caught but one glimpse of her hull as she
was dashed helplessly against the rocks. Still some of those on board
might escape. Every effort must be made to save them. Though Reuben
told his crew what had happened, none hesitated to pull on.

The boat approached the rock, her crew shouted to encourage those who
might be clinging to it.

The "Sea-Gull" had struck on the northernmost point, within which the
sea, though surging and boiling, was comparatively quiet; and Reuben was
thus enabled to get nearer to the rock than he could have ventured to do
on the outside, where it broke with a fury which would quickly have
overwhelmed the boat.

Two men were distinguished through the gloom clinging to the rock, at
the foot of which fragments of the hapless "Sea-Gull" were tossing up
and down in the foaming waves. Another sea such as that which wrecked
their vessel might at any moment wash the men from their hold. A rope
was hove to them, they fastened it round their waists and were dragged
on board. They proved to be Reuben's two sons.

The father's heart was relieved, but he thought of his brave young
captain.

"Where is Michael, where are the rest?" he exclaimed.

"Gone, gone, father, I fear!" was the answer.

"No, no! I see two more clinging to a spar!" shouted one of the men.
"The sea is carrying it away, but the next will hurl it back on the
rocks, and Heaven protect them, for the life will be knocked out of
their bodies."

To approach the spot in the boat, however, was impossible without the
certainty of her being dashed to pieces.

"Here, hand the bight of the rope to me," shouted Eban, starting up; "I
am the best swimmer among you--if any one can save them I can."

As he uttered the words he sprang overboard, and with powerful strokes
made his way towards the drowning men, while the rest, pulling hard,
kept the boat off the rocks, to which she was perilously near.

"Here, here, take him, he is almost gone," said one of the men in the
water, as Eban approached them. "I can hold on longer."

Eban, grasping the man round the waist and shouting to those in the
boat, was hauled up to her stern with his burden. Reuben, assisted by
the man pulling the stroke oar, lifted the rescued man into the boat,
and Eban once more dashed off to try and save the other.

"Who is it? who is it?" asked the crew, with one voice, for the darkness
prevented them from distinguishing his countenance.

No one replied. Reub