CHAPTER XVI.
CAST ASHORE.
Benny understood the command given by Keeper Downey, but could notmake up his mind as to how it might be obeyed. It seemed to him in thehighest degree important that he keep to work with the oar, and yet hecould not lay hold of a life-preserver without dropping it.
After having thus attended to the boy's safety so far as was possible,the keeper turned all his attention to the work of so steering thelife-boat that she would strike the shore at the least dangerous point.
The huge lighter, on which could be seen indistinctly the forms of thefour men, was being driven rapidly toward the stranded steamer, and itwas not necessary one should have much experience in such matters tounderstand that if she struck the wreck there was little hope the fourmen could gain the shore alive.
If the crew had been on the cliff with the beach-apparatus, watchingothers being swept down the coast in such fashion, it would not haveappeared to be a particularly dangerous position, because a line couldbe fired across the wreck, or the surf-boat pulled to wheresoever thelighter might come to grief.
Now, however, there was no one on shore to lend assistance, and, as amatter of fact, every member of the crew was in extreme peril.
Benny watched his helpless comrades as he pulled at the oar whileawaiting the opportunity to lay hold of a life-preserver, and,observing that he was not yet prepared for what lay before them,Robbins asked sharply:
"Didn't you hear what the keeper said?"
"Yes, sir; but I can't reach one of the jackets without dropping myoar."
"Let it go, then! None of us are doing very much good now while thewind has such a firm grip on us, and your strength won't be missed.This is the time when you must have your wits well about you, lad, andit's no easy matter to keep a clear head while floundering in the surf."
"Is it certain we'll all be thrown out?" Benny asked as he took up oneof the jackets and began adjusting it.
"There's no help for it. If we're lucky, it may be possible to getthe surf-boat afloat before that lumberin' lighter strikes; but I'mdoubtful as to our succeeding. In all my experience on this coast Inever before saw the life savers so completely knocked out as theyappear to be now."
The four men on the unwieldy craft could be seen making such provisionsfor their own safety as was possible under the circumstances. Justabaft of where the windlass had stood was a narrow hatchway leadingto the shallow hold, and around the combing of this they ran a shortlength of rope to form a life-line. It was a poor makeshift, but one onwhich might depend the lives of four men.
In a single hurried glance Benny saw that Sam Hardy was stripping offthe greater portion of his clothing preparatory to the battle with thesurf, and that the others were peering ahead in the gloom as if tryingto decide at which point the lighter would take the land.
Meanwhile the life-boat had been racing toward the shore withmarvellous rapidity, flung forward by both wind and wave, and thoseon board had no more than time in which to get a general view of thesurroundings before she was being tossed to and fro in the broken waterwhich extended a hundred yards or more from the coast-line.
"Stand ready, boys!" Tom Downey shouted, still doing his utmost toguide the light craft by means of the steering-oar. "Leap clear if sheturns over! Robbins, have a care of Benny; but don't try to do morethan keep his head above water till some of us can give you a lift!"
"Take hold of the back of my coat," the surfman said to the lad aninstant after these orders had been given. "After I have jumped, doyour best to keep on my shoulders, and, above all, don't lose yourcourage. Surely we, whose business it is to save life in the surf,should be able to go through yonder broken water alive."
"Don't pay any attention to me, Mr. Robbins," Benny replied, trying hisbest, and almost successfully, to speak in a firm tone. "You can saveyourself, and it ain't fair to be bothered with me."
There was no time in which to say anything more. Already was thelife-boat rising on the crest of a gigantic wave which promised to dropher on the shoal twenty yards or more to seaward of low-water mark, andall knew that the supreme moment had come.
Not until this instant did Tom Downey relinquish the steering-oar,and the others, including Benny, mentally braced themselves for thestruggle which was close at hand.
Had the men been in the lighter surf-boat, the wave might have carriedthem beyond reach of danger; but the larger craft struck the bottomsome distance from the shore, and it seemed to Benny as if the sternwas flung directly over the bow.
The upheaving of the boat threw him far out over the water before hehad time to leap, and ere Robbins had taken hold of him.
"Don't lose your courage!"
These words which Robbins had spoken were ringing in the lad's ears ashe was plunged head foremost into the boiling waters, and he stroverather to keep his wits about him than to strike out for the shore.
He was conscious of coming in contact with the bottom, and then, ashe rose to the surface, of being drawn back forcibly by the undertow,after which he threw his arms above his head lest he should be dashedagainst a rock.
It seemed as if he was whirled to and fro violently, then flunginshore, only to be dragged back again, and after that came abewildering, sickening sensation, until it seemed as if some heavyobject was pressing directly above him.
Involuntarily he clutched at it, and found a rope in his grasp.
An instant of confusion, and then he realized that he was floating bythe side of the life-boat.
