"I shall never doubt Him again. He will take me now Home," she thought.
And when another momentary break allowed her to see something swept to and fro in the surge below, which she recognised as her brother, almost a smile came.
"It is over for him! It will soon be over for me too."
Then her hand went to the dog's rough coat. "Dear old Hero! You can't do any more for me. Poor old fellow! It's nearly over!"
A mountainous wave rushed past, and Millie was all but torn away. She held on, gasping, and knew that she could not withstand such another. The return rush of water swept a small bundle to her very feet, and Millie quitted her hold to grasp it. As she saw, close to her own, the white still face of Louey, fixed in eternal peace, it was torn away by the next giant billow, which came crashing up from behind.
On Millie's part there was a momentary sense of helplessness, of whirling noise and darkness and bewilderment, and then she remembered no more. When the great green mass of water had passed by, neither Millie nor Hero remained on the deck. They had together been lifted clean over the rocky reef, and swept far into the troubled waters beyond. With this last shock the barque parted amidships.
The Maxham boat, in imminent danger each moment of being capsized, was drawing slowly nearer, and old Adams, at the stern, witnessed what had happened. He said nothing at first, till Mr. Gilbert, glancing round, exclaimed,—
"She's gone!"
"Ay, she be gone, sir. Broke up like a bit of matchwood. And I'm afeared them aboard be gone with her."
"The tide is coming in. Some of them may be carried this way. We'll not give up yet," shouted Gilbert.