176 THE HOME OF A NATURALIST. 



was a good boat, and they were brave men and good 

 seamen that manned her ; but that is an awful sea to 

 fight against. God be with them ! " 



" Was ! " " were ! " The words sent a chill to my 

 heart. He was already speaking in the past tense of 

 those for whom we looked and prayed. Suddenly he 

 seized my arm as with a vice, while his keen grey eye, 

 almost wild with intense but suppressed excitement, 

 shot a glance across the waste of waters. 



" There ! " he said, " I thought I saw something 

 white like a sail, not the sea- foam. Don't speak yet, 

 or it will kill these poor souls ! Give me your glass. 

 Yes, yes ; again I see it. Look ! " — he shouted aloud 

 now — " I see her sure enough. They are coming 

 right on, and going to cut the string too, I do believe ; 

 a bold venture, but awfully risky, for the tide is still 

 strong." 



A few minutes more and we could all see the gallant 

 little boat driving along before the gale, now lifted 

 high on the crest of a huge wave, now completely out 

 of sight in the trough of the sea. On on she came 

 towards the string, which though it had run off its 

 greatest strength, looked ugly enough to make the 

 stoutest heart quail. Little more than five minutes 

 would be sufficient to carry her across ; but every one 

 knew perfectly well that the greatest danger of all was 

 just there in the middle of that tideway. It was the 

 crisis of her fate. Five minutes more and she would 

 be in safety, or never reach the shore. On on she 

 came, now plainly in view of every one, and splendidly 



