tones
and ashes, which might overwhelm them. As they reached the sea-shore,
near the cave, they saw that their worst anticipations had been
fulfilled. At the further end of the reef lay the wreck of a fine ship.
The larger portion had been torn away by the fury of the seas. The
masts, bowsprit, and upper works had all gone. Not a human being could
be discovered on board, while the foam-covered masses of water which
raged around her must have carried off any who might have attempted to
reach the shore. The waves, surging through the bay, rolled high up on
the beach, rendering it dangerous even to approach them. Masses of
timber and plank, of casks and cases, everywhere covered the space
between the wreck and the beach.

"There's not a living man to be seen. I fear all must have perished!"
exclaimed Lord Reginald.

"I am afraid that you are right," answered Dick. "No, no. I see two
clinging to a spar in the middle of the bay. One, at all events, is
alive. He must have caught sight of us, for he waved his hand. If the
spar is driven in here we may save him."

Together they hastened down to the edge of the water. Lord Reginald, in
his eagerness, dashed forward, when a sea, rolling in, took him off his
legs. In another instant he would have been carried away, had not Dick,
at the risk of his own life, dashed forward and grasped him, struggling
back with the greatest difficulty. Scarcely had they regained their
feet, when the spar came so close that Neptune, making a spring, caught
a rope which was hanging to it, and dragged it up towards them. Lord
Reginald seized it and held on, while Dick prevented the spar from being
rolled over on the two men clinging to it, for their strength was almost
too far gone to enable them to help themselves. Dick, getting out his
knife, first liberated one of the men, and assisted him up the beach out
of the reach of the water. He then hurried down to render the same
service to the other.

"Thank you, my friends!" said the man first rescued. "You have saved my
life when I had well-nigh given up all hope."

The other was too far gone to utter a word.

"What! are you an Englishman?" inquired Lord Reginald, on hearing the
first speak.

"Yes, but my companion is a Frenchman, and yonder wreck is that of a
French ship, on board which I was a prisoner."

"Whether French or English, this poor fellow wants looking after,"
observed Lord Reginald. "Come, lend a hand, Hargrave