The _Eagle_ was fairly impaled on a sharp point of the sunken reef and was immovable, but the waves were dashing high over the bows.
Suddenly the ship gave a shudder and seemed as if about to tear herself loose, ready to sink beneath the billows.
"Lively, men!" exclaimed the captain.

"She'll not last much longer!" The orders were given to lower the boats.

Bob went forward to watch the work, holding on by stray cables that dangled from the wrecked masts.
As the boat of which Mr.Bender was to take charge was being lowered, one of the ropes in the davit pulley, that at the bow, fouled, and, as the sailors at the other davit were letting their line run free, the boat tilted.

There was imminent risk of the oars, sail, and mast, besides the supplies, being spilled out.

Bob saw the danger and sprang forward with a shout, intending to lend a hand.
As he did so a big piece of one of the yards of the broken mizzen mast which had been hanging by splinters was whipped loose by a gust of wind and fell almost at his feet, missing him by a small margin.