ale; besides, I doubt if we could pass under the cliffs now."

Bax made no reply, but, placing his hand on his friend's arm, stood for
a few seconds in the attitude of one who listens with profound
attention.

"There it is," said he at last. "Do ye hear that, Guy?"

"_I_ hear it," cried Tommy Bogey, with some excitement.

"I hear nothing but the howling of the wind," said Guy, "and the roaring
of the sea."

"Hush! listen! the minute-gun," said Bax in a low voice; "it comes from
Saint Margaret's Bay; there, did you not--"

"Ah! I heard it," cried the other; "come, let us run down along the
beach a bit, and see if we can make out whereabouts she is."

Guy spoke as if he had no doubt whatever of the cause of the sounds
which had attracted the attention of himself and his friends. Without
another word they all bent their heads to the storm, and forced their
way out upon the exposed beach, where they found some fishermen
assembled in the lee of a boat-house, looking eagerly towards the
direction whence the sounds came.

"I'm afear'd she's got on the rocks to the nor'ard o' the bay," said one
of the men, as Bax and his companions ran towards them; "there goes
another gun."

A faint flash was seen for an instant away to the southward. It was
followed in a few seconds by the low boom of a distant gun. Almost at
the same moment the black heavens seemed to be cleft by a sheet of vivid
flame, which towered high into the sky, and then went out, leaving the
darkness blacker than before.

"That's a rocket," cried the fishermen.

"Heaven help them," said Bax, as he hastily buttoned his oilskin coat
close up to his chin. "Come, Guy, we'll away and do what we can. Will
any of you lads join us?"

Most of the younger men on the ground at once volunteered.

"Stop," cried one of the older men, "the tide's too high; ye can't pass
the cliff, I tell ye."

The man was left abruptly by the whole party, for they knew well enough
that if they took the inland road they might be too late to render
effectual assistance, and any needless delay in attempting the beach
road could only make matters worse.

There was no lifeboat on this part of the Kentish coast at that time,
and the great distance of the spot from Ramsgate or Broadstairs rendered
it highly improbable that either of the lifeboats belonging to these
ports could be in time to render effectual assistance. Besides, the men
knew well that on such a night the crews of