Excerpt from the book:

"Part of Henry's soul was dying.  His wife lay next to him on the California beach while the surf raged before them in the darkness. It was almost impossible to discern the screams of human voices from the wind howling through the crashing waves. 

Every few minutes, the sound of a tolling bell emanated from the wrecked steamship, the Yankee Blade.  Henry remained alert on the beach guarding the precious lifeboats.  The wild surf had destroyed at least two of them.  Earlier, one boat was seized by a gang of ruffians.  These men, stow-a-ways, had taken advantage of the panicking passengers, many of whom were miners returning to the East from the gold fields of California.  The thugs robbed them of their gold and jewelry at gunpoint.  After the thieves put themselves and their plunder into a lifeboat, all were swallowed forever by the surf's undercurrent."