"'He can save to the uttermost them that come unto God by Him.'" The little party were very silent. The solemnity of a possible grave, so near, so dreadful, was enough to awe them, and beyond a passing question or conjecture hardly a word was spoken. The water flowed in rapidly; the ground was very level, and though the sea had seemed at first an immense distance off, they were astonished to find that it crept nearer and nearer in such a way as to leave but little hope that Wilmot could get back to them in time. In vain their eyes looked upwards to see if there were any ledges on which they might climb. The few there were, were far above their reach. One small place, however, was discovered, and on this they stood little Mary. "She is mamma's only comfort," said Maude; and then she burst into tears, and hid her face against Mary's dress. A steamer now came in sight round the point, but very far away. They waved their handkerchiefs wildly, feeling it was of no use, and strained their eyes for any response. None seemed to come; for the steamer passed gradually before them till the other point hid her from view, and then Maude suddenly exclaimed, with a shriek, which shook the nerves of the whole party: "The water has reached us! Oh, what shall we do? What shall we do?" "We must pray," said Nellie, looking up towards the blue sky, "each one for ourselves." It was an awful moment, that first wetting of their feet; worse than even when the water was up to their knees. How intently they gazed at the corner of the rocks round which Wilmot must come! "Halloa!" called a voice from the other side of them, and there, to their right, was a young man seated in a canoe. "I say!" he called. "Are you in danger, or only doing it for fun?" His eyes scanned the cliffs; not an opening of any sort; he looked in their faces, and knew it was no fun, even before they had time to answer: "Oh, can you save us, or do anything for us?" "If I come near," he answered steadily, "you will not all rush in and swamp the canoe?" "No," shouted Hope, "not one of us will move." "No, we promise," answered all. "There is no time to be lost," said the young fellow; "but I can only take one of you at once, except the little ones. Which is it to be? Be quick, and come out beyond this first wave." Fortunately it was tolerably calm, and in this little bay there was only a swell that day. Hope and Nellie looked at each other, and then at Mary. "The youngest first," said Nellie. They sprang forward, and lifted her down, and waded in with her to the canoe, taking also the next little boy with them. The young man directed them to place the children as near to him as possible—in front of him and behind him—and telling them to hold on tight, in a moment he was paddling off as fast as he dared. Hope and Nellie retreated to the cliff, and told Alice to be ready; for it was tacitly understood that the next in age was to go first.