nowledge of the surrounding coasts. One
of the Frenchmen who could speak a few words of English, did his best
to convey his wishes to the sailor, and wound up by producing a
pistol, which he cocked significantly.

"All right," said the sailor, "I knows the coast, and can run ye
straight out to sea. That's the Bell Rock Light on the weather-bow, I
s'pose."

"Oui, dat is de Bell Roke."

"Wery good; our course is due nor'west."

So saying, the man took the wheel and laid the ship's course
accordingly.

Now, he knew quite well that this course would carry the vessel
towards the harbour of Arbroath, into which he resolved to run at all
hazards, trusting to the harbour-lights to guide him when he should
draw near. He knew that he ran the strongest possible risk of getting
himself shot when the Frenchmen should find out his faithlessness,
but he hoped to prevail on them to believe the harbour-lights were
only another lighthouse, which they should have to pass on their way
out to sea, and then it would be too late to put the vessel about and
attempt to escape.

But all his calculations were useless, as it turned out, for in half
an hour the men at the bow shouted that there were breakers ahead,
and before the helm could be put down, they struck with such force
that the topmasts went overboard at once, and the sails, bursting
their sheets and tackling, were blown to ribbons.

Just then a gleam of moonlight struggled through the wrack of clouds,
and revealed the dark cliffs of the Forfar coast, towering high above
them. The vessel had struck on the rocks at the entrance to one of
those rugged bays with which that coast is everywhere indented.

t the first glance, the steersman knew that the doom of all on board
was fixed, for the bay was one of those which are surrounded by
almost perpendicular cliffs; and although, during calm weather, there
was a small space between the cliffs and the sea, which might be
termed a beach, yet during a storm the waves lashed with terrific
fury against the rocks, so that no human being might land there.

It chanced at the time that Captain Ogilvy, who took great delight in
visiting the cliffs in stormy weather, had gone out there for a
midnight walk with a young friend, and when the privateer struck, he
was standing on the top of the cliffs.

He knew at once that the fate of the unfortunate people on board was
almost certain, but, with his wonted energy, he did his best to
prevent the