heard above the deafening roar. She neither heard nor
saw him. . . . Desperately he plunged on, not taking time now to climb
up for his own safety, but ploughing through the onrushing waves. Once
a crashing comber caught and threw him flat on the shifting gravel.
Before he could right himself it had sucked him almost into the maw of
the next down-curling sea. Fortunately it was a small one. He was
able to regain his feet and stagger to a hand hold.

Then at the same instant that Jean's eye caught it, he became aware of
the huge, unbroken billow advancing toward the struggling figures of
the girl and boy. He saw her snatch up the child and toss him to the
safety of the ledge, saw her ineffectual efforts to follow . . . then
the dancing crest broke and Jean became but a formless dark object
tossed like a drift-log on the foaming waters that spouted against the
foot of the bluff.

With a despairing cry, Harlan plunged forward, and as the great wave,
the first of three, receded, he reached her.

Limp and unconscious she hung from the rope that bound her to the
terrified small boy above, and he saw that the little fellow had taken
a turn with it about a jagged rock. But for this timely precaution the
girl must have been drawn back into the sea and the child with her.

An extra long recession of the water gave him time to lift the inert
body and throw it across his shoulder, and thus, while the second giant
roller broke at his hack he gripped with his torn hands into the sharp
shale and held on. As it ebbed he hoisted her to the ledge above him.

From the temporary safety of this narrow shelf he considered their
chances. It was impossible to scale the face of the bluff above him,
yet the tide would not be full for an hour. Owing to the enormous sea,
they would all three be swept into the ocean if they remained where
they were. There was but one thing he could do.

He laid a hand on Loll's quaking shoulder.

"Pal," he said quietly, "will you be afraid to stay here while I carry
Jean to the other side of the bluff?"

The boy looked down at the clamorous, booming tide and hesitated. . . .
He swallowed hard, blinking. Then he looked at the inert form of his
aunt, and meeting Harlan's eyes, shook his head bravely.

"Good! Hang on tight then, old man, and I'll be back for you before
you can say 'Jack Robinson'!"

He cut the rope about Jean's waist, and backing down from the ledge,
took her again across his s