john and jerry were late coming with the milk, and they were in a state of great excitement.

"did you hear about the wreck?"

"wreck!" cried the boys in chorus, as they gathered around the news-bearers.

"yes, a wreck."

"where?" was the eager query.

"right on that reef near the surf-bell."

"tell us about it!"--"anybody lost?"

"yes, one fellow. father's been talking with 'em. he can't but just make out what they say. she's just keeled up on that ledge. i tell you she looks awful!"

"she? is there a woman there?"

"i don't know."

"oh, he means the vessel when he says 'she,'" exclaimed frank furman.

"wasn't it an awful storm?"--"wasn't it!"

"i tell you we was scared, jerry and me! i thought sure the old lighthouse was going over, and our house, too. everything was creakin' and groanin', and the surf was flyin' up against the windows."

"father stayed by the lantern all night; he afraid the light might go out," added jerry. "we didn't know nothin' about the wreck till daylight."

"john, tell me what kind of a vessel it is," said joe, pale with some sudden apprehension.

"it's a schooner."

"were they fishermen, do you think?"

"i think so. they are trying to get her off before she breaks up. they think if they get her over to the cape she can be mended."

joe had already darted away to mr. bernard's tent, and rapping on the canvas, he asked hurriedly, "mr. bernard, may i come in?"

"come."

"o mr. bernard, john and jerry are here, and they have been telling us about a wreck over there on the ledge."

mr. bernard threw down his book and listened.

"one fellow was lost. the boys think it was a fishing-vessel. what if it should be the una, mr. bernard?"

the teacher arose hastily and put on his hat.

"did they know the name of the vessel?"

"i didn't ask, mr. bernard; i didn't dare to," answered joe, still very pale.

"i will go over there at once."

"oh, may i go too?"

a reluctant consent was given, and joe boldly asked,--

"may we all go--max and all?"

"yes, you may all go.--max, come with me."

joe hastened back to the boys, shouting, "come on! mr. bernard says we may go over to see the wreck!"

"good for him! hurrah, boys! we are off for the wreck."

"what did you say about a wreck?" asked jonas, as john and jerry delivered the milk at the cookhouse.

the boys enlightened him, and jonas, turning to his man friday, said, "come on, freit--we'll let the dishes go;" and seizing his hat he hurried after the boys, who were scampering off towards the lighthouse with the teachers.

they attempted to go by the shorter route over the rocks on the shore, in spite of john's warning, but after some of the party had been drenched by the surf they retreated to the woods.

joe kept close to mr. bernard's side, without speaking a word, and some of the boys behind whispered, "they are afraid it is that vessel that ralph and ben went in."

this sobered them all, and there was very little conversation as the crowd hurried on. they could hear the "boom-boom" of the sea against the cliff long before they reached it, and joe's heart felt heavier than ever.

ralph had never been a favourite among his schoolmates, and joe, especially, had never been attracted toward him. their acquaintance had developed during the last weeks of the school, while the search was being made for the offender; and in helping him then he came to pity him, and feel an interest in him, quite sure that the boy had received a lesson that would make him hesitate to speak an untruth again.

at length john ran through the bushes out on the top of one of the high boulders, where he pointed to the dismantled vessel with the men working at the pumps.

"what's the name on the stern?" asked joe, straining his eyes as the waves now and then left the end of the vessel.

no one could tell, but it was plain to all that the word was a long one.

"it can't be the una, then!" cried joe with a sigh of relief.

"no--thank god for that; but these poor fellows are having a hard time," said mr. bernard.

"bad enough!" exclaimed the light-keeper, who had joined the party on the rocks. "they think they can save the vessel; but unless she is off before noon she's gone! she will break up fast in this sea."

"is there no way for us to help them?" asked mr. andrews.

"no; it would be nonsense to try to get to them with my boat. the landing here is bad at the best; and i never think of going out except in fair weather."

"what kind of boats have you?"

"nothing but a common sail-boat and a couple of skiffs, and they wouldn't stand a sign of a chance in this sea."

"what will the men do if the vessel goes down?"

"they've got their boats all ready to launch, and their boats are much better than mine."

"they are calling you, father!" cried jerry, pulling his father's coat.

"who?"

"the men over yonder."

"yes,--hear them!" said the boys excitedly.

"keep still, all o' ye!" said the light-keeper. then, making a speaking-trumpet of his hands, he shouted, "ship ahoy! what's wanted?"

converting his speaking-trumpet into an ear-trumpet, he listened intently.

