s seas poured over her and
swept everything from the decks. A boat was lowered but immediately
smashed to atoms. In this critical position, the coolest person aboard
was Betsy. She a life preserver strapped firmly around her and was
covered with one of the captain's oil-skins.

"I guess it is a matter of swim for it," roared Paul to the captain, "as
she won't stand this very long."

At this instant the mainmast went and as it swung clear, the stays were
hastily cut by the captain and Paul. The captain frantically motioned
Betsy to grab one of the lines attached to the mast. The next moment a
sea broke over her that carried the three of them, with two of the crew
hanging on to the mast, which, clear of the wreck, was rapidly driven
towards the shore. Once a great sea broke Paul's hold and he found
himself unaided swimming in the mad surf. He was fortunate enough to
catch a hatch that was floating near which supported him to the
shore where he was thrown with considerable violence and half stunned.
He managed to stagger up the beach and in a few minutes discovered
Betsy dragging the insensible form of the captain out of the reach of
the sea. The captain was not dead, but very near it. One of the crew had
an arm broken while the other landed without injury. The three men left
on the wreck were lost. When the skipper recovered consciousness he
was inconsolable at the loss of his craft. That night the party found
shelter in a house about half a mile from the beach where they
were hospitably entertained. At the break of day the captain and Paul
were on the beach. The sea was still breaking heavily and all that was
left of the staunch little "Foam" were her timbers scattered far up and
down on the sands. Among them were found the bodies of two of the
men, the other was never heard of. So sudden and unexpected was the
loss of the vessel that Paul never thought of his money he had safely
stowed away in the cabin and he stood on the beach that morning without
a cent in his pocket. The loss of his armour and apparatus grieved him
deeply but he felt a keen sorrow for the distress of his old friend
Balbo. Yet in a way, the captain was more fortunate than himself as
Betsy had carried all their earnings safely ashore, stowed away in the
voluminous folds of her dress. All day long the Captain, Betsy and Paul
and the uninjured seaman, patrolled the beach in the hope that
something valuable might