Whatever the cause, Captain Joe watched his
chance, sprang to the outermost rock, and, bracing
his great snubbing posts of legs against its edge,
reversed his body, caught the wavering sloop on his
broad shoulders, close under her bowsprit chains, and
pushed back with all his might.

Then began a struggle between the strength of the
man and the lunge of the sea. With every succeeding
onslaught, and before the savage roller could fully
lift the staggering craft to hurl her to destruction,
Captain Joe, with the help of the outsuck, would
shove her back from the waiting rocks. This was
repeated again and again,--the men in the rescuing
yawl meanwhile bending every muscle to carry out
the captain's commands.

Sometimes his head was free enough to shout his
orders, and sometimes both man and bow were
smothered in suds.

"Keep that fall clear!" would come his order
"Stand ready to catch the yawl! Shut that--" here
a souse would stop his breath,--"shut that furnace
door! Do ye want the steam out of the b'iler?"--
etc., etc.

That the slightest misstep on the slimy rocks on
which his feet were braced meant sending him under
the sloop's bow where he would be caught between her