"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.