from the powder being
wetted or her guns disabled.

"Which way had we better get at her, Tom?" Ben Tripper asked. "She is
pretty near on the top of the sand."

"The only way we have a chance of helping her is by laying-to, or
anchoring on the edge of the sand to leeward of her. They may be able to
drift a line down to us. I do not see any other way. Our anchors
wouldn't hold to windward of her."

"No; I suppose that is the best way, Tom. We must make the best
allowance we can for the wind and the set of tide, otherwise they will
never drift a line down to us. She won't hold together long. Her stern
is gone as far as the mizzen, so we must be quick about it."

The wreck was evidently a sailing vessel. Her masts were all gone, her
bulwarks carried away, and she lay far heeled over. A group of people
could be seen huddled up in the bow as they neared her. Tom Hoskins and
Jack had for the last ten minutes been busy getting the spare anchor up
on deck and fastening to it the wrap of the trawl-net, which was by far
the strongest rope they had on board.

"What water is there on the sand, Ben?"

"Six or seven feet on the edge, but less further on. We do not draw over
five feet, so we will keep on till we touch. The moment we do so let the
two anchors go. Wind and tide will take her off again quick enough. Pay
out ten or twelve fathoms of chain, and directly she holds up drop the
lead-line overboard to see if she drags; if she does, give her some more
rope and chain."

The anchors were both got overboard and in readiness to let go at a
moment's notice, the instant the _Bessy_ took ground.

The foresail was lowered and the mainsail partly brailed up, so that she
had only way on her sufficient to stem the tide. As they entered the
broken water Jack was obliged to take a step back and hold on to the
mast. Her motion had before been violent, but to a certain extent
regular; now she was tossed in all directions so sharply and violently
that he expected every moment that the mast would go. Tom looked round
at Ben. The latter pointed to the sail and waved his hand. Tom
understood him, and going to the mast loosened the brail a little to
give her more sail, for the waves completely knocked the way out of her.
When she forged ahead again, Tom returned to his post.

Jack held his breath every time the boat pitched, but she kept on
without touching until within some eighty yards of the wreck; then as
she pitched forward down a w