will be breast-high before they get up, and they may
drop anchor down at the mouth of the Ray, and not see us. Our best
chance is the shore."

He shaded his eyes and looked steadily across at Leigh. "There is a man
running from the coast-guard station," he said. "There! there are two or
three others running to meet him. Now they are going back together."

The boys stood looking fixedly at the station.

"Hooray!" Jack said after a minute; "there comes the boat out of the
house. Do you see they are getting her down the slip; now she is in the
water." Another minute passed, and then a white sail appeared. "She is
heading straight off to us, Bill. With this wind she will be here in a
quarter of an hour."

But the tide was already half-way up to their knees, and the waves
beginning to splash against them.

"Will they be here in time, do you think, Bill?" Joe asked.

"I hope so, Joe," Bill said cheerily. "They would be in plenty of time
if it were not for the force of the tide. Still, I think it is all
right."

The minutes passed rapidly; higher and higher rose the water, and the
waves increased fast in size. It was as much as the boys could do to
stand against the sweep of the stream.

"Bill, you had better take Joe on your shoulders," Jack said. "I have
read that one man can carry another across a stream that he couldn't get
over alone."

"Jump up, young un," Bill said; "and you, Jack, get off your sea-boots.
You stand just behind me and hold on, I feel much steadier now that I
have got Joe on my shoulders. If you feel that you are going, leave go
of me, you will only pull me backward holding on; and as you can swim
you are all right. You have only got to keep yourself afloat, the tide
will drift you up to the island in no time."

"I don't mean to go if I can help it," Jack said. "Of course I could not
swim with you two, but if you would lie on your back quiet I might
manage to keep you up for a bit anyhow."

The boat, heeling far over to the breeze, was dashing along at a great
pace towards them. It was a question of minutes. Jack found it extremely
difficult to keep his feet, the sand seemed to be scooped out from under
them by the force of the tide. The wind, which was blowing in violent
gusts, added to the difficulty of withstanding the force of the current
and waves.

"Don't pull, Jack," Bill said, "or you will have us over."

"I can't hold on without, Bill. Which shall I do? Swim off alone, or
hold o