berately
to face death.

"Oh! It's the man with the handsome figure," gasped Lintie, with a wild
look of surprise.

Aileen did not now require to be told who it was. Unlike heroines, she
neither screamed nor fainted, but through the wonder which shone in her
eyes she shot forth another look,--one of proud confidence,--which Edgar
caught in passing, and it rendered his power and purpose irresistible.
The stern work before him, however, was not compatible with soft
emotions. Seizing the end of the light line which was ready, he tied it
firmly round his waist and leaped into the raging sea, while an
enthusiastic cheer burst from the crew.

At first it seemed as if the youth had been endowed with superhuman
powers, so vigorously and with such ease did he push through the surf
and spurn aside the pieces of wreck that came in his way; but as his
distance from the vessel increased, and the surging foam bore him in
among the rocks, he received several blows from a piece of the floating
bulwarks. Once also he was launched with terrible violence against a
rock. This checked him a little. Still, however, he swam on,
apparently unhurt, while the people on board the wreck gazed after him
with inexpressible eagerness. They not only thought of the imminent
danger of the gallant youth, but fully realised the probability that his
failure would be the sealing of their own doom.

As he drew near to the rocks on shore, a mass of wreck was seen to rise
on the crest of the surf close to the swimmer's side and fall on him.
An irresistible cry of despair burst from those in the ship. Some one
shouted to haul on the line and pull him on board, and several seamen
sprang to do so, but the captain checked them, for through his glass he
could see Edgar struggling to free himself from the wreck. In a few
minutes he succeeded, and the next wave hurled him on the rocky shore,
to which he clung until the retreating water had lost its power. Then
he rose, and struggling upwards, gained a ledge of rock where he was
safe from the violence of the waves.

It need scarcely be said that his success was hailed with three
tremendous cheers, and not a few deep and fervent exclamations of "Thank
God" from some who regarded the young engineer's safety as a foretaste
of their own. Some there were, however, who knew that the work which
yet remained to be done was fraught with danger as well as difficulty.
This work was commenced without delay.

By