CH. X.] Running Straight on the Rocks. 171 



holding the vessel close to the wind, 

 yet they took no notice, and came on 

 and on, leaping waves mountains high 

 one minute, and lost to sight the next in the 

 trough of the seas. Scores of fishermen 

 soon joined me, and even their wives 

 followed and crouched near, behind the 

 rocks ; and so fully was the ship's danger 

 realized, that from time to time a deep 

 groan, half of despair, half prayer, went up 

 from all. There was but one hope — could 

 the yacht be kept close enough to the wind 

 to lead those steering her to believe they 

 could make the entrance of the harbour ? 

 or would she be carried far enough to wind- 

 ward to make this impossible, and so force 

 those in charge to alter her course to avoid 

 the stiff cliffs beyond ? Ah, no ! We saw as 

 we watched that she was too good a vessel 

 to fall off to leeward, and those handling her 

 too good sailors to allow her to do so, for she 



