ip were being made. Her
carefully battened hatches were uncovered, whips were rove to her lower
yards, and soon the tightly pressed bales of cotton began to appear
over her sides, and find their way into the light draught wrecking
vessels waiting to receive them. As soon as one of these was loaded,
she transferred her cargo to the Nancy Bell and returned for another.

While the wreckers were busily discharging the ship's cargo, her own
crew were overhauling long lines of chain cable, and lowering two large
anchors and two smaller ones into one of the wrecking boats that had
remained empty on purpose to receive them. The cables were paid out
over the stern of the ship, and made fast to the great anchors, which
were carried far out into the deep water beyond the reef. Each big
anchor was backed by a smaller one, to which it was attached by a
cable, and which was carried some distance beyond it before being
dropped overboard.

When the anchors were thus placed in position, the ends of the cables
still remaining on board the ship were passed around capstans, and by
means of the donkey-engine drawn taut.

At high tide that night a heavy strain was brought to bear on the
cables, in hopes that the ship might be pulled off the reef; but she
did not move, and the work of lightening her and searching for the leak
continued all the next day.

While all this work was going on the Elmers spent most of their time in
exploring the reef in the captain's gig, which was so light that Mr.
Elmer and Mark could easily row it.

As the clear water was without a ripple, they could look far down into
its depths, and see the bottom of branching coral, as beautiful as
frosted silver. From among its branches sprang great sea-fans, delicate
as lace-work, and showing, in striking contrast to the pure white of
the coral, the most vivid reds, greens, and royal purple. These, and
masses of feathery seaweeds, waved to and fro in the water as though
stirred by a light breeze, and among them darted and played fish as
brilliant in coloring as tropical birds. The boat seemed suspended in
midair above fairy-land, and even the children gazed down over its
sides in silence, for fear lest by speaking they should break the
charm, and cause the wonderful picture to vanish.

By noon the heat of the sun was so great that they sought shelter from
it on a little island, or key, of about an acre in extent, that was
covered with a luxuriant vegetation, and shade