allowing among the waves, recalled him
with a horrid pang to the immediate proximity of death.

Presently, looking up from his work, he saw that they were close in
below a promontory; a piece of ruinous cliff, against the base of which
the sea broke white and heavy, almost overplumbed the deck; and, above
that again, a house appeared, crowning a down.

Inside the bay the seas ran gaily, raised the _Good Hope_ upon their
foam-flecked shoulders, carried her beyond the control of the steersman,
and in a moment dropped her with a great concussion on the sand, and
began to break over her, half-mast high, and roll her to and fro.
Another great wave followed, raised her again, and carried her yet
farther in; and then a third succeeded, and left her far inshore of the
more dangerous breakers, wedged upon a bank.

"Now, boys," cried Lawless, "the saints have had a care of us indeed.
The tide ebbs; let us but sit down and drink a cup of wine, and before
half an hour ye may all march me ashore as safe as on a bridge."

A barrel was broached, and sitting in what shelter they could find from
the flying snow and spray, the shipwrecked company handed the cup
around, and sought to warm their bodies and restore their spirits.

Dick, meanwhile, returned to Lord Foxham, who lay in great perplexity
and fear, the floor of his cabin washing knee-deep in water, and the
lamp, which had been his only light, broken and extinguished by the
violence of the blow.

"My lord," said young Shelton, "fear not at all; the saints are plainly
for us; the seas have cast us high upon a shoal, and as soon as the tide
hath somewhat ebbed, we may walk ashore upon our feet."

It was nearly an hour before the vessel was sufficiently deserted by the
ebbing sea, and they could set forth for the land, which appeared dimly
before them through a veil of driving snow.

Upon a hillock on one side of their way a party of men lay huddled
together, suspiciously observing the movements of the new arrivals.

"They might draw near and offer us some comfort," Dick remarked.

"Well, an they come not to us, let us even turn aside to them," said
Hawksley. "The sooner we come to a good fire and a dry bed, the better
for my poor lord."

But they had not moved far in the direction of the hillock before the
men, with one consent, rose suddenly to their feet, and poured a flight
of well-directed arrows on the shipwrecked company.

"Back! back!" cried his lordship. "Beware