at sea," cried Vince fiercely; and
the exchange of position was made; but there was a full two inches more
water in the boat, and as Vince began to bale he did so from where he
could at any time seize the pieces of pig iron and tilt them over. In
fact, several times he felt disposed to do so, but shrank from it as
being a last resource, and from dread lest the act should in any way
interfere with the boat's speed.

Over went the water in the sunshine; and as the boy baled, from looking
golden, it by slow degrees grew of an orange tint, and sparkled
gloriously, but a deadly feeling of weakness fixed more and more upon
Vince's arms, and as he toiled he knew that before long he must give up
to his companion once again. But still he kept on, though it was more
and more slowly; and the despair that he had kept to himself was not
quite so terrible, for the south point gradually grew nearer, and he had
the satisfaction of feeling that he could manage a boat at sea, and well
too, for the course they were steering was dead for the tunnel rock,
and, could he keep the boat afloat for another twenty minutes or half an
hour, they would be safe.

"Come and steer now?" said Mike.

"No," was grunted out; and Vince baled away till the pot dropped from
his hands, and he rose and took the oar, pressing it to his chest, and
steering by the weight of his body.

Once more the water flew out faster; but Mike was only making a spurt,
and his arm moved more and more slowly, till, with a groan, he said
feebly:

"I can't do it any longer."

Vince made no reply, but gazed straight before him, seeing the
jutting-up rock as if through a mist, while the water bubbled in through
the leak, and rose, and rose, without an effort being made to lower it
now.

Would she float till they were close in?--would she float till they were
close in?--would she float till they were close in? It was as if some
one kept on saying this in Vince's ears, as they rushed on, with the
rock nearer and nearer, as if coming out of the mist, till it stood out
bright in the setting sunlight, and the mental vapour was dispersed by
the feeling of exultation which surged through the steersman's breast.
For all at once it seemed that safety was within touch; and, turning the
boat head to wind, she glided slowly up to the opening in the rock,
while the sail flapped and the two boys quickly lowered and furled it,
unstepped the mast, and then thrust her in with the boat-hoo