though the long, powerful sweep of the sea as it
entered the opening denoted considerable depth.

Skipper Simms, seeing the grim rocks rising close beside his vessel,
realized that naught could keep her from them now. He saw death peering
close to his face. He felt the icy breath of the Grim Reaper upon his
brow. A coward at heart, he lost every vestige of his nerve at this
crucial moment of his life. Leaping from the wheelhouse to the deck he
ran backward and forward shrieking at the top of his lungs begging and
entreating someone to save him, and offering fabulous rewards to the man
who carried him safely to the shore.

The sight of their captain in a blue funk had its effect upon the
majority of the crew, so that in a moment a pack of screaming,
terror-ridden men had supplanted the bravos and bullies of the Halfmoon.

From the cabin companionway Barbara Harding looked upon the disgusting
scene. Her lip curled in scorn at the sight of these men weeping and
moaning in their fright. She saw Ward busy about one of the hatches. It
was evident that he intended making a futile attempt to utilize it as a
means of escape after the Halfmoon struck, for he was attaching ropes
to it and dragging it toward the port side of the ship, away from the
shore. Larry Divine crouched beside the cabin and wept.

When Simms gave up the ship Barbara Harding saw the wheelmen, there had
been two of them, desert their post, and almost instantly the nose of
the Halfmoon turned toward the rocks; but scarcely had the men reached
the deck than Theriere leaped to their place at the wheel.

Unassisted he could do little with the heavy helm. Barbara saw that
he alone of all the officers and men of the brigantine was making an
attempt to save the vessel. However futile the effort might be, it at
least bespoke the coolness and courage of the man. With the sight of him
there wrestling with death in a hopeless struggle a little wave of pride
surged through the girl. Here indeed was a man! And he loved her--that
she knew. Whether or no she returned his love her place was beside him
now, to give what encouragement and physical aid lay in her power.

Quickly she ran to the wheelhouse. Theriere saw her and smiled.

"There's no hope, I'm afraid," he said; "but, by George, I intend to go
down fighting, and not like those miserable yellow curs."

Barbara did not reply, but she grasped the spokes of the heavy wheel and
tugged as he tugged. Theriere made n