year. Jack's vessel weathered them all till it reached the shores of
old England. Then the storm-fiend broke loose with unwonted fury, and,
as if out of spite, cast the good ship on the rocks lying a little to
the eastward of the port of Blackby.

It was a tremendous storm! The oldest inhabitant of Blackby said, as
well as his toothless gums would let him, that, "it wos the wust gale as
had blow'd since he wos a leetle booy--an' that warn't yesterday--no,
nor yet the day before!"

The gale was at its height, in the grey of early morning, when the ship
struck, and all the manhood of the port and neighbouring village were
out to render aid, if possible, and to gaze and sympathise. But who
could render aid to a vessel which was rolling on those black rocks in a
caldron of white foam, with a hundred yards of swirling breakers that
raged and roared like a thousand lions between it and the base of the
cliffs? Even the noble lifeboat would have been useless in such a
place. But hark! a cry is raised--the coastguardmen and the rocket!
Yes, there is one hope for them yet--under God. Far below the men are
seen staggering along over the shingle, with their life-saving apparatus
in a hand-cart.

Soon the tripod is set up, and the rocket is fired, but the line falls
to leeward. Another is tried; it falls short. Still another--it goes
far to windward. Again and again they try, but without success, until
all their rockets are expended. But these bold men of the coastguard
are not often or easily foiled. They send for more rockets to the next
station. Meanwhile the terrible waves are doing their awful work,
dashing the ship on the rocks as if she were a mere toy--as indeed she
is, in their grasp. Can nothing be done?

"She'll never hold together till the rockets come," said a young seaman
stepping out from the crowd. "Here, let me have the line, and stand by
to pay out."

"Don't try it, lad, it'll be your death."

The youth paid no regard to this advice. "A man can only die once," he
remarked in a low voice, more as if speaking to himself than replying to
the caution, while he quickly tied the end of the light rope round his
waist and dashed into the sea.

Oh! it is grand and heart-stirring to see a stalwart youth imperilling
life and limb for the sake of others; to see a powerful swimmer
breasting the billows with a fixed purpose to do or die. But it is
terrible and spirit-crushing to see such a one tossed by