“Pull! Pull!” cried Ray from the bow. “Here’s one! Pull! It’s Duncan, good old Duncan—he’s all in! Pull! Whoope-e-e—! Saved!”
Ray reached over the side and seized the all but unconscious man, and with what appeared to be a superhuman effort, hauled him into the boat and let him fall into a limp, soggy mass in the bottom, just behind the forward oarsman.
“Pull! Pull! Don’t stop—here’s another. It’s Beck—Beck Crawford. We’ve got to save him! He has a wife and some kiddies! Pull! Pull! Here! Some one help me! I can’t lift him! Come quick!”
The forward oarsman dropped his blade and climbing to Ray’s side helped to drag Beck aboard.
“All right! Keep it up! Here’s another! It’s—it’s—oh, it’s Uncle Vance. Pull! Pull! He’s sinking, he’s sink—I’ve got him! Help me here! Heave-o! Good!”
Then as Ray laid the limp form in the bottom of the boat with the others, he said with a peculiar catch in his voice:
“Poor Uncle Vance, he looks like he’s most dead.”
CHAPTER XIII
THE NEW FULL-BACK
For three days Beck, Duncan and Ray’s Uncle Vance were in a precarious state. The men had spent most of their energy in battling for their lives after the wreck of the Fish Hawk and it was very fortunate that they possessed the fine strong bodies they did or they would never have rallied at all. In truth, all three were taken from the whaleboat more dead than alive, and when they were carried up to the lighthouse Captain Eli was almost certain that none would live over night.