A Chapter of Adventures

r, but he had never sw

reach the spar I sha'n't exhaust myself by going on, but shal

Jack! we won

ming hard under water came u

en's ear. "He is nigh half-way be

o swim fast, so buffeted and tossed was he by the sea, while he was almost smothered by the spray carried by the wind to the top of the waves. He trod water for a moment with his back to the wind, took a deep breath, and then

rope round his chest, and this soon tightened above the water. But Jack felt that the strain of pulling not only him but the spar through the water might be too much for it, and rather than run the risk he again waved his hand, and as soon as the line slacked he fastened i

THE PASSENGERS

s they understood him they pulled in the rope with a will, and more under than above the water he was brought to the side of the smack and lifted on board, the wind bringing down the sound of a cheer from those on board the wreck as he was got ou

rong hawser on it, I see, and there is a lig

later two sailors got over the bulwarks, and a woman was lifted over to them and placed in the strong sling beneath the hawser. A lashing was put round her, and then they waved their hands and the fishermen hauled on the line. In

umped up, gave himself a rub with the blanket, slipped into some dry clothes, and was on deck just as the woman arrived. S

plenty of wood upon the fire, and as soon as the one that is boiling now is empty, fill that up again. I should say there are twenty or thi

s not a moment to lose, for the wreck was breaking up fas

stead of in the direct line of the tide, for one of those tim

rather a mess of it at first; but it is well tha

e women, or rather, the first two were women; the third a girl of ten years old, and the fourth a woman. The

ked as the captain st

your men. I had little hope that one of us would live to see the night when we made you out coming towards us. But there is no time to ta

will jump below and knock out the shackle. Now, captain, if one or two of your men will lend us a hand to get up some canvas, we shall be out of it

ome cocoa here. Well, all who have had a mug come out at once, and let the other

gin to feel warm already; which is natural enough, for t

the orders," the captain

l in the starboard-sheet. Th

r." There was a sharp rattle of

the jib hooked on to the traveller? Out with it, then. Now, up with her. Now man the throat and peak halliards. Up wi

ey would dash down upon her deck, but she slipped easily away. The clouds had broken up much now, but the wind had in no way abated

in said. "I would hardly have believed such a small c

ey," Ben said. "Well handled, they wi

hich of you was it who spran

m nor I can swim a stroke. It was my nephew Jack

ave thought it well-nigh impossible to swim in such brok

h the tide to windward of you and the

w the lead-line over our line. You

till we ought to have tried. That was a stupid trick, to be sure. I allow I should have thought of it any o

ere anything else I can do at present? If not, I will just go below for a minute and see how

regular. As they passed the Mouse Light-ship there were several large steamers

high now, and you can land at any of them without difficulty. But you would get more quickly up to town from Southend or Leigh; and I should recommend ou

ain said. "Of course I am anxious to get on shore

h or Southend; and it is much handier for landing at Leigh, and no distance to

erence one way or the other, and if they have not caug

y there was a good supply of tobacco on board, and the rescued sailors, who had almost all a pipe in th

of the low bawley to struggle safely through the towering waves; but as soon as they saw how well she behaved, and how litt

and had kept the kettles going; he now served out a second supply of cocoa all round, and

knocked down and swept along by the sea soon after the vessel struck. Six of the sailors and two o

and there was a nasty heavy choppy sea until the Bessy passed the end of Southend Pier, when she entered comparatively smo

, and had guessed at once that she had taken the crew off a wreck of som

mate, with orders to go to the "Bell," and to see that they had everything they required, saying that he would hims

ad been already sent up to the doctor on the top of the hill to come down to the Ship Inn, where the party now went. The ladies had become so thoroughly war

t likely to be attended with any serious consequences whatever. After setting it he bandaged it in splints, and said that although he should

shoes had at once been sent up to the "Bell." Furious as was the gale, it was possible to speak so as to

s no James Godstone now. The son is the passenger you saved; he is the owner of a dozen vessels all about the same size as the Petrel. His wif

an saved is the stewardess. Mr. Godstone himself did not go out with us, but went across by Suez and joined us there for the homeward voyage. We made a fine run home; and took our pilot on board off Dea

Anyhow, as he was one of those who were drowned, we need not say whether he was to blame or not. I thought we were getting too close to the broken water, and told him so, but he said we were all right. He didn't make allowance eno

her guns three times. I had no hope of rescue coming from shore, but there was a chance of some ship coming up helping us; though how she was to do it I could not see. However, nothing came near until I saw your sail. I expect that any steamers coming up from the south brought up under the Foreland, while those from th