say, before I could be sure that I was shortening the
distance that separated me from this one refuge. But at last the
boat got into a whirling eddy that turned her round and round, and
so kept her back until I was within a fathom of her. Yet even this
short distance seemed more than I could now swim, for, with my
clothes on and my jacket buttoned over me, my arms were not free
enough to let me swim with any ease, and I began to despair and to
flounder about in such eagerness to reach the boat, that I sank
twice under the waves and got my mouth filled with the briny water.

In my growing fear, however, I thought of the viking's stone that
hung under my waistcoat. Surely now was a time to test its power, I
thought, and the thought gave me courage. Renewing my efforts, I at
length reached the boat and grasped the rudder. But the rudder came
away in my hand, having been displaced in the capsizing of the
boat. This, however, aided me in keeping afloat till I was enabled
to reach the boat again and cling to the keel.

Now was I in comparative safety, for I did not doubt that Carver
Kinlay would see me and bear down to rescue me.

When, after many failures, I managed to climb up the side of the
boat and get astride of her keel, I began to feel sick with the sea
water I had swallowed and weak after my long swim. Then my head
grew dizzy, a mist came over my eyes, and I fainted away.

Chapter XXI. The Rescue.

When I returned to consciousness the warm sunlight was slanting
down upon me. I opened my eyes and saw the snowy clouds floating in
the blue sky. I thought I had but fallen asleep in the stern of the
Curlew as she lay against the jetty on that Sabbath afternoon.

I felt the boat rising and falling gently on the tide. All was
quiet, except for the swishing of the water against the planks of
the boat.

I tried to speak:

"Father," I said, thinking he was there on the jetty smoking.

Then I felt a hand laid gently on my breast and a shadow crossed
between me and the sun.

"He is waking!" said a voice that sounded as sweet as the song of
the skylark to my ears: "Halcro! Halcro!"

A soft hand raised my head, and then I saw, looking down into my
eyes, a beautiful face, framed in a mass of waving hair that the
sunlight had turned into brightest gold. It was the face of Thora
Kinlay.

How Thora came to be there, leaning over me, I could not tell. My
mind was in a strange confusion, and I remembered nothing o