Francis Lynde

“ Like most pleasure craft of her size the yacht had a life raft in her safety equipment, and luckily this had not been carried away when she struck the shoal. It was the work of a few minutes only to cut the lashings and put the raft over the side. Very coolly and courageously Alison took her place at the bow to watch for us, while José and Pedro and I towed the raft into position under the starboard anchor, with Brill, driven to it by the threat of a pistol in Dorgan's good hand—Dorgan's, mind you—riding the float to guide it to its place and hold it steady while we lowered the anchor upon it. ”

“ José has helped a lot, too. It seems he was once a fireman for a time on a Spanish merchant vessel.”
“And Brill has the bridge?”
“Yes; and he's been just like a lamb ever since he came so near being killed by the falling anchor. I haven't heard him swear once.”
“All right,” I said, whispering because there wasn't strength enough left in me to make a real voice noise. “All's well that ends well. You don't have to marry Wickham Jeffreys, at any rate; and that's the main thing.” Then: “Alison, dear, I think the 'other man' owes me something; don't you?”
“What other man?” ”

“ Nevertheless the thing was accomplished successfully and the raft proved to be buoyant enough to support not only the weight of the anchor but Brill's weight in addition; so we made him stay aboard to fend off as Pedro and I, with Hedda the strong to help, towed the tittuping float aft, José paying out the cable through the bow hawse hole as we went. Along toward the end the drag of the increasing length of cable was terrific and I doubt if we could have made it if Dorgan had not come to tail in on the towline. ”

“ Let the other cable go slack so it can pay out if she starts. Knock Brill into it, too, if he's fit to do anything after he's fished up.”
“Aye can halp, too,” said a voice at my ear and then I saw that Hedda had not gone aft to the cabin with her mistress.
“Good girl!” I applauded; “it'll take all the hands we can muster. Jump to it—everybody!” And then I ran aft to go down to the engine room to do my part with the machinery. ”