own beam," Ezra answered, keeping his eye upon the line of
boiling surf, which came nearer and nearer every moment. "How about
John Harston's daughter, eh?" Even at that awful hour Ezra felt a
sinister pleasure at observing the spasm which shot across his father's
face at the mention of his ward.

"If I sinned I sinned for a worthy purpose," he answered. "It was to
preserve my business. Its fall was a blow to righteousness and a
triumph to evil. Into Thy hands I commend my spirit!"

As he spoke a great wave hurled the boat in upon its broad bosom, and
flung it down upon the cruel jagged rocks, which bristled from the base
of the cliff. There was a horrible rending crash, and the stout keel
snapped asunder, while a second wave swept over it, tearing out the
struggling occupants and bearing them on, only to hurl them upon a
second ridge beyond. The peasants upon the cliff gave piteous cries of
grief and pity, which blended with the agonized groans and screams of
drowning men and the thunder of the pitiless surge. Looking down they
could see the black dots, which indicated the heads of the poor wretches
below, diminishing one by one as they were hurled upon the rocks or
dragged down by the under-current.

Ezra was a strong swimmer, but when he had shaken himself free of the
boat, and kicked away a seaman who clung to him, he made no attempt to
strike out. He knew that the waves would bear him quickly enough on to
the rocks, and he reserved himself for the struggle with them. A great
roller came surging over the outlying reef. It carried him in like a
feather and hurled him up against the face of the cliff. As he
struggled upon its crest, he mechanically put out his hands and seized a
projecting portion of the rock. The shock of the contact was
tremendous, but he retained his grasp and found himself, when the wave
receded, standing battered and breathless upon a small niche in the
front of the rock which just gave him foothold. It was a marvellous
escape, for looking on either side he could not see any break in the
sheer declivity.

He was by no means safe as yet. If a wave had landed him there another
might come as high and drag him away. Looking down he saw one or two
smaller ones break into spray far below him, and then a second great
green billow came rolling majestically towards him. He eyed it as it
came foaming in, and calculated that it would come at least as high as
his knees. Would it drag h