on her beam ends. The next instant she ceased,
incredibly, to move--hung motionless in that resistless surge, an
amazing, stupefying spectacle. It seemed minutes before Whitaker could
force his wits to comprehend that she had struck and lay transfixed upon
some submerged rock or reef.

A long, gray roller swept upon and over her, brimming her cockpit with
foaming water. As it passed he saw the half-drowned men release the
coamings, to which they had clung on involuntary impulse to escape being
swept away, scramble upon the cabin roof, and with one accord abandon
themselves to the will of the next wave to follow. As it broke over the
boat and passed, he caught an instantaneous glimpse of their heads and
arms bobbing and beating frantically as they whirled off through the
yeasty welter.

But he saw this without pity or compassion. If he had been able to have
his will with them, he would have sunk both ten fathoms deep without an
instant's respite. His throat was choked with curses that welled up from
a heart wrenched and raging at this discovery of cowardice unparalleled.

They had done what they could for themselves without even hesitating to
release the woman imprisoned in the cabin.

XIV

DEBACLE

The _Trouble_, meantime, was closing in upon the scene of tragedy with
little less than locomotive speed. Yet, however suddenly disaster had
overtaken the other vessel, Whitaker saw what he saw and had time to
take measures to avoid collision, if what he did was accomplished wholly
without conscious thought or premeditation. He had applied the reversing
gear to the motor before he knew it. Then, while the engine choked,
coughing angrily, and reversed with a heavy and resentful pounding in
the cylinder-heads, he began to strip off his coat. He was within ten
yards of the wreck when a wave overtook the _Trouble_ and sent a sheet
of water sprawling over her stern to fill the cockpit ankle-deep. The
next instant he swung the wheel over; the boat, moving forward despite
the resistance of the propeller, drove heavily against the wreck,
broadside to its stern. As this happened Whitaker leaped from one to the
other, went to his knees in the cockpit of the wreck, and rose just in
time to grasp the coaming and hold on against the onslaught of a
hurtling comber.

It came down, an avalanche, crashing and bellowing, burying him deep in
green. Thunderings benumbed him, and he began to strangle before it
passed....

He fo