " Ay, ay, sir," replied the helmsman, in his usual cheery way ; and by an easy tum of the helm the " Pilgrim's " course was slightly modified so as to avoid ail fear of collision. The excitement of the saîlors by this time had become more intense. Ever since the distance had been less than a mile ail doubt had vanished, and it was certain that what was attracting their attention was the hull of a capsized ship. They knew well enough the established rule that a third of ail salvage is the right of the finders, and they were filled with the hope that the hull they were nearing might contain an undamaged cargo, and be " a good haul," to compensate them for their ill-success in the last scason. A quarter of an hour later and the " Pilgrim " was within half a mile of the deserted vessel, facing her starboard side. Water-logged to her bulwarks, she had heelcd over so com- pletely that it would hâve been next to impossible to stand upon her deck. Of her masts nothing was to be seen ; a few ends of cordage were ail that remained of her shrouds, and the try-sail chains were hanging ail broken. On the starboard flank was an enormous hole. " Something or other has run foui of her," said Dick. " No doubt of that," replied the captain ; " the only wonder îs that she did not sink immediately."