No sound came to us from either of the other boats; and now, very

quickly it seemed, we came at the edge of the surf.

"I'm touching bottom, boys," I called, and cast the long punt pole

adrift as I took up the short paddle I had held under my leg.

Now we had under us two feet of water or ten, as the waves might say,

and any moment we might roll over; but we wallowed in, rolling, till I

knew the supreme moment had come. I waited, holding her head in well

as I could so unruly a hulk, and as a big roller came after us,

paddled as hard as I could. The wave chased us, caught us, pushed us,

carried us in. There was a lift of our loggish bows, a blinding crash

of white water about us. Our boat was overturned, but in some way,

since the beach was all sand and very gentle, the wave flattened so

that the back-tow did not pull us down. In some way, I do not know

how, I found myself standing, and dragging Jimmy by the hand. Jean

already was ahead, and I heard his shout and saw his hand as he stood,

knee-deep but safe. So we all made it ashore, and our boat also, which

now we hauled out of the spume. And the long white row of breakers,

less dangerous than I had feared, came in, white maned and bellowing.

I could still see the rocking lights of the yacht, and the shifting

stroke of the search-light on the sea, but I did not hear and see

aught else, at the time, and my heart sank.

It was Jimmy whose ear first got the sound which came in--the feverish

phut-phut of the motor skiff. Then the ray of the great light swung

and I saw the boat still outside the breakers--nor could I tell then

why we had beaten her in. It seemed Peterson was hunting for us

others.

"Stay back, boys!" I called to my companions. "You might get thrown

down by the waves--keep back." But now I was ready to rush in to meet

the long boat, whose keel I knew would leave her to overturn if she

caught bottom.

But Peterson knew about the keel as well as any, and he caught what he

thought was water enough before he yelled to Williams to drive her in.

She sped in like an arrow; and again the white wave reared high and

broke upon its prey. By then, I was in water to my waist. I caught

Helena out with one reach of my arms, just as I saw Williams and

Peterson stagger in with Mrs. Daniver between them. In some miraculous

way we got beyond danger, and met my pirates, dancing and shouting a

welcome to our desert isle. Their advent, thereon, gave the two

womenfolk a fervent wish to embrace, sob and weep extraordinarily. I

had said nothing to Helena and said nothing now.




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