even greater speed than at
first."

That the above remarks may be clearly understood, it should be mentioned
that the ship was a considerable way to the west of Stormount Bay, and
that she was driving almost directly on the coast, so that the boat,
after pulling out some way to sea to get clear of the cape, had to steer
almost parallel with the coast to cut off the ship, their courses being
almost at right angles to each other. All the time, though they looked
occasionally towards the ship, the eyes of either the mother or daughter
were scarcely for a moment off the boat--difficult as it was to keep her
in view. Often they gasped for breath, and their hearts sank within
them, when she was concealed by the foaming waves; and more than once
they could with difficulty refrain from crying out with agony of spirit
as she remained longer than before hidden from view. Still, there she
was; but as yet she had encountered only a portion of the dangers she
had to go through; the greatest was in getting alongside the ship, and
next to that was the return through the breakers which were dashing on
the shore.

The brave men on board might venture on yet greater danger, should the
ship strike, in attempting to go close to the wreck. Both Mrs Askew
and Margery knew enough of the state of the case to be aware of this,
for there was no lee side on which the boat could approach; and yet they
knew that if the captain saw the faintest possibility of saving the
lives of any of his fellow-creatures, he would make the attempt.

"I can still see the boat, mother--I can still see the boat!" cried
Margery, when Mrs Askew, pale and trembling, had resigned the telescope
to her daughter, unable longer to discern the boat, and tinder the
belief that it had been overwhelmed by the seas. "She floats--she
floats; but she is still a long way from the ship!"

"The ship! where is she?" exclaimed Mrs Askew. "I do not see her."

Both, without the glass, looked out in the direction where the big ship
had just before been seen floating.

"Oh! mother, the ship is not there!" cried Margery.

"Gone! gone! is it so?" exclaimed Mrs Askew; "The Lord have mercy on
those now struggling out there for their lives amid the raging waves!"

The ship had indeed gone down; and it seemed impossible that any but the
strongest swimmers could keep afloat till the boat should reach the
spot. Still they watched for an occasional glimpse of her, for they
were cert