threw them to the deck,
and they forgot for the instant their bloody purpose of vengeance in the
inevitableness of their approaching danger; they were checked in their
mad anger for a few seconds and given a moment for reflection, that
moment convinced them that they could not yet dispense with the services
of their captain. With black rage and white fear striving for mastery in
their hearts, they rose to their feet and faced him with menacing faces
and threatening gestures.

"What's to be done now?" questioned one bolder than the rest.

"Now's the time," roared the undaunted Morgan, striving to make himself
heard by all above the thundering seas, "to show your courage, lads!"

He had quickly observed that the force with which she had been driven on
the shoals had shoved the galleon's nose firmly in the sand. She had
been caught just before she took ground by a tremendous roller and had
been lifted up and hurled far over to starboard. Although almost on her
beam ends, her decks inclining landward, the strongly-built ship held
steady in spite of the tremendous onslaughts of the seas along her
bilge.

"Take heart, men!" he cried. "Observe. She lies still and secure. 'Tis a
stout hulk and will take a tremendous battering before she breaks. We
may yet save ourselves."

"And the treasure?" roared one.

"Ay, and the treasure."

"I think the storm has about blown itself out," interposed old
Hornigold, shouting out at this instant. "Look you, mates," he cried,
pointing to westward, "it clears! The sun'll set fair to-night."

"The bo's'n is right," cried Morgan. "But first of all we must take no
chances with our lives. Even though we lose the ship we can seize
another. The world is full of treasure and we can find it. Now I want
some one to carry a line ashore through the breakers. Who will
volunteer?"

"I," said Carib instantly.

"I need you here," answered Morgan, who did not purpose to be deprived
of that bodyguard upon whose watchfulness his life had so often
depended.

"I'll go," exclaimed young Teach, breaking through the crowd.

"That's a brave heart!" said Morgan. "A line here!"

Instantly a light line was forthcoming. Teach tore off his jacket, laid
aside his weapons, kicked off his shoes, took a turn of the line around
his waist, made it fast, wrung Morgan's hand, watched his chance, leaped
overboard, was caught by an onrushing wave and carried far toward the
shore. The ebb of the roller carried him b