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diff --git a/23385.txt b/23385.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3a10923 --- /dev/null +++ b/23385.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2991 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Saved by the Lifeboat, by R.M. Ballantyne + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Saved by the Lifeboat + +Author: R.M. Ballantyne + +Release Date: November 6, 2007 [EBook #23385] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SAVED BY THE LIFEBOAT *** + + + + +Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England + + + + +Saved by the Lifeboat, by R.M. Ballantyne. + +________________________________________________________________________ +This book is mainly to describe the lifeboat service, and how private +individuals can donate the money for building a new lifeboat. + +We start off with a wreck just occurring near a little seaside village, +and how the local men rushed down to the beach to do what they could to +save life. We then move to the offices of a mean grasping shipowner, +who will do anything to avoid properly equipping his ships with what +they would need if disaster struck. Eventually he is brought to a more +sensible state of mind, and donates money for a new lifeboat. + +There is a good fund-raising chapter, and it is interesting how very +much the same today's appeals for the lifeboat service are, though of +course today's lifeboat is a very different item to the lifeboats of +over a hundred years ago. + +________________________________________________________________________ +SAVED BY THE LIFEBOAT, BY R.M. BALLANTYNE. + + + +CHAPTER ONE. + +THE WRECK IN THE BAY. + +On a dark November afternoon, not many years ago, Captain Boyns sat +smoking his pipe in his own chimney-corner, gazing with a somewhat +anxious expression at the fire. There was cause for anxiety, for there +raged at the time one of the fiercest storms that ever blew on the +shores of England. + +The wind was howling in the chimney with wild fury; slates and tiles +were being swept off the roofs of the fishermen's huts and whirled up +into the air as if they had been chips of wood; and rain swept down and +along the ground in great sheets of water, or whirled madly in the air +and mingled with the salt spray that came direct from the English +Channel; while, high and loud above all other sounds, rose the loud +plunging roar of the mighty sea. + +"I fear there will be a call before long, Nancy, for the services of the +new lifeboat," said Captain Boyns, rising and taking down an oilcloth +coat and sou'-wester, which he began to put on leisurely; "I'll go down +to the beach and see what's doin' at the Cove." + +The captain was a fine specimen of a British sailor. He was a massive +man, of iron build, and so tall that his sou'-wester almost touched the +ceiling of his low-roofed parlour. His face was eminently masculine, +and his usual expression was a compound of sternness, gravity, and +good-humour. He was about forty years of age, and, unlike the men of +his class at that time, wore a short curly black beard and moustache, +which, with his deeply bronzed countenance, gave him the aspect of a +foreigner. + +"God help those on the sea," said Mrs Boyns, in reply to her husband's +remark; "I'm thankful, Dan, that you are on shore this night." + +Nancy was a good-looking, lady-like woman of thirty-three or +thereabouts, without anything particularly noteworthy about her. She +was busy with her needle at the time we introduce her, and relapsed into +silence, while her stalwart husband pulled on a pair of huge sea-boots. + +"Did you hear a gun, Nancy?" cried the captain, as a terrific blast +shook every timber in the cottage--"there! ain't that it again?" + +Nancy listened intently, but could hear nothing save the raging of the +storm. The captain completed his toilet, and was about to leave the +room when the door suddenly burst open, and a lad of about fourteen +years of age sprang in. + +"Father," he cried, his eyes flashing with excitement, "there's a brig +on the sands, and they are going to launch the new lifeboat!" + +"Whereaway is't, lad?" asked Boyns, as he buttoned up his coat. + +"To lee'ard of the breakwater." + +"Oh Harry, don't be too venturesome," cried Mrs Boyns earnestly, as her +strapping boy was about to follow his father out into the pelting storm. + +Harry, who was tall and strong for his age, and very like his father in +many respects, turning round with a hearty smile, cried, "No fear, +mother," and next instant was gone. + +The scene on the beach when father and son reached it was very +impressive. So furious was the gale that it tore up sand and gravel and +hurled it against the faces of the hardy men who dared to brave the +storm. At times there were blasts so terrible that a wild shriek, as if +of a storm-fiend, rent the air, and flakes of foam were whirled madly +about. But the most awful sight of all was the seething of the sea as +it advanced in a succession of great breaking "rollers" into the bay, +and churned itself white among the rocks. + +Out among these billows, scarce visible in the midst of the conflicting +elements, were seen the dark hull, shattered masts, and riven sails of a +large brig, over which the waves made clear breaches continually. + +In the little harbour of the seaport, which was named Covelly, a number +of strong men were engaged in hastily launching a new lifeboat, which +had been placed at that station only three weeks before, while, +clustering about the pier, and behind every sheltered nook along the +shore, were hundreds of excited spectators, not a few of whom were +women. + +Much earnest talk had there been among the gossips in the town when the +lifeboat referred to arrived. Deep, and nautically learned, were the +discussions that had been held as to her capabilities, and great the +longing for a stiffish gale in order that her powers might be fairly +tested in rough weather, for in those days lifeboats were not so +numerous as, happily, they now are. Many of the town's-people had only +heard of such boats; few had seen, and not one had ever had experience +of them. After her arrival the weather had continued tantalisingly calm +and fine until the day of the storm above referred to, when at length it +changed, and a gale burst forth with such violence that the bravest men +in the place shook their heads, and said that no boat of any kind +whatever could live in such a sea. + +When, however, the brig before referred to was seen to rush helplessly +into the bay and to strike on the sands where the seas ran most +furiously, all lent a willing hand to launch the new lifeboat into the +harbour, and a few men, leaping in, pulled her across to the stairs near +the entrance, where a number of seamen were congregated, holding on +under the lee of the parapet-wall, and gazing anxiously at the fearful +scene outside. + +"Impossible!" said one; "no boat could live in such a sea for half a +minute." + +"The moment she shows her nose outside the breakwater she'll capsize," +observed another. + +"We'll have to risk it, anyhow," remarked a stout young fellow, "for I +see men in the foreshrouds of the wreck, and I, for one, won't stand by +and see them lost while we've got a lifeboat by us. Why, wot's the use +o' callin' it a lifeboat if it can't do more than other boats?" + +As he spoke there came an unusually furious gust which sent a wave right +over the pier, and well-nigh swept away one or two of them. The +argument of the storm was more powerful than that of the young sailor-- +no one responded to his appeal, and when the boat came alongside the +stairs, none moved to enter her except himself. + +"That's right, Bob Gaston," cried one of the four men who had jumped +into the boat when she was launched, "I know'd you would be the first." + +"And I won't be the last either," said young Gaston, looking back at the +men on the pier with a smile. + +"Right, lad!" cried Captain Boyns, who came up at the instant and leaped +into the boat. "Come, lads, we want four more hands--no, no, Harry," he +added, pushing back his son; "your arms are not yet strong enough; come +lads, we've no time to lose." + +As he spoke, a faint cry was heard coming from the wreck, and it was +seen that one of the masts had gone by the board, carrying, it was +feared, several poor fellows along with it. Instantly there was a rush +to the lifeboat! All thought of personal danger appeared to have been +banished from the minds of the fishermen when the cry of distress broke +on their ears. The boat was overmanned, and old Jacobs, the coxswain, +had to order several of them to go ashore again. In another minute they +were at the mouth of the harbour, and the men paused an instant as if to +gather strength for the mortal struggle before quitting the shelter of +the breakwater, and facing the fury of wind and waves. + +"Give way, lads! give way!" shouted old Jacobs, as he stood up in the +stern-sheets and grasped the steering oar. + +The men bent to the oars with all their might, and the boat leaped out +into the boiling sea. This was not one of those splendid boats which +now line the shores of the United Kingdom; nevertheless, it was a noble +craft--one of the good, stable, insubmergible and self-emptying kind +which were known as the Greathead lifeboats, and which for many years +did good service on our coasts. It sat on the raging waters like a +swan, and although the seas broke over it again and again, it rose out +of the water buoyantly, and, with the brine pouring from its sides, kept +end-on to the seas, surmounting them or dashing right through them, +while her gallant crew strained every muscle and slowly urged her on +towards the wreck. + +At first the men on shore gazed at her in breathless anxiety, expecting +every moment to see her overturned and their comrades left to perish in +the waves; but when they saw her reappear from each overwhelming billow, +their hearts rose with a rebound, and loud prolonged huzzas cheered the +lifeboat on her course. They became silent again, however, when +distance and the intervening haze of spray and rain rendered her motions +indistinct, and their feelings of anxiety became more and more intense +as they saw her draw nearer and nearer to the wreck. + +At last they reached it, but no one on the pier could tell with what +success their efforts were attended. Through the blinding spray they +saw her faintly, now rising on the crest of a huge wave, then +overwhelmed by tons of water. At last she appeared to get close under +the stern of the brig, and was lost to view. + +"They're all gone," said a fisherman on the pier, as he wiped the salt +water off his face; "I know'd that no boat that ever wos built could +live in that sea." + +"Ye don't know much yet, Bill, 'bout anything a'most," replied an old +man near him. "Why, I've see'd boats in the East, not much better than +two planks, as could go through a worse surf than that." + +"May be so," retorted Bill, "but I know--hallo! is that her coming off?" + +"That's her," cried several voices--"all right, my hearties." + +"Not so sure o' that," observed another of the excited band of men who +watched every motion of the little craft intently,--"there--why--I do +believe there are more in her now than went out in her, what think 'ee, +Dick?" + +Dick did not reply, for by that time the boat, having got clear of the +wreck, was making for the shore, and the observers were all too intent +in using their eyes to make use of their tongues. Coming as she did +before the wind, the progress of the lifeboat was very different from +what it had been when she set out. In a few minutes she became +distinctly visible, careering on the crest of the waves towards the +harbour mouth, and then it was ascertained beyond doubt that some at +least, if not all, of the crew of the brig had been rescued. A short +sharp Hurrah! burst from the men on the outlook when this became +certain, but they relapsed into deep silence again, for the return of +the boat was more critical than its departure had been. There is much +more danger in running before a heavy sea than in pulling against it. +Every roaring billow that came into the bay near the Cove like a green +wall broke in thunder on the sands before reaching the wreck, and as it +continued its furious career towards the beach it seemed to gather fresh +strength, so that the steersman of the lifeboat had to keep her stern +carefully towards it to prevent her from turning broadside on--or, as it +is nautically expressed, broaching to. Had she done so, the death of +all on board would have been almost inevitable. Knowing this, the men +on the pier gazed with breathless anxiety as each wave roared under the +boat's stern, lifted it up until it appeared perpendicular; carried it +forward a few yards with fearful velocity, and then let it slip back +into the trough of the sea. + +But the boat was admirably managed, and it was seen, as she drew near, +that the steering oar was held in the firm grip of Captain Boyns. On it +came before the gale with lightning speed towards the harbour mouth; and +here a new danger had to be faced, for the entrance was narrow, and the +seas were sweeping not into but athwart it, thereby rendering the danger +of being dashed against the pier-end very great indeed. + +"Missed it!" burst from several mouths as the boat flew round the head +of the breakwater and was overwhelmed by a heavy sea which rendered her +for one moment unmanageable, but almost as soon as filled she was again +emptied through the discharging tubes in her floor. + +"No fear of father missing it," exclaimed young Harry Boyns, with a +proud look and flashing eye as he saw the stalwart form of the captain +standing firm in the midst of the foam with his breast pressed hard +against the steering oar. + +"Back your starboard oars! Hold water hard!" shouted several voices. + +"She's round! hurrah!" cried Harry, as the boat almost leaped out of the +foam and sprang into the comparatively smooth water at the harbour +mouth. The rowers gave vent to a short shout of triumph, and several +worn, exhausted seamen in the bottom of the boat were seen to wave their +hands feebly. At the same time, Captain Boyns shouted in a deep loud +voice--"All saved, thank God!" as they swept towards the land. + +Then did there arise from the hundreds of people assembled on and near +the pier a ringing cheer, the like of which had never been heard before +in Covelly. Again and again it was repeated while the lifeboat shot up +on the beach, and was fairly dragged out of the sea, high and dry, by +many eager hands that were immediately afterwards extended to assist the +saved crew of the brig to land. + +"Are all saved, father?" asked Harry Boyns, who was first at the side of +the boat. + +"Ay, lad, every one. Fifteen all told, includin' a woman and a little +girl. Lend a hand to get the poor things up to our house, Harry," said +the captain, lifting the apparently inanimate form of a young girl over +the side as he spoke; "she ain't dead--only benumbed a little with the +cold." + +Many hands were stretched out, but Harry thrust all others aside, and, +receiving the light form of the child in his strong arms, bore her off +to his father's cottage, leaving his comrades to attend to the wants of +the others. + +"Oh Harry!" exclaimed Mrs Boyns, when her son burst into the house, "is +your father safe?" + +"Ay, safe and well," he cried. "Look sharp, mother--get hot blankets +and things ready, for here's a little girl almost dead with cold. She +has just been rescued from a wreck--saved by the new lifeboat!" + + + +CHAPTER TWO. + +DESCRIBES A MERCHANT AND HIS GOD, AND CONCLUDES WITH "A MESSAGE FROM THE +SEA." + +A close-fisted, hard-hearted, narrow-minded, poor-spirited man was John +Webster, Esquire, merchant and shipowner, of Ingot Lane, Liverpool. And +yet he was not altogether without good points. Indeed, it might be said +of him that if he had been reared under more favourable circumstances he +might have been an ornament to society and a blessing to his country, +for he was intelligent and sociable, and susceptible to some extent of +tender influences, when the indulging of amiable feelings did not +interfere with his private interests. In youth he had even gone the +length of holding some good principles, and was known to have done one +or two noble things--but all this had passed away, for as he grew older +the hopeful springs were dried up, one by one, by an all-absorbing +passion--the love of money--which ultimately made him what he was, a +disgrace to the class to which he belonged, and literally (though not, +it would seem, in the eye of law) a wholesale murderer! + +At first he began by holding, and frequently stating, the opinion that +the possession of much money was a most desirable thing; which +undoubtedly was--and is, and will be as long as the world lasts-- +perfectly true, if the possession be accompanied with God's blessing. +But Mr Webster did not even pretend to look at the thing in that light. +He scorned to make use of the worldly man's "Oh, of course, of course," +when that idea was sometimes suggested to him by Christian friends. On +the contrary, he boldly and coldly asserted his belief that "God, if +there was a God at all, did not interfere in such matters, and that for +his part he would be quite satisfied to let anybody else who wanted it +have the blessing if he only got the money." And so it pleased God to +give John Webster much money without a blessing. + +The immediate result was that he fell in love with it, and, following +the natural laws attached to that vehement passion, he hugged it to his +bosom, became blind to everything else, and gave himself entirely up to +it with a self-denying devotion that robbed him of much of his natural +rest, of nearly all his graces, and most of his happiness--leaving him +with no hope in this world, save that of increasing his stores of money, +and with no hope for the world to come at all. + +The abode of Mr Webster's soul was a dingy little office with dirty +little windows, a miserable little fireplace, and filthy little chairs +and tables--all which were quite in keeping with the little occupant of +the place. The abode of his body was a palatial residence in the +suburbs of the