“Well, Dan and me hadn’t more than got off our oilskins after standing watch, when a hail came from Henry on watch for’ard. ‘Some kind of a roaring ahead of us,’ repeated Charlie from the wheel. And just then it was that, leaping like a hound, she hit something good and hard--a check, a grinding along her bottom, a rearing of her bow. But nothing small was going to stop her the clip she was going then, and whatever it was, she was clear of it. By that time the whole crew was tumbling up on deck. ‘God in heaven, what is it?’ they called out one to another. Another leap of her, and it was clear white astern and on either side. ‘A wall of rock ahead!’ said Henry Carsick, and came tumbling aft--‘a ledge of solid rock, Skipper!’ “‘Yes,’ said the Skipper, in a kind of studyin’ tone--‘and it _was_ hell or Gloucester, warn’t it’--he turned to me. ‘I said it’d be, didn’t I?’ “‘That’s what you did,’ said I, ‘and it ain’t Gloucester. You ought to be proud of yourself--nineteen men, maybe, lost for you--nineteen men. I’m not counting yourself--you ought to be lost. Will we put a dory over?’ “‘Put it over, if you want to. Do what you please. I’m done with this vessel-- I’m done with fishing.’ “‘I guess that’s right,’ says I. ‘And I guess you ain’t th’ only one that gets through with fishing to-night.’ Then I turned to the crew: ‘What d’y’ say if we try and get a dory over and see what’s around us?’ “They said all right, and we unhooked the tackles. A few heaves, and up went the dory into the air. It hung there for a second or two. We tried to push it over, but the wind took it, tore it from us and dropped it into the sea. The sea took it, tossed it up and back against the rail and on to the deck. One smash--another--another--and it was kindling-wood. “‘Try another,’ said Dan, who was standing by the rail to his waist in water. He had a line about his waist, and that was all kept him inboard. We hoisted another dory out of the nest, and we had to fight, even as we were hoisting, for a footing on her deck, it was that steep and the great seas running clean over her. Up into the air we hoisted the second dory--up and out again. Once more the howling wind and the boiling sea took it--once more ’twas kindling-wood. “‘There’s seven more left--try another,’ said Dan. A great man, Dan. If I go to sea for forty years I never expect to see a better-- I could ’most cry when I think of how he was lost that night. “‘One of my hands mashed to a pulp,’ said somebody. “‘Well, we can’t stop to doctor you,’ I called to him. ‘Let somebody take your place at the tayckles. Now then, lads. I don’t know that it’ll do any good when we do get it over, but maybe we c’n take a look around--maybe find a landing-place somewheres.’ “‘I’ll go in her,’ calls out someone. ‘Give me a chance now----’ “‘My chance,’ said Dan--‘my chance, ain’t it, Martin?’ “‘Yes,’ says I to Dan, and looking back at it now I say, ‘God forgive you, Martin Carr,’ and yet ’twarn’t no fault of mine.