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Roger Kyffin's Ward

Page 46

by William Henry Giles Kingston

lately, and become very boisterous, but thestronger it blew the more Harry enjoyed his walks on the cliffs.--Generally Mr. Kyffin accompanied him. One evening, however, it havingrained all the afternoon, he went out later than usual. The air wasfresh and pure, and he was tempted to continue his walk much fartherthan he generally went. At length, growing somewhat weary, he sathimself down in a hollow of the downs. The sun had hitherto beenconcealed, but at length it shone forth below a mass of clouds whichhung overhead, and appeared floating as it were above the horizon, avast ball of liquid fire. Gradually it sank over Portland Head, leavingthe western sky glowing with a ruddy hue. Harry sat on, lost inthought. Now a fresh bank of clouds rose out of the horizon, andjoining those that hung overhead, completely obscured the sky. Twilightcame on more rapidly than usual, it seemed, as the wind increased, andthe clouds rushed by in thick masses overhead. At last Harry becameconscious that time had sped by, and the waning light warned him of therapid approach of night. He knew the way well enough. At the same timethere were several difficult places which he would have preferredpassing in daylight. He hurried homeward along the cliff, but thedarkness increased, and at length, reaching a path which led down to thebeach, and recollecting that the tide was out, he descended by it,intending to continue his walk that way homeward. It was soon so darkthat he could with difficulty see his way along the shore. Still, hefound it somewhat tedious work walking along the beach, and upwards ofan hour passed away after it became dark before, according to hiscalculation, he had reached that part of the beach which lay below thecottage. Just as he was about to turn away inland the sound of a guncame in from the sea. Another and another report followed. He stoodfor a few minutes wondering from what vessel the guns were fired.Presently his eye caught sight of the flashes. Several others followed.The vessel firing was drawing nearer and nearer. He could not bringhimself to leave the shore, hoping that Mr. Kyffin would not be alarmedby his absence. The wind whistled loudly. The seas came rolling inheavily on the beach, bursting with loud roars, throwing up the whitespray, which was driven in showers inland. Harry was soon pretty welldrenched, but he had been too much accustomed to a wet jacket to thinkof it. Suddenly the clouds parted, and the moon burst forth, shedding apale light over the wild, dancing waters. Just on the spot where herbeams fell he distinguished a vessel running in towards the shore. Thatshort glance showed him that she was a lugger. She seemed to becarrying a press of sail, considering the heavy gale blowing. Again theclouds parted, and at some distance astern of her, his keen seaman's eyecaught sight of a larger vessel. It was from her the guns were fired,for at that instant a flash was soon followed by the dull report of agun, sounding even above the roar of the ocean. The position of bothvessels was perilous in the extreme. In a few minutes the lugger mustinevitably run on shore; but being probably a light craft, by beingdriven high upon the beach her crew might be saved; but if the largervessel struck, it would be at a considerable distance farther out, andthe seas would with terrific force instantly break over her and wash allthe people off her decks. He longed to have the means of making asignal to the vessels of their danger. That seemed impossible. At nogreat distance were several cottages inhabited by fishermen and otherseafaring people.

  "I will go and collect them," Harry said to himself, "and get them tobring ropes and spars. We may save the lives of some of these poorfellows. Without help they must nearly all be washed off again, evenshould they be thrown on the beach."

  Harry was not mistaken as to his position, and after some time, thoughnot without difficulty, he found his way up the cliff and saw a lightburning in one of the cottages which he was endeavouring to reach. Heshouted out to the inmates, and at length a door opened and a lightstreamed forth. By its means he got to the front of the cottage, andtold the men what was likely to occur. In a short time they were all onfoot and hurrying down with him to the beach, laden with the poles andropes he advised them to bring. At that moment a light burst forth fromthe top of a neighbouring cliff, and it was repeated by another from abeacon a little way inland. The guns then had been heard by thecoastguards. By the time Harry had returned to the beach, a number ofpersons were collecting from all sides. Numerous other beacons in ashort time blazed forth. The crowd were uttering various cries andexclamations.

