w that she did not belong to the merchant
service. The simple people who inhabited this district were concerned
about the intentions of what they regarded as a mysterious visitor,
and the firing of a small cannon from the taffrail did not lessen
their perplexity. At last the national flag was hauled up and down,
and the squire, who had come from his mansion amongst the woods, told
the fishermen that those aboard the cutter were really asking for a
boat to be sent to them.

The flood tide had covered the rocks. A volunteer crew of five fine
specimens of English manhood were promptly got together, and a large
coble was wheeled down the beach and launched into the breaking sea.
They struggled with accustomed doggedness until they had passed the
most critical part of the bay and got safely within speaking distance
of the vessel. Two good-looking fellows in naval uniform stood on the
quarter-deck, and one of these, the commander, asked the fishermen to
take one of his officers ashore. To this they readily agreed, though
they said it would be most difficult to land, as it was much safer to
go off than come in, but they would risk that. The officer jumped into
the boat, the rope was slipped, and then commenced a struggle between
the endurance and skill of the hardy fishermen on the one hand and the
angry cross seas which threatened to toss the boat and its occupants
to destruction on the other. The officer suggested that the reefs
should be let out of the sail to rush her over the dangerous corner of
the entrance.

"I have used this plan often," said he, "and it always succeeded."

The coxswain demurred, although these men are very skilled in the
handling of their boats; but at last he was prevailed upon by his crew
to allow the officer to try the experiment. The latter only agreed to
do so on condition that he was in no way interfered with, and his
orders were strictly carried out. Up went the close-reefed lug; the
occupants were instructed to lie low to windward, the men at the main
sheet were ordered in a quiet, cool manner to ease off and haul in as
necessity required. In a few minutes they had reached the crucial
point. The men began to express anxiety, when amid the shrill song of
the wind and the noise of the breaking seas, the man now in charge
called out with commanding vigour--

"Steady your nerves, boys! I know quite well how to handle her."

The helmsman had barely finished his appeal when the combers began to