he short of it," answered
the captain.

"One of them was lost in saving my life. I don't forget that either."

"That's nothing, sir," answered Tom. "If I haven't two hands, I've got
a strong set of teeth, which are pretty well as useful as a hand; and
who can say that my on arm isn't as good as the two arms of many a man."

"Not I, Tom, not I!" answered the captain; "but it's just this--if
anything was to happen to me, what would my wife and child do without
you, Tom, to look after them?"

Tom still, however, argued the point. They were walking as fast as the
captain could move down to the beach. Suddenly the latter stopped,
looked Tom full in the face, and said--"It's just this. Are you
captain, or am I?"

"You, sir," answered Tom, touching his hat mechanically, as he was wont
in the days of yore.

"Then stay, and do as I order you," said the captain, walking on. "But
I'll tell you what, Tom; you may go and look out for volunteers, and
then come and help to launch the boat."

The appearance of the captain at the boat was the signal for the inmates
of the neighbouring huts to come out to know what he wanted. He showed
them the ship driving towards the coast--urged them to come and help him
save the lives of those on board; and when he saw that his appeal made
but little impression, talked of the salvage money they would receive,
and other recompense from those they might save, and from their friends.
First one man volunteered--then another, and another, from various
motives. Tom had collected more from other quarters, till a fine crew
was formed. Once having said they would go, they were not the men to
draw back; but they might have been excused had they done so, for it was
very evident that the undertaking was one full of dangers of the most
formidable character.

The boat, one of the finest of her class on the coast, and fitted with a
double row of empty kegs on either side to give her buoyancy (one of the
earliest attempts at a life boat), was now hauled up in a cove on the
west side of the bay. The captain had ordered as many ropes as could be
collected to be brought down. These were now coiled up carefully at the
bow and stern, ready for immediate use. The oars were secured by ropes
to the sides of the boat, so that they could not be washed away, but
would swing fore and aft. "All ready, lads?" cried the captain, "Now
altogether, shove, and off she goes!" The united strength of her crew,
and