“An element that sometimes exerts a force of six thousand pounds to the square foot, and which has been known to move great rocks weighing forty tons and over, is a terrible enemy to do battle with,” replied Frank.
“I am afraid the poor fellows are all gone, and that our boats will be of no use out there,” said Uncle Dick, “I can’t see anybody.”
“I can,” exclaimed Archie, who had kept his glass directed toward the ship. “Don’t you see his head bobbing up and down with that mast, or spar, or whatever it is? He is the only one I have seen thus far.”
“One life is well worth saving,” returned Uncle Dick. “The boats have discovered him, have they not? I see one of them pulling toward the breakers.”
“Yes, sir; and now they’ve got him, or what the breakers have left of him,” replied Archie, joyously. “They’re hauling him in.”
All the crew could see that now without the aid of glasses, and when the half-drowned man was safe in the boat, their satisfaction found vent in loud and long-continued cheers. After that more cheers were given, for, as the hull went to pieces, the boys saw several heads bobbing about in the angry waters; and although some of them did not pass the breakers, others did, and those who reached the smooth water on the other side were promptly rescued by the boats. Archie called out the number of the saved as fast as he saw them taken from the water, and when he said, “That makes eleven,” Uncle Dick’s surprise and delight were almost unbounded.
“I don’t see how in the world they ever got through those breakers,” said he, “but I’m glad all the same that they did. There’s no loss without some gain. If we hadn’t been blown in here not one of those eleven men, that we may be the means of restoring to home and friends once more, would have been left to tell how his ship was destroyed. We’re in a scrape that it will take us a good month to work out of, but we have lost none of our little company, and are still able to be of service to those who are worse off than ourselves. Do you see any more, Archie?”
“No, sir. There are a good many pieces of the wreck going through, but I see no more men. They are transferring all the rescued to one boat now.”
“That’s right. They’re going to bring them aboard. Doctor, keep up a roaring fire in the galley, and you, men, go below and put on some dry clothes, and lay out a suit apiece for these poor fellows who have none of their own to put on.”
The second mate’s boat remained on the ground to pick up any other unfortunates who might survive the passage of the breakers, while Mr. Baldwin turned back to take those already rescued on board the schooner. The boys awaited his approach with no little impatience. They wanted to be the first to assist the strangers over the side; but when the boat came up they drew back almost horrified. The rescued men lay motionless on the bottom of the cutter, and there was only one among them who had life enough left in him to hold up his head. Utterly exhausted with their long conflict with the gale, and bruised and battered by the rocks, they were hoisted aboard more dead than alive, and tenderly carried into the forecastle and laid upon the bunks. Uncle Dick was kept busy after that bandaging wounds and administering restoratives from the schooner’s medicine-chest, and the boys, who wanted to help but did not know what to do, stood on deck at the head of the ladder watching him.