he sea was the same
mist, flying with the wind over such a huddle of tossing green and white
as Ralph had never seen. The surf poured in in rollers that leaped over
each other's humped backs in their savage energy to get at the shore,
which trembled as they beat upon it. The ripples from one wave had not
time to flow back before those of the next came threshing in. Great
blobs of foam shot down the strand like wild birds, and the gurgle and
splash and roar were terrific.

They walked as near the water line as they dared, because the sand was
harder there. Captain Eri went ahead, hands in his pockets and head
down. Ralph followed, sometimes watching his companion, but oftener
gazing at the sea. At intervals there would be a lull, as if the storm
giant had paused for breath, and they could see for half a mile over the
crazy water; then the next gust would pull the curtain down again, and
a whirl of rain and sleet would shut them in. Conversation meant only a
series of shrieks and they gave it up.

At length the Captain turned, grinned pleasantly, while the rain drops
splashed on his nose, and waved one arm. Ralph looked and saw ahead of
them the clustered buildings of the life-saving station. And he was glad
to see them.

"Whew!" puffed Captain Eri as they opened the door. "Nice mornin' for
ducks. Hey, Luther!" he shouted, "wake up here; you've got callers."

They heard footsteps in the next room, the door opened, and in came--not
Luther Davis, but Captain Perez.

"Why, Eri!" he exclaimed amazedly.

"For the land's sake, Perez! What are you doin' here?"

"What are YOU doin' here, I should say. How d'you do, Mr. Hazeltine?"

Captain Eri pushed back his "sou'wester," and strolled over to the
stove. Ralph followed suit.

"Well, Perez," said the former, extending his hands over the fire, "it's
easy enough to tell you why we're here. We heard there was a wreck."

"There is. She's a schooner, and she's off there on the Hog's Back.
Luther and the crew put off to her more 'n two hours ago, and I'm
gittin' worried."

Then Perez went on to explain that, because of the storm, he had been
persuaded to stay at Mrs. Mayo's all night; that Captain Davis had
been over for a moment that evening on an errand, and had said that the
schooner had been sighted and that, as the northeaster was coming on,
she was almost certain to get into trouble; that he, Perez, had rowed
over the first thing in the morning to get the news, and ha