e accord followed in Bob's wake, hastily snatching up ropes, boat-
hooks, poles, oars, anything likely to be useful, as they ran.

Meanwhile Bob, running with the speed of a hunted deer, had passed--as
it seemed to the spectators--with a single bound down the rocks and
along the entire length of the raft, from the extreme end of which he
plunged without pause or hesitation into the sea. A bright momentary
flash as he vanished beneath the surface of the water, seemed to
indicate that he carried a drawn knife or some such weapon in his hand.

Simultaneously with the disappearance of Bob, May's golden curls
reappeared above the surface; and the child's aimless struggles and her
choking bubbling cries lent wings to the rescuing feet of those who had
listened again and again unmoved to the death-screams of their fellow
men. Another moment, and there was a tremendous commotion in the water
close to the child; first a sort of seething whirl, then a dark object
flashed for a moment into view, there was a furious splashing, a darting
hither and thither of some creature indistinctly seen amid the snowy
foam; and then that foam took on a rosy hue which deepened into crimson;
the commotion subsided, and Bob appeared once more on the surface,
breathless and gasping. With a couple of strokes he reached May's side,
and half a dozen more took him alongside the raft in time to deliver her
into Captain Staunton's outstretched arms.

"Unhurt, sir, I believe, thank God!" Bob gasped, as he delivered up his
charge; and then, when the little one had been raised out of the water
and clasped with inarticulate thanksgivings to her father's breast, he
added--

"Give us a hand, some of you fellows, will you? And heave handsomely,
for I believe my leg's broke."

"Lay hold, boy;" and a dozen eager hands were outstretched to Bob's
assistance--foremost among them being that of a great black-bearded
fellow named Dickinson, who had formerly been boatswain's mate on board
a man-o'-war, but who had deserted in order to escape the consequences
of a sudden violent outburst of temper--"Lay hold."

Bob grasped the proffered hand and was brought gently alongside the
raft.

"Now then," exclaimed Dickinson, assuming the direction of affairs,
"kneel down on the edge of the raft, one of you--you, `Frenchy,' you're
pretty handy with your flippers--kneel down and pass your arm under his
legs, as high up as you can. Say `_when_.' Are you ready? Then li