creaked and crunched, it did not move forward. When the
water washed back a few minutes, Jan saw jagged rocks poking up and felt
the boat pounding on them. He could not understand it at all, and as he
looked up with puzzled eyes at his master, he saw the old man was
staring straight ahead at a strip of land not very far away, where a lot
of people were running about in a great hurry.

One of the boat crew ran past Jan, carrying a rope. Other men were
fastening queer looking rings about the bodies of women and children,
while still more men were lowering a little boat into the water. But as
soon as it touched the waves, it was turned on end and smashed like an
egg-shell against the side of the ship. Jan, standing with his legs
braced firmly, saw the frightened women and children huddled together.
Most of them were very quiet, but some were crying. A few were kneeling
on the wet deck, and though their eyes were shut, Jan knew they were not
asleep, for their lips were moving as if they were talking to some one
whom he could not see.

The shore did not seem very far away, and Jan saw men pushing a little
boat into the water. They leaped into it quickly and grabbed up oars.

"Thank God!" said the old poundmaster to a man who stood beside him and
Jan. "The Life Guards will save the women and children!"

"There is no Life Saving Station here," Jan heard a woman's voice reply.
He looked up and saw the pretty lady beside his old master. Her face was
very white and she held her baby tightly in her arms, while she stared
at the place where the tiny boat was being shoved into the sea by men
who stood waist-deep in the rushing water. Then the boat shot high on a
wave and started toward the ship. Those on the shore joined in the
cheers that sounded on the stranded ship; but even as they cheered, a
bigger wave snatched at the boat and overturned it, dumping all the men
into the sea. The little boat was dashed on the beach, but those who had
been rowing it bobbed about in the water until helped to land.

A group of men, who had been talking with a man wearing a cap trimmed
with gold braid, now carried a rope to the side of the ship and tossed
it swiftly toward land. Men on the shore were trying to launch another
boat, and every one on the ship leaned forward watching them. The waves
carried the rope some distance forward, and then tossed it back against
the ship's side as though playing with it, just as a cat plays with a
mouse. Ta