city. Although Mr Webster's soul was little, his body +was large--much too large indeed for the jewel which it enshrined, and +which was so terribly knocked about inside its large casket that its +usual position was awry, and it never managed to become upright by any +chance whatever. + +To the former abode Mr Webster went, body and soul, one dark November +morning. Having seated himself before his desk, he threw himself back +in his chair and began to open his letters--gazing with a placid smile, +as he did so, at the portrait of his deceased wife's father--a very +wealthy old gentleman--which hung over the fireplace. + +We omitted to mention, by the way, that Mr Webster had once been +married. This trifling little event of his life occurred when he was +about forty-eight years of age, and was a mercantile transaction of an +extremely successful kind, inasmuch as it had brought him, after +deducting lawyers' fees, stamps, duties, lost time in courtship, +wedding-tour expenses, doctor's fees, deathbed expenses, etcetera, a +clear profit of sixty thousand pounds. To be sure there were also the +additional expenses of four years of married life, and the permanent +board, lodging, and education of a little daughter; but, all things +considered, these were scarcely worth speaking of; and in regard to the +daughter--Annie by name--she would in time become a marketable +commodity, which might, if judiciously disposed of, turn in a +considerable profit, besides being, before she was sold, a useful +machine for sewing on buttons, making tea, reading the papers aloud, +fetching hats and sticks and slippers, etcetera. There had, however, +been a slight drawback--a sort of temporary loss--on this concern at +first, for the piece of goods became damaged, owing to her mother's +death having weighed heavily on a sensitive and loving spirit, which +found no comfort or sympathy at home, save in the devoted affection of +an old nurse named Niven. When Annie reached the age of six years, the +doctors ordered change of air, and recommended a voyage to the West +Indies. Their advice was followed. Nothing was easier. Mr Webster +had many ships on the sea. These were of two classes. The first class +consisted of good, new, well found and manned ships, with valuable +cargoes on board which were anxiously watched and longed for; the second +class comprised those which were old, worn-out, and unseaworthy, and +which, being insured beyond their value, might go to the bottom when +they pleased. + +One of the best of the first class was selected--the _Water Lily_, A1 on +Lloyd's--and in it Annie, with her nurse, was sent to sea for the +benefit of her health. The parting was a somewhat important event in +Mr Webster's life, for it convinced him, to his own surprise, that his +power to love a human being was not yet utterly gone! Annie's arms +clasped convulsively round his neck at the moment of parting--her +sobbing "Good-bye, darling papa," had stirred depths which had lain +unmoved almost from the days of early manhood. But the memory of this +passed away as soon as he turned again to gaze upon the loved +countenance of his yellow mistress. + +The voyage did Annie much good. The short residence in Demerara, while +the vessel was discharging cargo and reloading, wrought wonders, and a +letter, forwarded by a ship that sailed a short time after their arrival +in "foreign parts," told Mr Webster that he might expect to see his +daughter home again, sound and well, in a month or two at the farthest. + +But, to return from this digression to the abode of Mr Webster's +soul:-- + +Having looked at the portrait of his late wife's father for a moment and +smiled, he glanced at the letter in his hand and frowned. Not because +he was displeased, but because the writing was cramped and difficult to +read. However, the merchant was accustomed to receive such letters from +seafaring men on many subjects of interest; he therefore broke the seal +and set himself patiently to decipher it. Immediately his countenance +became ghastly pale, then it flushed up and became pale again, while he +coughed and gasped once or twice, and started up and sat down abruptly. +In fact Mr Webster exhibited all the signs of having received a severe +shock, and an eye-witness might have safely concluded that he had just +read the news of some great mercantile loss. So it was in one sense-- +but that was not the ordinary sense. + +The letter in question was in the handwriting of a fussy officious +"bumble" friend of the wealthy man, who dwelt in the town of Covelly. +It ran as follows: + + "My dear Sir,--I write in great haste, and in much perturbation, + having just heard from my servant of the wreck of your ship, the + _Water Lily_, in Covelly Bay. She does not seem to be quite sure, + however, of the name, and says that the only man who has been rescued + is scarcely able to speak, so that I do sincerely hope my domestic, + who is a stupid old woman, may turn out to be mistaken. I am on the + point of hasting down to the shore to ascertain the truth for myself, + but am obliged to write to you this brief and unsatisfactory account + of what I have heard, in order to save the post, which is just being + closed. You shall hear from me again, of course, by the next mail.--I + remain, my dear sir, in much anxiety, your most obedient humble + servant, + + "JOSEPH DOWLER." + +It chanced that at the moment the above letter was handed to the +postmaster, and while the wax was being melted before the final sealing +of the post-bag, a sailor lad, drenched to the skin and panting +vehemently, dashed into the office. + +"Stop! stop!" he cried, "a letter--about the wreck--the _Water Lily_--to +the owners--not too late, I hope?" + +"No, no, just in time. Here, in with it. There, all right. Now, Jim, +off with 'ee." + +The postman jumped on his vehicle, the whip cracked, and in another +minute the Royal Mail was gone. Thus it came to pass that two epistles +reached Mr Webster that morning from Covelly. But in the extreme +agitation of his spirit, he did not observe the other letter which lay +among the usual morning mass that still awaited examination. After +reading the letter twice, and turning it over with trembling hands, as +if he wished there were more in it, he pronounced a deep malediction on +his "humble" friend, and rang the bell for his confidential clerk, who +was an unusually meek, mild, and middle-aged little man, with a bald +head, a deprecatory expression of countenance, and a pen behind his ear. + +"Mr Grinder," said Mr Webster, putting strong constraint on himself, +and pretending to be quite composed, "a letter from Covelly informs me +that it is feared the _Water Lily_ has been wrecked in--" + +"The _Water Lily_, sir!" exclaimed Grinder, starting as if he had +received an electric shock. + +"I spoke audibly, did I not?" said Mr Webster, turning with a sharp +look on his confidential clerk. + +"Ye-es, sir, but, I--Miss An--" The poor man could get no further, being +of a timid, nervous temperament, and Mr Webster, paying no attention to +his remark, was going on to say that he intended to go by the mail to +Covelly without delay to ascertain the truth for himself, when he was +interrupted by the confidential clerk who exclaimed in a burst of +agitation-- + +"There were _two_ letters, sir, from Covelly this morning--did you +read--" + +He stopped, for already his employer had sought for, found, and torn +open the second epistle, which was written in a fair, legible hand. It +ran thus:-- + + "SIR,--My father, Captain Boyns, directs me to inform you that your + daughter, Miss Annie, has been saved from the wreck of your brig, the + _Water Lily_, which ran aground here this afternoon, and has become a + total wreck. Your daughter's nurse and the crew have also been + rescued by our new lifeboat, which is a noble craft, and, with God's + blessing, will yet do good service on this coast. I have pleasure in + adding, from myself, that it was my father who rescued your child. + She fell into the sea when being passed from the wreck into the boat, + and sank, but my father dived and brought her up in safety. + + "Much of the brig's cargo has been lost, I regret to say, but a good + deal of it has been washed ashore and saved in a damaged state. The + captain says that defective compasses were the cause of the disaster. + There is not time to give you a more particular account, as it is + close upon post-time. Miss Annie sends you her kindest love, and bids + me say she is none the worse of what she has passed through.--I am, + sir, your obedient servant, + + "HARRY BOYNS." + +"Thank God!" exclaimed Mr Webster fervently. "Why, what are you +staring at, Mr Grinder?" he added, on observing that his confidential +servant was gazing at him with an expression of considerable surprise. + +"Excuse me, sir," stammered the unfortunate man, "I--I--in fact--you +have so often told me that you did not believe in God that I fancied-- +I--wondered--" + +"Really, Mr Grinder, I must beg of you to confine your remarks in +future entirely to matters of business. The so-called religious +observations which you sometimes venture to make in my presence are +extremely distasteful, I assure you. In explanation of what I said, +however, I may tell you that this letter informs me of my daughter's +safety, and I merely used the expression of satisfaction that is usual +on such occasions. The phrase, as it is generally understood (except by +weak men), commits me to nothing more. But enough of this. I find that +the _Water Lily_ has indeed been lost. It was fully insured, I +believe?" + +"Yes, sir, it was." + +"Very well; report the matter without delay. I will go to Covelly +to-night, and shall probably be back to-morrow." + +Saying this, Mr Webster left the office, and, on the evening of that +day, found himself seated in Captain Boyns's parlour, with little Annie +on his knee. Her pretty head was on his shoulder, her fair curls +straggled over his chest, and her round little arms tightly encircled +his large body as far as they could reach, while she sobbed on his bosom +and kissed him by turns. + +This was quite a new experience in the life of the gold-lover. He had +declined to submit to familiar caresses in former years, but on such an +occasion as the present, he felt that common propriety demanded the +sacrifice of himself to some extent. He therefore allowed Annie to kiss +him, and found the operation--performed as she did it--much more +bearable than he had anticipated; and when Annie exclaimed with a burst +of enthusiasm, "Oh, dear, dear papa, I did feel such a dreadful longing +for you when the waves were roaring round us!" and gave him another +squeeze, he felt that the market price of the bundle of goods on his +knee was rising rapidly. + +"Did you think you were going to be drowned, dear?" said Mr Webster +with the air of a man who does not know very well what to say. + +"I'm not sure what I thought," replied Annie smiling through her tears. +"Oh, I was so frightened! You can't think, papa, how very dreadful it +is to see the water boiling all round, and sometimes over you; and such +awful thumping of the ship, and then the masts breaking; but what I +feared most was to see the faces of the sailors, they were so white, and +they looked as if they were afraid. Are men ever afraid, papa?" + +"Sometimes, Annie; but a white face is not always the sign of fear--that +may be caused by anxiety. Did any of them refuse to obey orders?" + +"No; they were very obedient." + +"Did any of them get into the lifeboat before you and nurse!" + +"Oh, no; they all refused to move till we were put into it, and some of +them ran to help us, and were very very kind?" + +"Then you may be quite sure they were not afraid, however pale their +faces were; but what of yourself, Annie--were you afraid?" + +"Oh, dreadfully, and so was poor nurse; but once or twice I thought of +the text that--that--you know who was so fond of,--`Call upon me in the +time of trouble and I will deliver thee,' so I prayed and felt a little +better. Then the lifeboat came, and, oh! how my heart did jump, for it +seemed just like an answer to my prayer. I never felt any more fear +after that, except when I fell into the sea; but even then I was not so +frightened as I had been, for I felt somehow that I was sure to be +saved, and I was right, you see, for dear Captain Boyns dived for me. I +love Captain Boyns!" cried Annie, and here again she kissed her father +and held him so tight that he felt quite angry with Mrs Niven, who +entered at the moment, and said, apologetically-- + +"Oh! la, sir, I didn't know as Miss Annie was with you. I only came to +say that everythink is ready, sir, for going 'ome." + +"We don't intend to go home," said Mr Webster; "at least not for a day +or two. I find that Captain Boyns can let us stay here while I look +after the wreck, so you can go and arrange with Mrs Boyns." + +During the few days that Mr Webster remained at Coral Cottage (Captain +Boyns's residence), Mrs Niven found, in the quiet, sympathetic Mrs +Boyns, if not a congenial friend, at least a kind and sociable hostess, +and Annie found, in Harry Boyns, a delightful companion, who never +wearied of taking her to the cliffs, the shore, and all the romantic +places of the neighbourhood, while Mr Webster found the captain to be +most serviceable in connection with the wreck. One result of all this +was that Mr Webster offered Captain Boyns the command of one of his +largest vessels, an offer which was gladly accepted, for the captain +had, at that time, been thrown out of employment by the failure of a +firm, in the service of which he had spent the greater part of his +nautical career. + +Another result was, that Mr Webster, at Annie's earnest solicitation, +agreed to make Covelly his summer quarters next year, instead of +Ramsgate, and Mrs Boyns agreed to lodge the family in Coral Cottage. + +This having been all settled, Mr Webster asked Captain Boyns, on the +morning of his departure for Liverpool, if he could do anything more for +him, for he felt that to him his daughter owed her life, and he was +anxious to serve him. + +"If you could give my son Harry something to do, sir," said Boyns, "you +would oblige me very much. Harry is a smart fellow and a good seaman. +He has been a short time in the coasting trade; perhaps--" + +"Well, yes, I'll see to that," interrupted Mr Webster. "You shall hear +from me again as to it." + +Now the fact is that Mr Webster did not feel attracted by young Boyns, +and he would willingly have had nothing to do with him, but being unable +to refuse the request after having invited it, he ultimately gave him a +situation in one of his coasting vessels which plied between London and +Aberdeen. + +About a year after that, Captain Boyns sailed in the _Warrior_, a large +new ship, for the Sandwich Islands and the Chinese seas. + +True to his promise, Mr Webster spent the following summer with Annie +and Mrs Boyns at Covelly, and young Boyns so managed matters that he +got his captain to send him down to Covelly to talk with his employer on +business. Of course, being there, it was natural that he should ask and +obtain leave to spend a few days with his mother; and, of course, it was +quite as natural that, without either asking or obtaining leave, he +should spend the whole of these days in roaming about the shore and +among the cliffs with Annie Webster. + +It would be absurd to say that these two fell in love, seeing that one +was only seven and the other fifteen; but there can be no doubt they +entertained some sort of regard for each other, of a very powerful +nature. The young sailor was wildly enthusiastic, well educated, manly, +and good-looking--little wonder that Annie liked him. The child was +winning in her ways, simple, yet laughter-loving, and very earnest--less +wonderful that Harry liked _her_! + +Another year fled, and again the Websters visited Covelly, and again +Harry spent a few days with his mother; and although Mr Webster did not +get the length of liking the youth, he at last came to the condition of +not disliking him. + +Year followed year, and still, each summer, Annie pressed her father to +return to the old place, and he agreed, chiefly because it mattered +little to him where he went. He regarded the summer trip in the light +of a penance to be paid for the sin of being a member of society and the +head of a household, and placed every minute so wasted to the debit of +the profit and loss account in the mental ledger of his life's affairs, +for it must not be supposed that Mr Webster's character was changed by +the events which followed the rescue of his child from the sea. True, +he had been surprised out of his habitual hardness for a short time, but +he soon relapsed, if not quite back to the old position, at least so +near to it that the difference was not appreciable. + +As time ran on, men begun to look for the return of the _Warrior_, but +that vessel did not make her appearance. Then they began to shake their +heads and to grow prophetic, while those who were most deeply interested +in the human beings who manned her became uneasy. + +"Don't fret over it," said Harry one day to his mother, in a kind, +earnest tone; "you may depend upon it father will turn up yet and +surprise us. He never lost a ship in his life, and he has sailed in +worse ones than the _Warrior_ by a long way." + +"It may be so," replied Mrs Boyns, sadly; "but it is a long, long time +since he went away. God's will be done. Whether He gives or takes +away, I shall try to bless His name." + +At last Harry gave over attempting to comfort his mother, for he began +to fear that his father's ship was destined to be placed on the dark, +dreary list of those of which it is sometimes said, with terrible +brevity, in the newspapers, "She sailed from port on such and such a +day, and has not since been heard of." + +In course of time Harry made one or two trips to the East Indies as +first mate of one of Mr Webster's vessels, and ultimately obtained the +command of one. + +At last a day came when there appeared in a Welsh newspaper a paragraph, +which ran thus:--"A Message from the Sea--A bottle, corked and sealed, +was found by a woman on the beach, above Conway, North Wales. Inside +was a letter containing the following:-- + + "`Latitude 44, longitude 