"That may put us past Ramore," said he. "In the bay beyond that lies Dunluce. If we be driven in there, Heaven help us indeed!" "I would as soon perish there as anywhere else." "Talk not of perishing, fool, while a hope remains! Bid the Don cut away his poles forthwith. They are worse than useless now." So, one after another the stately masts of the _Gerona_ went by the board, and the ease their going gave us, added to the fresh vigour of the rowers, helped us, as Ludar foretold, round the rough little head of Ramore. No sooner had we passed it than the wind and current together got hold of us again and swept us in betwixt the islands of the Skerries and the mainland. Not even twice the number of rowers could have saved us then. "Listen!" said Ludar presently. I listened, and could hear ahead of me a thunder deeper and more awful than any we had yet passed. "What is it?" I asked. "My father's castle," said he. "We are going home with a vengeance now!" Scarce a man remained at the oars. We could hear shouts of praying and cursing intermingled, as all hands crowded to the decks and gazed forward in the direction of that warning sound. A lanthorn on the quarter-deck showed us the Don, standing there alone, bare-headed, in his steel breastplate, and sword in hand, quietly waiting the end. Beyond was a troubled crowd of doomed men, counting the moments and straining their eyes into the darkness. Beside me, on the poop, Ludar stood erect and noble, with the half- defiant, half-triumphant gleam on his face, as, with hands still on the tiller, he listened to the fatal music of his old home ahead. In the darkness we could see nothing but the white waste of breakers on to which we were driving. Presently, as we were almost upon them, Ludar grasped my arm, and pointed high overhead. There was a momentary gleam of light, and with it a glimpse of a rugged battlement at the rock's edge. "Dunluce! Dunluce!" he shouted, and let swing the now useless tiller. Scarce a minute later the _Gerona_ was in her death agony among the lashing breakers. For a moment or two she held up bravely. Then with a mighty swirl she reared upward and hung quivering an instant in suspense. Ludar's hand and mine sought one another, and, as we waited thus, we could see above us the noble form of Don Alonzo, cool and impassive as a man on parade, saluting his King's ensign for the last time. Then all I remember was a great yell from the slaves at the poop, and the dull thunder of a broadside, as the _Gerona_ fell crashing to her doom. It was broad daylight when I opened my eyes and saw the sun struggling to break through the black clouds overhead. The thunder of waves still dinned in my ear, the salt wind was still on my lips, while a sharp pain at my shoulder, when I turned my head to look about me, told me that I was at least alive.