exclamations.

"Wreckers!" answered the captain. "Take the glass, and you can see
their sails coming from every direction; and they have seen us
long ago too. I actually believe those fellows can smell a wreck a
hundred miles off. Halloo there, forward! Stand by to lower the
gig."

"What are you going to do?" asked Mr. Elmer.

"I am going to try and reach that wreck before any of the boats
whose sails you can see slipping out from behind those low keys.
The first man aboard that ship is 'wreck-master,' and gets the
largest share of salvage money."

So saying, "Captain Li" swung himself over the side and into the
light gig, which, with its crew of four lusty young Maine sailors,
had already been got overboard and now awaited him. As he seized
the tiller ropes he shouted, "Now, then, give way! and a hundred
dollars extra salvage to you four if this gig is the first boat to
lay alongside of that wreck."

At these words the long ash oars bent like willow wands in the
grasp of the young Northern giants, and the gig sprang away like a
startled bonito, leaving a long line of bubbles to mark her
course.

The wreck was still three miles off; and, with the glass, small
boats could be seen shooting away from several of the approaching
wrecking vessels.