d scarcely any clothing on, and was altogether a
most pitiable object.

But Yaspard wasn't going to waste time in talk. "Can you get to the
boat with my help, do you think?" he asked, stooping to assist the man
to rise. But as he attempted to do so the pain overcame him, and he
sank back swooning.

"Poor soul!" muttered Yaspard; "I can't think what to do with him," and
then he pulled off his jacket, laid it gently over the unfortunate
castaway, and tried to revive him by rubbing his chest.

Signy watched her brother's movements with the most eager interest, and
was so engrossed that she scarcely attended to her duty of keeping the
boat from bumping against the rocks. Although her negligence was not
the cause of what happened to the boat, if she had been on the alert
she might have given the alarm in time.

As the _Osprey_ rose and fell with the waves, the rope became chafed on
sharp edges of rock, and parted. The boat swung adrift, and was
carried on a long sweep of the undertow some yards from the skerry; but
the length of rope Yaspard had allowed prevented Signy from wondering.
It was only when she felt the boat dip unchecked over a second long
wave that she glanced at the rope, and saw its end trailing in the
water.

She uttered a startled cry, and Yaspard, looking around, saw with
horror what had taken place.

"Oh, Signy! fling me a rope! No, sit still; be still, dear, or you'll
be over! Oh, my Signy!"

She had half risen from her seat as he sprang to the water's edge and
called to her; but next moment she cowered down in terror, for the
light boat rocked as if it must capsize, then went whirling on the
tideway round the end of the skerry.

Yaspard did not utter a sound after those first few terror-freighted
words. He could only stand motionless and dumb, gazing after the boat,
while Signy, kneeling, stretched out her poor little hands and cried,
"Brodhor! brodhor!"

A groan from the man, for whom Yaspard had inadvertently risked and
lost so much, roused the boy from his stupor of despair; and then he
broke into bitter cries, which ere long explained to his companion
their terrible plight; while farther and farther drifted the _Osprey_,
until even her taper mast could not be distinguished amid the waste of
heaving billows.

And then, in the moment of supreme agony, Yaspard did what Signy had
been doing all the time. He flung himself on his knees and lifted up
his heart to God.

CHAPTER