any one to form a clear
judgment as to her nationality.

"Whoever she is," said the chief boatman, "the skipper of her is a
downright good seaman, and doesn't intend to lose his ship whilst he can
do anything to save her. He drove into the bay about two hours ago,
sir," said he, turning to me, "and this is the second time that he's
tried to fetch out again; but, Lord! he don't know this place so well as
I do, or he'd be as sartain as I be that she'll never go outside o' the
Bill o' Portland again. The ship don't float that, with her sails
alone, could get out of the bay, once she got into it, with the wind and
tide the way it is now; and afore the tide turns he'll be knocked into
match-wood, or my name's not Joe Grummet. There he comes round again,"
continued the man, who had kept his eye on the vessel all the time he
was speaking; "but it's no good; he's more 'n a mile to leeward of where
he fetched last time, and he'd better give it up and run her ashore
whilst 'tis light enough to get the hands out of her, if so be as it
please God to let any on 'em come ashore alive."

The vessel had, as Grummet remarked, altered her course; running off
rapidly before the wind, and consequently towards the land; and those
who knew nothing about nautical matters would have supposed that her
commander had at length given up the contest, and was about to run her
on shore.

But we knew better. The vessel had merely been kept away in order to
_wear_ her; _staying_ in such a tremendous gale and sea being utterly
out of the question. And as we watched we saw her come slowly to the
wind on the opposite tack; her yards were braced sharp up, her sheets
flattened in, and once more the battle for life was resumed against the
hostile elements.

But it was evident that the noble ship's career was ended. The
operation of _wearing_ had brought her into fearful proximity with the
land; and though she carried reefed mainsail and foresail under close-
reefed topsails, and fore and main topmast staysails, it was evident
that she was driving to leeward at a frightful rate, and that the period
of her existence must now be measured in minutes.

"Now, lads! bear a hand!" shouted Grummet, "and let's signal her to run
in here. The beach is steeper here than anywhere within the next three
or four mile; and if he happens to come in on the back of a sea, he'll
run up pretty near high and dry; and we may get some of the poor souls
ashore alive, and