proached. He
saw the aid prepared, and made towards it. He waited outside the place
where the sea which took him in broke into foam, and then, when another
sea rolled in, exerting all his strength he dashed forward; but in spite
of all his efforts, the undertow was carrying him out again; still he
bravely struggled on. He saw the men on shore holding out their hands
to him; could he but make head for a distance of two or three more
fathoms he would succeed. Another sea rolled in. "Hurrah, hurrah!"
resounded from all sides; "he has grasped the oar." He was almost
exhausted, still he clutched it with all his might. Cautiously they
drew him onward. He could not have held on many moments longer, but the
men who had formed the chain into the water seized him by the collar,
and he and the end of the line he had so gallantly conveyed through the
raging surf were carried up in safety on the beach. Murray and Adair
had watched his progress with an interest such as none but true old
friends can feel. Tears of gratitude sprang into Murray's eyes, and his
heart bounded with joy as he saw that Jack was in safety. Adair did not
feel less satisfaction, but he expressed it differently, by joining
heartily in the shout given by the rest of the ship's company. A hawser
was immediately attached to the line, by which it was drawn on shore,
and one end being made fast round the stump of the foremast over the
topgallant forecastle, the other was secured round the rocks. A
traveller with a line and slings being now fitted to the hawser, the men
were told off to be conveyed on shore, the boys and those of lowest
rating, being, as is customary, sent first. The traveller being hauled
backwards and forwards, one after the other the men were conveyed to the
beach. The operation, however, was a slow one, and not without danger,
as part of the hawser was completely at times submerged by the breakers.
Meantime the sea had made a breach over the afterpart of the ship,
carrying away portions of the bulwarks. A piece of the planking, as it
washed by, struck Adair on the leg, and knocking him down, the sea would
have swept him overboard had not Murray seized him by the arm, when Mr
Gale coming to his assistance they carried him forward. He was too much
hurt to move, and they were afraid his leg was broken. Murray sat with
him on the deck, holding on by a ring-bolt and supporting him in his
lap. Notwithstanding the accident, they both of