15, off Tierra del Fuego. If this should + ever reach the shores of England, it will announce to friends at home + the sad fate of the ship _Warrior_, which sailed from Liverpool on + 13th February 18 hundred and something, bound for China. We have been + boarded by pirates: we have been all locked into the cabin, with the + assurance that we shall be made to walk the plank in half an hour. + Our last act is to put this in a bottle and drop it overboard. + Farewell, for this world, my beloved wife and son.' + + "`DANIEL BOYNS, Captain.'" + +This letter was forwarded to the owner, and by him was sent to poor Mrs +Boyns. + +Alas! how many sailors' wives, in our sea-girt isle, have received +similar "messages from the sea," and lived under the dark cloud of +never-ending suspense--hoping against hope that the dear lost ones might +yet return! + + + +CHAPTER THREE. + +SHOWS WHAT SOME MEN WILL DO AND DARE FOR MONEY, AND WHAT SOMETIMES COMES +OF IT. + +We must now beg the reader's permission to allow a few more years to +elapse. Eight have come and gone since the dark day when poor Mrs +Boyns received that message from the sea, which cast a permanent cloud +over her life. Annie Webster has become a beautiful woman, and Harry +Boyns a bronzed stalwart man. + +But things have changed with time. These two seldom meet now, in +consequence of the frequent absence of the latter on long voyages, and +when they do meet, there is not the free, frank intercourse that there +used to be. In fact, Mr Webster had long ago begun to suspect that his +daughter's regard for the handsome young sailor was of a nature that +bade fair to interfere with his purposed mercantile transactions in +reference to her, so he wisely sent him off on voyages of considerable +length, hoping that he might chance to meet with the same fate as his +father, and wound up by placing him in command of one of his largest and +most unseaworthy East Indiamen, in the full expectation that both +captain and vessel would go to the bottom together, and thus enable him, +at one stroke, to make a good round sum out of the insurance offices, +and get rid of a troublesome servant! + +Gloating over these and kindred subjects, Mr Webster sat one morning in +his office mending a pen, and smiling in a sardonic fashion to the +portrait of his deceased wife's father, when a tap came to the door, and +Harry Boyns entered. + +"I have come, sir," he said, "to tell you that the repairs done to the +_Swordfish_ are not by any means sufficient. There are at least--" + +"Please do not waste time, Captain Boyns, by entering upon details," +said Mr Webster, interrupting him with a bland smile: "I am really +quite ignorant of the technicalities of shipbuilding. If you will state +the matter to Mr Cooper, whom I employ expressly for--" + +"But, sir," interrupted Harry, with some warmth, "I _have_ spoken to Mr +Cooper, and he says the repairs are quite sufficient." + +"Well, then, I suppose they are so." + +"I assure you, sir," rejoined Harry, "they are not; and as the lives of +passengers as well as men depend upon the vessel being in a seaworthy +condition, I do trust that you will have her examined by some one more +competent to judge than Mr Cooper." + +"I have no doubt of Mr Cooper's competence," returned Mr Webster; "but +I will order a further examination, as you seem so anxious about it. +Meanwhile I hope that the ship is being got ready for sea as quickly as +possible." + +"There shall be no delay on my part, sir," said Harry, rising; "the ship +has been removed from the Birkenhead Docks, in which you are aware she +has lain for the last eight months, and is now lying in the Brunswick +Dock, taking in cargo. But I think it a very serious matter, which +demands looking into, the fact that she had no sooner grounded in the +dock, than she sprang a leak which instantly let twenty-eight inches of +water into her, and twice, subsequently, as much as forty inches have +been sounded. Yet no repairs worthy of the name have been made. All +that has been done is the pumping of her out daily by the stevedore's +men when their stowing work is finished." + +"Has the agent for the underwriters visited her?" inquired Mr Webster. + +"He has, sir, but he seems to be of opinion that his responsibility is +at an end because a surveyor from the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board had +previously visited her, and directed that she should not be loaded +deeper than twenty-one feet--chalking on the side amidships the six feet +six inches clear beneath which she is not to be allowed to sink." + +"Well, well," said Mr Webster, somewhat impatiently, "I will have the +matter looked into. Good morning, Captain Boyns." + +The captain bowed and left the office, and Mr Webster leant back in his +chair, clasped his hands, twirled his thumbs, and smiled grimly at the +old gentleman over the fireplace. + +True to his word, however, he had an inspection made of the _Swordfish_. +The inspector was of a kindred spirit with Mr Webster, so that his +report was naturally similar to that of Mr Cooper. Nothing, therefore, +was done to the vessel--"nothing being needed"--and the loading went on +in spite of the remonstrances of Captain Harry Boyns, who, with all the +energy and persistency of his character, continued to annoy, worry, and +torment every one who possessed the faintest right or power to interfere +in the matter--but all to no purpose; for there are times when neither +facts nor fancies, fair words nor foul, fire, fury, folly, nor +philosophy, will avail to move some "powers that be!" + +In a towering fit of indignation Harry Boyns resolved to throw up his +situation; but it occurred to him that this would perhaps be deemed +cowardice, so he thought better of it. Then he madly thought of going +direct to the President of the Board of Trade and making a solemn +protest, backed by a heart-stirring appeal; but gave up that idea on +recalling to memory a certain occasion on which a deputation of grave, +learned, white-haired gentlemen had gone to London expressly to visit +that august functionary of the State, and beseech him, with all the +earnestness that the occasion demanded, that he would introduce into +Parliament a bill for the better regulation and supervision of ships, +and for preventing the possibility of seamen and passengers being +seduced on board unseaworthy vessels, carried off to sea, and there +murderously drowned in cold blood, as well as in cold water; which +deputation received for answer, that "it was not the intention of +Government, as at present advised, to introduce a measure for providing +more stringent enactments as to the equipments, cargoes, and crews of +passenger vessels!"--a reply which was tantamount to saying that if the +existing arrangements were inadequate to the ends desired, Government +saw no way out of the difficulty, and people must just be left +unprotected, and go to sea to be drowned or spared according as chance +or the cupidity of shipowners might direct! + +This was pretty resolute on the part of Government, considering that +above a thousand lives were then, and above two thousand still are, lost +annually on the shores of the United Kingdom; a very large number of +which--if we may believe the argument of facts and the pretty unanimous +voice of the press--are sacrificed because Government refuses to +interfere effectively with the murderous tendencies of a certain class +of the community! + +When Harry Boyns thought of all this he sighed deeply, and made up his +mind to remain by the _Swordfish_, and sink or swim with her. Had he +been more of a man of business, perhaps he might have been more +successful in finding out how to have prevented the evil he foresaw; but +it was the interest of the owner to keep him in the dark as much as +possible, for which end Mr Webster kept him out of the ship's way as +much as he could, and when that was impossible, he kept him so busily +employed that he remained ignorant of a great deal that was said and +done in regard to his vessel. + +At length the _Swordfish_ left the Brunswick Dock, _six inches deeper_ +than the surveyor had directed, and was towed to the Wellington Dock, +where she took in 120 tons of coke, and sank still deeper. Harry also +discovered that the equipment of the ship was miserably insufficient for +the long voyage she was intended to make. This was too much for him to +bear. He went at once to Mr Webster's office and said that if a deaf +ear was to be turned any longer to his remonstrances he would throw up +his appointment. + +Poor Harry could scarcely have taken a more effective step to insure the +turning of the deaf ear to him. + +"Oh!" replied Mr Webster, coolly, "if you refuse to take charge of my +vessel, Captain Boyns, I will soon find another to do it." + +"I certainly do refuse," said Harry, preparing to leave the office, "and +I think you will find some difficulty in getting any other man to go to +sea in such a ship." + +"I differ from you, Captain Boyns. Good afternoon." + +"And if you do, and lives should be lost in consequence," added Harry, +grasping the handle of the door, "I warn you solemnly, that murder will +have been committed by you, whatever the law may say on the subject." + +"Good afternoon, Captain Boyns." + +"You've got a hard master," said Harry to Grinder as he passed through +the outer office. + +The confidential clerk shook his head in a deprecatory way, and smiled. + +Next moment Harry Boyns found himself in the street--with nothing to do, +and the wide world before him! + +Meanwhile, the loading of the _Swordfish_ went on--also the pumping of +her. That same day she was visited by a surveyor from the Underwriters' +Association, who found her only five feet clear above water, and still +taking in cargo. That gentleman called in another surveyor to a +consultation, who agreed with him in pronouncing her overladen. She was +represented as such to the local Underwriters' Association for which the +surveyor acted, but as the _Swordfish_ was insured in London and not +with them, the Liverpool underwriters did not consider themselves called +upon to interfere. Their surveyor, however, visited the vessel again, a +few days later, when he found her "only four feet clear," and declared +that, so far from going to Bombay, he should not like to attempt to +cross to Dublin in her in anything like rough weather. + +Now it must be observed that all these consultations and investigations +took place in a quiet way. To the public eye all was "fair and above +board." Few among the thousands who visited the docks knew much about +deep loading; still less about adequate equipping. They saw nought but +a "noble ship," well painted, washed, gilded, and varnished, taking +merchandise into her insatiable hold, while the "Yo-heave-ho" of the +seamen rang out cheerily to the rattling accompaniment of chains and +windlass. Many other ships were there, similarly treated, equally +beautiful, and quite as worthy of the titles "good" and "noble" as the +whited sepulchre is to be styled pure. + +A few days before the _Swordfish_ was ready for sea, a new captain was +sent down to her. This captain was not a "bad man" in the worst sense +of that term--neither was he a "good" one. Vigour, courage, resolution +when acting in accordance with his inclinations--these were among his +characteristics. But he was a reckless man, in want of money, out of +employment, and without an appreciable conscience. In the +circumstances, he was glad to get anything to do, and had been so long +ashore and "in trouble," that he would probably have agreed to take +command of and go to sea in a washing-tub if part paid beforehand for +doing so. + +Nevertheless, even this man (Captain Phelps by name) felt some degree of +nervous anxiety on getting on board and examining the state of the ship. +On further acquaintance with her, he was so dissatisfied that he also +resolved to throw up his appointment. But he had obtained the berth +through the influence of a friend who happened to be acquainted with Mr +Webster. This "friend" wrote him a stern letter, saying, if he ventured +to do as he proposed, he should never have a ship out of Liverpool +again, as long as he (the friend?) could prevent it! + +Captain Phelps was one of those angry men of iron mould, who appear to +take pleasure in daring Fate to do her worst. On receipt of the letter, +he swore with an awful oath that he would now go to sea in the +_Swordfish_, even if he knew she would go to the bottom in twenty-four +hours after weighing anchor. Accordingly, having intrenched himself +behind a wall of moral adamant, he went about with quiet indifference, +and let things take their course. He made no objection whatever when, +in addition to the loading already in the ship, the agents added a deck +cargo of some massive pieces of machinery, weighing thirty tons, and a +supply of coals, the proper receptacle for which below had been filled +with iron goods. Neither did he utter a word when--after the vessel had +been taken out into the stream by the riggers--he and the owner, agents, +pilot, and crew (only six of which last were A.B.'s), were taken off to +her in a tug and put on board with orders to sail immediately. + +Only a few passengers were going. These were already on board, but some +of their friends went off in the tug to bid them a last farewell. + +This was a sad scene, but the captain regarded it with stoical +indifference. There was a stout, hale old Indian officer going out on a +pleasure trip to his beloved East, and a daughter of the same whom he +hoped to get married "offhand, comfortably there." There was a sick +nephew of the old officer, going the voyage for the benefit of his +health, on whose wan countenance consumption, if not death, had +evidently set a deep mark. There were, also, a nurse and a lady's-maid, +and two girls of ten or thirteen years of age--sisters--who were going +to join their father and mother, besides one or two others. Earnest +loving words passed kindly between these and their relatives and friends +as the moment of parting drew near. + +"Don't forget to remember me to Coleman and the rest of `ours,'" cried a +stout elderly man, waving his hand as the tug moved off. + +"That I won't, and I shall expect to shake you by the hand again, old +fellow, in a year or two." + +"You'll never see him again," thought Captain Phelps, as he stood with +compressed lip and frowning eye on the quarter-deck. + +"Good-bye, darling Nelly," cried a lady to one of the sobbing girls from +whom she was parting; "remember the message to mamma." + +"Oh! yes," exclaimed the child, trying to look bright, "and we won't be +very long of coming back again." + +"You'll never come back again," thought the captain, and he sighed +_very_ slightly as the thought passed through his brain. + +"Look alive there, lads," exclaimed the pilot, as the tug sheared away. + +Soon the anchor was at the bows, the sails were shaken out, and the +_Swordfish_ began her voyage. + +"There's not a piece of spare rope aboard, sir," said the first mate, +coming up to the captain with a blank look; "we can't even get enough to +cat and fish the anchor." + +"You can unreeve the tops'l halyards," replied the captain, quietly. + +This was done, and the anchor was secured therewith. + +"How much water in the hold?" asked the captain. + +"Three feet, sir; the carpenter has just sounded. It seems that the +riggers were at work on the pumps when we came out in the tug, but were +stopped by the agents before we got alongside. I fear she is very +leaky, sir," said the mate. + +"I _know_ she is," replied the captain; "keep the men at the pumps." + +That night the weather became what sailors call "dirty," and next +morning it was found that the water had mounted to 4 feet 10 inches. +The pumps had become almost unworkable, being choked with sand, and it +became evident that the voyage thus inauspiciously begun would very soon +be ended. During the day the "dirty" weather became gale, so that, +although the wind was fair, Captain Phelps determined to run to the +nearest port for shelter. With a "good ship" this might have been done +easily enough--many a vessel does it during every gale that visits our +stormy shores--but the _Swordfish_ was by this time getting water-logged +and unmanageable. She drifted helplessly before the gale, and the heavy +seas broke over her continually, sweeping away everything moveable. +Another night passed, and next morning--Sunday--it became plain that she +was settling down so the captain gave orders to get out the long-boat, +and told the passengers to get ready. Day had broken some time before +this, but the weather was still so thick that nothing could be seen. + +"Take a cast of the lead," said the captain. + +"Ay, ay, sir," was the prompt reply, but before the order could be +obeyed, the roar of breakers was heard above the howling of the storm, +and the shout, "Land on the port bow!" was instantly followed by "Down +with the helm!" and other orders hurriedly given by the captain and +hastily obeyed by the men. All too late! The ship was embayed. As if +to make their position more painful, the mists cleared partially away, +and revealed the green fields and cottages on shore, with the angry +sea--an impassable caldron of boiling foam--between. + +Another instant and the ship struck with a convulsive quiver from stem +to stern. The billows flew madly over her, the main-mast went by the +board--carrying two of the men to their doom along with it--and the +_Swordfish_, "bound for Bombay," was cast, a total wreck, upon the coast +of Cornwall. + + + +CHAPTER FOUR. + +THE RESCUE. + +Fortunate is it for this land that those who war for evil and those who +fight for good do so side by side; and well is it for poor humanity that +the bane and the antidote grow together. The misanthrope sends his +poisonous streams throughout the land, but the philanthropist erects his +dams everywhere to stem the foul torrents and turn them aside. The +Infidel plants unbelief with reckless hand far and wide, but the +Christian scatters the "Word" broadcast over the land. The sordid +shipowner strews the coast with wreck and murdered fellow-creatures; +but, thank God, the righteous shipowner--along with other like-minded +men--sends forth a fleet of lifeboats from almost every bay