The craft had righted itself after being up-ended, for, unless seriousdamage had been done her hull, she would always swim in proper fashion,and it so chanced the waves had carried her directly over the lad who,by remaining passive in the surf, had done exactly that which was bestcalculated to insure his safety.
"I won't lose my courage!" Benny said stoutly, and his own words servedto animate him.
He hauled on the rope until finding that it was made fast inside thecraft, when, by exerting all his strength, it was possible to clamberinboard, although by so doing the boat was filled to the gunwales withwater.
"With this jacket on, and in a life-boat, I can't sink, and the onlyfear is that I'll be thrown against the rocks, the same as a life saverwhom Mr. Hardy knew," Benny said to himself.
Then, clutching the thwart, the lad looked around him with the ideathat he might be able to render assistance to those of his companionswho had not succeeded in gaining a place of safety.
On the waves near at hand he could see nothing; but ashore was a smallgroup of men gazing toward him.
"Stand by for a line!" he heard Mr. Downey shout, and then all fear forhimself fled as he thought of those on the lighter.
"I am all right!" he cried at the full strength of his lungs. "I'llhold on here while you launch the surf-boat."
He did not wait to hear the reply, but looked hurriedly around for thelighter, and his breath came quick and fast as he saw the huge craftalmost upon him.
The wind was driving her down on a line with the stranded steamer, andthe life-boat, in her lee and sheltered from the gale, was being sweptby the undertow in the opposite direction.
Now he understood that there were other dangers than those of beingdashed against the rocks, and for an instant it seemed certain the endhad come.
He saw a human figure standing near the edge of the huge craft, and tohim he shouted wildly:
"Can't you throw me a line?"
There was no time for a reply. Benny had hardly more than cried outbefore the small boat was grating against the side of the hulk, and atthe same instant he who had been peering over the side leaped down.
The impetus given by the man's body flung the life-boat to one side,and in the merest fraction of time she was astern of the dangerousfabric which swept onward, leaving a wake behind like that of a steamer.
"Is it you, No. 8?" a familiar voice cried, and Benny shouted in reliefand pleasure, for he knew Sam Hardy was with him once more.
"Where are the oth
ers?" he panted as Sam floundered to his side.
"Still on board the lighter; but I'm not allowin' there's any greatdanger for 'em. It begins to look as if the clumsy hulk would clearthe stranded steamer, in which case they have only to hold on till thesurf-boat can be launched. Seein' the life-boat, I took the chancesof jumpin' so she wouldn't be swept out to sea, for it would be queerreadin' if the Superintendent got a letter telling that we'd lost acraft like her. How did you happen to be here alone?"
In the fewest possible words Benny explained what had happened, andasked:
"How are we goin' to get ashore, Mr. Hardy?"
"That ain't troublin' me so much just now as is the question of howwe're goin' to keep her from bein' driven back against the cliff. Sofar as I could see, all hands except you, got ashore without any verygreat trouble, an' they'll soon have the surf-boat over here. What wemust do is to keep off the rocks, an' that'll be a reasonably hard jobwith such a cargo of water as we've got aboard."
"I can bail her."
"As well try to dip up the ocean, for every wave is sweepin' over ushere in this broken water. We're all right for a spell, an' there'snothin' to prevent our watchin' the others."
Benny would have made an attempt to do whatever Sam Hardy might havesuggested, however wild or impossible, and now did his best at peeringthrough the gloom toward that dark mass which he knew was the lighter.
He could distinguish nothing on the shore; but the surfman, having hadmore experience, declared that he could see quite plainly the forms oftheir comrades.
"They don't dare spend the time to go after the surf-boat, but willtrust to what they can do with ropes from the shore. The wreckers haveleft enough gear behind to furnish each man with a life-line, and sincethere's no longer any danger the lighter will strike the steamer, itwon't be a hard job to bring every fellow ashore. I'm still wonderin'what made me jump when I saw the boat, Benny. It was a fool trick,after yonder hulk had taken such a turn as showed she'd strike a sandybottom."
"It was mighty lucky for me that you did come, sir."
"Why, lad? I can't do the first thing toward helpin' us out of thisplight, except by usin' the steerin'-oar when we're nearer in shore,an' you may as well have been alone."
"I'd have been terribly frightened; but now everything is all right."
Sam gathered the boy in his arms for an instant, but made no reply, andduring those few seconds it seemed as if the two were nearer in spiritthan they had ever been before.
"She's struck!" the surfman cried at length, referring to the lighter,and Benny saw a huge cloud of spray rise in the air as if against thebase of a cliff.
