rd with
weariness, and took in the situation.

"Harder, Perce!" he urged. "Hold her up till I can get my breath. It's
the ocean for us to-night, if we don't hit Brimstone."

Spurred by this exhortation, Percy jerked at the oars savagely and
unskilfully. As he swayed back there was a sharp snap, and the starboard
oar broke squarely, just above the blade.

Round swung the dory, head to the south. Up started Spurling with a cry
of alarm, his fatigue forgotten.

"You've done it now!"

Wrenching the port oar from his horrified mate, he sprang aft, dropped
it in the notch on the stern, headed the boat once more for the island,
and began sculling with all his might.

It was a hopeless attempt. However strong he might be, no man with only
one oar could make headway into the teeth of such a gale. For a time his
desperate efforts held the dory in her place. Then little by little she
began to go astern.

With sinking heart Percy watched Spurling's shoulders rack and twist as
he threw his last ounce into his sculling. By degrees his motions became
slower and more painful. Suddenly he pulled in the oar and dropped it
clattering aboard.

"No use!" he groaned as he toppled backward and collapsed in the bottom
of the dory.

XVIII

BUOY OR BREAKER

Consternation seized Percy. Never before had he known Jim to acknowledge
himself beaten. Their plight must be serious indeed.

The dory swung side to the sea and sank into the trough. A half-barrel
of water slopped aboard. Percy bestirred himself. Setting the oar in the
scull-hole, he brought the boat's head once more into the wind. He was
not strong enough to drive her against it; but he could at least keep
her pointed into the teeth of the gale and prevent her from swamping. He
dropped to his knees, for it was too rough for him to keep his balance
if he stood upright.

How far off was Tarpaulin? As he looked back a red glare sprang up
northeast. Budge and Throppy had fired the driftwood beacon on Brimstone
Point. Small good it would do Jim and himself to-night.

They could not reach the island with one oar, and it was now too dark
for their friends on Tarpaulin to make out the drifting dory.

Percy began sculling frantically.

"Hi! Hi! Hulloo-oo!" he yelled. "Oh, Budge! Oh, Throppy! We're going to
sea! Come out and get us!"

It was like shouting against a solid wall. His cries were whirled away
by the gale. Presently he became silent, realizing that he was was