t, of
course, but had built a wall of stones and turf to protect him from the
weather; and while the other lads slept quietly enough in the wreckers'
den, these two kept guard over their disabled comrade on the exposed
ground.

"If the storm does not lin[1] by sunrise," said Yaspard, "we must try
and move him to the beach, and get him under shelter of the boat; we
can turn her up, you know, and make a cosy place for him. It is so
windy and disagreeable here."

Alas! they had not dreamt that the tempest might "turn" the _Osprey_ as
easily as they could. At the moment when Yaspard spoke, his bonnie
boat was lying among the great rough stones, with a rent in her side
that no mere caulking could cure. A fierce gust had caught her and
tossed her over as if she were a toy left there for that purpose.

This was discovered when a very sedate procession of boys came down to
the beach, carrying Tom on a stretcher made (as Dr. Holtum had shown
how) out of their jackets spread between two spars--the spars being
passed through the sleeves, and so kept in position.

When the _Osprey's_ condition was ascertained Yaspard said, "I suppose
there is nothing left but to try for Thor again."

But Thor was nowhere to be seen then, and though search was made, he
could not be discovered. The truth was that Thor, hungry and
uncomfortable, had been hovering over Swarta Stack at daybreak in a
very discontented state, had recognised some familiar landmarks in a
northerly direction, and had decamped for Boden straightway.

[1] Abate.

CHAPTER XXXI.

"HILD UNDER HELM."

As one after another their resources seemed to fail, the courage of
more than one of the lads sank; but there was no daunting Yaspard, and
he began to talk of lighting a big tire, or setting up the sail as a
signal--of one and all of the devices which castaways use for
attracting attention, till Bill cut him short by saying, "We can do all
that by-and-by, when the sea falls enough to allow a boat to come here
if our signals were seen. It isn't any good just now, for all the
people are in their beds, and will be for hours, and while they are
sleeping we are starving."

At that moment Pirate came running from the farther side of the Stack
carrying a dead rabbit, which he proudly laid at his master's feet. He
had been amusing himself almost all the time since the landing with
hunting rabbits, and had at last caught one.

"You needn't starve now. See, Bill