Ceaselessly the searchlight of the Iroquois played upon the breakers, and on her bridge officers stood with glasses and watched the awful fight. Miraculously the struggling men drove steadily toward the shore. Soon they were in shallow water. They touched bottom. And now, fighting their way upward on the sand, they struggled through the breakers. Again and again inward-rushing waves beat them down, but always they were flung forward, tossed landward, driven farther toward the sandy beach and safety. The flaming fires before them heartened them, encouraged them. New strength came to them, and singly, in pairs, and even in little groups, they battled their way onward. The strong helped the weak, and one or two were seen dragging comrades who were wholly helpless. Out into the breakers rushed the waiting guards from the shore. Strong arms were thrown around weak and fainting forms, and limp bodies were carried bodily through the waves. Again and again the sturdy guardsmen from the shore rushed back into the waves and aided more men ashore, while others toiled to resuscitate the few who had all but succumbed.
Around the fires now pressed the rescued seamen, increasing in number as man after man gained the sands, until they formed a great ring about the flames. Their numbers brought joy to the watchers on the Iroquois. Now the rescued men were seen to be leaving the fire and trooping off into the darkness.
The commander was talking to the quartermaster, who had been kept at his post during all the struggle. “We must be a little farther along the coast than I thought,” said the captain. “They must be taking our men to a Coast Guard station. Tell Sparks to get in touch with the station and find how many men were saved.”
The quartermaster climbed down the ladder and made his way to the radio shack. Young Belford was on duty. “Where is Mr. Sharp?” demanded the quartermaster.
“Gone,” said the young wireless man, and there were tears in his eyes.
“Gone! You don’t mean he went in a boat?”
The radio man nodded. For a moment he could not speak, then he managed to say, “I saw him leap into the last boat.” And a great sob broke from him.
“He may be safe,” said the quartermaster. “Most of the men got ashore. We could see them with the glasses.”
“Oh, I hope so!” cried the lad.
The quartermaster ran up on the bridge again. “The chief radio man is gone,” he said. “He pulled an oar in the last boat.”