five miles from them they saw the wreck looming high out of the
water, and evidently stranded. As her masts, with their crossed
yards, were still standing, "Captain Li" said she must have struck
very easily, and stood a good chance of being saved if she could
only be lightened before a blow came that would roll a sea in on
her.

"Are you going to her assistance?" asked Mr. Elmer.

"Certainly I am," answered the captain. "I consider that one of
the first duties of a sailor is to give aid to his fellows in
distress. Besides, if we succeed in saving her and her cargo, we
stand a chance of making several thousand dollars salvage money,
which I for one do not care to throw away."

"You are quite right," said Mr. Elmer. "It is seldom that we are
offered an opportunity of doing good and being well paid for it at
the same time, and it would be foolish, as well as heartless, not
to render what assistance lies in our power."

The schooner was already headed towards the wreck, but approached
it very slowly, owing to the light breeze that barely filled her
sails. As the sun rose, and cast a broad flood of light over the
tranquil scene, the captain anxiously scanned the line of the reef
in both directions through his glass.

"Ah, I thought so!" he exclaimed; "there they come, and there, and
there. I can count six already. Now we shall have a race for it."

"Who? what?" asked Mark, not understanding the captain's