and cove +along the shore to rob the deep of its prey, and rescue the perishing. + +In the bay where the _Swordfish_ was stranded there chanced to be a +lifeboat. Most of her noble crew were, at the time the vessel struck, +in chapel, probably engaged in singing the hymns of the great John +Wesley, or listening to the preaching of the "old, old story" of the +salvation of souls through faith in Jesus Christ. But there were bodies +to be saved that day as well as souls, and the stout arms of the +lifeboat crew were needed. + +The cry was quickly raised, "A wreck in the bay!" The shout that +naturally followed was, "The lifeboat!" A stalwart Cornish gentleman +sprang from his pew to serve his Master in another field. He was the +Honorary Local Secretary of the Lifeboat Institution--a man brimful of +physical energy, and with courage and heart for every good work. No +time was lost. Six powerful horses were procured so quickly that it +seemed as if they had started ready harnessed into being. Willing hands +dragged the lifeboat, mounted on its carriage, from its shed, the horses +were attached, and a loud cheer arose as the huge craft was whirled +along the road towards the bay. The scene of the wreck was a mile +distant, and a large town had to be traversed on the way thither. +Hundreds of worshippers were on the streets, returning home, with +chastened thoughts and feelings perchance, from church and chapel. +There was excitement, however, in their looks, for the echo of that cry, +"The lifeboat!" had reached the ears of many, and eager inquiries were +being made. Presently the lifeboat itself, with all its peculiar gear, +came thundering through the town, rudely dispelling, for a few moments, +the solemnity of the Sabbath day. Hundreds of men, women, and children +followed in its train, and hundreds more joined at every turn of the +main thoroughfare. + +"A wreck in the bay!" "Crew in the rigging!" "Mainmast gone!" "She +can't hold long together in such a sea!" "We'll be in time yet!" +"Hurrah!" + +Such were some of the exclamations heard on all sides as the rescuers +dashed along, and the excited multitude irresistibly followed. Even +females ventured to join the throng, and, holding shawls tightly round +their heads and shoulders, went down on the exposed sands and faced the +pelting storm. + +In less than half an hour after the alarm was given, the lifeboat swept +down to the beach, the horses, obedient to the rein, flew round, the +boat's bow was presented to the sea, and the carriage thrust as far into +the surf as was possible. Then hundreds of willing hands seized the +launching ropes, and the boat, with her crew already seated, and the +oars out, sprang from her carriage into the hissing flood. + +A tremendous billow met her. "Steady lads, give way!" cried the +coxswain, on whose steering everything depended at the first plunge. +The short oars cracked as the men strained every muscle, and shot the +boat, not over, but right through the falling deluge. Of course it was +filled, but the discharging tubes freed it in a few seconds, and the +cheers of the spectators had scarce burst forth when she rushed out to +meet the succeeding breaker. There was another breathless moment, when +hundreds of men, eager to vent their surcharged breast in another cheer, +could only gaze and gasp--then a roar, a world of falling foam, and the +lifeboat was submerged. But the gallant coxswain met the shock straight +as an arrow, cleft the billow, and leaped onward--irresistibly onward-- +over, through, and in the teeth of raging wind and waves, until they +were fairly out and dancing on the chaotic ocean. + +But, just before this took place, the captain of the _Swordfish_, +ignorant of the fact that the lifeboat was hastening to the rescue, +unfortunately took a fatal step. Believing that no boat would venture +to put off in such a gale, he ordered the ship's launch to be lowered. +This was done, but it was immediately upset and stove against the side. +Then the jollyboat was lowered, and nine men and the captain got into +it. The old Indian officer, with his daughter and all the women and +children, were also, with great difficulty, put on board of it. + +Captain Phelps was cool and self-possessed in that hour of danger. He +steered the boat with consummate skill, and succeeded in keeping her +afloat for some time. On she rushed, as if driven by an irresistible +impulse, amid the cheers of the crowd, and the prayers of many that she +might safely reach the land. The brave fellows who manned her struggled +hard and well, but in vain. When the boat was little more three hundred +yards from the shore an immense breaker overtook her. + +"She'll be swamped!" "She's gone!" "God save her!" and similar cries +burst from those on shore. Next moment the wave had the boat in its +powerful grasp, tossed her on its crest, whirled her round, and turned +her keel up, leaving her freight of human beings struggling in the sea. + +Oh! it was a terrible thing for the thousands on land to stand so close +to those drowning men and women without the power of stretching out a +hand to save! No one could get near them, although they were so near. +They were tossed like straws on the raging surf. Now hurled on the +crest of a wave, now sucked into the hollow beneath, and overwhelmed +again and again. The frail ones of the hapless crew soon perished. The +strong men struggled on with desperate energy to reach the shore. Three +of them seized the keel of the boat, but three times were they driven +from their hold by the force of the seas. Two or three caught at the +floating oars, but most of them were soon carried away by the +under-current. The captain, however, with five or six of the men, still +struggled powerfully for life, and succeeded in swimming close to the +beach. + +Up to this point there was one of the spectators who had stood behind +the shelter of a bush, surveying, with sorrowful countenance, the tragic +scene. He was a short, but fine-looking and very athletic man--a +champion Cornish wrestler, named William Jeff. He was a first-rate +boatman, and a bold swimmer. Fortunately he also possessed a generous, +daring heart. When this man saw Captain Phelps near the shore, he +sprang forward, dashed into the surf, at the imminent risk of his life, +and caught the captain by the hair. The retreating water well-nigh +swept the brave rescuer away, but other men of the town, fearless like +himself, leaped forward, joined hands, caught hold of Jeff, and hauled +him safe ashore along with the captain, who was carried away in a state +of insensibility. Again and again, at the risk of his life, did the +champion wrestler wrestle with the waves and conquer them! Aided by his +daring comrades he dragged three others from the jaws of death. Of +those who entered the jolly-boat of the _Swordfish_, only five reached +the land. These were all sailors, and one of them, Captain Phelps, was +so much exhausted by his exertions that, notwithstanding all that +cordials, rubbing, and medical skill could effect, he sank in a few +minutes, and died. + +But while this was occurring on the beach, another scene of disaster was +taking place at the wreck. The lifeboat, after a severe pull of more +than an hour, reached the vessel. As she was passing under her stern a +great sea struck the boat and immediately capsized her. All on board +were at once thrown out. The boat was, however, one of those +self-righting crafts, which had just at that time been introduced. She +immediately righted, emptied herself, and the crew climbed into her by +means of the life-lines festooned round her sides; but the brave +coxswain was jammed under her by some wreck, and nearly lost his life-- +having to dive three or four times before he could extricate himself. +When at last dragged into the boat by his comrades he was apparently +dead. It was then discovered that the man who had pulled the stroke oar +had been swept overboard and carried away. His companions believed him +to be lost, but he had on one of the cork life-belts of the Lifeboat +Institution, and was by it floated to the shore, where a brave fellow +swam his horse out through the surf and rescued him. + +Meanwhile, the lifeboat men were so much injured and exhausted that they +were utterly incapable of making any attempt to rescue those who +remained of the crew of the _Swordfish_. It was as much as they could +do to guide the boat again towards the shore, steered by the second +coxswain, who, although scarcely able to stand, performed his duty with +consummate skill. + +Nothing of all this could be seen by the thousands on shore, owing to +the spray which thickened the atmosphere, and the distance of the wreck. +But when the lifeboat came in sight they soon perceived that something +was wrong, and when she drew near they rushed to meet her. Dismay +filled every breast when they saw the coxswain carried out apparently +dead, with a stream of blood trickling from a wound in his temple, and +learned from the worn-out and disabled crew that no rescue had been +effected. Immediately the local secretary before mentioned, who had +been all this time caring for those already rescued, and preparing for +those expected, called for a volunteer crew, and the second coxswain at +once shouted, "I'll go again, sir!" This man's bravery produced a +wonderful moral effect. He was not permitted to go, being already too +much exhausted, but his example caused volunteers to come forward +promptly. Among them were men of the coastguard, a body to which the +country is deeply indebted for annually saving many lives. Several +gentlemen of the town also volunteered. With the new crew, and the +chief officer of the coastguard at the helm, the noble boat was launched +a second time. + +The struggle which followed was tremendous, for they had to pull direct +to windward in the teeth of wind and sea. Sometimes the boat would rise +almost perpendicularly to the waves, and the spectators gazed with bated +breath, fearing that she must turn over; then she would gain a yard or +two, and again be checked. Thus, inch by inch, they advanced until the +wreck was reached, and the sailors were successfully taken off. But +this was not accomplished without damage to the rescuers, one of whom +had three ribs broken, while others were more or less injured. + +Soon the boat was seen making once more for the beach. On she came on +the wings of the wind. As she drew near, the people crowded towards her +as far as the angry sea would permit. + +"How many saved?" was the anxious question. + +As the boat rushed forward, high on the crest of a tumultuous billow, +the bowman stood up and shouted, "Nine saved!" and in another moment, +amid the ringing cheers of the vast multitude, the lifeboat leaped upon +the sand with the rescued men! + +"Nine saved!" A pleasant piece of news that was to be read next day in +the papers by those who contributed to place that lifeboat on the coast; +for nine souls saved implies many more souls gladdened and filled with +unutterable gratitude to Almighty God. + +But "Twenty lost!" A dismal piece of news this to those at whose door +the murders will lie till the day of doom. Even John Webster, Esquire, +grew pale when he heard of it, and his hard heart beat harder than usual +against his iron ribs as he sat in the habitation of his soul and gazed +at his deceased wife's father over the chimney-piece, until he almost +thought the canvas image frowned upon him. + +There was more, however, behind these twenty lost lives than Mr Webster +dreamed of. The links in the chains of Providence are curiously +intermingled, and it is impossible to say, when one of them gives way, +which, or how many, will fall along with it, as the next chapter will +show. + + + +CHAPTER FIVE. + +THINGS BECOME SHAKY, SO DOES MR WEBSTER, AND THE RESULTS ARE AN ILLNESS +AND A VOYAGE. + +The old Indian officer who was drowned, as we have seen, in the wreck of +the _Swordfish_, was in no way connected with Mr John Webster. In +fact, the latter gentleman read his name in the list of those lost with +feelings of comparative indifference. He was "very sorry indeed," as he +himself expressed it, that so many human beings had been swept off the +stage of time by that "unfortunate wreck," but it did not add to his +sorrow that an old gentleman, whom he had never seen or heard of before, +was numbered with the drowned. Had he foreseen the influence that the +death of that old officer was to have on his own fortunes, he might have +looked a little more anxiously at the announcement of it. But Colonel +Green--that was his name--was nothing to John Webster. What mattered +his death or life to him? He was, no doubt, a rich old fellow, who had +lived in the East Indies when things were conducted in a rather loose +style, and when unscrupulous men in power had opportunities of +feathering their nests well; but even although that was true it mattered +not, for all Colonel Green's fortune, if thrown into the pile or taken +from it, would scarcely have made an appreciable difference in the +wealth of the great firm of Webster and Company. Not that "Company" had +anything to do with it, for there was no Company. There had been one +once, but he had long ago passed into the realms where gold has no +value. + +There was, however, a very large and important firm in Liverpool which +was deeply interested in the life of Colonel Green, for he had long been +a sleeping partner of the firm, and had, during a course of years, +become so deeply indebted to it that the other partners were beginning +to feel uneasy about him. Messrs. Wentworth and Hodge would have given +a good deal to have got rid of their sleeping partner, but Colonel Green +cared not a straw for Wentworth, nor a fig for Hodge, so he went on in +his own way until the _Swordfish_ was wrecked, when he went the way of +all flesh, and Wentworth and Hodge discovered that, whatever riches he, +Colonel Green, might at one time have possessed, he left nothing behind +him except a number of heavy debts. + +This was serious, because the firm had been rather infirm for some years +past, and the consequences of the colonel's death were, that it became +still more shaky, and finally came down. Now, it is a well understood +fact that men cannot fall alone. You cannot remove a small prop from a +large old tree without running the risk of causing the old tree to fall +and carry a few of the neighbouring trees, with a host of branches, +creeping plants, and parasites, along with it. Especially is this the +case in the mercantile world. The death of Colonel Green was a calamity +only to a few tradesmen, but the fall of Wentworth and Company was a +much more serious matter, because that firm was an important prop to the +much greater firm of Dalgetty and Son, which immediately shook in its +shoes, and also went down, spreading ruin and consternation in the city. +Now, it happened that Dalgetty and Son had extensive dealings with +Webster and Company, and their fall involved the latter so deeply, that, +despite their great wealth, their idolatrous head was compelled to +puzzle his brain considerably in order to see his way out of his +difficulties. + +But the more he looked, the less he saw of a favourable nature. Some of +his evil practices also had of late begun to shed their legitimate fruit +on John Webster, and to teach him something of the meaning of those +words, "Be sure your sins shall find you out." This complicated matters +considerably. He consulted his cash-books, bank-books, bill-books, +sales-books, order-books, ledgers, etcetera, etcetera, again and again, +for hours at a time, without arriving at any satisfactory result. He +went to his diminutive office early in the morning, and sat there late +at night; and did not, by so doing, improve his finances a whit, +although he succeeded in materially injuring his health. He worried the +life of poor meek Grinder to such an extent that that unfortunate man +went home one night and told his wife he meant to commit suicide, begged +her to go out and purchase a quart of laudanum for that purpose at the +fishmonger's, and was not finally induced to give up, or at least to +delay, his rash purpose, until he had swallowed a tumbler of mulled port +wine and gone to sleep with a bottle of hot water at his feet! In +short, Mr Webster did all that it was possible for a man to do in order +to retrieve his fortunes--all except pray, and commit his affairs into +the hands of his Maker; _that_ he held to be utterly ridiculous. To +make use of God's winds, and waves, and natural laws, and the physical +and mental powers which had been given him, for the furtherance of his +designs, was quite natural, he said; but to make use of God's word and +His promises--tut! tut! he said, that was foolishness. + +However that may be, the end was, that Webster and Company became very +shaky. They did not, indeed, go into the _Gazette_, but they got into +very deep water; and the principal, ere long, having overwrought all his +powers, was stricken with a raging fever. + +It was then that John Webster found his god to be anything but a +comforter, for it sat upon him like a nightmare; and poor Annie, who, +assisted by Mrs Niven, was his constant and devoted nurse, was +horrified by the terrible forms in which the golden idol assailed him. +That fever became to him the philosopher's stone. Everything was +transmuted by it into gold. The counting of guineas was the poor man's +sole occupation from morning till night, and the numbers to which he +attained were sometimes quite bewildering; but he invariably lost the +thread at a certain point, and, with a weary sigh, began over again at +the beginning. The bed curtains became golden tissue, the quilt golden +filigree, the posts golden masts and yards and bowsprits, which now +receded from him to immeasurable distance, and anon advanced, until he +cried out and put up his hands to shield his face from harm; but, +whether they advanced or retired, they invariably ended by being +wrecked, and he was left in the raging sea surrounded by drowning men, +with whom he grappled and fought like a demon, insomuch that it was +found necessary at one time to have a strong man in an adjoining room, +to be ready to come in when summoned, and hold him down. Gold, gold, +gold was the subject of his