. He and
several of the sailors met and checked the crowd, and before any
mischief could be done the boat was away.

It made straight for the shore where hundreds of stout arms were ready
to seize it. The midshipman stood on the bow with a rope in his hand.
The sea through which they rushed was milk white with foam. To prevent
the boat broaching-to and being rolled over on the beach was now the
main effort of the coxswain. On they went steadily. A wave broke under
them, carried them on its boiling crest with lightning speed, and
launched them with a roar like thunder on the shingle. The rope was
thrown before they touched. It was seized and manned; and before the
retiring wave could suck them back, the lifeboat with her living freight
was run high upon the beach.

She was soon emptied and relaunched, for there was no time to waste.
Many lives were still in danger, and the "Trident" could not be expected
to hold together long.

It was just as the boat quitted the side of the wreck, as above
described, that the rocket was got in readiness to act.

"Stand by to fire," said the coast-guard-man who had been engaged for
some minutes in adjusting it carefully.

"Keep back! clear out o' the road," cried several of the seamen, as they
pushed back the more curious among the crowd.

There was a flash, a mighty burst of flame and smoke, as the rocket
trembled for an instant on its stand; then, with an impulse that seemed
irresistible, and a hissing shriek that rose above the storm, it sprang
into the air and described a bright curved line of light against the
black sky.

Its own wild blaze served to show that it had been well aimed, and that
the line had fallen across the wreck. This was all that could be done
by the people on shore, until those on the wreck had performed their
part of the work. But while they stood anxiously awaiting the result,
they had no cause to fear that the ignorance of those whom they sought
to rescue would render their efforts useless (as has unfortunately been
the case more than once), for it was known now that Bax was on board.

The ignorance of some seamen as to what should be done with the line
when it is caught, has been the cause of loss of life several times. On
one occasion five men, the crew of a small vessel, being ignorant on
this point, tied the rocket-line round them and leaped together into the
sea! Of course those on shore could do nothing but haul them to land as
quickl