ulders that his chief danger and difficulty lay, for
his strong frame would have been as nothing if dashed against them.

Quickly he was lost to view in the hurly-burly of foam and spray.

With the utmost care did Oliver Trench perform his duty. It required
both vigour of hand and delicacy of touch to keep the line right, but it
was manipulated by hands whose vigour and touch were intensified by
love.

"Ease off!" he cried, looking back impatiently at the strong fellows who
held the slack of the line.

The men obeyed so readily that the line ran out too fast and the boy had
much ado to check it. Just as he got it sufficiently taut, he felt what
seemed to him like _two_ pulls--"haul me in!" Could it be? He was not
certain. In an agony of anxiety he held on, and was about to give the
signal to haul in, when his father, who watched his every movement,
instantly said, "Give him another second or two, Olly."

Just then there was a strong single pull at the line.

"Pay out!--faster!" shouted Oliver, and, at the same moment he eased off
his own feelings in a tremendous sigh of relief.

After that the line ran steadily for a few seconds, and no signals came.
Then it ceased to run, and poor Oliver's fears began to rush in upon
him again, but he was speedily relieved by feeling three distinct and
vigorous pulls.

"Thank God, he's safe," cried the boy. "Now then, pass along the
hawser--quick!"

This was done, the light line was attached to a three-inch rope, and the
party on the wreck waited anxiously.

"Give it a pull, Olly, by way of signal," suggested Master Trench.

"He did not tell me to do that, father," returned the boy, hesitating.

"No doubt he forgot it in the hurry--try it, anyhow."

A hearty pull on the line was accordingly given, and they soon had the
satisfaction of seeing the hawser move over the side and run towards the
shore. When it ceased to run out they knew that Paul must have got hold
of the end of it, so, making their end fast to the heel of the bowsprit,
they waited, for as yet the rope lay deep in the heaving waters, and
quite useless as a means of escape.

Presently the rope began to jerk, then it tightened, soon the bight of
it rose out of the sea and remained there--rigid.

"Well done, Paul," exclaimed the skipper, when this was accomplished.
"Now, Olly, you go first, you're light."

But the boy hesitated. "No, father, you first," he said.

"Obey orders, Olly," returned the s