g
faithfully everything that went on. The work had to be done quickly now,
for the vessel was fast breaking up.

"Two more left!" cried the chief life saver. "Jack up that cable, boys;
she's sagging. I guess the old ship is working farther in. Jack her up!"

By means of pulleys attached to the main rope it was made tauter. Then
came a heavy sag on it.

"What's that?" asked one of the life savers.

"It's two of 'em--two of 'em, clinging to the buoy!" cried Blake, who
was watching through a glass. "I guess the ship must be going to pieces
too fast to allow for another trip. You've got to save two at once."

"And we can do it!" cried the captain. "All together, now, boys! But
they're going to get wet!"

By reason of the added weight the rope was sagging badly, and the men
clinging to the buoy could be seen half in and half out of the water.

"Lively, men, or they'll drown!" yelled the captain.

Hardy and intrepid as were the life-savers and the volunteers who had
assembled to help them, they paused a moment now. It seemed impossible
that the two in the buoy could be pulled ashore in time to be saved.

Over them broke great seas, the waves hissing and foaming as though
angry at being cheated of their prey. The storm-swept waters seemed to
seize on the rope, as though to pull it beneath the billows. The anchor
that held the rope which passed over the "shears" seemed to be pulling
out of the sand packed around it.

"Come on, men!" cried the captain. "Take a brace now, and we'll have 'em
ashore in a jiffy!"

"But she's slipping!" cried a grizzled seaman. "She can't hold any
longer. The whole business is going!"

"She can't go until we git 'em ashore!" yelled the captain of the
life-savers. "I won't let her! Here, Jim Black, you mosey back there and
pile more sand around that anchor. Now then, men, pull as though you
meant it. What! You're not going to have it said that you let a little
cat's paw of wind like this beat you; are you?"

Something of the captain's courage seemed to infuse itself into his men.
They had been half-hearted before, but they were brave now. Once more
they ranged themselves on the rope that was used to haul the buoy from
the ship to shore. It was as though the waves had tried to intimidate
them, and had been bidden defiance.

The weight of the two persons in the buoy was almost too much. The waves
had a doubly large surface against which to break, and well the captain
knew that there was