They rolled up to the island and dashed themselves against it with such terrific force that Julian could feel the wall beneath his feet tremble with the shock.
The boy looked out to sea, marvelling at the really great sight he saw.
For half a moment he wondered if the sea might come right over the island itself!
Then he knew that couldn't happen, for it would have happened before. He stared at the great waves coming in— and then he saw something rather queer.
There was something else out on the sea by the rocks besides the waves— something dark, something big, something that seemed to lurch out of the waves and settle down again.
What could it be?
"It can't be a ship," said Julian to himself, his heart beginning to beat fast as he strained his eyes to see through the rain and the spray.
"And yet it looks more like a ship than anything else.
I hope it isn't a ship.
There wouldn't be anyone saved from it on this dreadful day!"
He stood and watched for a while.
The dark shape heaved into sight again and then sank away once more.
Julian decided to go and tell the others.
He ran back to the firelit room.
"George!
Dick!
There's something queer out on the rocks beyond the island!" he shouted, at the top of his voice.
"It looks like a ship— and yet it can't possibly be.
Come and see!"
The others stared at him in surprise, and jumped to their feet.
George hurriedly flung some more sticks on the fire to keep it going, and then she and the others quickly followed Julian out into the rain.
The storm seemed to be passing over a little now.
The rain was not pelting down quite so hard.
The thunder was rolling a little farther off, and the lightning did not flash so often.
Julian led the way to the wall on which he had climbed to watch the sea.
Everyone climbed up to gaze out to sea.
They saw a great tumbled, heaving mass of grey-green water, with waves rearing up everywhere.
Their tops broke over the rocks and they rushed up to the island as if they would gobble it whole.
Anne slipped her arm through Julian's.
She felt rather small and scared.
"You're all right, Anne", said Julian, loudly.
"Now just watch— you'll see something queer in a minute."
They all watched.
At first they saw nothing, for the waves reared up so high that they hid everything a little way out.
Then suddenly George saw what Julian meant.
"Gracious!" she shouted, 'it is a ship! Yes, it is!
Is it being wrecked?
It's a big ship— not a sailing-boat, or fishing-smack!"
"Oh, is anyone in it?" wailed Anne.
The four children watched and Tim began to bark as he saw the queer dark shape lurching here and there in the enormous waves.
The sea was bringing the ship nearer to shore.
"It will be dashed on to those rocks," said Julian, suddenly.
"Look— there it goes!"
As he spoke there came a tremendous crashing, splintering sound, and the dark shape of the ship settled down on to the sharp teeth of the dangerous rocks on the southwest side of the island.
It stayed there, shifting only slightly as the big waves ran under it and lifted it a little.
"She's stuck there," said Julian.
"She won't move now.
The sea will soon be going down a bit, and then the ship will find herself held by those rocks."
As he spoke, a ray of pale sunshine came wavering out between a gap in the thinning clouds. It was gone almost at once.
"Good!" said Dick, looking upwards.