with water; I was overwhelmed—dragged beneath the surface.
Suddenly my clothes were seized by a strong hand. I was drawn up, and I heard—yes, heard these words:
“If Monsieur will have the great kindness to support himself upon my shoulder he will swim more easily.”
I seized the arm of my faithful Conseil.
“Is it you?” I said; “you!”
“Myself,” replied Conseil, “at Monsieur’s orders.”
“And you were thrown into the sea by that shock as well as I?”
“Not at all; but being in Monsieur’s service I have followed him!” The worthy fellow saw nothing extraordinary in this.
“And the frigate?” I asked.
“The frigate,” replied Conseil, turning on his back; “I think we had better not count upon her!”
“What!”
“I say, that as I jumped into the sea I heard the steersman cry, “The screw and the helm are both broken!”
“Broken!”
“Yes; by the teeth of that monster. It is the only damage the Abraham Lincoln has suffered. But, unfortunately for us, she cannot steer.”
“Then we are lost!”
“Perhaps so,” replied Conseil calmly. “But we have still some hours before us, and a great many things may happen in that time.”
The imperturbable coolness of Conseil reassured me.
