nt midway between the two giant rocks.

There was an awful moment as she staggered through that seething turmoil
of raging waters. But this was followed by an immense relief when they
found themselves rocking on the waters of a sheltered cove, which, while
rough, were like a mill pond compared to the sea outside.

Before them stretched a sandy beach, which bore no trace of human
habitation except a tumbled down hut which stood fifty feet inland. A
few scrub pines were scattered here and there, and some dejected looking
bushes grew in a little patch of green that the sand had not yet
swallowed up. It was not an attractive landscape, but to the boys, after
escaping the perils of the sea, it seemed a bit of Paradise.

"Lower the sail, Fred," directed Lester. "We'll get out the sweeps and
feel our way to a landing place."

The sail came down with a run, and Fred rose and stretched himself after
having been so long in a cramped position.

"Lester, you're some sailor," he said in hearty admiration. "You handled
the _Ariel_ to the queen's taste. I take off my hat to you."

"Same here," echoed Teddy. "It certainly looked as if it were all up
with us when you came shooting toward these rocks."

"It was a dandy bit of work," said Bill warmly. "It's a lucky thing for
this crowd that you were at the helm. If you hadn't been, we might be
food for the fishes by this time."

"Oh, I don't know," returned Lester, flushing a little at the chorus of
appreciation. "I just happened to know of this place, and I knew we had
to get to shore before dark. So I took a chance on making it. But it's
nearly dark now, and we've got a lot to do, before we're snug and tidy
for the night.

"The first thing to do is to find a shallow place where you fellows can
wade ashore. Then I'll take the _Ariel_ out a way and anchor her.
As soon as that's done, I'll swim ashore and join you."

They poled the boat in carefully with a pair of long sweeps until their
soundings showed them that they were in less than three feet of water.
Here Bill and the two Rushton boys jumped overboard, and while they held
out their arms to him, Lester carefully let down the stranger. He could
walk by this time, although he was still weak and shaky, and the boys
helped him to the shore.

"Now you sit here for a while," said Fred, when they had reached a point
twenty feet or so up the beach, "while the rest of us hustle around and
get something to eat. Do you feel hungry?"