arm against the
rock.

That cheer which came as the rope was twitched seemed to send life and
activity back to Josh, who dashed in among the knot of men at the rope.

"Here, let me come," he shouted; "let me have a hand in bringing him
ashore. Hurray! Master Dick, hurray! he's saved, he's saved!"

Was he?

The men hauled as rapidly as was consistent with safety, till the cradle
with its occupant was dragged right up on to the rock, where a dozen
hands were ready to lift the drooping, insensible figure out, and pour
brandy between its lips.

Will opened his eyes at this and stared wildly for a few moments; then a
knowledge of his position seemed to come to him, and he smiled and
raised one hand.

At that moment there was a shout and the cable of the cradle gear seemed
to hang loose, and the sea end to be moving shoreward, while the man
with the glass shouted:

"She's gone to pieces, lads; that last wave lifted her, and then she
melted right away."

There was no doubt about it, for the cradle gear was floating free, and
the men were able to haul it in. The rest of the crew of that
unfortunate ship, with twelve passengers beside, were washed ashore with
the battered boat that took the line, and fragments of wreck here and
there all round the coast for the next ten days or so, long after Will
had well recovered from the shock of his adventure. For he had been for
long enough beaten about and half drowned by the waves while striving to
get the cradle rope clear of a tangle of rigging that had fallen upon
it, and threatened to put an end to its further working, till he had run
a most perilous risk, climbed over it, hauled the rope from the other
side, and had just strength enough left to get into the cradle and give
the signal, as a wave came over the doomed ship, and buried him deep
beneath tons of water.

He could recollect no more than that he had tried to give the signal to
be hauled ashore, and some one had held him up to pour brandy between
his teeth.

Yes: there was something else he remembered very well, and that was the
way in which Dick held on to him, and how Arthur had shaken hands. He
recalled that, and with it especially Mr Temple's manner, for there was
a kind, fatherly way in his words and looks as he said to him gently:

"Will Marion, I should have felt very proud if one of my boys had done
all this."

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.

MR. TEMPLE LEARNS MORE OF WILL MARION'S CHARACTER WRITTEN I