urf of the sea, and many poor sailors have
been hurled on the rocks by it and dashed in pieces while attempting to
swim from their wrecked vessels to the land.

Every time a wave came it lifted the _Fair Nancy_, and, as it passed,
let her fall heavily on the sharp rocks, so that she began to break up.
Still the men were afraid to venture into the sea, and they clung to the
bulwarks, quite uncertain what to do. At last Ben Block turned to the
captain and said--

"I'm a good swimmer, captain, and I think I could swim to the shore well
enough perhaps; but there are some o' the men who can't swim, and poor
Davy, there, could never do it; so I'll just throw a rope round my
shoulders and make for the shore. If I land I'll fix the rope to the
cliffs, and you'll all be able to get ashore easy enough. If I should
be drowned,--it'll only be a little sooner, that's all, and it's well
worth risking my life to save my shipmates."

"You're a brave fellow, Ben," said the captain. "Go and do it if you
can."

Ben Block went down below and soon returned with a stout rope. On the
end of this he made a loop, which he passed round his shoulders, and
then, raising his eyes to heaven with an imploring look, he leapt into
the sea. At first he swam vigorously, and the sailors looked on in
anxious hope. But a large wave came. It fell,--and Ben Block
disappeared, while a cry of fear rose from the deck of the ship. In a
few seconds, however, they saw him rise again and struggle manfully with
the raging billows. The next wave that came lifted Ben up and threw him
on the beach, to which he clung with all his power; but as the wave
retired it swept him back into the sea, for he could not hold on to the
loose sand. He now rolled over and over quite exhausted, and the
sailors thought he was dead. But a man's life is dear to him, and he
does not soon cease to struggle. Another wave approached. It lifted
Ben up and threw him again on the beach. This time he made a desperate
effort to hold on, and, fortunately, he observed a large rock close to
where he lay. With a sudden spring he caught hold of it and held on
till the wave went back; then he ran forward a few steps and caught hold
of another rock a little higher up, so that when the next wave broke
over him it had not power to draw him back. Another run--and he was
safe!

The men gave a loud cheer when they saw him land. After he had rested a
little, Ben fastened the end of the r