d they rigged the
larger line that followed and attached the block to the stump of the mast.

Then on shore the crew of the life saving station and the fishermen--even
the boys from the bungalow--hauled on the cable, and soon sent the
gear across the tossing waves. They had erected a stout pair of wooden
"shears" in the sand and over this the breeches buoy gear ran.

It went out empty, but the moment it reached the staggering wreck the
men there popped the woman into the sack and those ashore hauled in. Over
and through the waves she came, and when they caught her at the edge of
the surf and dragged the heavy buoy on to the dry land, she was all but
breathless, and was crying.

"Don't ye fear, Missus," said one rough but kindly boatman. "We'll
have yer little gal ashore in a jiffy."

"She--she isn't my child, poor thing," panted the woman. "I'm
Captain Kirby's wife. Poor Jim! he won't leave till the last one----"

"Of course he won't, ma'am--and you wouldn't want him to," broke
in Cap'n Cope. "A skipper's got to stand by his ship till his crew
an' passengers are safe. Now, you go right up to the station----"

"Oh, no, no!" she cried. "I must see them all safe ashore."

The huge buoy was already being hauled back to the wreck. There was no
time to be lost, for the waves had torn away the after-deck and it was
feared the forward deck and the mast would soon go.

Ruth went to the woman and spoke to her softly.

"Who is the little girl, please?" she asked.

"She ain't little, Miss--no littler than you," returned Mrs. Kirby.
"Her name is Nita."

"Nita?"

"That's what she calls herself."

"Nita what?" asked Ruth.

"I don't know, I'm sure. I believe she's run away from her folks.
She won't tell much about herself. She only came aboard at Portland.
In fact, I found her there on the dock, and she seemed hungry and
neglected, and she told us first that she wanted to go to her folks in
New York--and that's where the _Whipstitch_ was bound."

"The _Whipstitch_ is the name of the schooner?"

"Yes, Miss. And now Jim's lost her. But--thanks be!--she was insured,"
said the captain's wife.

At that moment another hearty shout went up from the crowd on shore. The
breeches buoy was at the wreck again. They saw the men there lift the
girl into the buoy, which was rigged like a great pair of overalls. The
passenger sat in this sack, with her legs thrust through the apertures
below, and clung to the ring of the buoy, whi