But the streaming rocket and the signal-gun seemed to infuse new life
and vigour into their hardy frames. Out to sea they went again, and,
having approached as near as they dared to the breakers, worked their
way along the edge of the Sands, keeping a bright look-out for the
vessel in distress. Up and down they cruised, but nothing could be seen
of her.

At last, on the eastern side of the Sands, they descried a large ship
looming against the dark sky.

"There she is!" shouted the coxswain.

The hawser was slipt, and the boat, detached from her bulky companion,
pushed into the very vortex of the breakers.

To say that no other boat could have lived in such a sea, would convey
but a faint notion of the powers of this boat. Any _one_ of the
deluging billows that again and again overwhelmed her would have swamped
the best and largest boat that was ever launched, and, although the old
lifeboats might have floated, they certainly could not have made much
progress in such a sea, owing to the difficulty of getting rid of the
water. But the Ramsgate boat was empty a few seconds after being
filled. The men had to take no thought as to this, except to see to it
that they should not be washed out of her.

On getting alongside, they found the wreck to be a very large ship. Its
black hull towered high above them, and the great yards swayed with
fearful violence over their heads. A single glance showed that she was
crowded with men and women.

The grapnels were thrown, and Guy starting up, seized the immense
boat-hook, used by lifeboats, and stood ready to hook on to the rigging.
He succeeded in fixing the hook, but a violent lurch of the ship tore
the handle out of his grasp and cast him into the bottom of the boat.
Just then a man was seen to run out on the main-yard, and slip down by a
rope close to the sea. The boat sheered up towards him, and several
arms were stretched out to save; but the boat glided away and the
succeeding wave engulfed him. Only for a second however. When it
passed the man was still seen clinging to the rope; the boat once again
sheered up so close that he was induced to let go his hold. He dropped
into the sea close alongside, caught one of the life-lines, and next
instant was in the boat.

"All right! Give me the boat-hook," he cried, seizing the handle as he
spoke, and affixing it with the strength of a giant to the chains of the
ship.

The tone of this man's voice thrilled to Guy'