where are they to come
from?"

"Perhaps we shall find them on board," said Bill. "The vessel has held
together till now, and I don't see why she should not hold together till
the storm is over. `Where there's a will there's a way,' and I don't
see that we have so bad a chance of getting off."

"Well, I'll help you. You can show me what we had best do," said Jack.
"I am not going to draw back on account of the risk. All must depend on
the weather. If the wind comes off shore, and the sea goes down, I
should say that our best chance would be to build a raft. We can do
that, if we can only find an axe and a saw, and we might get launched
before the Frenchmen find out the wreck. The first thing we have to do
is to get on board, and when we are there, we must keep a bright
look-out to see that none of the natives are coming along the shore to
trap us."

The lads, having come to this resolution, hurried back to the entrance
of the cave.

They forgot all about the smugglers' stores, and their intention of
making clothes for themselves; indeed, they only thought of getting on
board the vessel. They watched eagerly for the tide to go down. The
day passed by and the night came on, but the clouds clearing away, a
bright moon shed her light over the scene. The wind had also sensibly
decreased, and the waves rolled in with far less fury than before.

The water, however, seemed to them a long time moving off; still it was
evidently going down. Rock after rock appeared, and looking over the
ledge they could see the sand below them.

Knowing full well that the water would not again reach the beach it had
once left till the return of the tide, they leaped down without
hesitation, and began to make their way in the direction of the vessel.
They had again to wait, however, for, as they pushed eagerly forward, a
sheet of foam from a wave which came rolling up nearly took them off
their legs.

They retreated a short distance, and in a few minutes were able to pass
the spot over the uncovered sand. On and on they pressed, now
advancing, now having to retreat, till they stood abreast of the vessel.
The water still surrounded her, and was too deep to wade through.

They looked round on every side, but not a trace of a boat could be
discovered, though fragments of spars and the bulwarks of the vessel
strewed the beach. Among the spars they found two whole ones, which
they secured.

"These will help us to get on board i