ish seamen exerted all their strength, for at any moment, even
if the cable did not break, it might be torn from its holdfast on the
wreck. As the cradle came in, two men were seen seated in it, one
holding another in his arms. Rayner heard the words, "Vite, vite, mon
ami, ou nous sommes perdu."

"Haul away, lads, haul away!" he shouted out, though his men required no
urging.

Just as the cradle was reaching the rock, a crash, even louder than its
predecessors, was heard. Several men sprang forward to grasp the
occupants of the cradle. The outer end of the rope had given way, and
in another instant they would have been too late.

Again the wild shrieks of despair of the helpless wretches who still
remained on the wreck echoed along the cliffs.

"Poor Ben! has he gone?" exclaimed Rayner. "No, sir, he's one of those
we've just got ashore," answered a quarter-master who, with several
others, had rushed down to help the two men taken out of the cradle, and
who were now bearing the apparently inanimate body of the boatswain's
mate up the rock; "the other's a Frenchman by his lingo."

Rayner hurried to the spot, when what was his surprise, as the light of
the lantern fell on the countenance of the Frenchman last landed, to see
Pierre's father, Captain Turgot!

Putting out his hand, he warmly shook that of his old friend, who opened
his eyes with a look of astonishment, naturally not recognising him.

"Don't you know me, Captain Turgot?" said Rayner. "I am one of the boys
you saved when our frigate was blown up."

"What! are you little Bill?" exclaimed the honest fisherman. "That is
wonderful. Then you escaped after all. I am indeed glad."

There was no time just then, however, for explanations. Rayner thanked
his old friend for saving Ben's life.

"I could do nothing else," was the answer. "He was about to place
another man in the cradle who had not the courage to get into it by
himself, when a piece of timber surging up struck both of them, the
other was swept away, and the brave English sailor would have suffered
the same fate had I not got hold of him; and then, though I had made up
my mind to remain to the last, I saw that the only way to save him was
to bring him myself in the cradle to the shore, and I am thankful that I
did so. But my poor countrymen! There are many still remaining who
must perish if we cannot get another hawser secured to the wreck."

This was what Captain Martin was now endea