The gale was rapidly increasing; dark clouds were gathering overhead, from which ever and anon flashes of bright lightning darted forth, with crashing peals of thunder. The leaden-coloured waves danced up wildly on either side. The boats dashed on. The roaring of the breakers could be heard, as they leaped up madly against the frowning rocks. Harry kept his eye fixed on the spot of clear water ahead. On either hand of it rose up the white foaming wall of hissing waters, amid which the stoutest boats would have been in an instant overwhelmed. There was no possibility of turning back now; they must stand on, or their destruction would be inevitable. Harry, holding on to the mast with one hand, kept the other pointed in the direction Lizard was to steer. Many of those on board shut their eyes as they drew near the roaring breakers. The tide was running out strong. Such a wind as was then blowing would alone have enabled the boats to stem it. Tall basaltic cliffs rose up on either hand, while the foaming rollers, as they came in, appeared ready to engulf the two boats. Now the launch rose to the summit of a high sea, now downward she glided, the breakers hissing and foaming so close to her that it seemed impossible she could pass through the narrow opening between them in safety. Now a heavy mass of water came tumbling on board on the starboard side; now another fell over her on the other hand. "Bail away, boys, bail away," cried Mr Rumbelow; and all who had buckets or cans exerted themselves to the utmost, down to young Broke, the water being hove out again as fast almost as it had come on board. The launch flew on. Harry breathed more freely. She was already within the breakers; but the waters still kept leaping and tumbling about in a way which showed the rapid current running against them. Should they be becalmed under the cliffs, they might find it impossible to stem it. Willy had been standing near Lizard; he now looked back anxiously for the cutter. Where was she? His heart sank. Had she been engulfed? A huge roller came roaring up astern. Presently she appeared on its summit, darting forward with the speed of an arrow; now she descended, gliding on towards the passage the launch had just passed through. Willy could not help feeling intense anxiety about her. It seemed impossible that so small a boat could pass through so fierce a tumult of water in safety; yet in another instant she was gliding on through the passage, and, shooting forward, was almost up to the launch. The crews of the two boats cheered each other as they thus found themselves in comparative safety, the sound of their voices echoing from cliff to cliff.