er to the blast, rushing at
headlong speed towards the southern side of the bay. She appeared
already close upon the rocks, when about she came, and, her sails
flattened in, she began racing back through a mass of foam towards the
point from which she had come. Again she went about; but the slightest
change of wind at the moment, or any want of seamanship, might allow her
in a few seconds to be sent, by the furious seas rolling in, on to the
black rocks under her lee.

"She's gaining nothing, I fear," observed Jack, as he watched her.

"She's rather losing ground, I suspect," answered Higson. Presently the
brig fired a gun; another and another gun followed, at the interval of a
minute. "It is as I feared," observed Higson, "she's driving farther
and farther up the bay, and Commander Adair knows that there is no
holding-ground which can be trusted to."

"We must go in and help her, at all risks!" cried Jack; and the helm
being put up, the steamer, under her head-sails, went rushing forward
towards her small consort. In the meantime, the engineers were also
ordered to get up as much steam as possible. Again the guns were heard.
"Adair would not make those signals unless he were in great distress,"
observed Jack; "tow her out we must; though I fear that unless we're
very brisk about it, we shall lose much ground in doing so."

Two stout hawsers had been ranged aft and well secured, ready to carry
on board the brig. Her movements were eagerly watched by all eyes on
board. Desmond felt more anxious than he had ever before been in his
life, for he loved his uncle heartily, and clearly saw the danger he was
in. All round the shores of the bay appeared a broad line of snowy
foam, contrasting with the dark shore. Not a break was there to be
seen, not a spot where the brig could be beached with any prospect of
affording escape to her crew. As she stood across the bay, she appeared
to be not more than a couple of miles from the deepest part--and in how
few minutes would she be driven that distance!

She had again reached the northern shore; once more her head-sails
shivered in the gale, and the hearts of the bravest on board the
_Gauntlet_ trembled, lest, missing stays, her fate might be sealed.
"She's about all right!" shouted several voices; and like a gallant
steed galloping across the course to the winning-post, she came plunging
on through the troubled waters. Though Adair saw his friend coming to
his assista