planks, to have made half a dozen rafts, twice the size of that required
to go off with to the wreck; so to work they went at once with eager
enthusiasm.

"Hold on!" shouted Dominick, after a few spars had been collected and
dragged up on the sand.

Otto and Pauline paused in their labour, and looked anxiously at their
brother, for his face wore a perplexed look.

"We have forgotten that it is impossible to shove a raft of any size,
big or little, through these huge breakers, so as to get it round the
point, to where the wreck lies."

"Well, then," cried Otto, with the ready assurance of ignorance, "we'll
just drag it overland to the wreck, and launch it there."

"But, Otto, you have not taken into consideration the fact that our raft
must be so large that, when finished, the dragging of it over rough
ground would require three or four horses instead of three human
beings."

"Well, then," returned the boy, "we'll make it small, just big enough to
carry one person, and then we'll be able to drag it overland, and can go
off to the wreck one at a time."

"Now, just think, brainless one," retorted Dominick; "suppose that I
were to go off first to the wreck, what then?"

"Why, then _I_ would go off next of course, and then Pina would follow,
and so we'd all get on board one at a time, and explore it together."

"Yes; but what would you come off on?"

"The raft, to be sure."

"But the raft, I have supposed, is with me at the wreck. It won't go
back to the shore of its own accord to fetch you, and we have no ropes
with which to haul it to and fro."

"Then there's nothing for it," said Otto, after a few moments' thought,
"but to make it big enough for two, or carry over the broken spars and
planks piecemeal, and put them together opposite the wreck; so, come
along."

This latter plan being adopted, they set to work with energy. To their
joy they found not only that a good deal of cordage--somewhat worn,
indeed, but still serviceable--was mingled with the wreckage, but that
many large protruding bolts and rusty nails formed convenient holdfasts,
which facilitated the building up and fastening together of the parts.

At last, after considerable labour, the raft was got ready early in the
afternoon, and the brothers, embarking on it with two long poles, pushed
off to the wreck while Pauline sat on the shore and watched them.

It was an anxious moment when they drew near enough to observe the
vessel more dist