Mr. Henderson ran his ship as near the burning craft as he dared.  Then he called to the crew to leap into the water and swim to him.  He, with Washington, Jack, Bill and Tom, stood ready to haul aboard any who were too weak to help themselves.

In a few minutes all of those left alive on the sailing vessel—­ fourteen in all—­ had come safely aboard the Mermaid.  The ship was now completely enveloped in flames.

“Are there any more left on her?” asked Mr. Henderson of one who appeared to be a mate of the burning craft.

“Not a soul!” was the answer.  “The captain and ten men perished in the flames.  The fire broke out a week ago in the lower hold.  We fought it as well as we could but it got the best of us.  Then it suddenly broke through the decks, almost like an explosion, a little while ago, and the captain and others were lost, and so were our small boats.  We managed to get aft but were about to give up when you appeared.”

“What ship is it and where are you from?”

“The Good Hope, laden with logwood, hides, jute and other materials from South America,” the mate answered.  “We were bound for New York.”

“It is more like the Last Hope instead of the Good Hope,” observed Mr. Henderson in a quiet voice, as he saw the flames mount higher and higher over the ship.  A few seconds later the craft seemed rent by an internal explosion.  It appeared to break in two parts, and, amid a shower of sparks and a cloud of black smoke, the vessel sank under the water and was seen no more.

The rescued men turned to behold the final end of their ship.  They betrayed no particular emotion, and some of them even laughed, which the professor thought, at the time, was rather strange.  But there was little opportunity for speculation.  The men were in a sad plight.  Few of them had more than the clothes they stood in, though each one wore about his waist a belt, and all of them seemed to guard the leather circlets jealously.

The professor and his crew were soon busy supplying remedies for burns, since several of the men were seared by the flames.  Then, as it was learned they had eaten nothing for many hours, it having been impossible to use the galley, a meal was prepared and the survivors of the wreck were well fed.

The hunger of the newcomers having been appeased, they showed much curiosity over the strange craft that had so opportunely come to their rescue.  Most of the sailors were ignorant men, and the professor had little fear of them learning anything concerning his secrets.  He explained briefly about the Mermaid, but said nothing of whither she was bound.

The addition of fourteen men to the rather small accommodations of the Mermaid was a serious matter to consider.  The ship was able to hold them all, and even to sail through the air with them, since Mr. Henderson had provided an excess of power.  But it was going to be a problem to feed so many, and still save enough provisions, for the long voyage which lay ahead.