thoughts--the theme of his ravings--at that +time. He must have read, at some period of his life, and been much +impressed by, Hood's celebrated poem on that subject, for he was +constantly quoting scraps of it. + +"Why don't you help me?" he would cry at times, turning fiercely to his +daughter. "How can I remember it if I am not helped? I have counted it +all up--one, two, three, on to millions, and billions, and trillions of +gold, gold, gold, hammered and rolled, bought and sold, scattered and +doled--there, I've lost it again! You are constantly setting me wrong. +All the things about me are gold, and the very food you gave me +yesterday was gold. Oh! how sick I am of this gold! Why don't you take +it away from me?" + +And then he would fall into some other train of thought, in which his +god, as before, would take the reins and drive him on, ever in the same +direction. + +At last the crisis of the disease came and passed, and John Webster +began slowly to recover. And it was now that he formed a somewhat true +estimate of the marketable value of his daughter Annie, inasmuch as he +came at length to the conclusion that she was priceless, and that he +would not agree to sell her for any sum that could be named! + +During this period of convalescence, Annie's patience, gentleness, and +powers of endurance were severely tried, and not found wanting. The +result was that the conscience of the invalid began to awake and smite +him; then his heart began to melt, and, ere long, became knit to that of +his child, while she sought to relieve his pains and cheer his spirits +she chatted, played, sang, and read to him. Among other books she read +the Bible. At first Mr Webster objected to this, on the ground that he +did not care for it; but, seeing that Annie was much pained by his +refusal, he consented to permit her to read a few verses to him daily. +He always listened to them with his eyes shut, but never by look or +comment gave the least sign that they made any impression on him. + +During the whole period of Mr Webster's illness and convalescence, +Captain Harry Boyns found it convenient to have much business to +transact in Liverpool, and he was extremely regular in his calls to +inquire after the health of his late employer. This was very kind of +him, considering the way in which he had been treated! Sometimes on +these visits he saw Annie, sometimes he saw Mrs Niven--according as the +one or other chanced to be on duty at the time; but, although he was +never permitted to do more than exchange a few sentences with either of +them, the most careless observer could have told, on each occasion, +which he had seen, for he always left the door with a lengthened face +and slow step when he had seen Mrs Niven: but ran down the steps with a +flushed countenance and sparkling eyes when he had met with Annie! + +At last Mr Webster was so much restored that his doctor gave him leave +to pay a short visit to his counting-room in the city. + +How strangely Mr Webster felt, after his long absence, when he entered +once more the temple of his god, and sat down in his old chair. +Everything looked so familiar, yet so strange! There were, indeed, the +old objects, but not the old arrangements, for advantage had been taken +of his absence to have the office "thoroughly cleaned!" There was the +same air of quiet, too, and seclusion; but the smells were not so musty +as they used to be, and there was something terribly unbusinesslike in +the locked desk and the shut books and the utter absence of papers. The +portrait of his deceased wife's father was there, however, as grim, +silent, and steadfast in its gaze as ever, so Mr Webster smiled, nodded +to it, and rang a hand-bell for his confidential clerk, who entered +instantly, having been stationed at the back of the door for full ten +minutes in expectation of the summons. + +"Good morning, Mr Grinder. I have been ill, you see. Glad to get +back, however. How has business been going on in my absence? The +doctor forbade my making any inquiries while I was ill, so that I have +been rather anxious." + +"Yes, sir, I am aware--I--in fact I was anxious to see you several times +on business, but could not gain admittance." + +"H'm! not going on so well as might be desired, I suppose," said Mr +Webster. + +"Well, not quite; in short, I might even say things are much worse than +they were before you took ill, sir; but if a confidential agent were +sent to Jamaica to--to--that is, if Messrs. Bright and Early were seen +by yourself, sir, and some arrangement made, we might--might--go on for +some time longer, and if trade revives, I think--" + +"So bad as that!" exclaimed Mr Webster, musing. "Well, well, Grinder, +we must do our best to pull through. Are any of our vessels getting +ready for sea just now?" + +"Yes, sir, the _Ocean Queen_ sails for Jamaica about the end of this +month." + +"Very well, Grinder, I will go in her. She is one of our best ships, I +think. The doctor said something about a short voyage to recruit me, so +that's settled. Bring me writing materials, and send a statement of +affairs home to me to-night. I have not yet strength to go into details +here." + +Grinder brought the writing materials and retired. His employer wrote +several letters; among them one to the doctor, apprising him of his +intention to go to Jamaica, and another to the captain of the _Ocean +Queen_, giving him the same information, and directing him to fit up the +two best berths in the cabin for the reception of himself and his +daughter, with a berth for an old female servant. + +Three weeks thereafter he went on board with Annie and Mrs Niven, and +the _Ocean Queen_, spreading her sails, was soon far out upon the broad +bosom of the restless Atlantic. + + + +CHAPTER SIX. + +DESCRIBES THE PRESENTATION OF A NEW LIFEBOAT TO COVELLY, AND TREATS OF +THE ROYAL NATIONAL LIFEBOAT INSTITUTION. + +We must now change the scene, and beg our readers to accompany us once +more to Covelly, where, not long after the events narrated in the last +chapter, an interesting ceremony was performed, which called out the +inhabitants in vast numbers. This was the presentation of a new +lifeboat to the town, and the rewarding of several men who had recently +been instrumental in saving life in circumstances of peculiar danger. + +The weather was propitious. A bright sun and a calm sea rejoiced the +eyes of the hundreds who had turned out to witness the launch. The old +boat, which had saved our heroine years before, and had rescued many +more since that day from the angry sea, was worn out, and had to be +replaced by one of the magnificent new boats built on the self-righting +principle, which had but recently been adopted by the Lifeboat +Institution. A lady of the neighbourhood, whose only daughter had been +saved by the old boat some time before, had presented the purchase-money +of the new one (400 pounds) to the Institution; and, with the +promptitude which characterises all the movements of that Society, a +fine self-righting lifeboat, with all the latest improvements, had been +sent at once to the port. + +High on her carriage, in the centre of the town, the new lifeboat +stood--gay and brilliant in her blue and white paint, the crew with +their cork lifebelts on, and a brass band in front, ready to herald her +progress to the shore. The mayor of the town, with all the principal +men, headed the procession, and a vast concourse of people followed. At +the shore the boat was named the _Rescue_ by the young lady whose life +had been saved by the old one, and amid the acclamations of the vast +multitude, the noble craft was shot off her carriage into the calm sea, +where she was rowed about for a considerable time, and very critically +examined by her crew; for, although the whole affair was holiday-work to +most of those who looked on, the character of the new boat was a matter +of serious import to those who manned her, and who might be called on to +risk their lives in her every time their shores should be lashed by a +stormy sea. + +Our hero, Harry Boyns, held the steering oar. He had been appointed by +the parent Institution to the position of "Local Secretary of the +Covelly Lifeboat Branch," and, of course, was anxious to know the +qualities of his vessel. + +Harry, we may remark in passing, having lost his situation, and finding +that his mother's health was failing, had made up his mind to stay on +shore for a year or two, and seek employment in his native town. Being +a well-educated man, he obtained this in the office of a mercantile +house, one of the partners of which was related to his mother. + +The rowing powers of the new boat were soon tested. Then Harry steered +to the pier, where a tackle had been prepared for the purpose of +upsetting her. This was an interesting point in the proceedings, +because few there had seen a self-righting boat, and, as usual, there +was a large sprinkling in the crowd of that class of human beings who +maintain the plausible, but false, doctrine, that "seeing is believing!" + +Considerable difficulty was experienced in getting the boat to overturn. +The operation was slowly accomplished; and all through there appeared +to be an unwillingness on the part of the boat to upset!--a symptom +which gave much satisfaction to her future crew, who stood ready on her +gunwale to leap away from her. At last she was raised completely on one +side, then she balanced for a moment, and fell forward, keel up, with a +tremendous splash, while the men, not a moment too soon, sprang into the +sea, and a wild cheer, mingled with laughter, arose from the spectators. + +If the upsetting was slow and difficult, the self-righting was magically +quick and easy. The boat went right round, and, almost before one could +realise what had occurred, she was again on an even keel. Of course she +was nearly full of water at the moment of rising; but, in a few seconds, +the discharging holes in her bottom had cleared the water completely +away. The whole operation of self-righting and self-emptying, from +first to last, occupied only _seventeen seconds_! If there was laughter +mingled with the shouts when she overturned and threw her crew into the +sea, there was nothing but deep-toned enthusiasm in the prolonged cheer +which hailed her on righting, for then it was fully realised, especially +by seafaring men, what genuine and valuable qualities the boat +possessed, and the cheers became doubly enthusiastic when the crew, +grasping the lifelines which were festooned round her sides, clambered +on board again, and were reseated at the oars in less than two minutes +thereafter. + +This done, the boat was hauled up on her carriage, and conveyed to the +house near the beach which had been prepared for her reception, there to +wait, in constant readiness, until the storm should call her forth to +display her peculiar qualities in actual service. + +But another, and, if possible, a still more interesting ceremony +remained to be performed. This was the presentation of the gold and +silver medals of the Institution to several men of the town, who, in a +recent storm, had rendered signal service in the saving of human life. + +The zealous and indefatigable secretary of the Institution had himself +come down from London to present these. + +The presentation took place in the new town hall, a large building +capable of containing upwards of a thousand people, which, on the +occasion, was filled to overflowing. + +The mayor presided, of course, and opened proceedings, as many chairmen +do, by taking the wind out of the sails of the principal speaker! That +is to say, he touched uninterestingly on each topic that was likely to +engage the attention of the meeting, and stated many facts and figures +in a loose and careless way, which every one knew the secretary would, +as a matter of course, afterwards state much better and more correctly +than himself. But the mayor was a respected, well-meaning man, and, +although his speech was listened to with manifest impatience, his +sitting down was hailed with rapturous applause. + +At this point--the mayor having in his excitement forgotten to call upon +the secretary to speak--a stout man on the platform took advantage of +the oversight and started to his feet, calling from a disgusted auditor +the expression, "Oh, there's that bore Dowler!" It was indeed that same +Joseph who had, on a memorable occasion long past, signed himself the +"humble" friend of Mr Webster. Before a word could escape his lips, +however, he was greeted with a storm of yells and obliged to sit down. +But he did so under protest, and remained watchful for another +favourable opportunity of breaking in. Dowler never knew when he was +"out of order;" he never felt or believed himself to be "out of order!" +In fact, he did not know what "out of order" meant _when applied to +himself_. He was morally a rhinoceros. He could not be shamed by +disapprobation; could not be cowed by abuse; never was put out by +noise--although he frequently was by the police; nor put down by +reason--though he sometimes was by force; spoke everywhere, on all +subjects, against the opinions (apparently) of everybody; and lived a +life of perpetual public martyrdom and protest. + +Silence having been obtained, the secretary of the Lifeboat Institution +rose, and, after a few complimentary remarks on the enthusiasm in the +good cause shown by the town, and especially by the lady who had +presented the boat, he called Captain Harry Boyns to the platform, and +presented him with the gold medal of the Institution in an able speech, +wherein he related the special act of gallantry for which it was +awarded--telling how that, during a terrible gale, on a dark night in +December, the gallant young captain, happening to walk homewards along +the cliffs, observed a vessel on the rocks, not twenty yards from the +land, with the green seas making clean breaches over her; and how that-- +knowing the tide was rising, and that before he could run to the town, +three miles distant, for assistance, the vessel would certainly be +dashed to pieces--he plunged into the surf, at the imminent risk of his +life, swam to the vessel, and returned to the shore with a rope, by +which means a hawser was fixed to the cliffs, and thirty-nine lives were +rescued from the sea! + +Well did every one present know the minute details of the heroic deed +referred to, but they were glad to hear the praises of their townsman +re-echoed by one who thoroughly understood the merits of the case, and +whose comments thereon brought out more clearly to the minds of many the +extent of the danger which the gallant captain had run, so that, when +Harry stepped forward to receive the medal, he was greeted with the most +enthusiastic cheers. Thereafter, the secretary presented silver medals +to two fishermen of the Cove, namely, Old Jacobs and Robert Gaston, both +of whom had displayed unusual daring at the rescue of the young lady who +was the donor of the lifeboat. He then touched on the value of +lifeboats in general, and gave an interesting account of the origin of +the Society which he represented; but as this subject deserves somewhat +special treatment, we shall turn aside from the thread of our tale for a +little, to regard the Work and the Boats of the Royal National Lifeboat +Institution, assuring our reader that the subject is well worthy the +earnest consideration of all men. + +The first lifeboat ever launched upon the stormy sea was planned and +built by a London coach-builder, named Lionel Lukin, who took out a +patent for it in November 1785, and launched it at Bamborough, where it +was the means of saving many lives the first year. Although Lukin thus +demonstrated the possibility of lives being saved by a boat which could +live under circumstances that would have proved fatal to ordinary boats, +he was doomed to disappointment. The Prince of Wales (George the +Fourth) did indeed befriend him, but the Lords of Admiralty were deaf, +and the public were indifferent. Lukin went to his grave unrewarded by +man, but stamped with a nobility which can neither be gifted nor +inherited, but only won--the nobility which attaches to the character of +"national benefactor." + +The public were aroused from their apathy in 1789 by the wreck of the +_Adventure_ of Newcastle, the crew of which perished in the presence of +thousands, who could do nothing to save them. Models of lifeboats were +solicited, and premiums offered for the best. Among those who +responded, William Wouldhave, a painter, and Henry Greathead, a +boat-builder of South Shields, stood pre-eminent. The latter afterwards +became a noted builder and improver of lifeboats, and was well and +deservedly rewarded for his labours. In 1803 Greathead had built +thirty-one boats--eighteen for England, five for Scotland, and eight for +other countries. This was, so far, well, but it was a wretchedly +inadequate provision for the necessities of the case. It was not until +1822 that a great champion of the lifeboat cause stood forth in the +person of Sir William Hillary, Baronet. + +Sir William, besides being a philanthropist, was a hero! He not only +devised liberal things and carried them into execution, but he +personally shared in the danger of rescuing life from the sea. He dwelt +on the shores of the Isle of Man, where he established a Sailors' Home +at Douglas. He frequently embarked in the boats that went off to rescue +lives from the wrecks that were constantly occurring on the island. +Once he had his ribs broken in this service, and was frequently in +imminent danger of being drowned. During his career he personally +assisted in the saving of 305 human lives! He was the means of stirring +up public men, and the nation generally, to a higher sense of their duty +towards those who, professionally and otherwise, risk their lives upon +the sea; and eventually, in conjunction with two Members of Parliament-- +Mr Thomas Wilson and Mr George Herbert--was the founder of "THE ROYAL +NATIONAL INSTITUTION FOR THE PRESERVATION OF LIFE FROM SHIPWRECK." This +Institution--now named THE ROYAL NATIONAL LIFEBOAT INSTITUTION--was +founded on the 24th of March 1824, and has gone on progressively, doing +its noble work of creating and maintaining a lifeboat fleet, rescuing +the shipwrecked, and rewarding the rescuers, from that day to