ending along the horizon; "we
are going to have a thunderstorm. Perhaps that was the cause of Edith's
fainting."

Already the water was foaming and bubbling round the bows of the boat.
In my eagerness I made a deep gash on the gunwale: this taught me to be
more cautious in future. Fortunately the axe was a good one, or I
should have broken it. I had made some impression on one of the links
of the chain; my object was to strike again in the same place.

"Is it nearly through?" asked Harry, looking round.

"No; not far yet," I answered.

"Then let me try," he said; "perhaps I can do it."

I willingly yielded the axe to him, for I was too anxious to have the
chain cut through to feel jealous should he show superior skill. He
eyed the place which I had been cutting--I having made several jagged
notches--and then brought down the axe with apparently less force than I
had used. It was exactly in the centre of the cut. Each time he lifted
the axe he struck the same place, and in less than a minute the chain
was severed. We soon prised out the other half of the link. I then
sprang aft to the helm; Tommy got out an oar, and pulled the boat's head
round; while Harry hoisted the sail, bringing the sheet aft to me; and
on we flew before the fast-rising wind. Scarcely were we away when it
came with redoubled force; and had we remained at anchor many minutes
longer, I believe the boat must have filled and gone down.

I felt very thankful that we had cleared the chain; but we had still the
bar to cross. Edith, too, remained in the same fainting state. I was
in hope that the fresh breeze would revive her; but as we were running
before it, she did not feel it much. I looked anxiously towards the
bar; some rollers were coming in, but they were not very high, nor did
they break much as they reached it. We might, therefore, venture to
cross; indeed, we had no choice, for I knew how anxious our father would
feel when he saw the wind rising.

As we neared the bar Tommy exclaimed,--"O Godfrey! look at these
rollers! Shall we be able to cross it, do you think?"

"We must," I said; "get the oars out, to prevent her from broaching-to
in case we should be becalmed."

I now held the tiller firmly in my hand, and kept my eye fixed on a
point of the cliff which would guide me directly up the centre of the
channel. We rose to the top of a roller. "Give way! give way!" I
shouted. Tom and Harry pulled with all their might.