But at this moment Jem Millar seized his arm. 'Sandy! look out!' he
almost shrieked.

My grandfather turned round. A mighty wave, bigger than any I had seen
before, was coming towards us. In another moment we should have been
dashed by its violence against the ship, and all have perished.

My grandfather hastily let go the rope, and we just got out of the way
of the ship before the wave reached us. And then came a noise, loud as
a terrible thunder-clap, as the mighty wave dashed against Ainslie Crag.
I could hardly breathe, so dreadful was the moment!

'Now back again for some more!' cried my grandfather, when the wave had
passed.

We looked round, but the ship was gone! It had disappeared like a dream
when one awakes, as if it had never been. That mighty wave had broken
its back, and shattered it into a thousand fragments. Nothing was to be
seen of the ship or its crew but a few floating pieces of timber.

My grandfather and Millar pulled hastily to the spot, but it was some
time before we could reach it, for we had been carried by the sea almost
a mile away, and the storm seemed to be increasing in violence.

When at last we reached that terrible Ainslie Crag, we were too late to
save a single life; we could not find one of those on board. The
greater number no doubt had been carried down in the vortex made by the
sinking ship, and the rest had risen and sunk again long before we
reached them.