noon
-- Here it goes again ! '' Frank had been scarcely less amused by the misery of Jack Winch , who declared repeatedly that he should die , that he wished he was dead , and so forth , with groanings unutterable . But Frank kept up his courage , and after eating a piece of hard bread for breakfast , began to feel better . Towards noon the fog blew off , and the beach was visible on the right , -- long , low , desolate , a shore of interminable sand , over which the breakers leaped and ran like hordes of wild horses with streaming tails and manes . Not a sign of vegetation was to be seen on that barren coast , nor any trace of human existence , save here a lonely house on the ridge , and yonder a dismantled wreck careened high upon the beach , or the ribs of some half-buried hulk protruding from the sand . On the other side was an unbroken horizon of water . Numerous vessels of the fleet were still in sight And now a little steamer came dashing gayly along , hailed with cheers .