And they're most likely frozen stiff a'ready and won't sense drownin', that's a comfort." "Men!" repeated the minister in horror.

"Men! Great God! and are we to stand by here and see them die without lifting a hand?
Why, it's barbarous! It's--" Winslow seized his arm and pointed.
"Look!" he shouted.

"Look at them! How much good would our liftin' hands do against them ?" Ellery looked.

The undertow, that second, was sucking the beach dry, sucking with such force that gravel and small stones pattered down the slope in showers.

And behind it a wave, its ragged top raveled by the wind into white streamers, was piling up, up, up, sheer and green and mighty, curling over now and descending with a hammer blow that shook the land beneath their feet.