an to beat out of the bay against the head wind, which was now
blowing right on to the shore.

"Guess we aren't a bit too soon," said the skipper, when the vessel,
after her second tack to starboard, just cleared Herald Point. "If we'd
stopped much longer, we'd been forced to stop altogether, I reckon!"

"Was there any danger?" asked Fritz innocently.

"Yes, mister; there's allers danger to a shep with a gale comin' on an'
a nasty shore under her lee. There's nothin' like the open sea for
safety! When you can't come to an anchor in a safe harbour, the best
thing is to up cable an' cut and run, say I!"

Inaccessible Island was only about eighteen miles distant from Tristan;
but, as it lay to the south-west of that island and the wind blew
strongly from almost the same quarter, the _Pilot's Bride_ had to make a
couple of long tacks before she could approach sufficiently near for
Fritz to see the spot where he and his brother had elected to pass so
many weary months of solitary exile.

As the ship beat to windward, passing the island twice on either tack,
he was able to notice what a bare, inhospitable-looking place it was.

Its structure seemed pretty much the same as that of Tristan, with the
exception that the snow-white cone projecting into the clouds, which was
the most noticeable feature in the latter island, was here wanting; but,
a wall of volcanic rocks, about the same height as the cliff of Tristan
d'Acunha, entirely surrounded the desolate spot, falling for the most
part sheer into the sea and only sloping, as far as could be seen from
the distance the ship was off, sufficiently on one side to allow of any
access to the top. Against this impenetrable, adamantine barrier, on
the west, the heavy rolling sea that had travelled all the way from Cape
Horn was breaking with a loud din, sending columns of spray flying over
almost the highest peaks and making the scene grand but awesome at the
same time.

"Well might it be called Inaccessible Island!" exclaimed Fritz, gazing
intently at the threatening cliffs and cruel surge.

"Yes, sirree, it kinder skearts one to look at it, don't it now, hey?"

"I should think it more dangerous to approach than Tristan?" said Fritz
presently.

"I rayther guess so, mister," replied the skipper. "I rec'lect readin',
when I was a b'y, of the wreck of a big East Indyman here bound fur
Bombay. She wer called the _Blenden Hall_, an' I ken call to mind,
though it must be ni