this. +When life does not require to be saved, and when opportunity offers, the +Society allows its boats to save _property_, of which we shall have +something more to say presently. + +At the founding of the Institution in 1824, the Archbishop of Canterbury +of the day filled the chair; the great Wilberforce, Lord John Russell, +and other magnates, were present; the Dukes of Kent, Sussex, and other +members of the Royal family, became vice-patrons; the Duke of +Northumberland its vice-president, and George the Fourth its patron. In +1850 the much-lamented Prince Albert--whose life was a continual going +about doing good--became its vice-patron, and Her Majesty the Queen +became, and still continues, a warm supporter and an annual contributor. + +Now, this is a splendid array of names and titles; but it ought ever to +be borne in remembrance that the Institution is dependent for its +continued existence on the public--on you and me, good reader--for it is +supported almost entirely by voluntary contributions. That it will +always find warm hearts to pray for it, and open hands to give, as long +as its boats continue, year by year, to pluck men, women, and children +from the jaws of death, and give them back to gladdened hearts on shore, +is made very apparent from the records published quarterly in _The +Lifeboat Journal_ of the Society, a work full of interesting +information. Therein we find that the most exalted contributor is Queen +Victoria--the lowliest, a sailor's orphan child! + +Here are a few of the gifts to the Institution selected very much at +random:--One gentleman leaves it a legacy of 10,000 pounds. Some time +ago a sum of 5000 pounds was sent anonymously by "a friend." There +comes 100 pounds as a second donation from a sailor's daughter, and 50 +pounds from a British admiral. Five shillings are sent as "the savings +of a child"; 1 shilling, 6 pence from another little child, in +postage-stamps; 15 pounds from "three fellow-servants"; 10 pounds from +"a shipwrecked pilot," and 10 shillings 6 pence from "an old salt." +Indeed, we can speak from personal experience on this subject, because, +among others, we received a letter, one day, in a cramped and peculiar +hand, which we perused with deep interest, for it had been written by a +_blind_ youth, whose eyes, nevertheless, had been thoroughly opened to +see the great importance of the lifeboat cause, for he had collected 100 +pounds for the Institution! On another occasion, at the close of a +lecture on the subject, an old woman, who appeared to be among the +poorest of the classes who inhabit the old town of Edinburgh, came to us +and said, "Hae, there's tippence for the lifeboat!" + +It cannot be doubted that these sums, and many, many others that are +presented annually, are the result of moral influences which elevate the +soul, and which are indirectly caused by the lifeboat service. We +therefore hold that the Institution ought to be regarded as a prolific +cause of moral good to the nation. And, while we are on this subject, +it may be observed that our lifeboat influence for good on other nations +is very considerable. In proof of this we cite the following facts:-- +Finland sends 50 pounds to our Institution to testify its appreciation +of the good done by us to its sailors and shipping. The late President +Lincoln of the United States, while involved in all the anxieties of the +great civil war, found time to send 100 pounds to our Lifeboat +Institution, in acknowledgement of the services rendered to American +ships in distress. Russia and Holland send naval men to inspect our +lifeboat management. France, in generous emulation of ourselves, starts +a Lifeboat Institution of its own; and last, but not least, it has been +said, that "foreigners know when they are wrecked on the shores of +Britain by the persevering and noble efforts that are made to save their +lives!" + +But there are some minds which do not attach much value to moral +influence, and to which material benefit is an all-powerful argument. +Well, then, to these we would address ourselves, but, in passing, would +remark that moral influence goes far to secure for us material +advantage. It is just because so many hundreds of human living souls +are annually preserved to us that men turn with glowing gratitude to the +rescuers and to the Institution which organises and utilises the latent +philanthropy and pluck of our coast heroes. On an average, 800 lives +are saved _every year_; while, despite our utmost efforts, 600 are lost. +Those who know anything about our navy, and our want of British seamen +to man our ships, cannot fail to see that the saving of so many valuable +lives is a positive material benefit to the nation. But to descend to +the lowest point, we maintain that the value of the lifeboats to the +nation, in the mere matter of saving property, is almost incredible. In +regard to these things, it is possible to speak definitely. + +For instance, during stormy weather, it frequently happens that vessels +show signals of distress, either because they are so badly strained as +to be in a sinking condition, or so damaged that they are unmanageable, +or the crews have become so exhausted as to be no longer capable of +working for their own preservation. In such cases, the lifeboat puts +off with the intention, _in the first instance_, of saving _life_. It +reaches the vessel in distress; the boat's crew spring on board and +find, perhaps, that there is some hope of saving the ship. Knowing the +locality well, they steer her clear of rocks and shoals. Being fresh +and vigorous, they work the pumps with a will, manage to keep her +afloat, and finally steer her into port, thus saving ship and cargo as +well as crew. + +Now, let it be observed that what we have here supposed is not +imaginary--it is not even of rare occurrence. It happens every year. +Last year thirty-eight ships were thus saved by lifeboats. The year +before, twenty-eight were saved. The year before that, seventeen. +Before that, twenty-one. As surely and regularly as the year comes +round, so surely and regularly are ships and property thus saved _to the +nation_. + +It cannot be too well understood that a wrecked ship is not only an +individual, but a national loss. Insurance protects the individual, but +insurance cannot, in the nature of things, protect the nation. If you +drop a thousand sovereigns in the street, that is a loss to _you_, but +not to the _nation_. Some lucky individual will find the money and +circulate it. But if you drop it in the sea, it is lost, not only to +you, but to the nation to which you belong--ay, lost to the world itself +for ever! If a lifeboat, therefore, saves a ship worth 1000 pounds from +destruction, it literally presents that sum as a free gift to the +nation. We say a free gift, because the lifeboats are supported for the +purpose of saving life, not property. + +A few remarks on the value of loaded ships will throw additional light +on this subject, and make more apparent the value of the Lifeboat +Institution. Take, first, the case of a ship which was actually saved +by a lifeboat. She was a large Spanish ship, which grounded on a bank +off the south coast of Ireland. The captain and crew forsook her, and +escaped to shore in their boats, but one man was inadvertently left on +board. Soon after, the wind moderated and shifted, the ship slipped off +the bank into deep water, and drifted to the northward. The crew of the +_Cahore_ lifeboat were on the look-out, observed the vessel passing, +launched their boat, and after a long pull against wind and sea, boarded +the vessel, and rescued the Spanish sailor. But they did more. Finding +seven feet of water in the hold, they rigged the pumps, trimmed the +sails, carried the ship into port, and handed her over to an agent for +the owners. This vessel and cargo were valued at 20,000 pounds, and we +think we are justified in saying that England, through the +instrumentality of her Lifeboat Institution, presented that handsome sum +to Spain upon that occasion! + +But many ships are much more costly than that was. Some time ago a ship +named the _Golden Age_ was lost upon our shores; it was valued at +200,000 pounds. If that single ship had been one of the thirty-eight +saved last year (and it might have been), the sum thus saved to the +nation would have been more than sufficient to buy up all the lifeboats +in the kingdom twice over! But that ship was not amongst the saved. It +was lost. So was the _Ontario_ of Liverpool, which was wrecked in +October 1864, and valued at 100,000 pounds. Also the _Assaye_, wrecked +on the Irish coast, and valued at 200,000 pounds. Here are 500,000 +pounds lost for ever by the wreck of these three ships alone in one +year! Do you know, reader, what such sums represent? Are you aware +that the value of the _Ontario_ alone is equal to the income for one +year of the London Missionary Society, wherewith it supports its +institutions at home and abroad, and spreads the blessed knowledge of +gospel truth over a vast portion of the globe? + +But we have only spoken of three ships--no doubt three of the largest +size--yet only three of the lost. Couple the above figures with the +fact that the number of ships lost, or seriously damaged, _every year_, +on the shores of the United Kingdom is above _two thousand_, and you +will have some idea of one of the reasons why taxation is so heavy; and +if you couple them with the other fact, that, from twenty to thirty +ships, great and small, are saved by lifeboats every year, you will +perceive that, whatever amount may be given to the Lifeboat Institution, +it gives back to the nation _far more_ than it receives in _material +wealth_, not to mention human lives at all. + +Its receipts in 1868 from all sources were 31,668 pounds, and its +expenditure 31,585 pounds. The lives saved by its own boats last year +were 603, in addition to which other 259 were saved by shore boats, for +which the Institution rewarded the crews with thirteen medals, and money +to the extent of above 6573 pounds, for all services. + +The Lifeboat Institution has a little sister, whom it would be unjust, +as well as ungracious, not to introduce in passing, namely, the +SHIPWRECKED MARINERS' SOCIETY. They do their blessed work hand in hand. +Their relative position may be simply stated thus:--The Lifeboat +Institution saves life. Having dragged the shipwrecked sailor from the +sea, its duty is done. It hands him over to the agent of the +Shipwrecked Mariners' Society, who takes him by the hand, sees him +housed, warmed, clad and fed, and sends him home rejoicing, free of +expense, and with a little cash in his pocket. Formerly, shipwrecked +sailors had to beg their way to their homes. At first they were +sympathised with and well treated. Thereupon uprose a host of +counterfeits. The land was overrun by shipwrecked-mariner-beggars, and +as people of the interior knew not which was which, poor shipwrecked +Jack often suffered because of these vile impostors. But now there is +not a port in the kingdom without its agent of the Society. Jack has, +therefore, no need to beg his way. "The world" knows this; the deceiver +knows it too, therefore his occupation is gone! Apart from its +benignant work, the mere fact that the "little sister" has swept such +vagrants off the land entitles her to a strong claim on our gratitude. +She, also, is supported by voluntary contributions. + +Turning now to another branch of our subject, let us regard for a little +the boats of the Lifeboat Institution. + +"What is a lifeboat? Wherein does it differ from other boats?" are +questions sometimes put. Let us attempt a brief reply. + +A lifeboat--that is to say, the present lifeboat--differs from all other +boats in four particulars:--1. It is _almost_ indestructible. 2. It is +insubmergible. 3. It is self-righting. 4. It is self-emptying. In +other words, it can hardly be destroyed; it cannot be sunk; it rights +itself if upset; it empties itself if filled. Let us illustrate these +points in succession. Here is evidence on the first point. + +On a terrible night in 1857 a Portuguese brig struck on the Goodwin +Sands. The noble, and now famous, Ramsgate lifeboat was at once towed +out when the signal-rocket from the lightship was seen, indicating "a +wreck on the sands." A terrific battle with the winds and waves ensued. +At length the boat was cast off to windward of the sands, and bore down +on the brig through the shoal water, which tossed her like a cork on its +raging surface. They reached the brig and lay by her for some time in +the hope of getting her off, but failed. The storm increased, the +vessel began to break up, so her crew were taken into the boat, which-- +having previously cast anchor to windward of the wreck, and eased off +the cable until it got under her lee--now tried to pull back to its +anchor. Every effort was fruitless, owing to the shifting nature of the +sands and the fury of the storm. At last nothing was left for it but to +hoist the sail, cut the cable, and make a desperate effort to beat off +the sands. In this also they failed; were caught on the crest of a +breaking roller, and borne away to leeward. Water and wind in wildest +commotion were comparatively small matters to the lifeboat, but want of +water was a serious matter. The tide happened to be out. The sands +were only partially covered, and over them the breakers swept in a +chaotic seething turmoil that is inconceivable by those who have not +witnessed it. Every one has seen the ripples on the seashore when the +tide is out. On the Goodwins these ripples are great banks, to be +measured by yards instead of inches. From one to another of these +sand-banks this boat was cast. Each breaker caught her up, hurled her +onward a few yards, and let her down with a crash that well-nigh tore +every man out of her, leaving her there a few moments, to be caught up +again and made sport with by the next billow. The Portuguese sailors, +eighteen in number, clung to the thwarts in silent despair, but the crew +of the boat did not lose heart. They knew her splendid qualities, and +hoped that, if they should only escape being dashed against the portions +of wreck which strewed the sands, all might yet be well. Thus, +literally fathom by fathom, with a succession of shocks that would have +knocked any ordinary boat to pieces, was this magnificent lifeboat +driven, during two hours in the dead of night, over two miles of the +Goodwin Sands! At last she drove into deep water on the other side; the +sails were set, and soon after, through God's mercy, the rescued men +were landed safely in Ramsgate Harbour. So, we repeat, the lifeboat is +almost indestructible. + +That she is insubmergible has been proved by what has already been +written, and our space forbids giving further illustration, but a word +about the cause of this quality is necessary. Her floating power is due +to _air-chambers_ fitted round the sides under the seats and in the bow +and stern; also to empty space and light wood or cork ballast under her +floor. If thrust forcibly deep under water with as many persons in her +as could be stowed away, she would, on being released, rise again to the +surface like a cork. + +The self-righting principle is one of the most important qualities of +the lifeboat. However good it may be in other respects, a boat without +this quality is a lifeboat only so long as it maintains its proper +position on the water. If upset it is no better than any other boat. +It is true that, great stability being one of the lifeboat's qualities, +such boats are not easily overturned. Nevertheless they sometimes are +so, and the results have been on several occasions disastrous. Witness +the case of the Liverpool boat, which in January 1865 upset, and the +crew of seven men were drowned. Also the Point of Ayr lifeboat, which +upset when under sail at a distance from the land, and her crew, +thirteen in number, were drowned. Two or three of the poor fellows were +seen clinging to the keel for twenty minutes, but no assistance could be +rendered. Now, both of these were considered good lifeboats, but they +were _not self-righting_. Numerous cases might be cited to prove the +inferiority of the non-self-righting boats, but one more will suffice. +In February 1858 the Southwold boat--a large sailing boat, esteemed one +of the finest in the kingdom, but _not_ self-righting--went out for +exercise, and was running before a heavy surf with all sail set, when +she suddenly ran on the top of a sea, broached-to and upset. The crew +in this case being near shore, and having on cork lifebelts, were +rescued, but three gentlemen who had gone off in her without lifebelts +were drowned. This case, and the last, occurred in broad daylight. + +In contrast to these we give an instance of the action of the +self-righting lifeboat when overturned. It occurred on a dark stormy +night in October 1858. On that night a wreck took place off the coast +near Dungeness, three miles from shore. The small lifeboat belonging to +that place put off to the rescue. Eight stout men of the coastguard +composed her crew. She belonged to the National Lifeboat Institution-- +all the boats of which are now built on the self-righting principle. +The wreck was reached soon after midnight, and found to have been +deserted by her crew; the boat therefore returned to the shore. While +crossing a deep channel between two shoals she was caught up and struck +by three heavy seas in succession. The coxswain lost command of the +rudder, and she was carried away before a sea, broached to and upset, +throwing the men out of her. Immediately she righted herself, cleared +herself of water, and the anchor having fallen out she was brought up by +it. The crew, meanwhile, having on lifebelts, regained the boat, got +into her by means of the lifelines hung round her sides, cut the cable, +and returned to the shore in safety! + +The means by which the self-righting is accomplished are--two large +air-cases, one in the bow, the other in the stern, and a heavy iron +keel. These air-cases are rounded on the top and raised so high that a +boat, bottom up, resting on them, would be raised almost quite out of +the water. Manifestly, to rest on these pivots is an impossibility; the +overturned boat _must_ fall on its side, in which