her
quite distinctly. She had struck on Ainslie Crag, and her stern was
under water, and the waves were beating wildly on her deck. We could see
men clinging to the rigging which remained, and holding on to the
broken masts of the ship.

I shall _never_ forget that sight to my dying day! My grandfather and
Jem Millar saw it, and they pulled on desperately.

And now we were so near to the vessel that had it not been for the storm
which was raging, we could have spoken to those on board. Again and
again we tried to come alongside the shattered ship, but were swept away
by the rush of the strong, resistless waves.

Several of the sailors came to the side of the ship, and threw out a
rope to us. It was long before we could catch it, but at last, as we
were being carried past it, I clutched it, and my grandfather
immediately made it secure.

'Now!' he cried. 'Steady, Jem! we shall save some of them yet!' and he
pulled the boat as near as possible to the ship.

Oh! how my heart beat that moment, as I looked at the men and women all
crowding towards the place where the rope was fastened.

'We can't take them all,' said my grandfather anxiously; 'we must cut
the rope when we've got as many as the boat will carry.'

I shuddered, as I thought of those who would be left behind.

We had now come so close to the ship that the men on board would be able
to watch their opportunity, and jump into the boat whenever a great wave
was past, and there was a lull for a moment in the storm.

'Look out, Jem!' cried my grandfather. 'Here's the first'

A man was standing by the rope, with what appeared to be a bundle in
his arms. The moment we came near, he seized his opportunity and threw
it to us. My grandfather caught it.

[Illustration: 'IT'S A CHILD, ALICK', HE SAID, 'PUT IT DOWN BY YOU']

'It's a child, Alick!' he said; 'put it down by you.'

I put the bundle at my feet, and my grandfather cried, 'Now another;
quick, my lads!'

But at this moment Jem Millar seized his arm. 'Sandy! look out!' he
almost shrieked.

My grandfather turned round. A mighty wave, bigger than any I had seen
before, was coming towards us. In another moment we should have been
dashed by its violence against the ship, and all have perished.

My grandfather hastily let go the rope, and we just got out of the way
of the ship before the wave reached us. And then came a noise, loud as
a terrible thunder-clap, as the mighty wave dashed against Ainslie C