sea like that," he said, pointing to
the angry waves that were being gradually lashed into foam by the
increasing wind, "they will be overloaded."

"Come, I don't know that, Wilson; we may devise something," said Mr
Stevenson, with a forced air of confidence, as he moved slowly towards
the place where the men were still working, busy as bees and all
unconscious of the perilous circumstances in which they were placed.

As the engineer pondered the prospect of deliverance, his thoughts led
him rather to despair than to hope. There were thirty-two persons in
all upon the rock that day, with only two boats, which, even in good
weather, could not unitedly accommodate more than twenty-four sitters.
But to row to the floating light with so much wind and in so heavy a
sea, a complement of eight men for each boat was as much as could with
propriety be attempted, so that about half of their number was thus
unprovided for. Under these circumstances he felt that to despatch one
of the boats in expectation of either working the _Smeaton_ sooner up to
the rock, or in hopes of getting her boat brought to their assistance
would, besides being useless, at once alarm the workmen, each of whom
would probably insist upon taking to his own boat, and leaving the eight
men of the _Smeaton_ to their chance. A scuffle might ensue, and he
knew well that when men are contending for life the results may be very
disastrous.

For a considerable time the men remained in ignorance of the terrible
conflict that was going on in their commander's breast. As they wrought
chiefly in sitting or kneeling postures, excavating the rock or boring
with jumpers, their attention was naturally diverted from everything
else around them. The dense volumes of smoke, too, that rose from the
forge fire, so enveloped them as to render distant objects dim or
altogether invisible.

While this lasted,--while the numerous hammers were going and the anvil
continued to sound, the situation of things did not appear so awful to
the only two who were aware of what had occurred. But ere long the tide
began to rise upon those who were at work on the lower parts of the
beacon and lighthouse. From the run of the sea upon the rock, the forge
fire was extinguished sooner than usual; the volumes of smoke cleared
away, and objects became visible in every direction.

After having had about three hours' work, the men began pretty generally
to make towards their respective boats