The weather had cleared somewhat, though scudding wrack still blew across them to the westward.

Presently when I looked up I saw that the black wrack was clearing from the sky, and through a gap there shone a watery star.

It was a night of wind with a flying cloud-wrack overhead whence peeped the pallid moon betimes; a night of gloom and mystery.

But, ever and anon as they stumbled forward, guiding themselves by instinct, the moon sent forth a pale beam from the whirling cloud-wrack a phantom light that stole upon them, sudden and ghost-like, and, like a ghost, was gone again; what time Black Roger, following hard on Beltane's heel, crossed himself and muttered fragments of forgotten prayers.

Wrack, wreck.

the reasons of this ruthful wrack Are your seditious innovations, Your fickle minds inclin'd to foolish change.

And ever since the Lords Have foughten like wild beasts among themselves, So that the realm has gone to wrack; but now, This year, when Merlinfor his hour had come Brought Arthur forth, and sat him in the hall, Proclaiming, "Here is Uther's heir, your King," A hundred voices cried: "Away with him!

And ever, as in the dense melee I dashed, Her name burst from my lips, as lightning breaks Out of the plunging wrack of summer storms.

And now, having a closer regard to the beach upon the weed-side of the island, I discovered amid the wrack that had been cast ashore, a portion of the lower mast and topmast of some great ship, with rigging attached; but the yards were all gone.

Having reached the spars, we set-to with a very good will to shift away the weed and wrack that was piled over them, and very much entangled with the rigging.

But he detains our portions, suffers us In this strange air, open to every wrack, Whilst he in riot swims to be in lack.

thy kingdoms is defaced quight, Thy scepter rent, and power put to wrack; 400 And thy gay sonne, that winged God of Love, May now goe prune his plumes like ruffed* dove.

V. be poor &c adj.; want, lack, starve, live from hand to mouth, have seen better days, go down in the world, come upon the parish; go to the dogs, go to wrack and ruin; not have a penny &c (money) 800, not have a shot in one's locker; beg one's bread; tirer le diable par la queue [Fr.]; run into debt &c (debt) 806. render poor &c adj.; impoverish; reduce, reduce to poverty; pauperize, fleece, ruin, bring to the parish.

Thus, the enlightened French traveller passing to these shores should commune within himself: "I now cross to the Mainland"; and retracing his steps: "I now return to the fragment rent by wrack and earthshock from the Mother-country."

Oh that grand maister Of mechall[90] lusts, that bulke of brothelree, That stillary of all infectious sinnes, Hath scapt the wrack, and with his fellowe guest And partner in corruption makes this waye, And with no tarde pace.

Why, should I wrack myself with the story when you do not even believe the reason upon which it is based?

'But how had all his fortune felt a wrack, Had that false servant sped in safety back? This night his treasured heaps he meant to steal, And what a fund of charity would fail!

Overhead still raced the scud and wrack, shaped like hurrying monsters; but below the earth was quiet.

Two ancient fishers once lay side by side On piled-up sea-wrack in their wattled hut, Its leafy wall their curtain.

I heard the loud hum of its engine, and watched how its white wings were made diaphanous by the glint of sun until it passed away into the cloud wrack.

An immense inertia chained progress in its tracks, while overhead the gray storm-wrack fled away,misty, monstrous, gale-driven before the coming hurricane.

Rolling toward them was a spreading wall of heavy clouds traveling at seemingly great speed, while below the wrack the water darkened ominously and became flecked with "white horses.

It grew almost dark, so overcast was the sky, and under the somber, driving cloud wrack the white wave crests gleamed like savage teeth.

It sent an advance wrack scudding gracefully across the ocean to puff among the redwoods, capriciously clinging to some, ignoring others.

This ought to have been a great event in my life, but at the time it passed me by and left "no wrack behind."