ceased and the shore was piled-up rocks, a
reef of which ran right out to the vessel, which was fast on an isolated
rock at the end.

They were farther from the ship now than before--probably double the
distance; but the reef formed a breakwater, and in its lee, though it
seemed almost madness, it was just possible that a boat might live.

"They're going to launch a boat and take out a line," shouted old Marion
in Mr Temple's ear. "It breaks my heart, Master Temple, but he's light
and strong, and a good rower, and Josh won't go alone."

"Is Will going?" cried Dick excitedly.

"Yes--yes," shouted the old man: "there's fellow-creatures' lives at
stake; and at such a time a seafaring man can't say no."

What took place seemed to Dick afterwards like the events in some wild
dream; but in the midst of the excitement and confusion he saw a small
broad-beamed boat run down a pebbly slope, and that a line was coiled in
her. Five men, it seemed, jumped into her as she was thrust off, the
men wading out as far as they could to give impetus to the craft before
they sprang in. Then the cockle-shell of a boat seemed to be lifted
right up to the top of a wave, and then to plunge down out of sight; and
as Dick watched for her reappearance, and noted that the line was held
by the men ashore, as he had noted that there was some one in the stern
of the boat who kept paying out that line, he realised that the boy was
Will, and it seemed again more than ever to be a dream.

All that followed in the midst of that horrible din of shrieking wind,
beating spray, and thundering seemed to be a confused dream, out of
which he kept thinking he should wake, as he sheltered his eyes with his
hands and tried to see the boat.

But no. Once it had plunged down that hill of foamy wave it had
disappeared into a mist of spray and froth; and though two or three
times he fancied that he caught sight of the boat climbing some wave
between where they stood and the wreck, he could not be sure.

There was confidence, though, on the part of the men who were holding
the line.

"He's paying it out right enough, the lad," shouted one of them to Uncle
Abram; and as time went on signals were exchanged that told of the
safety of those in the boat.

The distance was not great, and the reef of rocks not only formed a
shelter, but produced a kind of eddy, which made the passage of the boat
somewhat less perilous; but all the same it was a forlorn hope, an