And now the brave fishermen were on the alert, eager to rescue any whom the waves might bring within their reach. As their quick eyes caught sight of a dark object tossing close at hand, one and another, girt with a rope, would plunge into the sea to the succour of the drowning man. Some few were brought to shore in this way, but the number was small indeed compared with those who perished.
Mr. Hollys directed Joe Pollard's gaze to the two still clinging to the wreck.
"Is there no possibility of saving them?" he asked. "Could they not be reached from above?"
Joe shook his head. "There's no getting at them that way, I reckon," he replied; "the cliff is as straight as the side of a house below the Point. The only chance would be by swimming round; but it would be a hard fight for it."
"There will soon be no hope of saving them," said Mr. Hollys, as he watched the waves breaking over the wreck. "Here, give me a rope, Joe. I'm a tolerable swimmer, I'll try it. I can't see those poor creatures perish without making some effort to save them."
"Nay, nay, sir; you couldn't hold out against such a sea as this," replied Joe. "If any one does it, I'm the man. You've got the little lady to think of."
As Joe spoke he was fastening a rope round his waist. To one end of this rope, he secured a life-buoy; then turning to Mr. Hollys, he said, "I'll try it, sir. You hold the rope, and I'll do my best."
In another moment the brave fellow had plunged into the water, and was battling with the waves. Mr. Hollys held his breath as he watched him. For a while the waves seemed to assist his progress, but it was harder work to round the Point. Again and again he was driven back; sometimes he was lost to sight in a gulf of the sea, appearing again triumphant on the crest of a huge wave.
Bravely, he struggled on, till at last the Point was rounded, and a few strong strokes brought him alongside the wreck. He had gained it just in time, for already it was breaking up under the fierce onslaught of the waves.
A shout of joy broke from the watchers on the beach when they saw Joe climb the planks to which the helpless woman clung. But rescue was yet to be made, and Joe's hardest struggle lay before him.