felt
what mere pigmies are men in face of the giants of the elements when
Nature is in anger and lets loose her storms upon our shores.

Every minute, from amidst the boiling chaos of waves, one bigger than
the rest came slowly from seaward with a strange gliding motion, to
raise itself up like some crested serpent and curl over, and then, as it
was riven in ten thousand streams and sheets of jagged foam, there was a
dull roar as of thunder, the wind shrieked and yelled, and,
serpent-like, the broken wave hissed, and seethed, and choked, and
gurgled horribly amongst the rocks.

"What do you think of that?" said Will again gravely as he placed his
lips close to Dick's ear.

"How awful the sea is!" panted Dick as he seemed more than ever to
realise its force.

"Yes," said Will quietly, and there was a sad smile on the boy's lip as
he spoke. "But you said a little while ago that our men ought to help
the shipwrecked men. Shall we get down that boat and have a row?"

"Row!" cried Dick with a horrified look; "why, it couldn't be done."

"Would you like to see your father and some more men get down that boat
and put off to sea?"

"It would be impossible," cried Dick. "She would be tossed over by the
waves and everybody drowned."

"Hah! Yes," said Will smiling. "You see now the danger. Many people
say that fishermen are cowardly for not doing more, when the case is
that they know the danger, and those who talk and write about it don't.
It isn't everybody who has seen the sea-coast in a storm. Shall we go
up?"

"Yes," panted Dick; "it is too awful to stay here. If a wave were to
curl round the corner we should be swept away."

"Yes," said Will, "but the waves will not curl round the corner. They
can't come here."

He pointed to the rugged path, for it was hard work to speak and make
each other hear; and Dick began nervously to climb back, looking down
once or twice at the hungry waves, which seemed ready to leap up at him
and tear him from the rocks.

"I say," he cried, "I'm glad Taff isn't here."

Will smiled, for he felt that Arthur would never have ventured down the
cliff.

"Now," said Dick, as they reached the shelf path once more, and he felt
less nervous, "I want to go up right to the top of the cliff and feel
the wind."

"Feel the wind?" cried Will.

"Yes; feel how strong it is. Which is the best way?"

"I'll show you," said Will smiling; and leading the way he walked a
little back towa