Adventures of the Explorers 135 



that retaking the ship was to be a more dangerous 

 task than any one there had ever faced. It was 

 first proposed that the two boats should separate 

 and make a dash at both sides of the ship at once. 

 To this Mr. Smith replied that a proper regard 

 for the interest of the owners, as well as for the 

 safety of the men under his command, required 

 him to avoid all personal risk, and he. therefore 

 suggested that the crews of the two boats should 

 unite in the boat of the second mate and attack 

 the ship, leaving him alone in his own boat at a 

 safe distance from danger. To this proposition 

 there was immediate dissent, and the men began 

 to talk about pulling away to the nearest land. 

 The second mate dropped out of the consultation 

 by rowing his boat out of talking distance. 



In the meantime the mate's boat had drifted 

 rather close to the ship. In the bow of this boat 

 stood a young man named Benjamin Clough. 

 He was only nineteen years old, but by good work 

 had made himself third mate of the ship. Be- 

 cause the crew was short of its complement, he 

 was serving the mate as boat-steerer, or harpooner. 

 On seeing the boat within range of the ship, as 



