s that broke against us, I
squinted round to see what they were doing on board the _Martin_ in the
way of trying to pick us up.

A boat, I saw, was being lowered to leeward; but, the brig was such a
long way off now that I was afraid they wouldn't be in time to save us.

I must look for assistance in another direction.

In an instant, an old yarn of father's came back to my mind, one wherein
he used to tell of having once been run down by a steamer when out
trawling and having had to pass the night within the Spit Buoy.

Why, I must be close on it now!

Yes, that was the sound of the bell hung from within the cage-like
framework surrounding the buoy, which is moored on the edge of the shoal
skirting the fairway leading into Portsmouth Harbour.

The broken water was rocking it to and fro; and, with every lurch the
buoy made, this bell gave out a doleful knell as if ringing away the
passing soul of some dead sailor gone to his last account.

Perchance it was tolling for `Gyp' and me!

This thought flashed through me for a second; but the next second I
dismissed it as a craven fear, my courage returning to me.

I set my teeth, determined to fight it out to the end, when, if need be,
I should die bravely.

"Hurrah, `Gyp,' whilst there's life there's hope!" I shouted, as much
to encourage the poor dog as myself, turning on my side and cuddling him
well up on my chest with my right arm to keep his head out of the water,
while I struck out with all my strength with my left towards the buoy,
now within a stone's throw, the tide gradually sweeping us near it in
spite of the wind and sea. "There's no reason why the Spit Buoy
shouldn't rescue us, the same as it did father!"

I believe `Gyp' understood what I said, for I declare I felt his little
stump tail wag against my arm, and he licked my cheek that was nearest,
being otherwise too exhausted to give expression to his emotion by bark
or whine.

We did it too.

After a stiff swim, though but such a short distance, I clutched hold of
a becket attached to the side of the buoy; and then, drawing myself up
out of the water, I landed `Gyp' inside our refuge, climbing in after
him myself.

The lifeboat from the _Martin_, which was manned by four stout seamen,
the commander himself coming in her as coxswain, meanwhile was making
for us, the course of the cutter being directed by signals from the
brig, where the signalman on duty had probably kept his glass on me from