the lives of those on board. Come, lads, they are fellow-creatures--
seamen like ourselves, in distress. Where is the faint-hearted coward
who would leave them to perish without lifting a hand to save them.
Such a fellow is not to be found among Shetlanders, I hope."

This appeal had an instant effect. When the men heard that Captain
Maitland and Rolf Morton proposed going out in their boat to assist the
disabled ship, they agreed to lend her, and to accompany them, the
captain undertaking to make good any damage which might accrue, even to
the loss of the boat herself.

The boat, the largest of the class used for fishing on that coast,
pulled twelve oars, and, what with the men belonging to her, and those
who had come from Hillswick, as fine a crew as ever manned a boat was
collected. The oars and other gear being placed in her, the next thing
to be done was to launch her; and while this operation was taking place,
Morton and his friend ascended the cliff, to ascertain the position of
the corvette, and what prospect there was of getting on board her. As
they climbed up the path they observed that the wind had somewhat
abated, and this gave them greater hopes of getting to sea. A moment's
glance, however, told them, when they reached the top of the cliff, that
all hope of saving the ship must be abandoned. Perhaps the Spaniards,
mistaking Saint Magnus's Bay for the entrance of Yell Sound, she had
been kept away and then hauled up again; but there she was drifting
bodily down towards the terrific headland on which they stood.

Callous and cold-hearted indeed must be the man who can witness with
indifference a scene such as that at which the two seamen now gazed--the
proud ship, which but the day before had left the shore in such gallant
trim, now shattered and crippled, struggling on amid the giant seas
which were about, in a few short moments, to hurl her to destruction.

"Nothing can save her, I fear," cried Morton, his generous heart wrung
with sorrow.

"Nothing," answered his older companion; "still, by the will of
Providence, we may be able to save the lives of some of the people on
board; but we must wait and see where she strikes: if we were to attempt
to get out to her now we should only involve ourselves in her fate."

"If she fails to weather Ossa Skerry she will drift right down on Navie
Grind, and then Heaven have mercy on their souls, for no human being on
board can escape," said Captain Maitland