now--now then, around with her--end on, and there she is like a
bird! And now drive her!"

"A bird!" said Clancy--but a wild-looking bird--fifty feet she looked
to be going into the air one moment and down out of sight the next,
and water slamming aboard her so that we thought she was swamped half
a dozen times. Two had to leave the oars and go to bailing, while
Clancy with an arm and shoulders and back and swinging waist
like--well, like nothing a man ever had before--kept her end to it.

"Good luck!" we called.

"Never fear--we'll bring 'em back!" said Clancy.

"Or stay with them," we thought.

But he didn't stay with them. It was a ticklish job, but Clancy got
away with it. He didn't dare to go too near the Flamingo, for that
meant that the seas would pitch the seine-boat up and dash it to
kindling wood against her hull. What he did do was to go as near the
Flamingo as he could and keep her clear, then heave a line aboard and
call to her crew one after the other to make it fast around themselves
and jump overboard. It took some nerve to make that jump--from the
rigging of the Duncan we watched them--saw them shiver and draw
up--these were men accustomed to face danger--reckless men--but the
shiver was over in a breath, and then over the rail and into that
sea--a game fight--and they were hauled into the seine-boat. Some of
them we thought would never make it, for it was an awful sea.

As fast as one of the Flamingo's men made the seine-boat he was set to
work bailing out or taking a haul at the oars, for it was a difficult
matter in that sea to keep the seine-boat at the right distance from
the Flamingo. But they got them all--ten of them. Two were hauled in
unconscious, but came to after awhile.

To get aboard the Johnnie again was almost as bad as to get into the
seine-boat from the Flamingo. But we managed it. Long Steve was swept
over while we were at it, but we got him back with the help of Maurice
Blake and another of the Flamingo's crowd. By smart clever work they
grabbed Steve before he could go down and hauled him into the
seine-boat.

When they were all safe aboard the Duncan Clancy shook hands with
Maurice. "I call that luck, Maurice--to come out to save a stranger
and find you've saved your own. And now whose trick to the wheel--you,
Joe? Put her on the off-shore tack till we're well clear of that
headland--maybe we c'n make it in one leg. No? Then a short tack and
have an eye out for the ledges