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He had sailed about half a mile when the look-out hailed the deck again.
"A man in the water!"
"Whereabouts?"
"A short league on the weather quarter."
"Oh, we can't beat to windward for _him,_" said Sharpe; "he is dead long
ago."
"Holds his head very high for a corpse," said the look-out.
"I'll soon know," cried Dodd. "Lower the gig; I'll go myself."
The gig was lowered, and six swift rowers pulled him to windward, while
the ship kept on her course.
It is most unusual for a captain to leave the ship at sea on such petty
errands: but Dodd half hoped the man might be alive; and he was so
unhappy; and, like his daughter, who probably derived the trait from him,
grasped instinctively at a chance of doing kindness to some poor fellow
alive or dead. That would soothe his own sore, good heart.
When they had pulled about two miles, the sun was sinking into the
horizon. "Give way, men," said Dodd, "or we shall not be able to see
him." The men bent to their oars and made the boat fly
Presently the coxswain caught sight of an object bobbing on the water
abeam.


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