ie cleft the foam close
behind her, caught her by the skirt and bore her to the surface, when a
few strokes of his free arm brought him close under the lee of the wreck
just in time to prevent the agonised father from leaping after his
child. There was terrible suspense for a few minutes. At one moment
our hero, with his burden held high aloft, was far down in the hollow of
the watery turmoil, with the black hull like a great wall rising above
him, while the skipper in the main-chains, pale as death but sternly
silent held on with his left hand and reached down with his right--every
finger rigid and ready! Next moment a water-spout, so to speak, bore
the rescuer upward on its crest, but not near enough--they went downward
again. Once more the leaping water surged upwards; the skipper's strong
hand closed like the grip of death on the dress, and the child was safe
while its rescuer sank away from it.

"Help him!" shouted the skipper, as he staggered to the shelter of the
companion.

But Charlie required no help. A loose rope hanging over the side caught
his eye: he seized it and was on deck again in a few seconds. A minute
later and he was down in the cabin.

There, terror-stricken, sat the skipper's wife, never venturing to move,
because she had been told to remain there till called. Happily she knew
nothing of the incident just described.

Beside her sat the other women, and, near to them, a stern old
gentleman, who, with compressed lips, quietly awaited orders.

"Come, quick!" said Charlie, grasping by the arm one of the women.

It was the skipper's wife. She jumped up right willingly and went on
deck. There she found her child already in the life-buoy, and was
instantly lifted in beside it by her husband, who looked hastily round.

"Come here, Dick," he said to a little cabin-boy who clung to a
stanchion near by. "Get in."

The boy looked surprised, and drew back.

"Get in, I say," repeated the skipper sternly.

"There's more women, sir," said the boy, still holding back.

"True--brave lad! but you're wanted to keep these from getting washed
out. I am too heavy, you know."

The boy hesitated no longer. He squeezed himself into the machine
beside the woman and child.

Then up at arm's-length went the skipper's sou'-wester as a signal that
all was ready, and the fishermen began to haul the life-buoy to the
shore.

It was an awful trip! Part of the distance, indeed, the trio were borne
alo