roaring sound of the surf as it
dashed against the wild rocks grew louder and louder. Still old Tom
urged the men to pull as hard as they could. Many of them thought,
however, that they were only pulling to meet destruction the sooner.

"I see the passage now!" exclaimed Harry, as he looked up for a moment
while bailing the water out.

"You are right, lad," said old Tom. "Steady, lads! there is One above
who will protect us. We will do our best, and trust to Him."

The men gave way. They knew well that in a few minutes more they should
be safe, or struggling helplessly among the foaming waters. The loud
roar of the breakers sounded in their ears. They bent to their oars;
the boys bailed as hard as they could. Old Tom kept his eye ahead. A
huge wave lifted up the boat, and seemed about to heave her into the
midst of the boiling surf. Onwards she was borne; now she was between
two walls of white hissing foam, which flew in thick masses over her;
but still she went on, and, gliding downwards with the rapidity of an
arrow, in a few seconds she shot into smooth water, leaving the dark
rocks and the roaring breakers astern. The wind blew fiercely, the
thunder roared, and the lightning flashed vividly; but she was now safe
within the shelter of a deep bay. By the glare of the lightning it
could be seen that there were cliffs on either side. The crew pulled
steadily up the centre till they reached a sandy beach at the farther
end, where they landed, and hauled their boat up.

"Now, lads, let us return thanks to God for preserving us from the
greatest danger I have ever been in, or any of you either, probably,"
said old Tom. "If we had not been guided into the passage when we were,
it is my belief that the boat would in a few minutes have gone to the
bottom, for the gale is blowing nearly twice as hard as it did when we
cast off from the whale."

Though most of the men had refused to join with old Tom in prayer on
board ship when in safety, no one now declined to do as he suggested;
and, led by him, they knelt down on the sands, and offered up
thanksgivings for their preservation from the danger in which they had
been placed. Even Dickey Bass uttered a fervent "Amen," and Harry felt
that God had indeed been merciful to him.

"Where should we have been now, Bass, if we had missed the passage?" he
asked.

"I don't know," answered Dickey; "but I am very thankful that we are
safe."

It was too dark to enabl