We tried to keep her to the wind—
She would not mind her wheel,
The billows tossed her bow about
And made her rock and reel.
She would not mind her wheel,
The billows tossed her bow about
And made her rock and reel.
Still louder and still louder grew
The tempest's mighty roar,
And all that time our helpless ship
Swept onward toward the shore.
The tempest's mighty roar,
And all that time our helpless ship
Swept onward toward the shore.
"It is the lad!" our captain cried,
"That stirs this angry sea,
I see his hand above the mast,
It beckons unto me."
"That stirs this angry sea,
I see his hand above the mast,
It beckons unto me."
We heard the breakers on the shore
Above the howling gale,
And fearless hearts grew cold with fear,
And swarthy cheeks grew pale.
Above the howling gale,
And fearless hearts grew cold with fear,
And swarthy cheeks grew pale.
Swift as a mountain avalanche,
Dread messenger of grief,
Our good ship skimmed the rushing seas
And struck upon the reef.
Dread messenger of grief,
Our good ship skimmed the rushing seas
And struck upon the reef.
And where she struck the breakers lay
Like snow-fields, but alas!
Beneath their foam were jagged rocks—
Her hull broke up like glass.
Like snow-fields, but alas!
Beneath their foam were jagged rocks—
Her hull broke up like glass.
200