"When we first went adrift, Joe Cushing figgered that the danger ofbein' washed away wouldn't be very great, provided she went clear ofthe steamer, for the deck is so broad, and her depth so great, that thewaves won't make a clean breach over her. In their places, I'd take thechances of stayin' there till the tide falls, rather than trust to ahand-rope through the surf."
Sam continued to gaze first at the huge hulk and then at the shore,regardless of his own danger, until Benny recalled him to the fact thatthe life-boat was being driven directly toward a cliff of brown rocks aquarter of a mile beyond where the life savers ashore were stationed.
"Hold on where you are till I give the word," Sam cried as he unshippedone of the spare oars from its beckets and swung it out over the stern."I'm not certain one man can do much more than hold this boat beforethe wind, and if we find that she ain't to be turned from her course,we'll try the surf again."
"Can't I help you?"
"Not a bit, lad, except by sittin' still an' obeyin' orders. Don't befrightened, for----"
"There's nothing to scare me now you're here," Benny replied withsublime confidence, and the surfman muttered a few words under hisbreath, the purport of which Benny failed to hear.
From this moment the two in the boat ceased to pay any attentionto their comrades either on shore or aboard the lighter; their ownsituation demanded every thought, and while Sam Hardy would not haveadmitted as much to his companion, he was seriously concerned regardingthe possibility of warding off the threatening danger.
Freighted with water as the life-boat was, she sailed sluggishly beforethe blast, with not sufficient headway to prevent the waves frombreaking over her continuously, and it was necessary her crew shouldexercise every care to prevent themselves from being washed overboard.
There was no deviation from the course, however; straight toward thatfrowning cliff the wind and waves forced her, and the surfman knew fullwell, although he refrained from giving words to the fact, that it wasnot in the power of man to aid them if they struck the rocks, where thewaves would beat them to and fro until life was crushed out.
"We must take to the water, Benny," Sam Hardy said at length, doing hisbest to speak in a cheery tone. "It ain't an overly pleasant idee; butgoes 'way ahead of stayin' aboard till we can't help ourselves. Can youswim any?"
"A little in smooth water."
"You've got a cork jacket on?"
"Yes, sir, and it kept me up in great shape before, so you needn'tbother about me, for I sha'n't drown so long as I keep my courage."
"I ain't afraid but you'll contrive to do that last. Now listen: we'regoin' to take to the water mighty soon; I'll go over, an' you're tofollow close behind. Once we're afloat, keep a firm hold of my shirtcollar from behind, an' see to it your grip is not loosened."
"Please don't try to drag me, Mr. Hardy. It's certain you'll come outall right alone, an' I'm afraid----"
"Benny, I'd sooner never go ashore than get there without you," Samreplied, speaking very gravely; "so we won't make any talk about thatpart of it. Do as I've said, an' we'll both be back at the stationto-morrow mornin', or neither of us shows up there again. Are youready?"
"Whenever you say the word, sir," Benny replied stoutly, although itseemed as if his heart was in his throat.
"I hate to leave the life-boat, but the Government can easier buy a newone than I can get another lease of life, so here goes. Stand close bymy side, No. 8, an' jump with me."
The boy obeyed promptly, although the strongest man might well havebeen excused for hesitating at such a leap.
The water did not run in waves at this point, but swirled and foamedover the rocks beneath in eddying circles which threatened to suck downeverything within reach until it was like a seething mass of boilingyeast.
"There's depth enough to prevent us from coming to harm against thebottom," Sam said reassuringly, "and we've only to swim a quarter ofa mile before gaining a good landing-place, even if Tom Downey don'tsend some one to help us. All ready, lad! Keep your wits about you, an'leave the rest with me."
Then Sam flung his arm around the boy's waist, pressing the lad closeto him as he leaped.
Down, down, until it seemed to Benny as if they would never reach thebottom, and then came the up-rising, followed by the blessed relief ofbeing able to breathe once more.
It had not been the lad's purpose to follow Sam Hardy's instructions tothe letter.
He had not intended to allow himself to be dragged through the wavesat risk of weighting down his comrade, but proposed to strike out forhimself; and the surfman must have feared some such intention, for,fastening his teeth in the sleeve of Benny's shirt, he held on as a dogmight have done.
The boy understood that Hardy could swim more easily if he held himselfup by clutching the latter's shirt collar, and as soon as he did thisthe surfman released his hold.
So low on the surface of the water were the two, it was impossible togain any idea of where the life savers or the hulk might be.
They were alone amid those angry, seething waters, and it was notreasonable to suppose their comrades could see them.
Had he been dependent upon his own exertions, Benny must speedily havesuccumbed to the violent buffeting of the waves; but Sam Hardy shieldedthe lad whenever it was possible, in addition to dragging him past thefrowning rocks, and finally, after it seemed to the la
d as if halfthe night had been spent, they had arrived at a cove which offered acomparatively safe landing-place.
