reaty and terror, but amid the wild turmoil of Nature it was
difficult to distinguish one sound from another.

Suddenly, however, a light glimmered in the heart of the tempest, and
next instant the beach and sea and wide, tossing bay were brilliantly
illuminated by the wild glare of a signal light.

The ship lay on her beam-ends right in the centre of the terrible Hansel
reef, hurled over to such an angle that I could see all the planking of
her deck. I recognised her at once as being the same three-masted barque
which I had observed in the Channel in the morning, and the Union
Jack which was nailed upside down to the jagged slump of her mizzen
proclaimed her nationality.

Every spar and rope and writhing piece of cordage showed up hard and
clear under the vivid light which spluttered and flickered from the
highest portion of the forecastle. Beyond the doomed ship, out of the
great darkness came the long, rolling lines of big waves, never ending,
never tiring, with a petulant tuft of foam here and there upon their
crests. Each as it reached the broad circle of unnatural light appeared
to gather strength and volume and to hurry on more impetuously until
with a roar and a jarring crash it sprang upon its victim.

Clinging to the weather shrouds we could distinctly see ten or a dozen
frightened seamen who, when the light revealed our presence, turned
their white faces towards us and waved their hands imploringly. The poor
wretches had evidently taken fresh hope from our presence, though it was
clear that their own boats had either been washed away or so damaged as
to render them useless.

The sailors who clung to the rigging were not, however, the only
unfortunates on board. On the breaking poop there stood three men who
appeared to be both of a different race and nature from the cowering
wretches who implored our assistance.

Leaning upon the shattered taff-rail they seemed to be conversing
together as quietly and unconcernedly as though they were unconscious of
the deadly peril which surrounded them.

As the signal light flickered over them, we could see from the shore
that these immutable strangers wore red fezes, and that their faces were
of a swarthy, large-featured type, which proclaimed an Eastern origin.

There was little time, however, for us to take note of such details.
The ship was breaking rapidly, and some effort must be made to save the
poor, sodden group of humanity who implored our assistance.

T