Evening star., 1915-02-28


rock-bound coast within few minutes. Unhappily she
had gained considerable speed in the direction where de-
struct1on awaited her before her could let 60 the
anchor. The agonized watchers from shore and boat
knew when uke caught in crevlce OF the rocks
buried twelve athoms Deep because the vessels bows
brought up against the with jerk. Then sic
fell away again The cable couldn't stand the strar.
1t had parted
Good God!- groaned Ingersoll. "Every soul on
board will be drowned before eyes'
Yvonne could not speak. Neither could she She
blinded with The suddenness of the affair
appalling. At one instant she had been following
fascinating fight between and the elements, a
fight in which gaining ground yard by yard.
Now by trick Of Fate delivered, bound
and crippled to become the sport of and relet
less enemies. She heard her father shouting to Perdot
Bear couple OF points to port. They may lower
boat
mo use!' came the "Better crack on.
They'll strike on Les Verres. We may pick up
two in the channel if they life belts
Tolemache had leaped down into the cabin. He
out deck again now, bare-headed, having dis
carded oskin coat and souwester A cork jacket was
strapped round his tall alert body. If any life could
be snached back from the abyss, Tolenache might be
trusted not to spare himself the effort In that
ment of stress the CHEEKY, devimay-care American
artist had become calm, clear-headed man of action.
He looked almost heroic standing the slopng deck
forward, with sinewy, brown-skinned hand clasp
ing mast-hoop, and the other thrust into pocket OF
his Norfolk jacket. By queer trick of memory Yvonne
reminded of her fright when she Lorry cnging
to the rings of Sainte Barbe's tower. He had
through that ordeal unscathed.
Would he conquer in this far more dreadful test2
There he could depend on his taut muscles and
iron Here he at the mercy of circumstances
STILL it helpful to Lorry's fingers cenched
ring. Somehow it seemed to offer good augury.
CHATTER III. The Wreck
THERE were brave hearts too on board the YES
sci now seemingly doomed to utter destruction.
Each of her two masts carried canvas and when the
cable parted ready command had evidently sent the
crew racing to cast loose both sails from their lash
ngs But the very trmness and tautness of everything
on board proved the yacht final undong Knives
brought into play and the foresail hosted within
few seconds The yacht answered her helm promptly.
There seemed to be real chance that she might
haul into the wind and clear the black fangs of Les
Verres, in which case she would
either run into the small estuary
at Brgneau at the worst
beach herself on the strip of
~ sand there
At that moment the occupants
49, ~ of the Hrondelle saw her name,
\NSS&S~ the Stella, and they were the
point of breaking into frantic
cheer of relief when the unlucky
!: ! ! Z; q: !; !: = ! !; :
craft crashed into submerged
NASMN#NNssEl fEaSss, rock, swung broadside on and
~ N,VWMg gss@Fl I saved from turning turtle
4 only by another rock which
sSS> MII/ = stove her in amidshps.
>~-SS//I/I + "Ah, Les Verres have caught
~ mn + - her! thought they would God
1>sS>%zD N n help those poor felows!"
aaSsS-~c>4-aTgsM 1t was Perdot who spoke,
kSI~-e~.T~ssaxyY aand the mere fact that he had
Mf-szsS=@z>---shgaba abandoned hope sounded the
NSHHE.,-ST requiem of the Stella and all
. fshWltf1lfFlw her company.
Then indeed her plight was
like to have passed beyond
human aid. She was lodged