in the direction of
the ship. 'She's close on Ainslie Crag--I thought so!'

'The wind's gone down a bit now, hasn't it?' I asked.

'Yes, and the sea's a bit stiller just now,' he said. 'Give Jem a call,
Alick.'

Jem Millar hastened down to the pier with his arms full of rope.

'All right, Jem, my lad,' said my grandfather. 'Let's be off; I think we
may manage it now.'

So we jumped into the boat, and put off from the pier. It was a fearful
struggle with the wind and waves, and for a long time we seemed to make
no way against them. Both the men were much exhausted, and Jem Millar
seemed ready to give in.

'Cheer up, Jem, my lad,' said my grandfather; 'think of all the poor
fellows out there. Let's have one more try!'

So they made a mighty effort, and the pier was left a little way behind.
Slowly, very slowly, we made that distance greater; slowly, very slowly,
Mrs. Millar, who was standing on the shore, faded from our sight, and
the masts of the ship in distress seemed to grow a little more near. Yet
the waves were still fearfully strong, and appeared ready, every moment,
to swallow up our little boat. Would my grandfather and Millar ever be
able to hold on till they reached the ship, which was still more than
two miles away?

'What's that?' I cried, as I caught sight of a dark object, rising and
falling with the waves.

'It's a boat, surely!' said my grandfather 'Look, Jem!

CHAPTER III.

THE BUNDLE SAVED.

It _was_ a boat of which I had caught sight--a boat bottom upwards. A
minute afterwards it swept close past us, so near that we could almost
touch it.

'They've lost their boat. Pull away, Jem!'

'Oh, grandfather!' I said,--and the wind was so high, I could only make
him hear by shouting,--'grandfather, do you think the boat was full?'

'No,' he said. 'I think they've tried to put her off, and she's been
swept away. Keep up, Jem!' For Jem Millar, who was not a strong man,
seemed ready to give in.

We were now considerably more than half-way between the boat and the
ship. It seemed as if those on board had caught sight of us, for another
rocket went up. They had evidently kept one back, as a last hope, in
case any one should pass by.

As we drew nearer, we could see that it was a large ship, and we could
distinguish many forms moving about on deck.

'Poor fellows! poor fellows!' said my grandfather. 'Pull away, Jem!'

Nearer and nearer we came to the ship, till at length we could see