e seen around them but a hell of
raging foam, which, in the almost total darkness of the night, leaped
and glimmered as if with phosphoric light. Beyond this circle of, as it
were, wild lambent flame, all was black, like a wall of ebony, from out
of which continually there rushed into view coiling, curling,
hoary-headed monsters, in the shape of roaring billows, which burst upon
and over them, deluging the decks, and causing the timbers of the ship
to writhe as if in pain.

"We've got on the tail o' the sands," muttered a sailor to some one as
he passed, axe in hand, to cut away the wreckage of the masts, which
were pounding and tugging alongside.

On the sands! Yes, but no sands were visible, for they had struck on an
outlying bank, far from shore, over which the ocean swept like the besom
of destruction.

It was nearly low water at the time of the disaster. As the tide fell
the wreck ceased to heave. Then it became possible for the seamen to
move about without clinging to shrouds and stanchions for very life.

"Fetch a rocket, Jim," said the captain to one of the men.

Jim obeyed, and soon a whizzing line of light was seen athwart the black
sky.

"They'll never see it," muttered the first mate, as he got ready another
rocket. "Weather's too thick."

Several rockets were fired, and then, to make more sure of attracting
the lifeboat men, a tar-barrel, fastened to the end of a spar, was
thrust out ahead and set on fire. By the grand lurid flare of this
giant torch the surrounding desolation was made more apparent, and at
the fearful sight hearts which had hitherto held up began to sink in
despair.

The mate's fears seemed to be well grounded, for no answering signal was
seen to rise from the land, towards which every eye was anxiously
strained. One hour passed, then another, and another, but still no help
came. Then the tide began to rise, and with it, of course, the danger
to increase. All this time rockets had been sent up at intervals, and
tar-barrels had been kept burning.

"We had better make the women and children fast, sir," suggested the
mate, as a heavy mass of spray burst over the bulwarks and drenched
them.

"Do so," replied the captain, gathering up a coil of rope to assist in
the work.

"Is this necessary?" asked the widow, as the captain approached her.

"I fear it is," he replied. "The tide is rising fast. In a short time
the waves will be breaking over us again, and you will run