so far out in my reckoning.
Tell Mr. Rolf to keep her close to the wind, and I'll go forward and
take a look at the chart."

So saying, Captain Barrett went away to his cabin to consult his charts,
while the mate hurried to give his instructions to the man at the wheel.

An hour passed--an hour of darkness, storm and gloom.

Phil was beginning to feel very chilly in his wet clothes and started to
go below, when the ship suddenly seemed to rise in the middle and then
pitch forward again, with a dull, grating sound, the meaning of which he
knew only too well.

"Breakers!" shouted the voice of the mate, from somewhere near the
companion-way. "We are on the reef!"

As he spoke the red light went out, as if swallowed up by the angry sea,
and then they knew the nature of the false beacon that had lured them on
to destruction.

Phil was making his way as fast as he could to Mr. Herdic's state-room,
when that gentleman himself appeared on deck, with Thad, half-dressed
and in a terrible state of excitement, following him.

"What is it?" cried Uncle Walter. "What has happened?"

"The ship has struck! The infernal wreckers, with their misleading false
lights, have brought us on the rocks," replied Captain Barrett, who
stood near, perfectly calm in the midst of the indescribable confusion
and the wild howlings of the storm. "Lower the life-boats, Mr. Moore,
and God be our trust, for it's every man for himself now; but steady!
Life is life, and he who saves his must be brave, cool and
stout-hearted. The rockets, boatswain. It may seem a vain hope, but help
may be nearer than we think."

Two boats were lowered, but who got into them, or what became of them,
Phil did not know. In far less time than it takes to relate it, he had
pulled off his coat, vest and boots, put on a life-preserver and stood
heroically awaiting his fate, whatever it might be.

He was pretty badly scared--there is no denying that--and he felt a
little weak in the knees; but when the struggle came, and the battle
waged was for life, he felt quite certain of making as brave a fight as
anybody.

"Good-by, Mr. Herdic!" he said, extending his hand. "It's a chance if we
live to see each other again."

"Good-by!" replied Mr. Herdic, in a choked voice; "and God be with and
care for you, my dear boy."

Thad's deathly pale lips tried to form some intelligible sound, but
failed, and, with a kind of dumb entreaty, he put his arms around Phil's
neck, and dro