sten!" commanded Tom.

The hilarity ceased suddenly, and all those at the table listened
intently. The sudden hush made the noise of the elements seem greater.

"What did you hear?" finally asked his sister.

"A gun--there!"

A distant, reverberating sound was repeated. They all heard it. Heavy
and her aunt, Miss Kate, glanced at each other with sudden comprehension.

"What is it?" Ruth cried.

"It's a signal gun," Heavy said, rather weakly.

"A ship in distress," explained Miss Kate, and her tone hushed their
clamor.

A third time the report sounded. The dining room door opened and the
butler entered.

"What is it, Maxwell?" asked Miss Kate.

"A ship on the Second Reef, Miss," he said hurriedly. "She was sighted
just before dark, driving in. But it was plain that she was helpless,
and had gone broadside on to the rock. She'll break up before morning,
the fishermen say. It will be an awful wreck, ma'am, for there is no
chance of the sea going down."

CHAPTER VIII

THE LIFEBOAT IS LAUNCHED

The announcement quelled all the jollity of the party on the instant.
Heavy even lost interest in the sweetmeats before her.

"Goodness me! what a terrible thing," cried Helen Cameron. "A ship
on the rocks!"

"Let's go see it!" Busy Izzy cried.

"If we can," said Tom. "Is it possible, Miss Kate?"

Heavy's aunt looked at the butler for information. He was one of those
well-trained servants who make it their business to know everything.

"I can have the ponies put into the long buckboard. The young ladies
can drive to the station; the young gentlemen can walk. It is not raining
very hard at present."

Mercy elected to remain in the house with Miss Kate. The other girls were
just as anxious to go to the beach as the boys. There were no timid ones
in the party.

But when they came down, dressed in rainy-weather garments, and saw the
man standing at the ponies' heads, glistening in wet rubber, if one had
withdrawn probably all would have given up the venture. The boys had
already gone on ahead, and the ship's gun sounded mournfully through
the wild night, at short intervals.

They piled into the three seats of the buckboard, Ruth sitting beside the
driver. The ponies dashed away along the sandy road. It was two miles
to the life saving station. They passed the three boys when they were
only half way to their destination.

"Tell 'em not to save all the people from the wreck till we get
there!" shouted T