for their jackets and socks.

Then it was that they made the discovery that one boat was absent.

Only a few exclamations were uttered. A glance at the two boats and a
hurried gaze to seaward were sufficient to acquaint them with their
awful position. Not a word was spoken by anyone. All appeared to be
silently calculating their numbers, and looking at each other with
evident marks of perplexity depicted in their countenances. The
landing-master, conceiving that blame might attach to him for having
allowed the boat to leave the rock, kept a little apart from the men.

All eyes were turned, as if by instinct, to Mr Stevenson. The men
seemed to feel that the issue lay with him.

The engineer was standing on an elevated part of the rock named Smith's
Ledge, gazing in deep anxiety at the distant _Smeaton_, in the hope that
he might observe some effort being made, at least, to pull the boat to
their rescue.

Slowly but surely the tide rose, overwhelming the lower parts of the
rock; sending each successive wave nearer and nearer to the feet of
those who were now crowded on the last ledge that could afford them
standing-room.

The deep silence that prevailed was awful! It proved that each mind saw
clearly the impossibility of anything being devised, and that a deadly
struggle for precedence was inevitable.

Mr Stevenson had all along been rapidly turning over in his mind
various schemes which might be put in practice for the general safety,
provided the men could be kept under command. He accordingly turned to
address them on the perilous nature of their circumstances; intending to
propose that all hands should strip off their upper clothing when the
higher parts of the rock should be laid under water; that the seamen
should remove every unnecessary weight and encumbrance from the boats;
that a specified number of men should go into each boat; and that the
remainder should hang by the gunwales, while the boats were to be rowed
gently towards the _Smeaton_, as the course to the floating light lay
rather to windward of the rock.

But when he attempted to give utterance to his thoughts the words
refused to come. So powerful an effect had the awful nature of their
position upon him, that his parched tongue could not articulate. He
learned, from terrible experience, that saliva is as necessary to speech
as the tongue itself.

Stooping hastily, he dipped his hand into a pool of salt water and
moistened his mouth