time I thought we should have been thrown into
the sea, but luckily we caught no side winds.

Presently we heard my father's deep voice:

"I see her," he cried. "My God, she's going straight upon the 'Devil's
Tooth.'"

The "Devil's Tooth" was one of the most dangerous rocks on the coast.
It was called "devil's tooth" because it was thought to possess evil
power, and because it had been the means of wrecking many vessels as
they tried to get into our harbour.

He had scarcely spoken when we heard a most awful crash. It was far
louder than the roar of the storm, and immediately afterwards we
fancied we caught the cry of people in distress.

"There, it's on! Pull!" cried my father, "we may reach them yet. God
help and preserve us all."

Every man pulled with all his might towards the great rock with the
terrible name.

"The great God will help us," said one solemnly.

"Amen," cried the rest; "but this is terrible."

Meanwhile, inch by inch, we drew nearer to the doomed vessel.

CHAPTER IV

THE WRECK ON THE "DEVIL'S TOOTH."

At the best of times the rock called the "Devil's Tooth" was by no
means beautiful. It stood with five points towering into the air like
the prongs of a great tooth, and at its feet were scores of smaller
rocks, mostly hidden by the water.

Strange stories have been told about it. Some have said that on stormy
nights emissaries of Satan sit there, and lure vessels on to
destruction; but at the time I had no thought for such stories. The
terrible crash of the vessel was still echoing in my ears, and, in my
fancy, I heard above the howling of the storm the shrieks of the
perishing.

We could not see much. The moon was full, but had been hidden by the
clouds. Only by the light of the storm, which was nearly darkness,
could we perceive anything. I know that my words are almost
paradoxical, but I can express my meaning in no better way. Still, our
eyes were accustomed to the darkness of a storm, and thus both my
father and I had some idea of what we were doing.

Slowly we made our way. Carefully my father sought to evade
unnecessary danger.

It was terrible work. Now we were lifted on the pinnacle of a wave,
and again we sank deep in dark gulfs, until I thought we should never
rise again. But every man was strong and hardy, every man had braved a
dozen storms, and so we struggled on.

But for my father's thorough knowledge of the coast we must have
perished. With