  "It is a French fleet," cried one; "the French are coming."

  "To arms! to arms!" shouted others.

  "What is to be done?" asked some of the more timid. Several hurriedback, declaring it was time to get out of harm's way. Harry was glad atlast to hear Mr. Kyffin's voice. He made his way up to him. "I wasafraid you would be anxious about me," he said; "but I felt that I oughtnot to come home to let you know till I had collected the people, incase there should be a shipwreck, to help the sufferers."

  "She will be lost to a certainty," cried the seamen in the crowd.

  Just then the dark sail of the lugger was seen, now lifted up, as sherose on the top of the sea, now sinking down into the trough. On shecame. Those on board must have been well aware of the fate awaitingthem. Still they made no attempt to haul off.

  Harry, calling to the people assembled, formed a party of men with ropesand spars who, secured one to the other, were to rush into the sea, andendeavour to drag out those who were washed overboard. Others were tostand by, ready to carry them up the beach out of the reach of thewaves. The arrangements were made not a moment too soon. With a loudcrash the lugger was seen rushing up the beach. In another instant, thefollowing sea, with a loud roar, washed completely over her, and she wasdriven broadside on to the shore.

  CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.

  HAPPY NEWS.

  Several persons were carried off the decks of the wreck, and had it notbeen for the hardihood of those who rushed into the water, wouldinevitably have been swept away. Some of the crew, as the sea receded,leaped overboard and endeavoured to gain the shore. They also werehelped in the same manner. Several poor fellows, however, were unableto reach the friendly hands held out to them, and were carried out bythe waves. One of the number was, in another minute, dimly seen to bestruggling forward on the curling summit of a foaming sea. Harry, whohad ever been a bold swimmer, casting a rope about himself, now dashedin towards the almost exhausted man. Bravely he swam forward. Heclasped him in his arms, and then shouting to his companions, was hauledup the beach in safety. A few more seas, came rushing in, and scarce aplank or timber of the lugger hung together. The greater number of thepersons on board had been saved. They seemed, however, to be nostrangers to most of the people on the beach. For some minutes Harryhad been so busily engaged in rescuing others that he had not had timeto speak to the person he had drawn out of the water. Great was hissurprise, on returning to the drier part of the beach, when the light ofa lantern fell on a man's countenance he recognised--the features of hisold acquaintance, Captain Falwasser. Several other persons were seatednear him: one was a female, and the other an old man.

  "What, my friend Harry Tryon!" exclaimed the captain, grasping him. "Mylife, I know, is not the first you have saved. Harry, I have news foryou," he said, as if recollecting himself. "You shall have itby-and-bye. But these poor people require to be housed. They areshivering with the cold, and I must confess that I should like to findmyself before a warm fire."

  "Our cottage is at the service of as many as can get into it," said Mr.Kyffin, coming up to the captain. "Our friends here will, I have nodoubt, take care of the rest."

  The lugger had come across empty, greatly to the disappointment of mostof the bystanders.

  "As fine a craft as ever floated has come to her end this night,"observed one of them. "Well, lads, there is nothing more to be done, sowe will back to our homes and get some of these poor fellows put intowarm beds."

  The captain and two old French people, with two or three more persons,accompanied Mr. Kyffin and Harry to the cottage. As they reached thetop of the cliffs, they saw, far and near, the beacon fires burstingforth, and heard the sound
of guns firing in the distance.

  "Why the people must suppose that the French are coming," observed Mr.Kyffin. "Depend upon it that is the idea. We shall have the whole armyof volunteers down upon us before long, and when they find that you,captain, and your two old friends are the only invaders, they may be aptto feel rather irate; our safest plan will be to get housed comfortablybefore they come. It will do the young soldiers no harm to give themsome useful exercise. I only hope, should the enemy ever come, that theguardians of our native land may be as wide awake as they appear to beto-night."

  The cottage was shortly reached. Susan, Harry's old nurse, now growninto a comely matron, acted as housekeeper; a blazing fire in thekitchen soon restored warmth to their limbs, while all the garmentswhich the house could furnish were brought forth to

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