straight ahead.

Ben, another of our acquaintance, dragged us up beside him on the
weather bulwarks, and here we had to stand, holding on to a rail, while
the boat, with her sail lying almost on the water, rushed through the
waves.

We were no longer among the breaking surf through which we had had to
straggle at starting, although the sea still rolled mountains high, and
threatened to turn us over every moment as we sailed across it. But the
gallant boat, thanks to the skilful eye and hand of the coxswain, kept
her head up, and presently even we got used to the situation, and were
able to do the same.

Where was the wreck? I summoned up courage to ask Ben, who, no longer
having to row, was standing composedly against the bulwarks by our side.

"Not far now. Straight ahead."

We strained our eyes eagerly forward. For a long time nothing was
visible in the darkness, but presently a bright flash of light shot
upward, followed almost immediately by a blaze on the surface of the
water and a dull report.

"They're firing again!" said Ben; "we'll be up to them in a jiffey!"

"What are we to do?" asked Jack dismally.

"Hold on where you are," said Ben; "and if we upset stay quiet in the
water till you're picked up."

With which consoling piece of advice Jack and I subsided, and asked no
more questions.

The sight of a column of lurid flame and smoke made us wonder for a
moment whether the vessel in distress was not on fire as well as
wrecked. But I recollected that the "Wolf King" had burned tar-barrels
all night long as a signal of distress, and this we rightly concluded
was what was taking place on board "our" wreck.

Ben's "jiffey" seemed a good while coming to an end, and long before it
did we passed once more into broken water, and the perils of the start
were repeated, with the aggravation that we were now across the wind
instead of being head on. Wave after wave burst over us, and time after
time, as we hung suspended on the crest of some great billow, it seemed
as if we never could right ourselves. But we did.

"Stand by!" cried the coxswain, when at last a great dim black outline
appeared on our starboard.

Instantly the men were in their seats; oars were put out; the mast and
sail came down, and the clank of the anchor being got ready for use fell
on our ears from the bows.

The wreck was now right between us and the shore, we being some distance
to the windward of it. My knowledge of the st