Boulong?" he inquired,
still looking through the glass.
"Mr. Scott reported cries from that direction not ten minutes ago, and the
lookout aloft hailed the deck a minute or two later," replied the first
officer.
"Make the course north by east," added the captain.
"North by east, sir," replied Mr. Boulong, mounting the promenade, and
giving the order to the quartermaster through the window. "Steer small till
you get the course, Bangs."
The captain and the third officer remained on the promenade deck, still
observing the persons on the wreck, who continued to shout and to discharge
their firearms till they saw the head of the steamer slowly turned to the
north, when they appeared to be satisfied that relief was at hand.
"They are in a very dangerous position," said the commander. "I cannot make
out what they are clinging too; but it is washed by the sea at every wave,
and they cannot hold out long in that situation. I wonder that all of them
have not been knocked off before this time."
"They must have some strong hold on the thing that floats them, whatever it
is, for they are under water half the time," replied Scott, who was also
using a spyglass. "I can't make out what they are on; but it looks like a
whaleback to me, with her upper works carried away."
"There are no whalebacks in these seas," replied the captain.
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