hold of the
great brown tangle, and then turning with the other to escape.

They hardly did it, for the huge wave curled over just behind them with
a boom like thunder, and swept them up towards the shore amidst the
foam.

They would have been carried back, but a dozen hands were outstretched
and they and their prize were run up out of danger, where, for the next
ten minutes, the little party were busy hauling in what proved to be an
immense length of pilchard drift-net, with its corks, and buoys, and
ropes, which formed a goodly heap when they had done.

Out seaward there was nothing visible but the tossing waves, and it was
with a sense of relief that the boys saw that there was no prospect of
any wreck beyond that of the fishing-boat that had been dashed to pieces
upon some rock.

"Here! hi!" cried Dick, excitedly. "Why, it's Will! Was it you who ran
in after that net?" he continued, as the lad came up.

"Yes, Master Dick; Josh helped me," said Will, smiling. "There's two or
three hundred fathom."

"But was it not very risky, my lad?" said Mr Temple, shouting like the
others, for the noise made by the sea was deafening.

"Risky, sir? Oh! you mean the waves! There were plenty there to lend a
hand, and if we'd been caught they'd have thrown us a rope," said Will,
simply.

"Some boat has been lost, hasn't there?" cried Dick, excitedly.

"Saint Ives boat, we think," said Will; "and a timber ship has been
wrecked somewhere out Lizard way. There'll be a lot of balks and planks
come ashore, the men think."

"I say, Will, is it often as bad as this?" said Arthur eagerly.

"Yes, sir, very often," replied Will. "Old Pollard thinks it will be
worse to-night. I should go down to yonder house, sir, if I was you;
the young gentlemen would be more in shelter, and you could see the
wreck wood come in and the men draw it up, better there, for it's nearer
to the sea."

"How do you know it will come there?" said Dick hastily.

"The current. Tide washes it up. We always find wreck come about
there."

Will hurried away, his mission being to fetch another boat-hook; and
taking the hint, Mr Temple and his boys made a dash across the rock and
sand to the pilchard-house further east, the wind blowing in a furious
squall now, and just as they were half-way, battling against the spray
that cut their faces till they tingled, their numbers were diminished
one third, though Mr Temple did not know it, and then two third