startled her. She suspected they were hurling missiles at her, and one struck her arm. She turned swiftly and her face darkened with fury. Then more small objects fell about her, and one struck her arm. She turned swiftly on her side to seek the source, and in her ears boomed the tremendous crash of Stumpy’s explosion, rolling far over the sea, reverberating from the shores and making the air quiver like a solid thing.

A great mass of rock hurtled overhead, missed the schooner by scant feet, and Venner shouted in horror:

“Throw her a line, Pearse! Here, quickly, before she is crushed by such a rock as that one!”

The sea was shattered into foam for fathoms around, and every face on the Feu Follette stared over the rail in helpless