Ben Hadden | Page 6

their boats, instead of waiting for our
coming, as if they could reach the shore in her." Such was indeed the
case. A small boat was lowered, and several people were seen to leap
into her. She shoved off, but a current, of which the strangers could not
have known, swept the boat towards the breakers. In another instant she
was rolled right over, and all in her must have perished. Still the
Haddens, thinking that others might be left on board, pulled on lustily
to give them help.
As they rowed out more to sea, they saw another boat making her way
towards the wreck. She had come from a hamlet a short distance to the
north of Sandhills, from which place the wreck had been seen as well
as from the Haddens' village. Though she had not left the shore till after
the Haddens' boat had put off, she had the wind more in her favour, so

it seemed likely that she would reach the wreck as soon as they could.
When more than one boat is launched to go to a wreck, there is always
a rivalry among the boatmen of the coast to try who will be the first on
board, and if anything had been wanting to make the young Haddens
toil harder than they had been doing, this would have made them. Still,
the gale blew so strong that they could scarcely make any way against
the wind, and all they could do at times was to keep the boat with her
head to the sea to prevent her from being swamped (or filled with
water). Yet on they went. They believed that they might be able to save
some of their fellow-creatures from death, and that thought was enough
to make them run all risks.
The last squall had been stronger than any others. Soon after it had
passed over, John Hadden took a steady look to windward. "My boys,"
said he, "the gale is breaking. By the time we get up to the wreck, it
will be calm enough to allow us to climb on board. It is to be hoped
that her crew will stick by the vessel. No! what folly! they have
launched another boat, and she will meet, I fear, with the fate of the
first." He was silent for some minutes, while he looked now and again
towards the wreck. "I feared so!" he cried at last; "they are lost, every
one of them; no man could swim through that boiling surf."
Nearly another half-hour passed after this before the two boats got up
to the wreck. The gale had by this time very much abated, and, the tide
having turned, the sea had gone down. The boats pulled under the lee of
the wrecked vessel, which held well together, and had her crew stayed
on board, they might have been saved. Not a person was to be seen on
deck. The fishermen shouted loudly; no one came. It seemed certain
that all must have perished. Without help from the ship it was at first
difficult to get on board, except at great risk. However, after waiting
some time longer, the boats were able to run alongside, and the crews
reached her deck. They searched the ship through; not a human being
was found on board. A fire, however, was burning in the cabin grate,
and before it sat a cat, quietly licking her paws. (A fact.) Instinct had
guided her better than man's sense, of which he is often so proud.
The Haddens, with the men of the other boat, began, without loss of

time, to search through the ship. She was a foreigner. It was clear that
those who had left her were in great fear, and had thought only of
saving their lives. Many articles of value lay scattered about in the
cabins. John Hadden and his sons were on deck; the rest were below.
"Hurrah!--a prize! a prize!" cried one of the men of the other boat. "A
box of gold!"
"Hush!" cried one of his companions. "Don't talk of it, man. If no one
else sees it, we may have it all to ourselves."
At that moment John Hadden entered the cabin. His eye fell on the box,
as the men were trying to hide it; he looked at what was in it. "Friends,
this property is not ours," he remarked, in a calm, firm voice; "we shall
get a fair reward if we succeed in saving it. I hope, if we stay by the
ship, that we may get her off, at the top of the next flood, by lightening
her a little. What say you? Will you stay by my lads and me, and do the
job?"
The other men, however, had set