he was unable to stand when she was lifted from the slings,
and Tom carried her below.

"Are there any more women, Mrs. Grantham?"

"No; there was only one other lady passenger and the stewardess."

"Then you had better take possession of your own cabin. I ordered
Johnson to spread a couple more mattresses and some bedding on the
floor, so you will all four be able to turn in. There's plenty of hot
coffee and soup. I should advise soup with two or three spoonfuls of
brandy in it. Now, excuse me; I must go upon deck."

Twelve men descended by the hawser, one of them with both legs broken by
the fall of the mizzen. The last to come was the captain.

"Is that all?" Tom asked.

"That is all," the captain said. "Six men were swept overboard when she
first struck, and two were killed by the fall of the funnel. Fortunately
we had only three gentlemen passengers and three ladies on board. The
weather looked so wild when we started that no one else cared about
making the passage. God bless you, sir, for what you have done! Another
half hour and it would have been all over with us. But it seems like a
miracle your getting safe through the rocks to us."

"It was fortunate indeed that we came along," Tom said; "three of the
passengers are dear friends of mine; and as it was by my persuasion that
they came across in the steamer instead of in the yacht, I should never
have forgiven myself if they had been lost. Take all your men below,
captain; you will find plenty of hot soup there. Now, Watkins, let us be
off; that steamer won't hold together many minutes longer, so there's no
time to lose. We will go back as we came. Give me a hatchet. Now, lads,
two of you stand at the chain cables; knock out the shackles the moment
I cut the hawser. Watkins, you take the helm and let her head pay off
till the jib fills. Jack, you lend a hand to the other two, and get up
the trysail again as soon as we are free."

In a moment all were at their stations. The helm was put on the yacht,
and she payed off on the opposite tack to that on which she had before
been sailing. As soon as the jib filled, Tom gave two vigorous blows
with his hatchet on the hawser, and, as he lifted his hand for a third,
it parted. Then came the sharp rattle of the chains as they ran round
the hawser holes. The trysail was hoisted and sheeted home, and the
Seabird was under way again. Tom, as before, conned the ship from the
bow. Several times she was in close proximi