g Halbert to accompany him, he went
out to have a look at the shore, and, forcing their way against the
driving, cutting rain, they looked over the low cliff at the furious
waste of waters beneath them, and saw mountain after mountain of water
hurl itself, in a cloud of spray, upon the shore.

"What terrible waves, now!" said Sam.

"Yes," replied Halbert; "there's no land to windward for six thousand
miles or more. I never saw heavier seas than those. I enjoy this, Sam.
It reminds me of a good roaring winter's day in old Cornwall."

"I like it, too," said Sam. "It freshens you up. How calm the water is
to the leeward of the Cape!"

"Yes; a capital harbour of refuge that. Let us go home to breakfast."

He turned to go, but was recalled by a wild shout from Sam.

"A ship! A ship!"

He ran back and looked over into the seething hell of waters helow. Was
it only a thicker spot in the driving mist, or was it really a ship? If
so, God help her.

Small time to deliberate. Ere he could think twice about it, a
full-rigged ship, about five hundred tons, with a close-reefed topsail
and a rag of a foresail upon her, came rushing, rolling, diving, and
plunging on, apparently heading for the deadly white line of breakers
which stretched into the sea at the end of the promontory.

"A Queen's ship, Sam! a Queen's ship! The Tartar, for a thousand
pounds! Oh, what a pity; what a terrible pity!"

"Only a merchant ship, surely," said Sam.

"Did you ever see a merchant ship with six such guns as those on her
upper deck, and a hundred blue-jackets at quarters? That is the Tartar,
Sam, and in three minutes there will be no Tartar."

They had run in their excitement out to the very end of the Cape, and
now the ship was almost under their feet, an awful sight to see. She
was rolling fearfully, going dead before the wind. Now and then she
would slop tons of water on her deck, and her mainyard would almost
touch the water. But still the dark clusters of men along her bulwarks
held steadfast, and the ship's head never veered half a point. Now it
became apparent that she would clear the reef by a hundred yards or
more, and Halbert, waving his hat, cried out,--

"Well done, Blockstrop! Bravely done, indeed! He is running under the
lee of the Cape for shelter. Her Majesty has one more ship-of-war than
I thought she would have had five minutes ago."

As he spoke, she had passed the reef. The yards, as if by magic, swung
round, and, fo