position the heavy +iron keel comes into play and drags the bottom down, thus placing the +boat violently and quickly in her proper position. The simple plan here +described was invented by the Reverend James Bremner, of Orkney, and +exhibited at Leith, near Edinburgh, in the year 1800. Mr Bremner's +aircases were empty casks in the bow and stern, and his ballast was +three hundredweight of iron attached to the keel. + +This plan, however, was not made practically useful until upwards of +fifty years later, when twenty out of twenty-four men were lost by the +upsetting of the _non-self-righting_ lifeboat of South Shields. After +the occurrence of that melancholy event, the late Duke of +Northumberland--who for many years was one of the warmest supporters and +patrons of the Lifeboat Institution--offered a prize of 100 pounds for +the best self-righting lifeboat. It was gained by Mr Beeching, whose +boat was afterwards considerably altered and improved by Mr Peak. + +The self-emptying principle is of almost equal importance with the +self-righting, for, in every case of putting off to a wreck, a lifeboat +is necessarily filled again and again with water--sometimes overwhelmed +by tons of it; and a boat full of water, however safe it may be, is +necessarily useless. Six large holes in the bottom of the boat effect +the discharge of water. There is an air-tight floor to the lifeboat, +which is so placed that when the boat is fully manned and loaded with +passengers it is _a very little above the level of the sea_. On this +fact the acting of the principle depends. Between this floor and the +bottom of the boat, a space of upwards of a foot in depth, there is some +light ballast of cork or wood, and some parts of the space are left +empty. The six holes above mentioned are tubes of six inches diameter, +which extend from the floor through the bottom of the boat. Now, it is +one of nature's laws that water _must_ find its level. For instance, +take any boat and bore large holes in its bottom, and suppose it to be +held up in its _ordinary_ floating position, so that it cannot sink, +then fill it suddenly quite full of water, it will be found that the +water _inside_ will run out until it is on a level with the water +_outside_. Water poured into a lifeboat will of course act in the same +way, but when that which has been poured into it reaches the level of +the water outside, _it has also reached the floor_: in other words, +there is no more water left to run out. + +Such are the principal qualities of the splendid lifeboat now used on +our coasts, and of which it may be said that it has almost reached the +state of absolute perfection. + +The Lifeboat Institution, which has been the means in God's hands of +saving so many thousands of human lives, is now in a high state of +efficiency and of well-deserved prosperity; both of which conditions are +due very largely to the untiring exertions and zeal of its present +secretary, Richard Lewis, Esquire, of the Inner Temple. Success is not +dependent on merit alone. Good though the lifeboat cause unquestionably +is, we doubt whether the Institution would have attained its present +high position so soon, had it not been guided thereto by the judicious +management of its committee--the members of which bestow laborious and +gratuitous service on its great and national work--aided by the able and +learned secretary and an experienced inspector of lifeboats (Captain +J.R. Ward, R.N.) both whose judgement and discretion have often been the +themes of deserved praise by the public. + +That the claims of the Institution are very strong must be admitted by +all who reflect that during upwards of forty years it has been engaged +in the grand work of saving human lives. Up to the present date, it has +plucked 18,225 human beings from the waves, besides an incalculable +amount of valuable property. It is a truly national blessing, and as +such deserves the support of every man and woman in the kingdom. (See +footnote.) + +But, to return from this prolonged yet by no means unnecessary +digression,--let us remind the reader that we left him at the meeting in +the town-hall of Covelly, of which, however, we will only say further, +that it was very enthusiastic and most successful. That the mayor, +having been stirred in spirit by the secretary's speech, redeemed +himself by giving vent to a truly eloquent oration, and laying on the +table a handsome contribution towards the funds of the Society. That +many of the people present gladly followed his lead, and that the only +interruption to the general harmony was the repeated attempts made by +Mr Joseph Dowler--always out of order--to inflict himself upon the +meeting; an infliction which the meeting persistently declined to +permit! + +Thereafter the new lifeboat was conveyed to its house on the shore, +where, however, it had not rested many weeks before it was called into +vigorous action. + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + +For the sake of those who sympathise with us, and desire to give +substantial evidence of their goodwill, we would suggest that +contributions may be sent to the secretary, Richard Lewis, Esquire, 14 +John Street, Adelphi, London. + + + +CHAPTER SEVEN. + +THE STORM AND THE WRECK. + +Listen, O ye who lie comfortably asleep, secure in your homes, oblivious +of danger, when the tempest is roaring overhead! Come, let us together +wing our flight to the seashore, and cast a searching glance far and +near over the strand. + +On a certain Friday morning in the year 18 hundred and something, a +terrific gale broke over the east coast, and everywhere the lifeboat men +went out to watch the raging sea, knowing full well that ere long there +would be rough but glorious work for them to do. A tremendous sea ran +high on the bar at Tynemouth, and rolled with tremendous force on the +Black Middens--rocks that are black indeed, in their history as well as +their aspect. A barque was seen making for the Tyne, towed by a +steam-tug. A sudden squall struck them; the tug was forced to let the +vessel go, and she went on the rocks. A few minutes had barely passed +when another vessel was descried, a brig, which made for the harbour, +missed it, and was driven on the same fatal rocks a few yards south of +the barque. The alarm-gun was fired, and the members of the Tynemouth +_Volunteer Life Brigade_ were quickly at the scene of disaster. The +rocket apparatus was fired, and a line passed over one of the vessels; +but other anxious eyes had been on the look-out that night, and soon the +salvage boat _William_ was launched at North Shields, and the South +Shields men launched the Tynemouth lifeboat. The _Constant_ lifeboat +also put off to the rescue. It was getting dark by that time, so that +those on shore could not see the boats after they had engaged in strife +with the raging sea. Meanwhile part of the crew of the barque were +saved by the rocket apparatus, but those of the brig did not know how to +use it, and they would certainly have perished had not the _William_ got +alongside and rescued them all. While this was going on a third vessel +was driven ashore on the Battery Rock. The South Shields lifeboat made +towards her, succeeded in getting alongside, and rescued the crew. + +A mile west of Folkestone Harbour a brigantine, laden with rum and +sugar, went ashore, broadside-on, near Sandgate Castle. The ever-ready +coastguardsmen turned out. A Sandgate fisherman first passed a small +grapnel on board, then the coastguard sent out a small line with a +lifebuoy attached and one by one the crew were all saved--the men of the +coastguard with ropes round their waists, standing in the surf as deep +as they dared to venture, catching the men who dropped, and holding +their heads above water until they were safe. But the gallant +coastguardsmen had other work cut out for them that night. Besides +saving life, it was their duty to protect property. The cargo was a +tempting one to many roughs who had assembled. When the tide receded, +these attempted to get on board the wreck and regale themselves. The +cutlasses of the coastguard, however, compelled them to respect the +rights of private property, and taught them the majesty of the law! + +Elsewhere along the coast many vessels were wrecked, and many lives were +lost that night, while many more were saved by the gallant lifeboat +crews, the details of which, if written, would thrill many a sympathetic +breast from John o' Groat's to the Land's End; but passing by these we +turn to one particular vessel which staggered in the gale of that night, +but which, fortunately for those on board, was still at some distance +from the dangerous and dreaded shore. + +It was the _Ocean Queen_. Mr Webster was seated in her cabin, his face +very pale, and his hands grasping the arms of the locker tightly to +prevent his being hurled to leeward. Annie sat beside him with her arms +round his waist. She was alarmed and looked anxious, but evidently +possessed more courage than her father. There was some reason for this, +however, for she did not know that Mr Webster's fortunes had got into +such a desperate case, that for the retrieving of them he depended very +much on the successful voyage of the _Ocean Queen_. + +"Don't be so cast down, father," said Annie; "I heard the captain say +that we shall be in sight of land to-morrow." + +"Heaven forbid," said Mr Webster. "Better to be in mid-ocean than near +land on such a night." + +Annie was about to reply when the door opened, and the captain looked +in. He wore a sou'-wester, and was clad in oilcloth garments from head +to foot, which shone like black satin with the dripping spray. + +"We're getting on famously," he said in a hearty tone, "the wind has +shifted round to the sou'-west, and if it holds--we shall--" + +"Sprung a leak, sir!" cried the first mate in a deep excited voice as he +looked down the companion. + +"What!" exclaimed the captain, rushing upon deck. + +"Plank must have started, sir, there's three foot water in--" + +His voice was drowned by distance and the roaring of the gale, but Mr +Webster and Annie had heard enough to fill them with alarm. + +The _Ocean Queen_ had indeed sprung a leak, and so bad was it that when +all the pumps available were set a-going, they failed to reduce the +depth of water in the hold. Still, by constantly changing hands and +making strenuous exertions, they prevented it from increasing rapidly. +All that night and next day they wrought with unflagging energy at the +pumps. No man on board spared himself. The captain took his spell with +the rest. Even Mr Webster threw off his coat and went to work as if he +had been born and bred a coal-heaver. The work, however, was very +exhausting, and when land appeared no one seemed to have any heart to +welcome it except Annie and her old nurse Mrs Niven. + +Towards evening of the next day the captain came up to Mr Webster, who +was seated on the cabin skylight with his head resting wearily on his +hands. + +"We cannot make the port of Liverpool, I find," he said. "The pilot +says that if we wish to save the ship we must run for the nearest +harbour on the coast, which happens, unfortunately, to be the very small +one of Covelly." + +"Then by all means run for it," said Mr Webster. "Strange," he +muttered to himself, "that fate should lead me there." + +The head of the _Ocean Queen_ was at once turned towards the shore, and +as they neared it Mr Webster stood talking to Annie about the time +"long, long ago," when she had been rescued by a lifeboat there, and +remarking on the curious coincidence that she should happen to come to +the same place in distress a second time. + +The gale, although somewhat more moderate, was still blowing strong, and +an "ugly sea" was rolling on the bank where the _Swordfish_ had gone +ashore many years before. This, however, mattered little, because the +direction of the wind was such that they could steer well clear of it. +But the channel leading to the harbour was very sinuous, and, as the +pilot observed, required careful steering. In one part this channel was +so crooked that it became necessary to go on the other tack a short +distance. In ordinary circumstances the captain would have thought +nothing of this, but he felt anxious just then, because some of the +stores and cordage furnished by mistake to him had been intended for the +_Ruby_. Now the _Ruby_ was one of the vessels of Webster and Company +which had been sent away with the hope, if not the intention, that it +should be wrecked! The mistake had been discovered only after the +_Ocean Queen_ had set sail. + +"Ready about," cried the pilot. + +The men leaped to their respective places. + +"Take another pull at that fores'l sheet," said the pilot. + +This was done. At sea this would not have been necessary, because the +ship was lively and answered her helm well, but in the narrow channel +things had to be done more vigorously. The extra pull was given. The +tackle of the foresail sheet had been meant for the _Ruby_. It snapped +asunder, and the ship missed stays and fell away. + +Instantly all was desperate confusion. A hurried attempt was made to +wear ship, then two anchors were let go, but almost before the startled +owner was aware of what had occurred, the good ship received a shock +which made her quiver from stem to stern. She lifted with the next +wave, and in another minute was fast on the shoal which had proved fatal +to the _Swordfish_, with the waves dashing wildly over her. + +Long before this occurred, our hero, Harry Boyns, had been watching the +vessel with considerable anxiety. He little knew who was on board of +her, else would his anxiety have been infinitely increased. But Harry +was one of those men who do not require the spur of self-interest to +keep them alive to duty. He had observed that the ship was in distress, +and, as the honorary secretary of the Lifeboat Branch, he summoned +together the crew of his boat. Thus all was in readiness for action +when the disaster occurred to the _Ocean Queen_. + +Instantly the lifeboat was run down to the beach, where hundreds of +willing hands were ready to launch her, for the people had poured out of +the town on the first rumour of what was going on. The crew leaped into +the boat and seized the oars. The launching-ropes were manned. A loud +"Huzzah" was given, and the lifeboat shot forth on her voyage of mercy, +cutting right through the first tremendous billow that met her. + +At that time Old Jacob, the coxswain of the boat, happened to be unwell; +Harry himself therefore took the steering-oar, and Bob Gaston was in the +bow. Mr Joseph Dowler chanced to be among the spectators on shore. +That fussy and conceited individual, conceiving it to be a fitting +occasion for the exercise of his tremendous powers, stood upon an +elevated rock and began a wildly enthusiastic speech to which nobody +listened, and in which he urged the lifeboatmen to do their duty in +quite a Nelsonian spirit. Fortunately a sudden gust of wind blew him +off his perch. He fell on his head so that his hat was knocked over his +eyes, and before he was thoroughly extricated from it, the lifeboat was +far from shore, and the men were doing their duty nobly, even although +Mr Dowler's appeal had failed to reach their ears! + +It was a tough pull, for wind, waves, and tide combined to beat them +back, but they combined in vain. Inch by inch they advanced, slowly and +laboriously, although it was so bitterly cold that the men had little +feeling in the benumbed hands with which they pulled so gallantly. + +At last they reached the vessel, pulled well to windward, cast anchor, +and eased off the cable, until they passed her stern and got under her +lee. Just then Harry looked up and felt as if he had received a shock +from electric fire, for he beheld the pale face of Annie Webster gazing +at him with glowing eyes! No longer did he feel the chilling blast. +The blood rushed wildly through his veins as he shouted-- + +"Look alive, Bob,--heave!" + +Bob Gaston stood up in the bow, and, with a beautiful swing, cast a line +on board, by means of which the boat was hauled alongside. Just at that +moment the mainyard came down with a thundering crash upon the ship's +deck, fortunately injuring no one. At the same time a tremendous billow +broke over the stern of the _Ocean Queen_, and falling into the lifeboat +in a cataract completely sunk her. She rose like a cork, keel +uppermost, and would have righted at once, but a bight of the mainsail, +with some of the wreck, held her down. Her crew, one by one, succeeded +in clambering upon her, and Harry shouted to the men in the ship to hand +him an axe. One was thrown to him which he caught, and began therewith +to cut the wreck of cordage. + +"Slit the sail with your knife, Bob Gaston," he cried, but Bob did not +reply. All the other men were there; Bob alone was missing. The +difficulty of acting in such turmoil is not to be easily estimated. +Twenty minutes elapsed before the boat was cleared. When this was +accomplished she righted at once, and Bob Gaston was found sticking to +the bottom of her, inside, having found sufficient air and space there +to keep him alive! + +Another moment and Harry Boyns was on the deck of the wreck. + +Perhaps the most earnest "Thank God" that ever passed his lips burst +from them when he seized Annie's hand and entreated her to go with him +at once into the boat. + +"Stay! hold!" cried Mr Webster, seizing Harry wildly by the sleeve and +whispering to him in quick earnest tones, "Can nothing be done to save +the ship? _All is lost_ if she goes!" + +"Hold on a minute, lads," cried Harry to the men in the boat; "are the +pumps working free,--is your ground tackle good?" he added, turning +hastily to the captain. + +"Ay, but the men are used up--utterly exhausted." + +"Jump aboard, lads," cried Harry to his men. + +The men obeyed, leaving four of their number in the boat to keep her off +the ship's side. Under Harry's orders some of them manned the pumps, +while others went to the windlass. + +"Come, boys, make one more effort to save the ship," cried Harry to the +fatigued crew; "the tide will rise for another hour, we'll save her yet +if you have pluck to try." + +Thus appealed to they all set to work, and hove with such goodwill that +the ship was soon hauled off