"Stand up as soon as your feet touch bottom, and run for dear life,"Hardy said, speaking for the first time since they had flung themselvesinto the waves, and the words were no more than uttered when Benny wasable to obey.
Hand in hand the two fled from the raging waters, only to be overtakenand hurled back at the very moment when it seemed as if a place ofsafety had been gained, and then came another wearying, dishearteningconflict with the waves, during which Benny nearly lost his courage.
Once more it was possible to gain a foothold; once more they raced withdeath, and this time the venture was successful. The two gained thepebbly shore above the water-line, so sorely beaten and fatigued thatspeech or movement was impossible until after a rest of several minutes.
Then Sam asked solicitously:
"How are you feelin', lad?"
"I'm all right," Benny replied, panting so heavily that it was onlywith the greatest difficulty he could articulate.
"This ain't the kind of a night when a fellow can lay along the shorevery long without running the risk of freezin' to death. We'd best bemovin' as soon as you can walk."
"I'm ready now," and Benny rose to his feet.
"Throw off that cork-jacket; take hold of my hand, and once we'vestarted, keep movin' as long as it's possible to breathe. We came outof that smother all right, an' now are bound to get back to the stationin such shape that we'll be able to do our full share of the work."
"Will the crew try to do anything more, now that the life-boat isgone?" Benny asked as he followed at a rapid pace by Sam's side.
"We're obliged to do all we can to prevent wreck, an' a dip like thisdon't excuse us from a full share of duty when there's pressin' need."
"It would seem different if there was any one aboard the steamer orlighters."
"We are called on to save property as well as lives, lad, an' whateverdanger we may have been in, or must face later, don't count."
There was no question in Benny's mind but that the three men had beentaken safely from the hulk, because Sam Hardy declared they would be,which declaration was the same to him as a fact; therefore he felt noanxiety until they were within fifty yards of where the lighter laystranded upon the sands.
"The boys are still there," the surfman said as he halted an instant topeer seaward. "I reckon they're right comfortable, though, for the surfdoesn't break over them very badly, and it will soon be possible togive them a line."
"Where is Mr. Downey and the others?" Benny asked, gazing around butwithout seeing any sign of life upon the shore.
Sam Hardy stopped only sufficiently long to assure himself they werenot in the vicinity, and then replied in a tone of conviction:
"Gone back to the station for the beach-wagon."
"Perhaps they never got ashore," Benny added in a whisper of awe.
"Don't get such an idea as that in your head, lad. I'd answer for itevery one didn't go under, an' the fact that there are none here isproof each man answered to his name."
"What do you suppose they thought had become of us?"
"We didn't cut any figger in their thoughts, lad. Most likely Downeyknew I jumped aboard the life-boat, an' after that he counted us outwhen reckonin' how many was in need of help. We'll push on, for it'llbe a hard tug gettin' that cart over these rocks with only half a crew."
"Are the other lighters adrift?" Benny asked as he followed his comradeat a smart pace.
"Ay, lad, an' as near as I can make out, two of them are afoul of thesteamer. There'll be a pretty mess there when the sun rises, an' we'llbe hauled over the coals for it; but I'll thank anybody to tell me howwe could have done more than we did."
At that moment Benny gave little heed to the fate of the strandedsteamer; if the three men could be safely taken from the lighter hebelieved there would be cause for rejoicing, even though all hulksalongshore were dashed to pieces.
Before the two had traversed more than a third of the distance from thescene of the disaster to the station they came upon the remnant of thecrew dragging the beach-apparatus.
Benny may have thought that the keeper would at least congratulatethem upon their escape, but he did nothing of the kind. Danger wastoo frequent a visitor to cause much comment, save at the very momentof its appearance, and the keeper said quietly, as if they had beenengaged in some ordinary duty:
"Got ashore, eh? Where's the life-boat?"
"The other side of Jefford's reef. While the wind holds in this quarterthere's no fear she'll drift far, an' we can pick her up in themornin'."
"Take hold here, and let us finish this job as soon as may be, for Idon't like the idea of leaving the remainder of the coast without apatrol"; and he added after the wagon was in motion once more, with Samand Benny in the rope harness, "Did the other lighters come in?"
"They're grindin' the steamer into toothpicks. Even if we had all handsout there in the big boat, it would be impossible to do anything."
"I know that," Downey replied impatiently, "an' yet it will seem toothers as if we might have done more. A pretty story we've got to tellabout this night's work! A crew of life savers wrecked in a life-boat!If we're not the sport of every man in the Service from this out, I'lleat my hat!"
"And yet there's no man livin' who could have foreseen what happened.It was the proper thing to send us on board the lighter, an' if hergear gave way, we're not to be blamed for it," Sam replied earnestly,and Tom Downey remained silent.