"

Not so soon, however, as they expected, for the wind was light, although
favourable, the raft was heavy, and the two oars had but little
influence on it. The sun sank and rose again before they drew near to
the reef. Inside the reef, between it and the island-shore, there was a
lake or lagoon of calm water, but outside, on the reef itself, a heavy
swell broke with continuous roar. To get involved in those giant
breakers would have been destruction to the raft, and probably death to
most of those on board. One narrow opening, marked by a few shrubs and
palms on either side, formed the only portal to the calm lagoon. The
captain himself took the steering oar, and summoned our philosopher to
his assistance.

"Give way now, lads, with a will."

As many men as could grasp the two oars laid hold of them, and bent
their backs till the strong wood cracked again. Gradually the raft
neared the opening. As it did so the ground-swell began to act on it.
By degrees the towering billows--which seemed to rise out of a calm sea
and rush to their destruction like walls of liquid glass--caught it,
dragged it on a little, and then let it slip. At last one great wave
began to curl in hissing foam underneath, caught the raft fairly,
carried it forward on its boiling crest, and launched it with lightning
speed into the opening. The space was too narrow! One of the
projecting spars touched the reef. Instantly the fastenings were rent
like pack-thread, and the raft was hurled forward in disconnected
fragments. One of these turned completely over with several men on it.
Another portion passed through the opening and swung round inside. The
steering oar was wrenched from Jack's hands, and struck the captain into
the water. As if by instinct, Jack sprang to the "bower," caught Polly
in his arms, and leaped into the sea. At the same moment Wilkins ran to
the rescue of his friend Ben. These two were on the part that had swung
round to the calm side of the reef, and Watty waded to it with Ben on
his back. The captain and all the rest were washed in a cataract of
foam and wreckage through the opening into the lagoon, and pitched by
curling eddies on the shore. In a few minutes they all stood in safety,
panting, but uninjured, on the white sands of the coral reef.

CHAPTER FOUR.

THE CORAL ISLAND--PROCEEDINGS THEREIN.

The island on which the raft with its occupants had been cast was of
small size, not more than six mil