Year: 1877




and the ship darted off before the ire
mendous blast at the rate of fourteen
knots an hour. The bravest held their
breath with very awe; and as the vessel
drove on before the wind, and over the
mountain pillows, no one knew where
For sixteen hours the tempest continued
with undated fury for sixteen hours
did the helpless bark drive on, and then
the storm began to break. Slowly did
the scene tighten up; but what was the
horror of every one on board, when, as
the trembling craft rose to the crest of
surge, they beheld not more than two
miles distant small island, with long
ledge of rocks lying directly in front of
it'll The ship being entirely unmanage-
able, there seemed no doubt as to the fate
that awaited all the crew, who gathered
together on the forecastle, and in sort
of gloomy, sullen despair, watched the
surf breaking hundreds of feet in height
over those great black rocks. Reynolds,
having repaired to the cabin, in few
words explained to Honoria the situation
of affairs, and they both went on deck,
and the new captain lashed himself and
the maiden to battens, on the top of the
companion-way, where they stood in
silence awaiting the moment when the
ship should take the ground. In the
meantime, the stately craft was swept
onward to inevitable destruction. Up
she rose over the muntain billow, then
down into the watery vale below-on-
ward, still onward. At length she estruck.
A tremendous surge, like. some great
black mountain, came rolling onward,
and tumbled down with the force of a
hundred Niagaras upon the. doomed
Indiaman. 1t was well for Reynolds and
Honoria that the former had taken the
precaution to lash them to the compan-
ion-way. AS the briny surge burst over
the ship, it swept away at one fell swoop
every man of the crew who had neglec-
ted to secure. themselves; while the little
house, on which sat the youth and
maiden, was burst from its lashings,and
fioated off over the tremendous surges
towards the shore. Light as o eask, it
drifted nearer and nearer, each succeed
ing swell carrying it upon its broad back
still closer, until at length it was dashed
with great violence high up on the sandy
beach


To cut adrift the lashing, which had
secured himself and Honoria upon that
frail support, was the work of an instant,
when, seizing her in his arms, Reynolds
bore her up the beach to place of safe
ty, just as huge comber, whose under
tow would have inevitably swept them
away, broke with horrid crash over
the very spot where the companion-way
had been landed Exhausted with his
efforts, and worn out with fatigue and
excitement, the youth had no sooner
borne his charge to a place of safety than
he sunk down in deep swoon upon the
sands, where he lay, so pale, SO wan and
ghastly, that, for some moments, ,Honoria
imagined his spirit had taken its up
ward fight. w IuoI U


While lying in that helpless condition
the shirt sleeve of the young sailor be-
came opened by the action Of the wind,
and Honoria espied upon his arm the
form of Greek cross, pricked with in
dellible ink and when, at length, he.be-
came conscious, she mentioned the dis
covery, and wished him to inform her
what it meant. But he evaded her in
quiries, and hastily drawing his sleeve