nor turn to the questioner: he only shook his
head.

All at once every one stood still. The excitement seemed to be at an
end. Heads were bent forward, eyes were shaded, and one impulse seemed
to have moved the scattered crowd upon the foaming beach, and those who
were standing knee-deep amongst the rushing sea-froth that ran up beyond
them to the sand.

"Look!" shouted Josh, without turning his head; and he pointed with his
sound arm out to sea.

Dick, Arthur, and Mr Temple strained their eyes to catch signs of what
the fisherman meant as they saw the vessel rising and falling, and
seeming to glide slowly on, till all at once, in the midst of the dense
rain of spray, the vessel rose, as it were, to make a leap, and then
charged down a hill of waters, stopped short, and seemed to shiver.
Then her tall main-mast fell forward, apparently snapped off close to
the deck, carrying with it the fore-mast; while the mizen, that had been
sloping slightly backward, now leaned over toward the shore.

"Fast on the Black Fin," cried Josh, with his hands to his mouth, and a
shiver of horror ran through Dick and his brother as they realised what
all this meant.

There was no time lost on the beach now, for in the midst of the crowd
the rocket-cart was run down as far as was possible, the tube laid
ready, the case with its line placed in position, and then away with a
rush, and a stream of dull, almost invisible sparks sped the rocket with
its line, whose destination was the far side of the ill-fated ship.

There was a cry from the men who were watching the flight of the
line-bearer.

"Short, short!" And as the boys watched with parted lips, and eyes
half-blinded with the spray, they saw the line rapidly hauled in and
laid ready for another flight.

It took some time, during which those on shore could just make out the
crew of the ship clustering about the stern of the vessel and on the
mizen-mast.

All was ready at last, and once more a rocket was sent flying with the
same result, its flight too short to reach the ship.

"I knowed it--I knowed it!" roared Josh between his hands. "There's
only one way."

A little crowd collected about Josh, and for a short space there was
hurried gesticulation, and old Marion seemed to be declaiming to the
men.

All at once the boys saw Will back out of the crowd with Josh and wave
his hand to them, after which every one set off rapidly round the curve
of the bay to where the sands