the sands--an event which was much +accelerated by the gradual abating of the gale and rising of the tide. +When it was thought safe to do this, the sails were trimmed, the cables +cut, and, finally, the _Ocean Queen_ was carried triumphantly into +port--saved by the Covelly Lifeboat. + +Need we tell you, good reader, that Mr Webster and his daughter, and +Mrs Niven, spent that night under the roof of hospitable Mrs Boyns? +who--partly because of the melancholy that ever rested like a soft cloud +on her mild countenance, and partly because the cap happened to suit her +cast of features--looked a very charming widow indeed. Is it necessary +to state that Mr Webster changed his sentiments in regard to young +Captain Boyns, and that, from regarding him first with dislike and then +with indifference, he came to look upon him as one of the best fellows +that ever lived, and was rather pleased than otherwise when he saw him +go out, on the first morning after the rescue above recorded, to walk +with his daughter among the romantic cliffs of Covelly! + +Surely not! It would be an insult to your understanding to suppose that +you required such information. + +It may be, however, necessary to let you know that, not many weeks after +these events, widow Boyns received a letter telling her that Captain +Daniel Boyns was still alive and well, and that she might expect to see +him within a very short period of time! + +On reading thus far, poor Mrs Boyns fell flat on the sofa in a dead +faint, and, being alone at the time, remained in that condition till she +recovered, when she eagerly resumed the letter, which went on to say +that, after the bottle containing the message from the sea had been cast +overboard, the pirates had put himself and his remaining companions--six +in number--into a small boat, and left them to perish on the open sea, +instead of making them walk the plank, as they had at first threatened. +That, providentially, a whale-ship had picked them up two days +afterwards, and carried them off on a three years' cruise to the South +Seas, where she was wrecked on an uninhabited island. That there they +had dwelt from that time to the present date without seeing a single +sail--the island being far out of the track of merchant vessels. That +at last a ship had been blown out of its course near the island, had +taken them on board, and, finally, that here he was, and she might even +expect to see him _in a few hours_! + +This epistle was written in a curiously shaky hand, and was much +blotted, yet, strange to say, it did not seem to have travelled far, it +being quite clean and fresh! + +The fact was that Captain Boyns was a considerate man. He had gone into +a public-house, not ten yards distant from his own dwelling, to pen this +letter, fearing that the shock would be too much for his wife if not +broken gradually to her. But his impatience was great. He delivered +the letter at his own door, and stood behind it just long enough, as he +thought, to give her plenty of time to read it, and then burst in upon +her just as she was recovering somewhat of her wonted self-possession. + +Over the scene that followed we drop the curtain, and return to Mr +Webster, who is once again seated in the old chair in the old office, +gazing contemplatively at the portrait of his deceased wife's father. + + + +CHAPTER EIGHT. + +CONCLUSION. + +There are times in the lives, probably, of all men, when the conscience +awakes and induces a spirit of self-accusation and repentance. Such a +time had arrived in the experience of Mr John Webster. He had obtained +a glimpse of himself in his true colours, and the sight had filled him +with dismay. He thought, as he sat in the old chair in the old office, +of the wasted life that was behind him, and the little of life that lay, +perchance, before. His right hand, from long habit, fumbled with the +coin in his trousers-pocket. Taking out a sovereign he laid it on the +desk, and gazed at it for some time in silence. + +"For your sake," he murmured, "I have all but sold myself, body and +soul. For the love of you I have undermined my health, neglected my +child, ruined the fortunes of hundreds of men and women, and committed +m--" + +He could not bring himself to say the word, but he could not help +thinking it, and the thought filled him with horror. The memory of that +dread hour when he expected every instant to be whelmed in the raging +sea rushed upon him vividly. He passed from that to the period of his +sickness, when he used to fancy he was struggling fiercely in the +seething brine with drowning men--men whom he had brought to that pass, +and who strove revengefully to drag him down along with them. He +clasped his hands over his eyes as if he thought to shut out those +dreadful memories, and groaned in spirit. Despair would have seized +upon the gold-lover at that time, had not his guardian angel risen +before his agonised mind. Annie's soft tones recurred to him. He +thought of the words she had spoken to him, the passages from God's Word +that she had read, and, for the first time in his long life, the sordid +man of business exclaimed, "God be merciful to me, a sinner!" + +No other word escaped him, but when, after remaining motionless for a +long time, he removed his hands from his face, the subdued expression +that rested there might have led an observer to believe that the prayer +had been answered. + +A knock at the office-door caused him to start and endeavour to resume +his ordinary professional expression and composure as he said, "Come +in." + +Harry Boyns, however, had not waited for the answer. He was already in +the room, hat in hand. + +"Now, sir," he said, eagerly, "are you ready to start? The train leaves +in half an hour, and we must not risk losing it _to-day_." + +"Losing it!" said Mr Webster, as he rose and slowly put on his +greatcoat, assisted by Harry, "why, it just takes me five minutes to +walk to the station. How do you propose to spend the remaining +twenty-five?--But I say, Harry," he added with a peculiar smile, "how +uncommonly spruce you are to-day!" + +"Not an unusual condition for a man to be in on his wedding-day," +retorted Harry; "and I am sure that I can return you the compliment with +interest!" + +This was true, for Mr Webster had "got himself up" that morning with +elaborate care. His morning coat still smelt of the brown paper in +which it had come home. His waistcoat was immaculately white. His +pearl-grey trousers were palpably new. His lavender kid-gloves were +painfully clean. His patent-leather boots were glitteringly black, and +his _tout ensemble_ such as to suggest the idea that a band-box was his +appropriate and native home. + +"Don't be impatient, boy," he said, putting some books into an iron +safe, "I must attend to business first, you know." + +"You have no right to attend to business at all, after making it over to +me, as you formally did yesterday," said Harry. "If you come here +again, sir, and meddle with my department, I shall be compelled to +dissolve partnership at once!" + +"Please, sir," said Mr Grinder, appearing suddenly at the door, in a +costume which was remarkable for its splendour and the badness of its +fit--for Grinder's was a figure that no ordinary tailor could +understand, "Captain Daniel Boyns is at the door." + +"Send him in," said Webster. + +"He won't come, sir; he's afraid of being late for the train." + +"Well, well," said Webster, with a laugh, "come along. Are you ready, +Grinder?" + +"Yes, sir." + +"Then, lock the office-door, and don't forget to take out the key." + +So saying, the old gentleman took Harry's arm, and, accompanied by +Grinder and Captain Boyns senior, hurried to the train; was whirled in +due course to Covelly, and shortly after found himself seated at a +wedding-breakfast, along with our hero Harry Boyns, and our heroine +Annie Webster, who was costumed as a bride, and looked inexpressibly +bewitching. Besides these there were present excellent Mrs Boyns-- +happily no longer a widow!--and Grinder, whose susceptible nature +rendered it difficult for him to refrain from shedding tears; and a bevy +of bride's-maids, so beautiful and sweet that it seemed quite +preposterous to suppose that they could remain another day in the estate +of spinsterhood. Mr Joseph Dowler was also there, self-important as +ever, and ready for action at a moment's notice; besides a number of +friends of the bride and bridegroom, among whom was a pert young +gentleman, friend of Mr Dowler, and a Mr Crashington, friend of Mr +Webster,--an earnest, enthusiastic old gentleman, who held the opinion +that most things in the world were wrong, and who wondered incessantly +"why in the world people would not set to work at once to put them all +right!" Niven, the old nurse, was there too, of course all excitement +and tears, and so was Bob Gaston, whose appearance was powerfully +suggestive of the individual styled in the ballad, "the jolly young +waterman." + +Now, it would take a whole volume, good reader, to give you the details +of all that was said and done by that wedding-party before that +breakfast was over. But it is not necessary that we should go into full +details. You know quite well, that when the health of the happy couple +was drunk, Annie blushed and looked down, and Harry tried to look at +ease, but failed to do so, in consequence of the speech which had cost +him such agonising thought the night before, which he had prepared with +such extreme care, which contained such an inconceivable amount of +sentimental nonsense, which he fortunately forgot every word of at the +critical moment of delivery, and, instead thereof, delivered a few +short, earnest, stammering sentences, which were full of bad grammar and +blunders, but which, nevertheless, admirably conveyed the true, manly +sentiments of his heart. You also know, doubtless, that the groom's-man +rose to propose the health of the bride's-maids, but you cannot be +supposed to know that Dowler rose at the same time, having been told by +his pert young friend that he was expected to perform that duty in +consequence of the groom's-man being "unaccustomed to public speaking!" +Dowler, although not easily put down, was, after some trouble, convinced +that he had made a mistake, and sat down without making an apology, and +with a mental resolve to strike in at the first favourable opportunity. + +When these and various other toasts had been drunk and replied to, the +health of Mr Crashington, as a very old friend of the bride's family, +was proposed. Hereupon Crashington started to his feet. Dowler, who +was slightly deaf, and had only caught something about "old friend of +the family," also started up, and announced to the company that that was +the happiest moment of his life; an announcement which the company +received with an explosion of laughter so loud and long that the two +"old friends of the family" stood gazing in speechless amazement at the +company, and at each other for three or four minutes. At last silence +was obtained, and Dowler exclaimed, "Sir," to which Crashington replied, +"Sir," and several of the company cried, laughingly, "Sit down, Dowler." + +It is certain that Dowler would not have obeyed the order, had not his +pert young friend caught him by the coat-tails and pulled him down with +such violence that he sat still astonished! + +Then Crashington, ignoring him altogether, turned to Mr Webster, and +said vehemently-- + +"Sir, and Ladies and Gentlemen, if this is not the happiest moment of +_my_ life, it is at least the proudest. I am proud to be recognised as +an old friend of the family to which our beautiful bride belongs; proud +to see my dear Annie wedded to a man who, besides possessing many great +and good qualities of mind, has shown himself pre-eminently capable of +cherishing and protecting his wife, by the frequency and success with +which he has risked his own life to save the lives of others. But, +Ladies and Gentlemen, things more serious than proposing toasts and +paying compliments are before us to-day. I regard this as a lifeboat +wedding, if I may be allowed the expression. In early life the blooming +bride of to-day was saved by a lifeboat, and the brave man who steered +that boat, and dived into the sea to rescue the child, now sits on my +left hand. Again, years after, a lifeboat saved, not only the bride, +but her father and her father's ship; which last, although comparatively +insignificant, was, nevertheless, the means of preventing the fortunes +of the family from being utterly wrecked, and the man who steered the +boat on that occasion, as you all know, was the bridegroom? But--to +turn from the particular to the general question--I am sure, Ladies and +Gentlemen, that you will bear with me while I descant for a little on +the wrong that is done to society by the present state of our laws in +reference to the saving of life from shipwreck. Despite the activity of +our noble Lifeboat Institution; despite the efficiency of her splendid +boats, and the courage of those who man them; despite the vigour and +zeal of our coastguardmen, whose working of the rocket apparatus cannot +be too highly praised; despite all this, I say, hundreds of lives are +lost annually on our coasts which might be saved; and I feel assured +that if the British public will continue their earnest support to our +great National Institution, this death-roll must continue to be +diminished. My friends sometimes tell me that I am a visionary--that +many of my opinions are ridiculous. Is it ridiculous that I should +regard the annual loss of nearly 600 lives, and above two millions of +money, as being worthy of the serious attention of every friend of his +country? + +"Excuse me if I refrain from inflicting on you my own opinions, and, +instead, quote those of a correspondent of the _Times_..." + +Here the old gentleman hastily unfolded a newspaper, and read as +follows:-- + +"`Why should not such an amount of information be obtained as will not +only induce, but enable the Board of Trade immediately to frame some +plain, practical measure, the enforcement of which would tend to lighten +the appalling yearly death-list from shipwreck? The plan I would +suggest is that the Board of Trade should prepare a chart of the British +and Irish coasts, on which every lifeboat, rocket-apparatus, and mortar +station should be laid down and along with this a sort of guide-book, +with instructions giving every particular connected with them,--such as, +their distances from each other, whether they are stationary or +transportable, and the probable time that would elapse before one or the +other could be brought to work with a view to the rescue of the +shipwrecked crew. To illustrate my idea more plainly, I will take the +eastern shore of Mounts Bay in Cornwall. A vessel has been driven on +shore at Gunwalloe; the captain, having this chart, would find that +there is a lifeboat at Mullion, on the south, and a transporting +lifeboat at Porthleven, on the north of him, as well as a +rocket-apparatus at each place. Referring to his book of instructions, +he would find something like this:--"The Mullion lifeboat will drop down +on you from Mullion Island. The Porthleven boat will most likely be +launched from the beach opposite. All going well, one or other of the +boats will be alongside in less than an hour and a half. Look out and +get ready for the rocket lines in an hour after striking." The very +knowledge even that the means of saving life are at hand would enable +the captain to maintain a certain amount of discipline, while passengers +and crew alike would retain in a great measure their presence of mind, +and be prepared for every emergency. And again, as is often the case, +if a captain is compelled to run his ship ashore, with the view of +saving the lives intrusted to him, he would at once find from his chart +and book of instructions the safest and nearest point from which he +could obtain the desired assistance. It should be imperative (not +optional, as at present) for every vessel to carry a certain number of +lifebelts. The cork jacket recommended by the Royal National +Institution is by far the best yet introduced, not only on account of +its simplicity and cheapness, but because it affords, also, warmth and +protection to the body.' + +"Now, Ladies and Gentlemen," continued Crashington earnestly, "here you +have the opinions of a man with whom I entirely agree, for, while much +is done by philanthropists, too little is done by Government to rescue +those who are in peril on our shores. In conclusion, let me thank you, +Ladies and Gentlemen, for drinking my health, and permit me also to +reiterate my hope that the happy pair who have this day been united may +long live to support the lifeboat cause, and never require the services +of a lifeboat." + +Although Crashington's remarks were regarded by some of the +wedding-party as being somewhat out of place, Mr John Webster listened +to them with marked attention, and replied to them with deep feeling. +After commenting slightly on the kind manner in which he had referred to +the heroic deeds of his son-in-law, and expressing his belief and hope, +that, now that he had married Annie, and become a member of the firm of +Webster and Company, a life of usefulness and happiness lay before him, +he went on to say-- + +"I heartily sympathise with you, sir, in designating this a +lifeboat-wedding, because, under God, my daughter and I owe our lives to +the lifeboat. You are also right in stating that the lifeboat has been +the means of preserving my fortunes from being wrecked, because the +saving of the _Ocean Queen_ was a momentous turning-point in my affairs. +But a far higher and more blessed result has accrued to myself than the +saving of life or fortune, for these events have been made the means of +opening my eyes to the truth of God, and inducing me to accept the offer +of free forgiveness held out to me by that blessed Saviour to whom my +dear Annie has clung for many a year, while I was altogether immersed in +business. I feel myself justified, therefore, in saying, with deep +humility and gratitude, that _I_ have been saved by the lifeboat--body +and soul." + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Saved by the Lifeboat, by R.M. 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