n, headed by the captain, and accompanied by several officers, were
attempting to drag her up, when a loud sound, like the report of a heavy
gun, was heard.

"There goes the old ship!" cried several voices.

Adair feared that the remark was true. Scarcely had the words been
uttered, when a flash of lightning revealed the ship parting asunder
amidships. The mizzenmast fell at the same time, but the mainmast was
seen still standing. In another minute down came the mainmast with a
crash, followed shortly afterwards by the foremast and bowsprit, and,
high above the roar of the surf and howling of the wind, the rending and
crashing of the ship's timbers could be distinguished.

"There goes all chance of our being able to build a craft," observed
Saint Maur to the captain. "The fragments which come on shore will be
so battered and crushed that they will be of no use."

"I fear so, indeed," answered Adair; "but we must not show the men that
we are disheartened."

The gale went on increasing, while the sad sounds of the ship breaking
up continued, and huge fragments were cast by the force of the waves on
the beach, several striking the stern of the large boat, and almost
staving her in before she could be hauled out of danger. Though the men
could do no more, they stood watching the catastrophe which, though many
of them had long expected it, had come at last so suddenly upon them.

As they thus stood grouped together they felt the earth rock beneath
their feet in a way it had never done before. Then came a sound far
louder than any yet heard. Several of the men cried out that the island
was blowing up. At that moment there was a fearful crash, and by the
light of another flash of lightning a glimpse was caught of a huge mass
of rock descending from the summit of the hill into the water. Another
and another followed. Adair and Saint Maur remembered the doctor's
prognostications, and began truly to fear that the whole island was
breaking up, and that ere long it might present a mass of broken
fragments or sink down bodily beneath the sea.

They endeavoured, notwithstanding, to maintain their own composure and
to restore confidence to the men, many of whom were greatly alarmed.

"Whatever becomes of those high cliffs which seem to be crumbling away,
I consider that we, on this level spot, have every chance of escaping,"
exclaimed Adair. "We must, however, keep out of the way of those rocks,
which, tired of thei