a set o' fine fellers like _you_!"

Some of the men received this reply with a laugh, others frowned, and a
few swore, while some of them looked regretfully at their self-willed
shipmate; for it must not be supposed that _all_ the tars who float upon
the sea are of the bold, candid, open-handed type, though we really
believe that a large proportion of them are so.

Be this as it may, the boats left the brig, and were soon far astern.

"Thank you, Lillihammer," said Harold, going up and grasping the horny
hand of the self-sacrificing sea-dog. "This is very kind of you, though
I fear it may cost you your life. But it is too late to talk of that;
we must fix on some plan, and act at once."

"The werry thing, sir," said Disco quietly, "that wos runnin' in my own
mind, 'cos it's werry clear that we hain't got too many minits to spare
in confabilation."

"Well, what do you suggest?"

"Arter you, sir," said Disco, pulling his forelock; "you are capting
now, an' ought to give orders."

"Then I think the best thing we can do," rejoined Harold, "is to make
straight for the shore, search for an opening in the reef, run through,
and beach the vessel on the sand. What say you?"

"As there's nothin' else left for us to do," replied Disco, "that's
'zactly wot I think too, an' the sooner we does it the better."

"Down with the helm, then," cried Harold, springing forward, "and I'll
ease off the sheets."

In a few minutes the `Aurora' was surging before a stiff breeze towards
the line of foam which indicated the outlying reef, and inside of which
all was comparatively calm.

"If we only manage to get inside," said Harold, "we shall do well."

Disco made no reply. His whole attention was given to steering the
brig, and running his eyes anxiously along the breakers, the sound of
which increased to a thunderous roar as they drew near.

"There seems something like a channel yonder," said Harold, pointing
anxiously to a particular spot in the reef.

"I see it, sir," was the curt reply.

A few minutes more of suspense, and the brig drove into the supposed
channel, and struck with such violence that the foremast snapped off
near the deck, and went over the side.

"God help us, we're lost!" exclaimed Harold, as a towering wave lifted
the vessel up and hurled her like a plaything on the rocks.

"Stand by to jump, sir," cried Disco. Another breaker came roaring in
at the moment, overwhelmed the brig, rolled her over on h