BEATEN TO DEATH IN THE WAVES. 231 



rapidly by in the swift tide. Jarman, the coxswain of the boat, seizes a life-buoy, and 

 throws it with all his force towards him; the wind catches it, and helps the throw; 

 it falls near him ; he makes a spring forward and reaches it ; the men gladly see that he 

 has got it; they see him put his two hands upon one side, as if to get upon it; as he 

 leans forward it falls over his head like a hoop; he gets his arms through it, and 

 shouting to the boatmen, ' All right ! ' he waves his hand as if to beckon them to follow 

 him, and goes floating down in the strong tide and among the raging, leaping seas, in 

 a strange wild dance, that threatens indeed to be a dance of death." With terror 

 and dismay they watch him in his fearful struggle, till he is lost to their view, quite out 

 of sight among the waves ; they could not follow him, however much they might have 

 wished it, for it might be hours before they could get back to the ship, and the two 

 men and boy still aboard. 



And had they thought of so doing the next episode would have obliged them to 

 desist. A tremendous crash startles them all ; the mainmast has fallen over the port 

 side of the vessel. The men on board give a loud cry ; the chief mate springs wildly to 

 the starboard quarter, and, making the end of the mainbrace hanging there fast round 

 his waist, drops into the sea. He is a powerful swimmer ; but what can he do in a 

 tide and sea so tremendous that twelve strong men cannot haul the boat one foot against 

 them ? And so a fearful tragedy is worked out before their very eyes. Now he is buried in 

 a sea; now he is thrown high in the air on the crest of a wave, but he never nears the 

 boat, nor can it near him. He strikes out wildly, as if to make a last effort, and cries 

 aloud in his agony and despair. They try again and again to throw the lead-line over 

 the rope which holds the poor fellow, but the boat is pitching and tossing so much that 

 their efforts are all in vain. "'Now he rises on a wave; now try; heave with a will, 

 well clear of his head. Ah ! missed again ; look out ; hold on all ! ' A wave rushes over 

 them, boat and all ; another half minute, and they make another attempt. No ! all in 

 vain, each time it falls short. The struggle cannot last long ; strong and young as the man 

 is, his strength cannot possibly endure long in such a conflict; his cries grow more 

 feeble, and soon cease; they see him try and get back to the ship, climbing up the rope, 

 but his strength fails, and he falls back; his arms and legs are still tossed wildly 

 about, but it is by the action of the waves ; his head drops and sinks ; yes ! it is all 

 over ! all over with him ! " Think of the second mate and cabin-boy on the wreck, 

 watching in helpless horror the death they could not avert, and which may be theirs in a 

 few moments ! 



The deck-house under which they have been crouching is beginning to break up, 

 and the remaining man, throwing himself on the rope by which the life-boat is made 

 fast to the ship, attempts to reach the boat. The breakers rush over him as he pain- 

 fully struggles on, and he is again and again buried in the waves. At last he reaches 

 the high bow of the life-boat, which is leaping and falling and jerking, tearing the 

 hawser up and down in the seas, as if trying to throw him from his hold. His hands 

 convulsively clutch the rope; pale, and with jaw dropping, he seems about to swoon, 

 and in another moment he will be gone. " The man in the bow of the boat has been 

 watching his every movement, has shuddered with dismay as he saw the seas wash over 



