hands.

"We cannot make the port of Liverpool, I find," he said. "The pilot
says that if we wish to save the ship we must run for the nearest
harbour on the coast, which happens, unfortunately, to be the very small
one of Covelly."

"Then by all means run for it," said Mr Webster. "Strange," he
muttered to himself, "that fate should lead me there."

The head of the _Ocean Queen_ was at once turned towards the shore, and
as they neared it Mr Webster stood talking to Annie about the time
"long, long ago," when she had been rescued by a lifeboat there, and
remarking on the curious coincidence that she should happen to come to
the same place in distress a second time.

The gale, although somewhat more moderate, was still blowing strong, and
an "ugly sea" was rolling on the bank where the _Swordfish_ had gone
ashore many years before. This, however, mattered little, because the
direction of the wind was such that they could steer well clear of it.
But the channel leading to the harbour was very sinuous, and, as the
pilot observed, required careful steering. In one part this channel was
so crooked that it became necessary to go on the other tack a short
distance. In ordinary circumstances the captain would have thought
nothing of this, but he felt anxious just then, because some of the
stores and cordage furnished by mistake to him had been intended for the
_Ruby_. Now the _Ruby_ was one of the vessels of Webster and Company
which had been sent away with the hope, if not the intention, that it
should be wrecked! The mistake had been discovered only after the
_Ocean Queen_ had set sail.

"Ready about," cried the pilot.

The men leaped to their respective places.

"Take another pull at that fores'l sheet," said the pilot.

This was done. At sea this would not have been necessary, because the
ship was lively and answered her helm well, but in the narrow channel
things had to be done more vigorously. The extra pull was given. The
tackle of the foresail sheet had been meant for the _Ruby_. It snapped
asunder, and the ship missed stays and fell away.

Instantly all was desperate confusion. A hurried attempt was made to
wear ship, then two anchors were let go, but almost before the startled
owner was aware of what had occurred, the good ship received a shock
which made her quiver from stem to stern. She lifted with the next
wave, and in another minute was fast on the shoal which had proved fatal
to the _Swor