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The captain of the English frigate upon
seeing the ship safely past the reef onwhich
nothing but a miracle seemed possible
to keep it from being wrecked,
grasped the hand of his youthful pilot
with enthusiasm.

`Noble young man, you have saved
the lives of all on board by your skill and
coolness. You shall have double the
sum I promised you if you get us safely
into the bay!'

`I ask no reward, sir,' answered
George.

`Did you not come on board tempted
by the hope of large pay?' asked the
captain, surprised.

`No, sir; I would not take money for
the lives of men; much more from my
country's enemies!'

`Ha! This speech rings! If you
speak in this way, why did you come to
our aid at all?'

`Keep her away more, helmsman!'
cried George, not wishing to reply.—
`Captain, the danger is by no means past.
Open as the entrance to the bay appears to
us, and fair as the gale blows to drive us in,
there is a dangerous ledge mid-way the
bay, just inside the open passage to it.
A strong current sets that way, and with
the heavy sea running the ship will be in
as great peril as any she has come
through until we get by the ledge.'

`The ship is in your hands, sir! I
leave the whole to you! I can do nothing!
'

`I will do my best, sir. Have some
of your men ready at the topsail-braces;
for we must luff up sharp very soon, and
stand at right angles with our present
course. There are three short turns to
take in getting into this bay; and if the
ship obeys her helm as well as she has
done, in twenty minutes we shall be in
smooth water.'

`Can you see well enough by the flashes
of lightning?'

`Yes, sir. So long as I can get a
glimpse now and then of the Scathed
Pine I can steer with safety.'

It was now busily rumored through the
ship that the whole danger was not yet
passed. Their confidence in their pilot
from what they had witnessed, prevented
the crew from yielding to their former
alarm. Still all was anxiety and suspense.
The hurricane still swept the sea
ike a besom, the wind howling concert
with the roaring billows. At intervals,
glimpses of the rocky shore could be got
as the lightning illumined the wild scene;
and many an eye was strained at such
instants to see if the steep cliffs afforded
any shelter or path-way for them to escape
the surges should the ship strike.

Suddenly a bright light shot up from
the land, and the brilliant flame of a bonfire
cast its radiance over the gloomy
land.

`What is that?' cried the English
captain.

`It is a signal-light kindled by a friend,

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to enable us to get in more easily;” answered
George, who saw in this the
watchful hand of May, and knew thereby
that she had safely reached her home.

`Blessings on the noble girl,' he said
mentally. `That light is kindled for me.
In it I can see that I am remembered. If
Heaven permit, I shall soon be by thy
side again.'

The light attracted great attention and
awakened the deepest interest on board.
It seemed to them a beacon of hope—a
promise of safety. She ship rolled on
her landward course with resistless
power. At every heavy plunge of her
bows into the concave seas those on board
trembled till she rose again, lest the
rocks should meet her keel. The cliff
upon which the Scathed Pine stood was
now very near. Men had to look up to
see it from the deep. The ship went on
rapidly strait for it without lessening her
tremendous speed, and was within a
cable's length, when the young pilot's
trumpet-like voice was heard giving the
order `to put down the helm and brace
up!'

Instantly the ship came into the wind,
and leaving the cliff astern. She had
passed so near, that a dollar might have
been thrown against the face of the rock.
Every heart ceased beating for a moment
till she was making her way off
from the danger in safety.

`That was a risk, young sir,' said the
Captain, catching his breath as he saw the
frigate had way again on the starboard
tack.

`It was necessary, sir, to go so close,
in order to be able to get to leeward of
the ledge on this tack,' answered George
calmly.

`Where is the ledge?'

`You will see it in this direction. There
is a line of breakers upon it.'

`Yes, I see it now. It is to windward
of the ship's course,' he said joyfully.

`Yes, and we have got this advantage
by running so close in under the cliff,'
swered George. `If I had hauled wind
two minutes sooner, I should have had to
run to windward by the ledge, and as the
current sets very strong into this bay, I
should have been afraid of losing the
ship by driving her on the ledge!'

`I have seen enough of shaving reefs
to-night,' answered the Captain; `and if
we should have been in as great danger
in passing to windward of this as the
other one, I won't say any thing more
about your approaching so near the cliff.'

`The danger would have been greater
on account of the greater swiftness of the
current at this place.'

`You are a bold and skilful pilot,
young man. I feel that my ship is safe
in your hands.'

`I trust in a few minutes that she will
be past all the danger, sir. Keep her
close, 'Milk,' he called to the negro, who
had not quitted his post by the wheel
from the first; and who promptly and
intelligently obeyed every order of the
youthful fisherman. His hands seconded
the words of George in every instance,
and as it were simultaneously, as if he
anticipated the direction to be given; and
indeed he knew well how to steer the
ship in; but he could not have done it
alone, for want of that coolness and self-possession
which George possessed in a
far superior degree.

The ledge was now visible a-head.—
Gradually the ship's bows fell off from
it, after hugging it closely a few minutes,
and the helm being closely put up,
and the fore-yard squared, the ship steered
directly up the bay, and in almost
smooth water.

`Are your anchors ready, sir?' asked
George.

`What! are we in safety?' cried the
Captain, who, in the darkness, could not
tell his situation.

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