you."

"Oh, I do not think that you could," answered Harry. "The sea rolls in
so heavily that you would be driven back. They might let the end of a
rope, made fast to a cork or a float of some sort, drift in, and haul us
off." The plan was clearly a good one, and they made signals to the old
man to carry it out; but either he did not understand them, or had not a
rope long enough.

"I must go," cried David, throwing off his coat and shoes. "Pray for
me, remember." He had been watching his opportunity: a heavy sea had
just passed, and, before Harry could even say another word, slipping
down to the edge of the rock, he glided in, giving himself all the
impetus he could with his feet, and almost the next instant was
breasting a sea at some distance from the rock. Harry watched him
anxiously, not forgetting to pray. Now he seemed almost driven back,
and now a foam-crested sea rolling in looked as if it would inevitably
overwhelm him. Alas! yes--he disappeared.

"He is lost--he is lost!" cried Harry. But no. Directly after he was
again seen on the surface, working his way up another advancing sea.

Harry was now guided chiefly by the gesticulations of the people in the
boat,--that is to say, by the way the old man waved a hand, or looked
out, for they had to keep their oars moving with all their might and
main to avoid being driven dangerously near the rock. At length Harry,
with thankfulness, saw David close to the boat but she seemed to be
going from him--then the old man stood up--stretched out his arm, and
David, well-nigh exhausted, was dragged into the boat. Harry saw that
he was talking to the old man.

"What will he do? I hope that he will not attempt to swim back to the
rock," thought Harry; yet he felt very sure that he should never reach
the boat by himself. As the boat rose on the top of a wave, Harry saw
that David was employed in fastening several ropes together. The task
which the old man and the boy could not perform, as they were obliged to
continue rowing, he was able to do. Harry saw him very busy in the
bottom of the boat, and now he lifted a water-cask into the sea, and
veered away the rope over the stern. For some time Harry did not regain
sight of the cask; at last he saw it on the top of a sea, but still a
long way from the rock. He watched it anxiously; but still he doubted
whether he should be able to get hold of it. It might, even if it
reached the rock, be dashed to pieces