soon as the line
was thrown, and the end of the hawser was now on board the steamer.

"Thank God, there's Grantham!" Jack Harvey exclaimed; "do you see him
waving his hand?"

"I see him," Tom said, "but I don't see the ladies."

"They are there, no doubt," Jack said confidently; "crouching down, I
expect. He would not be there if they weren't, you may be sure. Yes,
there they are; those two muffled up figures. There, one of them has
thrown back her cloak and is waving her arm."

The two young men waved their caps.

"Are the anchors holding, Watkins? There's a tremendous strain on that
hawser."

"I think so, sir; they are both tight."

"Put them round the windlass, and give a turn or two, we must relieve
the strain on that hawser."

Since they had first seen the wreck the waves had made great progress in
the work of destruction, and the steamer had broken in two just aft of
the engines.

"Get over the spare spars, Watkins, and fasten them to float in front of
her bows like a triangle. Matthews, catch hold of that boat hook and try
to fend off any piece of timber that comes along. You get hold of the
sweeps, lads, and do the same. They would stave her in like a nutshell
if they struck her."

"Thank God, here comes the first of them!"

Those on board the steamer had not been idle. As soon as the yawl was
seen approaching slings were prepared, and no sooner was the hawser
securely fixed, than the slings were attached to it and a woman placed
in them. The hawser was tight and the descent sharp, and without a check
the figure ran down to the deck of the Seabird. She was lifted out of
the slings by Tom and Jack Harvey, who found she was an old woman and
had entirely lost consciousness.

"Two of you carry her down below; tell Johnson to pour a little brandy
down her throat. Give her some hot soup as soon as she comes to."

Another woman was lowered and helped below. The next to descend was Mrs.
Grantham.

"Thank God, you are rescued!" Tom said, as he helped her out of the
sling.

"Thank God, indeed," Mrs. Grantham said, "and thank you all! Oh, Tom, we
have had a terrible time of it, and had lost all hope till we saw your
sail, and even then the captain said that he was afraid nothing could be
done. Minnie was the first to make out it was you, and then we began to
hope. She has been so brave, dear girl. Ah! here she comes."

But Minnie's firmness came to an end now that she felt the need for it
was over. S