nd for the next
few moments he exerted every power of eye and ear in order to guide the
boat into a channel between the breakers--if such existed.

"Jump for'ard, lad," he shouted, "and keep yer eye sharp ahead."

Billy obeyed at once, with the seamanlike "Ay, ay, sir," which he had
acquired on board the whaler.

"Port, port! hard-a-port!" shouted the boy a moment after taking his
place in the bow.

"Port it is," answered Gaff.

Before the boat had time, however, to answer the helm, she was caught on
the crest of a breaker, whirled round like a piece of cork, and,
balancing for one moment on the foam, capsized.

The moment of hesitation was enough to enable Gaff to spring to his
son's side and seize him. Next instant they were buffeting the waves
together.

It is not necessary to remind the reader that Gaff was an expert
swimmer. Billy was also first-rate. He was known among his companions
as The Cork, because of his floating powers, and these stood him in good
stead at this time, enabling him to cling to his father much more
lightly than would have been the case had he not been able to swim.

At first they found it impossible to do more than endeavour to keep
afloat, for the surging of the breakers was so great, and the darkness
so intense, that they could not give direction to their energies. But
the increasing roar of the surf soon told them that they were near the
rocks, and in a few seconds they were launched with tremendous force
amongst them.

Well was it for them at that moment that the wave which bore them on its
crest swept them through a gap in the reef, else had they been
inevitably dashed to pieces. As it was, they were nearly torn asunder,
and Gaff's shoulder just grazed a rock as he was whirled past it; but in
a few seconds they found themselves in comparatively still water, and
felt assured that they had been swept through an opening in the reef.
Presently Gaff touched a rock and grasped it.

"Hold on, Billy my lad!" he exclaimed breathlessly, "we'll be safe
ashore, please God, in a short bit."

"All right, daddy," gasped the boy; for to say truth, the whirling in
the foam had well-nigh exhausted him.

Soon the two were out of the reach of the waves, clinging to what
appeared to be the face of a precipice. Here, although safe from the
actual billows, they were constantly drenched by spray, and exposed to
the full fury of the gale. At first they attempted to scale the cliff,
supposi