lar wall
from thirty to forty feet high, till they were some twenty yards beyond
the derelict. Place was given to the boatswain, who had the line laid
out in coils, and while he waited he carefully added to the stability of
the marlin-spike with some spun-yarn.

And all this time, rising and falling, the water-logged boat came on,
the current drawing it in till it was only some thirty yards away from
the cliff where they stood, and the men whispered together as to the
possibility of the boatswain throwing so far. At last she was nearly
opposite.

"Stand by," growled the boatswain, gruffly. "Hold on to the end o' that
line, Rogers, my lad, and stick to it if there comes a tug; then tighten
easily, for we've got to check her way if my grappling-iron does take
hold."

"Stand clear all," said Syd, as the old man made the marlin-spike spin
round like a Catherine wheel at the end of three feet of the line. The
speed increased till it produced a whizzing sound; then, letting it go,
away it flew seaward right over the derelict, and the men gave a cheer.

"Well done, Strake," cried Syd, making a snatch at the line.

"Nay, nay, sir," whispered the old man; "you're skipper here; let me do
this."

"Yes; go on," said Syd, colouring at his boyish impetuosity, as he
resigned the line to the boatswain's hands. "Haul steadily! that's the
way. Now, then, will it hold?"

There was another cheer, for, as the rope was drawn upon, the
marlin-spike caught somewhere on the far side among the broken stays of
the foremast.

But the wreck was not secured yet. It was gliding along slowly with the
tide, but with great force, while it required a great deal of humouring
and easing off to succeed for fear that the hold should break away. The
consequence was that the men who held on by the rope had to follow the
little vessel for some distance before it began to yield, and then they
towed it slowly and steadily along. No easy task, for the towing-path
was one continuous climb, and the men had to pass the line on from one
party to the other.

But they towed away till the spot was reached whence the line had been
thrown, and now that the boat was well in motion, the task grew more and
more easy.

"Steady, there, steady!" growled the boatswain. "You arn't got hold of
a nine-inch cable, and it arn't hard and fast to the capstan. Steady,
lads."

For the men were getting excited, and were stamping away. They calmed
down though, an