"she's filling fast! is there anything there to fasten our rope over?"

the light-keeper glanced quickly around, and shouted back, "yes!"

then the boys saw the sailors draw something forward near the taffrail.

"what are they going to do, mr. kramer?" asked joe.

"fire us a line."

there was a little delay, then a puff of smoke, and a line fell across the island. there was a great rush and scramble for it, and some of the boys in their eagerness fell over each other, doing more harm than good; but the line was secured, and pulled in with a will. at the end of this line was fastened a rope, and this, in turn, brought a double cable.

"a long pull, and a strong pull, and a pull all together!" said the light-keeper.

there were hands enough to pull, but after all it was hard work; and there was a cheer when they got hold of the double cable and ran with it to an old oak stump.

the light-keeper sent john for some heavy spikes, which he drove into the stump, in a circle above the cable, to prevent its slipping up when it began to move.

"pull tight now!" shouted kramer.

the boys could see the rope tighten.

"what are they doing now, mr. bernard?" asked dave.

"that's what i should like to know," said joe. "they are coming ashore, i think."

"coming ashore! what! on that rope?"

"astride of it, or hanging on by their hands? that's what i'd like to know!" and there was great confusion among the boys, all talking at once.

"boys, keep quiet!" said mr. bernard. "the captain is calling."

"all ready there?"

"ay, ay,--all ready!" shouted the light-keeper.

"they can't hear," said mr. bernard; "the wind is this way."

"all ready!" shouted kramer again, beckoning with his hand.

"oh, they are launching a big basket!" cried ned gould.

"they are coming in that? whew!" cried frank furman, fairly dancing with excitement.

"ready, there?" was shouted again from the vessel.

"all ready!"

"steady, then--pull!"

"now, boys, stand off!" said kramer, motioning the crowd away. "i only want the men now; steady pulling is what we want."

mr. bernard, mr. andrews, mr. wiseman, jonas, and freitag began to pull with the light-keeper, who timed them with a monotonous, "there she comes! there she comes!" while the boys watched the basket in breathless excitement as it moved on, swaying frightfully at times as it hung over the seething mass of water.

at length a loud cheer from the boys, and a "hold, there!" from the occupants of the basket, announced its safe arrival with its precious freight.

the vessel's cook and the captain's little son, a boy of eight years, were the passengers, and a cheer, loud and long, as they were helped ashore, announced their safety to the anxious father on the wreck.

the basket was speedily returned to the vessel, and once more it started on its shoreward trip.

"that's the mate," said the cook. "the captain vowed he'd be the last man to leave."

"take that child to the house, and tell mother to get him warmed, john," said the light-keeper.

the boy refused to go until his father should get across; so joe wrapped him in his overcoat, and they stood together watching the advancing basket.

"how did it seem coming over in that basket?" asked joe.

"i don't know; i was too frightened to think; i kept my eyes shut, and just curled down in jim's lap."

another cheer presently announced the arrival of the basket the second time, as the mate landed safely and waved a signal to the captain.

"i tell you, friends, that cheer you sent up when the basket got across with the captain's boy was the most welcome sound i ever heard; and poor captain, he almost broke down with joy. now if we can get him over safely we shall give thanks in earnest."

away went the basket to the wreck as fast as the men could pull the rope, every foot of which the mate examined carefully as they pulled.

the captain was below, when the basket reached the vessel, and it was some minutes before he reappeared.

"he has got jingo, bertie," cried the mate.

"oh, has he? i thought jingo would have to drown. are you sure, mr. osmond?"

"yes," said the mate, looking through his field-glass. "he is going to stow everything into that basket that he can. i am afraid he will get it too full."

"ready!" shouted the captain.

"steady!" cried the mate. "if we spill that load we lose the best man that ever trod the deck of a vessel!"

again the light-keeper's monotonous chant, "there she comes! there she comes!" commenced, and slowly and steadily the basket advanced.

suddenly, when it was about two-thirds of the distance over, the rope ceased to move, and the basket hung motionless over the rough sea.

"what's the matter?" shouted the light-keeper, looking at the mate.

"the cable must have caught on the rigging, with no one there to keep it clear. we thought we guarded against that," said the mate.

"oh, father can't get ashore!" cried the child, pale with terror.

joe tried to comfort him, assuring him that they would find some way to save him.

another pull, long and strong, but the rope did not yield.

"what will be done?" asked mr. bernard, losing all his ordinary calmness. "can he help himself at all?"

"he can if anybody can," answered the mate gruffly.

