ce in sound became very perceptible.

"Great God!" exclaimed Mrs Reichardt, starting up from her kneeling
posture, "that is a gun from some ship."

The wind seemed less boisterous for a few seconds, and the thunder
ceased. We listened breathlessly for the loud boom we had just heard,
but it was not repeated. In a moment afterwards our ears were startled
by the most terrifying combination of screams, shrieks, cries, and
wailings, I had ever heard. My blood seemed chilled in my veins.

"A ship has just struck," whispered my companion, scarcely above her
breath. "The Lord have mercy on the crew!"

She sunk on her knees again in prayer, as if for the poor souls who were
struggling in the jaws of death. The wind still howled, and the thunder
still roared; but in the fiercest war of the elements, I fancied I could
every now and then hear the piercing shrieks sent up to heaven for
assistance. I thought once or twice of venturing out, but I remembered
the safety of my companion was so completely bound up with my own, that
I could not reconcile myself to leaving her; and I was also well aware,
that till the terrible fury of the tempest abated, it was impossible for
me to be of the slightest service to the people of the wrecked ship,
even could I remain unharmed exposed to the violence of the weather.

I, however, awaited with much impatience and intense anxiety till the
storm had in some measure spent itself; but this did not occur till
sunrise the next morning. The wind fell, the thunder and lightning
ceased, the rain was evidently diminishing, and the brightness of the
coming day began to burst through the darkest night that had ever
visited the island.

Mrs Reichardt would not be left behind; it was possible she might be
useful, and taking with her a small basket of such things as she
imagined might be required, she accompanied me to the rocks nearest the
sea.

On arriving there, the most extraordinary scene presented itself. The
sea was strewed with spars, masts, chests, boats stove in or otherwise
injured, casks, empty hencoops, and innumerable pieces of floating
wreck, that were continually dashed against the rocks, or were washed
ashore, wherever an opening for the sea presented itself. At a little
distance lay the remains of a fine ship, her masts gone by the board,
her decks open, in fact a complete wreck, over which the sea had but
lately been making a clean sweep, carrying overboard everything that
co