swimmers might hope to win through that lashing hell of

waters to the beach beyond. For a girl to do it was too

hopeless even to contemplate; but she recalled Theriere's

words of so short a time ago: "There's no hope, I'm afraid;

but, by George, I intend to go down fighting," and with the

recollection came a like resolve on her part--to go down

fighting, and so she struck out against the powerful waters

that swirled her hither and thither, now perilously close to the

rocky sides of the entrance, and now into the mad chaos of

the channel's center. Would to heaven that Theriere were near

her, she thought, for if any could save her it would be he.

Since she had come to believe in the man's friendship and

sincerity Barbara Harding had felt renewed hope of eventual

salvation, and with the hope had come a desire to live which

had almost been lacking for the greater part of her detention

upon the Halfmoon.

Bravely she battled now against the awful odds of the

mighty Pacific, but soon she felt her strength waning. More

and more ineffective became her puny efforts, and at last she

ceased almost entirely the futile struggle.

And then she felt a strong hand grasp her arm, and with a

sudden surge she was swung over a broad shoulder. Quickly

she grasped the rough shirt that covered the back of her

would-be rescuer, and then commenced a battle with the

waves that for many minutes, that seemed hours to the frightened

girl, hung in the balance; but at last the swimmer

beneath her forged steadily and persistently toward the sandy

beach to flounder out at last with an unconscious burden in

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