"hark, he is calling!"

every ear was strained to catch the words.

"let go there! let's see if i can move."

they all left the rope and crowded near the edge of the rocks, watching the slow and dangerous transit as the shaky basket was pushed along step by step, with a jerky motion that tipped the basket from side to side in a frightful way.

"hold on there; i'll sling a line, captain," as the basket came near enough to make it possible.

the man seemed too exhausted to pull a foot further, and he crouched down in the basket as low as possible, with hands outstretched to catch the line.

a dozen attempts were made in vain, as the wind would blow it out of its course; but at last the coil dropped into the basket, and was easily clutched and made fast.

the boys commenced to cheer, but mr. bernard hushed them, saying, "not now, boys,--wait!"

steadily on came the basket now, and in a few moments the mate seized it and steadied it as the captain stepped ashore.

"o father!" cried his son, throwing his arms around him.

"thank god for his great goodness!" he said reverently, as he held the child close.

the basket contained dry clothing for the party, and among it little herbert's rat-terrier, almost lifeless with fright.

the light-keeper hurried the rescued party to the house, where his wife had hot coffee and a bountiful meal ready for them. the men were too much exhausted to talk, and were glad to accept the offer of a chance to sleep off their fatigue.

"now, boys, we must go back and leave it quiet here; these men need rest."

"come on, then, john and jerry; show us the spouting-horn," cried joe.

"will it take us far out of the way, boys? i am too tired to waste steps," said mr. bernard.

"no, sir; we can go to camp right up that shore," and john led the way, running like a young deer.

"there she spouts!" he shouted as they came within sight of it.

loud were the exclamations of surprise and delight as the column of water shot up into the air with a boom like a cannon.

"what makes it?" asked maurice perry.

"i don't know, i'm sure," said john. "this one always does so after a storm; and one on the other side there spouts and bangs at low tide--the lower the tide the louder she bangs."

mr. bernard and the rest of the party had arrived now, and as if for their benefit the horn spouted full eighty feet, dropping the spray in a shower all around them.

"what makes it bang so, mr. bernard?" asked maurice again, not satisfied with john's answer.

"the air driven by a rush of the water, maurice. there is a hole in the side of that rock, extending up to the surface, and the air rushes through, followed presently by a mass of water, and the escape of the air from its pursuer causes the loud report."

"it is simply a big pop-gun," said joe, "and it works itself, without any boy's help."

"oh, i see a rainbow," said lewis germaine.

"where, where?" asked the others.

"right there in the spray."

"oh, so there is! just as bright."

"isn't that fine?"

after they had exhausted the list of adjectives expressing their admiration and delight, john said, "i'll show you somethin' else some time when it's low tide."

this he said with a very proud air, as if he owned all the wonders of the island.

"show it now."

"can't; it only shows at low tide."

"oh, the other spouter!"

"no; somethin' else."

"what is it?--tell us." and the boys gathered around him.

"why, right down there, where you see that big rock with a sharp pick--see it? well, right down behind there is a place where the tide leaves a big puddle when it goes out, and that puddle is full of live things."

"what are they?" asked joe laughing;--"not whales?"

"oh, nothin' like that. flowery kind of things, awful pretty, that shut up if you look at 'em very hard, or leastways if you poke 'em ever so easy."

"those are sea-anemones," said mr. bernard.

"then there are crowds of little things with pricks all over their backs, and if you turn them over they stick out those splinters sideways, and make 'em long-like, and pull themselves right side up again," said john, trying to imitate, with his own arms, the sea-urchin's movements with his spines.

"there's more than that there, too," piped jerry. "there's five-fingers, plenty of 'em--big ones, and baby-fellers, too, no bigger than your finger-nail; nor so big."

"sometimes fish get in there, too," said john. "i tell you it's an awful pretty puddle."

"i should think so, indeed," said mr. andrews. "it certainly is a 'puddle' worth seeing.--when will the tide be low, jonas?"

"about five o'clock, i reckon, though the fog has been too thick to tell whether there has been any tide or not," answered the cook, who had come with the others to see the "spouting-horn."

"very little doubt of that, i should judge from appearances," said mr. lane, one of the teachers.

"i am too tired to come over again to-day, boys," said mr. bernard, turning to take little max's hand. "but you can come at low tide, if you like. i suppose john and his brother will be willing to meet you."

"oh, they are going to camp with us!--aren't you, john?"

"no; we want to see what becomes of the wreck--we don't have one every day."

"no, i hope not," said joe. "well, good-bye till to-night."