24 THE GROUNBSWELL. 



still higher, out of the reach of the waves which experience 

 had taught them were yet to come, and higher than before. 



Not half the work was done, when a very mountain of 

 water buried the recedence of the first wave out of sight, 

 advanced as before, picked up a number of the unfortunate 

 boats, and dashed their luckless owners, half-strangled, 

 bruised and dripping, high up the beach. Eecovering their 

 feet as the water left them, these returned bravely to the 

 rescue of their crafts, and by dint of tugging and hauling, 

 when the third and greatest wave rolled thundering on the 

 beach, most of them were safe, high and dry. 



Soon the ocean settled down into its accustomed quiet, 

 and the inspection of damages commenced. The sides of 

 Jack s boat were stove in, Bill s thwarts torn out, and Bob s 

 mast, oars, and tackle all lost, while Steve s craft was an en 

 tire wreck. Hardly a boat had saved its mast and rigging 

 unharmed, saving alone the one which got out to sea before 

 the first swell came in. 



THE ORIGIN OF GROUNDSWELLS. 



Such is a groundswell a mighty upheaving of the waters, 

 grand, resistless, terrible, its power never to be withstood, 

 and to be eluded only by the utmost watchfulness and skill. 

 It is born of a struggle for mastery between the winds and 

 waters, perhaps hundreds of miles away, or it may be even 

 in mid-ocean. Cast a stone into a pond, and it produces 

 ripples, at first large and well defined, then gradually fading 

 out, but not dying away entirely until they have broken upon 

 the shore, be it never so faintly. So a tornado or a submarine 

 earthquake in mid-ocean stirs the mass of living waters, 

 and transmits its mighty undulations to the utmost shores. 

 When least expected, when the knowing ones and weather- 



