sand. The wind
now blew more sharply than before; it was cutting and cold: and when
they went back over the sand-hills, sand and little pointed stones
blew into their faces. The waves reared themselves up with their white
crowns of foam, and the wind cut off their crests, flinging the foam
far around.

The evening came on. In the air was a swelling roar, moaning and
complaining like a troop of despairing spirits, that sounded above the
hoarse rolling of the sea; for the fisher's little hut was on the very
margin. The sand rattled against the window panes, and every now and
then came a violent gust of wind, that shook the house to its
foundations. It was dark, but towards midnight the moon would rise.

The air became clearer, but the storm swept in all its gigantic force
over the perturbed sea. The fisher people had long gone to bed, but in
such weather there was no chance of closing an eye. Presently there
was a knocking at the window, and the door was opened, and a voice
said:

"There's a great ship fast stranded on the outermost reef."

In a moment the fish people had sprung from their couch, and hastily
arrayed themselves.

The moon had risen, it was light enough to make the surrounding
objects visible, to those who could open their eyes for the blinding
clouds of sand. The violence of the wind was terrible; and only by
creeping forward between the gusts was it possible to pass among the
sand-hills; and now the salt spray flew up from the sea like down,
while the ocean foamed like a roaring cataract towards the beach. It
required a practised eye to descry the vessel out in the offing. The
vessel was a noble brig. The billows now lifted it over the reef,
three or four cables' lengths out of the usual channel. It drove
towards the land, struck against the second reef, and remained fixed.

[Illustration: SAVED FROM THE WRECK.]

To render assistance was impossible; the sea rolled fairly in upon the
vessel, making a clean breach over her. Those on shore fancied they
heard the cries of help from on board, and could plainly descry the
busy useless efforts made by the stranded crew. Now a wave came
rolling onward, falling like a rock upon the bowsprit, and tearing it
from the brig. The stern was lifted high above the flood. Two people
were seen to embrace and plunge together into the sea; in a moment
more, and one of the largest waves that rolled towards the sand-hills
threw a body upon the shore. It was a woman, a