we again
made out the ship, I feared that my worst anticipations had been
fulfilled, for the sea broke completely over her. Her masts were gone
and her upper works washed away. I got as near as I could, but could
distinguish no human being on board. Her crew must either have been
carried away by the sea, or made their escape in the boats, or on the
raft they were forming, if, as I doubted, they had had time to finish
it. Away to the westward rose a rocky island, which, from its
appearance, I guessed was uninhabited, and I thought that in all
probability any who had escaped would attempt to effect a landing on it.
As in their hurry they were not likely to have carried either
provisions or water, I determined to pull to the island, to relieve any
of the people who might have reached it. As we drew near, I saw that
the sea was breaking heavily on the weather shore, but I had no doubt of
being able to land on the lee side. We had a long pull before us; but
the men exerted themselves, and I still hoped to get back to the ship
before night closed in.

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

EMILIE.

On landing on the lee side of the island, I climbed to a high point near
at hand, whence I could take a glance over the sea to the westward, but
could discover no sign of either raft or boats, and therefore concluded
that they must have been cast on the weather side; and if so, from the
heavy surf which broke against it, I feared few could have scaped it.

However, with Dick and several of the men, I pushed across, carrying
ropes and boat-hooks and some of the oars, to try and save any who might
be clinging to the neighbouring rocks. We had not got far when I heard
a voice hailing, and we caught sight of a man on the top of a rock in
the centre of the island, waving to us. "Make haste! make haste!" he
shouted, "or you will be too late." The stranger hurried down the rock,
and we followed him.

In a few minutes we again caught sight of the sea on the east side of
the island. As we were climbing over the rough ground, I saw that a
reef extended some distance from the mainland, with wild rocks rising
out of it above the foaming waters. Midway between them and the land
was a large boat, surrounded by people, some on the reef, others
clinging to the boat; while several were at that moment being carried
away by the sea, which, sweeping round the rocks, beat with violence
against the shattered boat. The men with frantic efforts were