He had hardly uttered the words before he heard the crash which
announced the doom of the _Woodville_. Her sharp bow slid upon
the ledge, and she suddenly stopped in her mad flight.

Lawry bent on his oars again, horrified by the accident. He pulled
as he had never pulled before. A moment or two after the steamer
struck, he was startled by a succession of shrill shrieks from the
ladies, and he turned to see what had happened. The _Woodville_
had filled, rolled off the rock, and sank in deep water, leaving her
passengers floating helplessly on the lake. The upper half of her
smokestack was all that remained in sight of the beautiful craft
which three minutes before had been a thing of beauty.

The young pilot did not pause an instant to contemplate the scene of
destruction. He saw only the helpless persons struggling for life in
the water, and he renewed his labors with a vigor and skill which
soon brought him to the sufferers. Mr. Sherwood was supporting his
wife; but both of them were nearly exhausted. Lawry helped Bertha
into the boat, and told her husband to hold on at the rail.

Ethan French, with his arm around the waist of Fanny Jane, was
holding on at the smokestack, where also the fireman of the boat was
supporting himself.

"Where is Fanny?" gasped Mr. Sherwood.

"I'm afraid she has gone down," replied Ethan French. "I saw her
just there a moment since."