k. Tayoga in his place would not give up. He would pray to his
Manitou, who was Robert's God, and put complete faith in His wisdom
and mercy. Moreover, he was quit of all that hateful crew. The ship
of the slavers was beneath his feet, but the slavers themselves were
gone.

As he looked, he saw the second boat overturn, and he thought he heard
the wild cry of those about to be lost, but he felt neither pity nor
sympathy. A stern God, stern to such as they, had called them to
account. The captain's boat had disappeared in the mist and spray.

Robert, with the huge greatcoat wrapped about him clung to the stump
of the mast, which long since had been blown overboard, and watched
the white line of the breakers rapidly coming nearer, as they reached
out their teeth for the schooner. He knew that he could do nothing
more for himself until the ship struck. Then, with some happy chance
aiding him, he would drop into the sea and make a desperate try for
the land. He would throw off the greatcoat when he leaped, but
meanwhile he kept it on, because one would freeze without it in the
icy wind.

He heard presently the roaring of the breakers mingled with the
roaring of the wind, and, shutting his eyes, he prayed for a miracle.

He felt the foam beating upon his face, and believing it must come
from the rocks, he clung with all his might to the stump of the mast,
because the shock must occur within a few moments. He felt the
schooner shivering under him, and rising and falling heavily, and then
he opened his eyes to see where best to leap when the shock did come.

He beheld the thick white foam to right and left, but he had not
prayed in vain. The miracle had happened. Here was a narrow opening
in the breakers, and, with but one chance in a hundred to guide it,
the schooner had driven directly through, ceasing almost at once to
rock so violently. But there was enough power left in the waves even
behind the rocks to send the schooner upon a sandy beach, where she
must soon break up.

But Robert was saved. He knew it and he murmured devout thanks. When
the schooner struck in the sand he was thrown roughly forward, but he
managed to regain his feet for an instant, and he leaped outward as
far as he could, forgetting to take off his greatcoat. A returning
wave threw him down and passed over his head, but exerting all his
will, and all his strength he rose when it had passed, and ran for the
land as hard as he could. The wave retu