ows! with a heavy sea beating on it; unless she's a stout
craft, she'll knock to pieces in a few minutes," observed the
lieutenant. "We'll go down to the beach and try what help we can
render."

A zig-zag pathway, well known to both of them, led downwards through an
opening in the cliff, a short distance from the spot they had reached.
The lieutenant and his nephew followed it without hesitation, the former
leading and feeling the way with his stick, for it required care to
avoid slipping over, and an ugly fall might have been the consequence of
a false step. They reached the bottom, however, in safety; and as they
hurried along the shingly beach, straining their eyes to discover the
whereabouts of the hapless brig, another and another gun was heard, the
loud reports rapidly succeeding the bright flashes, showing the nearness
of the vessel. The whistling of the wind and the roaring of the waves
overpowered all other sounds. They listened for another gun, but
listened in vain.

"I feared it would be so," exclaimed the lieutenant; "she must have
struck already."

"Yes, yes, I see a dark mass surrounded by foam; that must he her, and
not fifty yards off," cried Ned. As he spoke he could distinguish, in
imagination at all events, amid the wild foaming waters, the crash of
timbers, and hear the cries of the hapless crew imploring assistance.
For an instant, too, he fancied that he saw a smaller object floating on
the snowy crests of the waves, but before he could be certain that it
was what he supposed, it had disappeared.

"Would that the men with their rockets were here. What can have delayed
them? If they don't come soon, not a soul of the crew will be left
alive," exclaimed the lieutenant.

Just then a voice hailed, and Edward shouted in return. A dark figure
could be seen at the top of the cliff. It was Tom, who rapidly made his
way down to where they stood, carrying a pair of oars and a coil of
rope.

"The brig is driving in," cried Edward. "She's much nearer than when I
first saw her."

"You're right," answered the lieutenant. "In spite of my timber leg,
few men could once beat me at swimming; even now I've a mind to go off
to the wreck. I might be in time to save some of the people. Here,
Tom, hand me the end of the rope, and I'll make it fast round my waist,
and do you and Ned pay it out, and haul in again when I shout to you."

"Don't think of going," said Edward; "you have been ill lately, a