urious, and this seemed to increase in strength, until
the wind was blowing a perfect hurricane; but the fishermen now
struggled across the road again, for, between the rain squalls, a
glimpse had been caught of two of the fishing boats, and these were now
approaching the shore. A mere rag of sail was set on each, and yet they
tore over the waves at tremendous speed.

One was some two hundred yards ahead of the other, and by the course
they were making, they would come ashore nearly at the same spot. The
news that two boats were in sight spread rapidly, and many of the
fishermen's wives, with shawls over their heads, ran down and stood
peering out from behind shelter, for it was well-nigh impossible to
stand exposed to the fury of the gale.

An old fisherman stood, with a coil of rope in his hand, close to the
water's edge. Several of the others stood close to him, and four of
them had hold of the other end of the rope. When the boat was within
fifty yards of shore, the sail was lowered; but she still drove
straight on before the wind, with scarce an abatement in her speed. A
man stood in her bow, also with a coil of rope in his hand, and, as he
approached, threw it far ahead. The fisherman rushed waist deep into
the water and caught the end of it, which in a moment was knotted to
the one in his hand.

"Run along with her," he shouted.

For a moment, the boat towered on the top of a wave, which raced in
towards the shore. The next, as it came, took her stern, and she was in
the act of swinging round, when the strain of the rope came upon her,
and brought her straight again. Higher and higher the wave rose, and
then crashed down, and the boat shot forward, like an arrow, in the
foam. The fishermen rushed forward and caught it, those on board leapt
out waist-deep; all were taken off their feet by the backward rush, but
they clung to the sides of the boat, while the men at the head rope,
with their heels dug deeply into the sand, withstood the strain, and
kept her from being swept out again.

A few seconds, and the boat was left dry, and the next wave carried it
high up on the beach, amid a loud cheer from the fishermen and lookers
on; but there was no time to waste, for the next boat was close at
hand. Again, the rope was thrown to the shore, but this time the strain
came a moment too late, the following wave turned the boat round, the
next struck it broadside and rolled it, over and over, towards the
shore. The fis