g that the remainder of his little squadron was safe,
ordered the wreckage to be cut adrift and the decks cleared for further
operations.

"Work away with a will, lads!" he cried encouragingly.

"The ship has taken a soft berth; she lies on the sand, and there is no
present danger of her sinking; indeed we are in much too shoal water for
that. Mr Leigh, we must get the wreckage cleared away first of all,
after which we will get out kedge anchors astern; and if these fail us
we will run out cables to the other vessels. Perchance we may thus get
ourselves off by our own hauling and the others towing. But we must all
work with a will; for, as all may see, there is in the look of the sky
every prospect of ill weather very shortly, and if it take us ashore
like this we shall lose the ship! Now, Roger, take you two hands in the
gig--I cannot spare more--and bring off that poor fellow. I would that
we had earlier understood what he meant; it would have saved us this
disaster. And hasten, lad, for I cannot spare even three of you for a
single moment longer than is absolutely necessary. Yet must I have that
man, for he may possess information of untold worth to us. And you, Mr
Leigh, will take two hands also, and go off to the other vessels. You
will acquaint them with our condition, and give them their orders to
prepare for towing, and to be ready by the moment when we can avail
ourselves of their help, for we have no time to waste."

Roger soon found his two men, and the boat was got ready and over the
side in a very few minutes; yet, quick as he had been, he perceived as
he pushed off that Mr Leigh's boat was already some distance on her way
to the other ships.

"Now, give way, men, with a will!" cried the lad, encouragingly. "You
heard what Mr Cavendish said--there is not a moment to lose if we are
to get that man off, and the ship too, ere the gale breaks. And indeed
I like not the look of the weather at all. It fast grows more
threatening, and we shall be lucky if we get back to the fleet in time.
Furthermore, I fear much that there will not be time to save the poor
old _Stag Royal_: she is, to my mind, hopelessly lost, for, if
appearance belie it not, the gale will be down on us ere they can hope
to move her off the sand; and I pray God that the poor fellows on board
her may be able to get away from her in time. Ah, the wind comes away
even now! Pull, lads, pull, or we shall be swamped ere we can get
ash