They had watched despairingly the futile efforts of the men who had tried to rescue them, and had finally determined to cast themselves into the sea and trust to their swimming powers and the inrushing waves to carry them within reach of safety.
When the thrilling tale was ended, the boys drew deep sighs, realizing only then that they had quite forgotten to breathe in their intense interest.
CHAPTER XIV.
CAPTAIN BOWLING’S STORY.
“Were you ever shipwrecked, Captain Bowling?” asked Chester, rather abruptly breaking the pause which followed the sponger’s story.
“Bless you, lad, I’ve seen more wrecks than you could count, I might say.”
“Yes, but I mean, were you ever in one? Did you ever have an experience like——”
“Like the one our friends here have just been through?”
Chester nodded. The others, guessing that he was trying to “draw out” the lighthouse-keeper into a recital of bygone adventures, drew closer around the table or sat in attitudes of quiet expectancy. Bill Wayne handed over to the grateful spongers a pouch of tobacco, pipes and matches, then filled his own pipe.
“Fire away, Cap’n,” he said, smiling. “You’re in for a third degree!”
Captain Bowling laughed. Evidently he was by no means averse to telling stories of his earlier life as a sailor.