A crowd of people had collected upon the coast; some were holding up lanterns on the end of poles, and many were prepared with ropes to cast to the aid of any of the crew of the vessel that might swim to the shore.
"There she is," said Ingestrie; "I see her! It's a small craft, and she is a wreck already."
"She must go down, then?" said the colonel.
"I don't know. She is drifting in shore, but evidently quite unmanageable. She is a sheer hulk. If they had the least control over her, they could run her in in ten minutes on to the beach; but she is going about like a log."
"Then, she may go down in deep water yet?"
"In truth, she may."
"Here are plenty of boats?"
"Boats? My dear friend, there never was a boat yet that could live in such a sea as this. It is out of the question. You find no one makes the attempt, and I am quite sure that among the hardy fishermen of this place, there are many would do so if it were at all practicable; but it is most certain that death in the surf would be the result."
"I fear it would, indeed."
"There she goes!" cried a voice.