hat, when
a storm was coming, the fish invariably left the neighbourhood of the
rock; doubtless in order to seek the security of depths which are not
affected by winds or waves.

While Dove and his comrade commented on this subject, two of the other
men had retired to the south-eastern end of the rock to take a look at
the weather. These were Peter Logan, the foreman, whose position
required him to have a care for the safety of the men as well as for the
progress of the work, and our friend Bremner, who had just descended
from the cooking-room, where he had been superintending the preparation
of supper.

"It will be a stiff breeze, I fear, to-night," said Logan.

"D'ye think so I" said Bremner; "it seems to me so calm that I would
think a storm a'most impossible. But the fish never tell lies."

"True. You got no fish to-day, I believe?" said Logan.

"Not a nibble," replied the other.

As he spoke, he was obliged to rise from a rock on which he had seated
himself, because of a large wave, which, breaking on the outer reefs,
sent the foam a little closer to his toes than was agreeable.

"That was a big one, but yonder is a bigger," cried Logan.

The wave to which he referred was indeed a majestic wall of water. It
came on with such an awful appearance of power, that some of the men who
perceived it could not repress a cry of astonishment.

In another moment it fell, and, bursting over the rocks with a terrific
roar, extinguished the forge fire, and compelled the men to take refuge
in the beacon.

Jamie Dove saved his bellows with difficulty. The other men, catching
up their things as they best might, crowded up the ladder in a more or
less draggled condition.

The beacon house was gained by means of one of the main beams, which had
been converted into a stair, by the simple process of nailing small
battens thereon, about a foot apart from each other. The men could only
go up one at a time, but as they were active and accustomed to the work,
were all speedily within their place of refuge. Soon afterwards the sea
covered the rock, and the place where they had been at work was a mass
of seething foam.

Still there was no wind; but dark clouds had begun to rise on the
seaward horizon.

The sudden change in the appearance of the rock after the last torches
were extinguished was very striking. For a few seconds there seemed to
be no light at all. The darkness of a coal mine appeared to have
settled dow