The Pirate Island | Page 8

to their little craft--opened the companion leading down into the Seamew's tiny after-cabin, and the poor souls from the wreck were conveyed below, out of the reach of the bitter blast and the incessant showers of icy spray. Bob and two or three others of the smack's crew also went below and busied themselves in lighting a fire, routing out such blankets and wraps of various kinds as happened to be on board, and in other ways doing what they could to ameliorate the deplorable condition of their guests. Fortunately the wind, dead against them on the way out, was fair for the homeward run, and the Seamew rushed through the water at a rate which caused "Dicky" Bird to exclaim--
"Blest if the little huzzy don't seem to know as they poor innercent babbies' lives depends on their gettin' into mother Salmon's hands and atween her hot blankets within the next hour! Just see how she's smoking through it."
Very soon the "Middle" lightship was reached, and as the smack swept past old Bill shouted to the light-keepers the joyful news of the rescue. A few minutes afterwards three rockets were sent up at short intervals from the smack, as an intimation to "mother" Salmon that her good services were required; and in due time the gallant little smack found her way back to her moorings in the creek.
The anchor was scarcely let go when three or four boats dashed alongside, and "Well, Bill, old man, what luck?" was the general question.
"Five-and-twenty, thank God, men, women, and children," responded old Bill. "Did ye catch sight of our rockets, boys!"
"Ay, ay; never fear. And `mother' ashore there, she's never turned-in at all this blessed night. Said as she was sure you'd bring somebody in; and a rare rousing fire she's got roaring up the chimbley, and blankets, no end; all the beds made up and warmed, and everything ready, down to a rattlin' good hot supper; so let's have these poor souls up on deck (you've got 'em below, I s'pose), and get 'em ashore; they must be pretty nigh froze to death, I should think."
At Bill's cheery summons the survivors from the wreck staggered to the smack's deck--their cramped and frozen limbs scarcely able to sustain them--and the bewildered glances which they cast round them at the scarcely ruffled waters of the creek glancing in the clear frosty moonlight, with the fishing smacks and other small craft riding cosily at anchor on either side, the straggling village of Brightlingsea within a stone's throw--a tiny light still twinkling here and there in the cottage windows, and a perfect blaze of ruddy light streaming from the windows of the "Anchor," and flooding the road with its cheerful radiance--the bewildered glances with which they regarded this scene, I say, showed that even now they were scarcely able to realise the fact of their deliverance.
But they were not left very long in doubt about it. As they emerged with slow and painful steps from the smack's tiny companion, strong arms seized them, all enwrapped in blankets as they were, and quickly but tenderly passed them over the side into the small boats which had come off from the shore for them. Then, as each boat received its complement, "Shove off" was the word; the bending oars churned the water into miniature whirlpools, and with a dozen powerful strokes the boat was sent half her length high and dry upon the shore. Then strong arms once more raised the sufferers, and quickly bore them within the wide- open portal of the hospitable "Anchor," where "mother" Salmon waited to receive them.
"Eh, goodness sakes alive!" she exclaimed, as the first man appeared within the flood of light which streamed from the "Anchor" windows. "You, Sam; you don't mean to say as there's women amongst 'em."
"Ah! that there is, mother," panted Sam, "and children--poor little helpless babbies, some on 'em, too."
The quick warm tears of womanly sympathy instantly flashed into the worthy woman's eyes; but she was not one prone to much indulgence in sentiment, particularly at a time like the present; so instead of lifting up her hands and giving expression to her pity in words, she faced sharply round upon the maids who were crowding forward, with the curiosity of their sex, to catch a first glimpse of the strangers, and exclaimed--
"Now then, you idle huzzies, what d'ye mean by blocking up the passage so that a body can get neither in nor out? D'ye want these poor souls to be quite froze to death before you lets 'em in? You, Em'ly, be off to Number 4 and run the warmin' pan through the bed, and give the fire a good stir. Emma, do wake up, child, and take a couple of buckets of hot water up