ng village Brummell saw the signal and came, his face
grave.

"Couldn't they get the lifeboats out to them?" asked Carroll as he
approached.

"You see that one," said Bradford, pointing. "Well, the other's in
kindling wood farther up the beach."

"Anybody drowned?" asked Mina quickly.

"No, we got 'em out. Mr. Cam's shoulder is broken." He glanced down at
himself comically, and the girls for the first time noticed that beneath
the heavy overcoat his garments were dripping.

"But surely they'll never get a line over with the mortar!" said
Carroll. "That last shot fell so far short!"

"They know it. They've shot a dozen times. Might as well do something."

"I should think," said Mina, "that they'd shoot from the end of the
pier. They'd be ever so much nearer."

"Tried it," replied Bradford succinctly. "Nearly lost the whole
business."

Nobody said anything for some time, but all looked helplessly to where
the vessels--from this elevation insignificant among the tumbling
waters--were pounding to pieces.

At this moment from the river a trail of black smoke became visible over
the point of sand-hill that ran down to the pier. A smokestack darted
into view, slowed down, and came to rest well inside the river-channel.
There it rose and fell regularly under the influence of the swell that
swung in from the lake. The crowd uttered a cheer, and streamed in the
direction of the smokestack.

"Come and see what's up," suggested Bradford.

He hitched Prince to a log sticking up at an angle from the sand, and
led the way to the pier.

There they had difficulty in getting close enough to see; but Bradford,
preceding the two women, succeeded by patience and diplomacy in forcing
a way. The SPRITE was lying close under the pier, the top of her
pilot-house just about level with the feet of the people watching
her. She rose and fell with the restless waters. Fat rope-yarn bumpers
interposed between her sides and the piling. The pilot-house was empty,
but Harvey, the negro engineer, leaned, elbows crossed against the sill
of his little square door, smoking his pipe.

"I wouldn't go out there for a million dollars!" cried a man excitedly
to Carroll and Bradford. "Nothing on earth could live in that sea!
Nothing! I've run a tug myself in my time, and I know what I'm talking
about!"

"What are they going to do?" asked Carroll.

"Haven't you heard!" cried the other, turning to her. "Where you been?
This is one of Orde's tu