As quickly as possible he assisted Marion over the side, and then both set off on a run for the little cove where the rowboat had been left tied up. As they gained the boat Jack gave an exclamation of dismay. "The oars--they are gone!" He was right. Marion had shifted their position before leaving the craft, and bumping against the rocks had sent them adrift. CHAPTER IV. ON BOARD THE WRECK. "Jack, what shall we do now?" asked Marion, as with a blanched face she gazed into the empty boat. "Wait--the oars may be close at hand," he replied. "I will make a search." "And so will I. Oh, we must find them!" They ran up and down the rocky shore, looking far and near for the oars, but without success. Presently they came to a halt, out of breath with running. "Gone, sure enough!" groaned the boy. "What a pickle we are in now!" "We can't stay here, Jack." "We'll have to stay here, Marion, unless I can find the oars or make substitutes." "How are you going to make substitutes?" "I might take some planks from the wreck." "But you have no tools." "I have a stout jack-knife." "It will take a long time, and see, it is already beginning to rain." Marion was right, the rain had started, and as it grew heavier they withdrew to the shelter of the wreck. "I wouldn't mind staying here until the shower was over, only I wouldn't want mother to worry about us," went on Marion, when they were safe under cover. "That's just it. But we do not know if she is home yet." The rain soon increased, while the thunder rolled in the distance. But they felt fairly safe in the cabin of the wreck, and sat down on a bench running along one of the walls. "This looks as if it was going to keep up all night," observed Jack, an hour later, after another look at the sky from the top of the companion way. "Oh, you don't mean we'll have to remain here all night!" exclaimed Marion. "Perhaps, Marion." "But I do not wish to remain in such a place all night." "Are you afraid of ghosts?" and Jack gave a short laugh. "No, Jack; but you'll admit it isn't a very nice place." "I know that. But that isn't the worst of it." "Not the worst of it?" "No. You must remember that we have nothing to eat or to drink here." "That is true, but I do not feel much like eating or drinking just now." "Yes, but you'll be hungry and thirsty before morning, Marion." "Perhaps. We can drink rain water, if we wish." Another hour passed and the storm grew more violent. The lightning flashed across the sky and lit up the wreck from end to end. Then a blackness as of night followed. "We could not row ashore now, even if we had oars," observed Marion, as she listened to the howling of the wind. "You are right, Marion. My, how it does blow!" Suddenly, the sounds of footsteps on the deck of the wreck reached their ears. "Somebody is coming!" said Jack, and looked up the companion way. "Why, it's Old Ben!"