of an arrow. There was a shock,
followed by a grating noise, and then the brig slowly came to a
standstill.

"Hold on, hold on for your lives!" the captain shouted, as a wave
even larger than the last came towering up behind them, in an
almost perpendicular wall. It struck the vessel with tremendous
force, and swept waist deep along the deck; while the vessel,
herself, surged forward. There was another shock, but this time
much slighter and, as the next wave carried them on, there was a
general cheer from the sailors.

"She has floated, she is through it, hurrah!"

She was, indeed, over the bar.

"There are men in the water," Fairclough shouted. "Get ready to
cast ropes to them."

Four men, who had been swept overboard by the rush of water, were
rescued; two others were found dead on the deck, having been dashed
against the stanchions, or other obstacles.

The brig continued her course, four or five hundred yards farther
then, as the banks of the inlet closed in, Fairclough gave orders
for the anchors to be let go. Everything had been prepared for this
order, and the anchors at once dropped and, as soon as fifty
fathoms of chain had been run out, the brig swung round head to
wind.

"Muster the men, and see if any are missing."

This was done, and only one, besides three found dead, did not
answer to his name. The general opinion was that he had struck
against something, as he was swept overboard, and had been killed
or disabled; for all who had been seen in the water had been
rescued.

"Serve out an allowance of grog, all round, Mr. Eden," Fairclough
said, "and tell the cook to get his fire alight, as soon as
possible. We shall all be glad of a good meal.

"Well, thank God, everything has ended far better than we could
have hoped for!"

Two hours later the crew, having got into dry clothes, were sitting
down, enjoying a plentiful allowance of pea soup and salt junk;
while the officers were partaking of similar fare, in the cabin.
None who saw them there would have dreamt of the long struggle they
had been through, and that the ship was well nigh a wreck. It was
now late in the afternoon, and Fairclough gave orders that all
might turn in, as soon as they liked; except that an anchor watch,
of four men, must maintain a sharp lookout, for the natives of the
island were bitterly hostile to the whites.

"I don't think there is any real danger," he said to Harry, "or
that they will attempt to take the ship