The Thorogood Family | Page 5

spot of partial shelter at the foot of the cliffs
where man could stand on that fearful night. Here the men of the
Coastguard had set up the rocket apparatus. The rocket was in position,
and about to be fired, when our black-bearded Coastguardsman arrived.
The light was applied. Suddenly the group of spray-washed men, and a
few pale-faced spectators who had ventured to descend, and part of the
overhanging cliffs, burst into intense light as the great rocket went out
to sea with a wild roar. It was like a horrid fiery serpent, and carried a

line tied to its tail! It plunged into the waves, and all was dark again,
but there was no cheer from the wreck. The aim had not been good, and
the rocket-line had missed its mark.
"Fetch another! look alive!" shouted our black-bearded friend, as he
seized, set up, and aimed a second rocket.
Again the light burst forth, and the rocket sprang out in the teeth of the
gale. It fell beyond the brig, and the line caught in the rigging! The
wrecked crew seemed to understand what was required of them, for
they immediately began to haul on the rocket-line. To the shore-end of
it was fastened, by the men on the rocks, a block or pulley with a
double or endless line, called a "whip," through it. When the men in the
brig had hauled this block on board they fastened it to the stump of the
main mast. Then the rescuers on shore tied a thick cable or hawser to
their double line and ran it out to the wreck, but when this thick rope
reached the crew, they did not seem to know what to do with it, for it
was not hauled upon, but continued to hang loose.
"They must be foreigners, and don't know what to do next," said one.
"P'rhaps they've got too cold to work it," said another. "I wish we had a
little more light to see what they're about."
"We can't afford to wait," cried our friend Blackbeard, quickly
throwing off his upper garments; "run me out, lads, on the whip. There
won't be much risk if you're quick."
"Risk!" exclaimed one of his comrades; "it will be certain death!"
But the daring Coastguardsman had already seized the thin line and
plunged into the boiling surf.
His anxious comrades knew that delay would only make death more
certain, so they hauled on the endless line as quickly as they could. Of
course, being rove through the block before mentioned, the other half
of it went out to the wreck with the gallant rescuer holding on. And
what an awful swim that was! The line pulled him out, indeed, but it

could not buoy him up. Neither could it save him from the jagged rocks
that rose out of the sea every now and then, like black teeth which were
quickly re-swallowed by each crashing wave. It was more like a dive
than a swim, for the seething foam burst over him continually; but
every time he rose above the surface to gasp for breath, he sent up a
great shout to God for strength to enable him to save the perishing!
Those loud prayers were drowned by the roaring tempest, but, though
unheard by man, they did not fail to enter the ears of Him who rules in
earth and Heaven.
Once the hero was thrown headlong on a rock, and so severely bruised
that he lost hold of the rope, and when swept off again was left
foundering in the foam. His comrades could barely see that something
had happened to him, and a loud cry of consternation arose when they
felt the line run light and slack. But our hero caught it again, and the
cry was changed to a cheer as they ran him out to the vessel's side.
He was soon on board, and saw at a glance what was the matter. The
crew of the brig, being benumbed by long exposure, had not strength to
tie the heavy cable round the mast. This the Coastguardsman did for
them at once, and, as he did so, observed that there were two little girls
among the crew. Then he gave a well-understood signal with a ship's
lantern to the men on shore, who fastened a slung lifebuoy to their whip
line, hung it by a block to the thick cable, and ran it quickly out to the
wreck.
There was no time to lose now. Our hero seized the two little girls and
put them into the bag which hung from the circular lifebuoy.
"Take care of my darlings," gasped the captain of the brig, who clung
to the ship's side almost quite exhausted.
"Come, get into the buoy, and go