we cut away the rigging from this spar, we
may be able to move it through the water." They got out their knives
and worked away. Again the voice was heard. "Help! help!"

"I'll swim off and see if I can render any assistance," said Owen. He
swam towards a mass of wreck. On getting near it he saw that a person
was hanging on with his body in the water, without apparently strength
enough to climb up and secure himself. Owen immediately clambered on to
the wreck, and was then able to drag up the other person.

"Ashurst, is it you?" he asked, recognising his messmate.

"Yes, but I am fearfully hurt in the side and leg, and have no strength
left to help myself."

Ashurst continued to groan. He had not yet discovered that it was Owen
who had assisted him.

The first impulse of Owen was to stand up and try and ascertain whether
any other persons were floating near whom he and Mike might help. He
listened. A few faint cries, apparently from a distance, reached his
ear, but he could not tell from which direction they proceeded; he could
only hope that others had succeeded in getting on portions of the wreck.

In a short time Mike and Nat managed to get up to him. Owen proposed
that they should form a raft with the spars and smaller pieces of timber
floating about, on which they might be able to make their way to the
land. The large piece of wreck on to which Mike and Nat had now climbed
seemed to be stationary. They were therefore able to move about it, and
began to form the proposed raft from the spars which they secured
alongside.

Scarcely had they commenced the work, when a voice was heard at no great
distance.

"Who is that?" shouted Owen. "Do you want help?"

"Langton," was the answer. "I thought I heard voices. Do not move, I
will be with you presently."

In a short time Langton swam up. Owen and his two companions greeted
him warmly. Ashurst lay still, occasionally uttering a groan.

"I am indeed thankful that you have escaped," said Owen to Langton. "We
were doing our best for poor Ashurst; he wants assistance, and I should
have been much troubled how to act. Do you think any one else has
escaped?"

"I hope a few have," replied Langton; "but the greater number of our
shipmates are, I fear, lost."

"Although our lives have been saved for the present, we are still
surrounded by dangers. We must do our duty and trust to God. I'll now
turn to and help you to build the raft. It is the fi