nd still it was not Will.

"This time it must be he," thought Dick; but when the cradle arrived
once more, it was the face of Josh that saluted them.

"Haul back quick," the latter said. "She was shivering under my feet
when I come away."

"And you left that boy to drown!" roared Uncle Abram, catching Josh by
the throat.

Josh did not resent it, but said quietly, in a lull of the storm:

"He wouldn't come first. It was like drowning both him and me to stand
gashly arguing at a time like that."

And now every eye was staring wildly, and with an intensity that showed
how eagerly all watched for the next freight of the cradle.

"It's hard work for the lad," said Josh hoarsely; "and I'd give anything
to be at his side. But he'll do it if the ship hangs together long
enough. Oh, pull, pull! Haul away, lads, haul!"

"He made me come--he made me come," he cried frantically. "It was
keeping the lad back to say I wouldn't go first. I didn't want to,
lads, I didn't want to."

"No, no," came in a sympathetic growl, as once more the wind lulled a
little and there were symptoms of the gale being nearly over.

Then there was a groan, for Will made no signal.

"Hooray!" came from the men, as there was a sudden snatch, and the rope
they were giving out was drawn rapidly. "He's got it, he's--got--"

The man who was joyfully shouting that stopped short as the rope ceased
moving, and one, who was trying to use a telescope, shouted:

"The mizen's over!"

"Then she's gone to pieces, lads," cried another.

"No," cried the man with the glass; "part's standing yet."

"Hooray!" came again, as Dick stood clinging to Uncle Abram's arm, the
old man having left the stone, and standing close beside the men who
hauled the cradle gear.

Short as the distance was, not a glimpse of the ship could be seen, for
every wave that broke upon the rock rose in a fountain of spray, to
mingle with the blinding drift and mist of foam. But all the time their
eyes were strained towards the rock upon which the ship had struck, and
along the reef that the venturesome boat's crew had made the shelter
which resulted in the saving of some of the poor creatures upon the
wreck.

All at once, when a horrible feeling of despair had settled upon all
present, there was a sharp twitch given to the line, the signal for it
to be hauled, just at a time too when Josh had turned away, giving Dick
a piteous look, and then gone to lean his head upon his