No more was said by either, but holding fast to whatever came to hand, the two Rovers worked their way forward until they reached the rail where Dick had been standing. They now saw that the foretopmast had come down, hitting the rail and breaking it loose for a distance of several feet.
"The mast must have hit Dick and knocked him overboard," said Tom, with a quiver in his voice.
"Oh, Tom!" Sam could say no more, but his heart sank.
The two boys stared around helplessly, not knowing what to do. Dick was very dear to them and they could not bear to think that he was lost, and forever.
Suddenly, as another flash of lightning lit up the scene, Sam caught sight of something dark lying just a few feet away. He rushed over, to see Dick lying in a heap, his head under his forearm.
"Dick! Dick!" he cried. "Are you killed?"
There was no answer, and now both Tom and Sam knelt beside their brother and raised him up. His face was pale and the blood was flowing from a cut over the left temple.
"The topmast hit him when it came down," said Tom. "Let us carry him to the cabin."
They raised their brother up and, not without
