s approached, their shattered appearance showing the urgent
necessity which had induced them to steer for the land. Some of the
people in them were baling, others pumping, both pressing eagerly on,
almost abreast, instead of following each other. At length they drew
close to the bay, when one, standing more to the westward than she ought
to have done, struck the end of a reef. The next sea scattered her
fragments, and she literally melted away from sight, leaving those who
had been on board struggling helplessly in the waves. In vain those in
the other boat threw out ropes to rescue the drowning people; they
succeeded in dragging only one on board. As far as could be seen from
the top of the cliff, the remainder perished miserably. Alice uttered a
shriek of horror as she saw the catastrophe; no help could apparently be
afforded from the shore; the other boat rushed forward up the bay, and
disappeared beneath the cliff.

"The poor fellows have escaped a watery grave, but only to find
themselves prisoners in the hands of their enemies," cried the Colonel.

Shouts and cries heard above the roaring of the seas came up from below
the cliffs; then all was still. After the lapse of a few minutes a
number of men appeared coming up the cliff which led down to Ben
Rullock's cottage; they were the soldiers guarding six prisoners. The
Colonel, followed by Alice, rode forward to inquire where the prisoners
were to be conveyed, with a charitable wish to do what he could to
alleviate their sufferings. Poor Alice could scarcely restrain the cry
which rose from her breast as she saw the first of the prisoners, who
was Stephen Battiscombe, followed by his brother Andrew; but she knew
the Colonel's generous intentions. The state of the prisoners was
sufficient, it might have been thought, to excite the compassion of
their captors; they looked utterly broken-down and emaciated, as if they
had long been in want of food, while the bitter disappointment they must
have felt at finding themselves immediately on landing in the hands of
their foes completely overcame them. Stephen lifting his eyes
recognised Alice; he bowed his head, and then cast his eyes again to the
ground, as if he felt he had so completely disobeyed her wish that she
could have no further interest in him.

"Where are you going to take these persons, my friends?" asked the
Colonel of the soldiers. "Judging from their appearance they are scarce
able to walk, much