ituation was awful in its extreme
simplicity. Would Captain Marsh see his opportunity before the law of
chances would bring along the wave that would overwhelm him?

A realisation of the crisis came to the crowd on the beach. At once
the terrible strain of suspense tugged at their souls. Each conducted
himself according to his nature. The hardy men of the river and
the woods set their teeth until the cheek muscles turned white, and
blasphemed softly and steadily. Two or three of the townsmen walked up
and down the space of a dozen feet. One, the woman who had screamed,
prayed aloud in short hysterical sentences.

"O God! Save them, O Lord! O Lord!"

Orde stood on top of a half-buried log, his hat in his hand, his
entire being concentrated on the manoeuvre being executed. Only Newmark
apparently remained as calm as ever, leaning against an upright timber,
his arms folded, and an unlighted cigar as usual between his lips.

Methodically every few moments he removed his eyeglasses and wiped the
lenses free of spray.

Suddenly, without warning, occurred one of those inexplicable lulls that
interpose often amid the wildest uproars. For the briefest instant other
sounds than the roar of the wind and surf were permitted the multitude
on the beach. They heard the grinding of timbers from the stricken
ships, and the draining away of waters. And distinctly they heard the
faint, far tinkle of the jangler calling again for "full speed ahead."

Between two waves the SPRITE darted forward directly for the nearest of
the wrecks. Straight as an arrow's flight she held until from the crowd
went up a groan.

"She'll collide!" some one put it into words.

But at the latest moment the tug swerved, raced past, and turned on a
long diagonal across the end of the bar toward the piers.

Captain Marsh had chosen his moment with exactitude. To the utmost he
had taken advantage of the brief lull of jumbled seas after the "three
largest waves" had swept by. Yet in shallow water and with the strong
inshore set, even that lull was all too short. The SPRITE was staggered
by the buffets of the smaller breakers; her speed was checked, her stern
was dragged around. For an instant it seemed that the back suction would
hold her in its grip. She tore herself from the grasp of the current.
Enveloped in a blinding hail of spray she struggled desperately to
extricate herself from the maelstrom in which she was involved before
the resumption of the la