AN EXCITING SCENE. 255 



storm we have had, and a vessel lost in front of our windows again. The sea was one heaving, 

 surging mass of foam, and the wind blowing hard from the NE. right upon this coast. Our 

 sailor-landlord came in from a look-out seaward with the report, ' There's a fine brig out to the 

 northward, but there's an awful heavy sea on ; I'm afraid there's no chance for her, the wind 

 is driving her dead on shore, and I'm afraid she'll be on the rocks before long. She's a 

 Spaniard, I think, by the looks on her. God help 'em !' and he took his glass and went out, 

 the big tears standing in his eyes, great sturdy fellow as he is. 



" Of course our hearts were in our mouths in a moment, and with straining eyes we 

 watched and watched. On she came ; how one longed for some unseen hand to drive her back 

 from what seemed friendly houses, and people, and land, and yet was so fatal ! The snow, and 

 hail, and rain made the air thick every now and then, and when it cleared there was the vessel 

 being driven headlong before the wind. Would she get round the Castle rocks ? That was 

 awful excitement ; if she struck there, there was no hope for the crew. An hour nearly the 

 suspense lasted ; yes, she is past ! a slight lull in the fierce storm, and in that lull a fishing- 

 smack, for which there seemed no chance, had weathered it all, got round the lighthouse pier, 

 and was entering the harbour, a thing that, by the side of the brig, seemed a mere child's toy 

 on those big waves, and had been lost to sight again and again. The pier was one black mass 

 of people, and on the sands thousands had collected, all eyes on the brig. 



" Now off goes the lifeboat there is still a chance for the brig. It's a beautiful new 

 boat, that was recently launched, and already she has saved more lives (the sailors tell us) 

 "than the old one did all the time she was here. Her crew have confidence in her, and ' you 

 know, miss, if her crew haven't confidence in her, it's all no go ; they'd better by half go off in 

 a coble, they'd liever too,' said an old sailor to me. I felt as if every one I loved in the world were 

 in that vessel, thus tossing and struggling with the winds and waves, in uncertainty as to her 

 fate. The lifeboat is off now, though, to the pier-head, and the rocket apparatus is fixed at a 

 part where they think she's coming on shore. She hasn't enough sail on, the sailors say. 

 Her master seems to find this out, for up go two topsails. She veers ; now is her chance ; if 

 lier master knows the harbour well, he may yet get her in. He doesn't, evidently ; he has 

 gone a little too far to the south 'ard, and can't get back ! One frightful gust, one awful sea, 

 and her chance is over, and she is driving right on to the worst rocks of all, where, if she 

 strikes, the men must perish no lifeboat and no rocket apparatus can reach her. The life- 

 lx>at is pulling tremendously towards her now, and the sea is fearful ; again she veers slightly 

 the moments seem hours. How those men pull ! they are close to her, when one awful sea 

 catches them, and the lifeboat is swamped. It seemed as if I felt the waves clashing over me. 

 I gave an awful scream, and hardly dared look again ; and yet I couldn't keep my eyes away. 

 She was all right, and eagerly I counted her men, we could see so plainly from our windows. 

 They were all right, and now she is alongside the brig, though once or twice dashed away 

 again. Then comes the taking of the men off. This was almost the worst moment of 

 all, to see them one by one dropped into the lifeboat. One man is going nearly in ; the 

 lifeboat is dashed right away, and there he hangs. The sea dashes against him, injures 

 his leg, but they get him back into the brig, and then into the lifeboat when she can get 

 close again, and now all are in but the captain. He hesitates ; almost it seems as if he 

 would rather go down with bin ship ; but he passes some papers, or paper like books, into 



