understood him they pulled in
the rope with a will, and more under than above the water he was brought
to the side of the smack and lifted on board, the wind bringing down the
sound of a cheer from those on board the wreck as he was got out of the
water. Ben undid the line round his body, carried him downstairs,
wrapped a couple of blankets round him and laid him down on the lockers,
and then ran upstairs to assist Tom, who had carried the line forward
and was already hauling it in.

"That is right, Tom. They have got a good strong hawser on it, I see,
and there is a light line coming with it to carry the slings."

As soon as the end of the hawser came on board it was fastened to the
mast. The line by which it had been hauled in was unfastened and tied to
that looped round the hawser, and payed out as those on the deck hauled
on it. A minute later two sailors got over the bulwarks, and a woman was
lifted over to them and placed in the strong sling beneath the
hawser. A lashing was put round her, and then they waved their hands and
the fishermen hauled on the line. In two minutes the woman was on the
deck of the smack; the lashing was unfastened and knotted on to the
sling ready for the next passenger, then at Ben's signal that all was
ready those on board the wreck hauled the sling back again.

Jack remained between the blankets for a minute or two. He had not lost
consciousness; and as soon as his breath came he jumped up, gave himself
a rub with the blanket, slipped into some dry clothes, and was on deck
just as the woman arrived. She was all but insensible, and directly the
sling had started on its return journey Ben carried her on into the
fo'castle.

"Jack! set to work and make a lot of cocoa. There are no spirits on
board; but cocoa is better, after all. Put the other kettle on and chuck
plenty of wood upon the fire, and as soon as the one that is boiling now
is empty, fill that up again. I should say there are twenty or thirty of
them, and a pint apiece will not be too much. Take a drink yourself,
lad, as soon as you have made it. You want it as much as they do."

Fast the shipwrecked people came along the line. There was not a moment
to lose, for the wreck was breaking up fast, and every sea brought
floating timbers past the bawley.

"It is a good job now, Tom, that we anchored where we did, instead of in
the direct line of the tide, for one of those timbers would stave a hole
in her bow as if she were a