Saved by the Lifeboat

by R. M. Ballantyne

  Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England

  Saved by the Lifeboat, by R.M. Ballantyne.

  ________________________________________________________________________This book is mainly to describe the lifeboat service, and how privateindividuals can donate the money for building a new lifeboat.

  We start off with a wreck just occurring near a little seaside village,and how the local men rushed down to the beach to do what they could tosave life. We then move to the offices of a mean grasping shipowner,who will do anything to avoid properly equipping his ships with whatthey would need if disaster struck. Eventually he is brought to a moresensible state of mind, and donates money for a new lifeboat.

  There is a good fund-raising chapter, and it is interesting how verymuch the same today's appeals for the lifeboat service are, though ofcourse today's lifeboat is a very different item to the lifeboats ofover a hundred years ago.

  ________________________________________________________________________SAVED BY THE LIFEBOAT, BY R.M. BALLANTYNE.

  CHAPTER ONE.

  THE WRECK IN THE BAY.

  On a dark November afternoon, not many years ago, Captain Boyns satsmoking his pipe in his own chimney-corner, gazing with a somewhatanxious expression at the fire. There was cause for anxiety, for thereraged at the time one of the fiercest storms that ever blew on theshores of England.

  The wind was howling in the chimney with wild fury; slates and tileswere being swept off the roofs of the fishermen's huts and whirled upinto the air as if they had been chips of wood; and rain swept down andalong the ground in great sheets of water, or whirled madly in the airand mingled with the salt spray that came direct from the EnglishChannel; while, high and loud above all other sounds, rose the loudplunging roar of the mighty sea.

  "I fear there will be a call before long, Nancy, for the services of thenew lifeboat," said Captain Boyns, rising and taking down an oilclothcoat and sou'-wester, which he began to put on leisurely; "I'll go downto the beach and see what's doin' at the Cove."

  The captain was a fine specimen of a British sailor. He was a massiveman, of iron build, and so tall that his sou'-wester almost touched theceiling of his low-roofed parlour. His face was eminently masculine,and his usual expression was a compound of sternness, gravity, andgood-humour. He was about forty years of age, and, unlike the men ofhis class at that time, wore a short curly black beard and moustache,which, with his deeply bronzed countenance, gave him the aspect of aforeigner.

  "God help those on the sea," said Mrs Boyns, in reply to her husband'sremark; "I'm thankful, Dan, that you are on shore this night."

  Nancy was a good-looking, lady-like woman of thirty-three orthereabouts, without anything particularly noteworthy about her. Shewas busy with her needle at the time we introduce her, and relapsed intosilence, while her stalwart husband pulled on a pair of huge sea-boots.

  "Did you hear a gun, Nancy?" cried the captain, as a terrific blastshook every timber in the cottage--"there! ain't that it again?"

  Nancy listened intently, but could hear nothing save the raging of thestorm. The captain completed his toilet, and was about to leave theroom when the door suddenly burst open, and a lad of about fourteenyears of age sprang in.

  "Father," he cried, his eyes flashing with excitement, "there's a brigon the sands, and they are going to launch the new lifeboat!"

  "Whereaway is't, lad?" asked Boyns, as he buttoned up his coat.

  "To lee'ard of the breakwater."

  "Oh Harry, don't be too venturesome," cried Mrs Boyns earnestly, as herstrapping boy was about to follow his father out into the pelting storm.

  Harry, who was tall and strong for his age, and very like his father inmany respects, turning round with a hearty smile, cried, "No fear,mother," and next instant was gone.

  The scene on the beach when father and son reached it was veryimpressive. So furious was the gale that it tore up sand and gravel andhurled it against the faces of the hardy men who dared to brave thestorm. At times there were blasts so terrible that a wild shriek, as ifof a storm-fiend, rent the air, and flakes of foam were whirled madlyabout. But the most awful sight of all was the seething of the sea asit advanced in a succession of great breaking "rollers" into the bay,and churned itself white among the rocks.

  Out among these billows, scarce visible in the midst of the conflictingelements, were seen the dark hull, shattered masts, and riven sails of alarge brig, over which the waves made clear breaches continually.

  In the little harbour of the seaport, which was named Covelly, a numberof strong men were engaged in hastily launching a new lifeboat, whichhad been placed at that station only three weeks before, while,clustering about the pier, and behind every sheltered nook along theshore, were hundreds of excited spectators, not a few of whom werewomen.

  Much earnest talk had there been among the gossips in the town when thelifeboat referred to arrived. Deep, and nautically learned, were thediscussions that had been held as to her capabilities, and great thelonging for a stiffish gale in order that her powers might be fairlytested in rough weather, for in those days lifeboats were not sonumerous as, happily, they now are. Many of the town's-people had onlyheard of such boats; few had seen, and not one had ever had experienceof them. After her arrival the weather had continued tantalisingly calmand fine until the day of the storm above referred to, when at length itchanged, and a gale burst forth with such violence that the bravest menin the place shook their heads, and said that no boat of any kindwhatever could live in such a sea.

  When, however, the brig before referred to was seen to rush helplesslyinto the bay and to strike on the sands where the seas ran mostfuriously, all lent a willing hand to launch the new lifeboat into theharbour, and a few men, leaping in, pulled her across to the stairs nearthe entrance, where a number of seamen were congregated, holding onunder the lee of the parapet-wall, and gazing anxiously at the fearfulscene outside.

  "Impossible!" said one; "no boat could live in such a sea for half aminute."

  "The moment she shows her nose outside the breakwater she'll capsize,"observed another.

  "We'll have to risk it, anyhow," remarked a stout young fellow, "for Isee men in the foreshrouds of the wreck, and I, for one, won't stand byand see them lost while we've got a lifeboat by us. Why, wot's the useo' callin' it a lifeboat if it can't do more than other boats?"

  As he spoke there came an unusually furious gust which sent a wave rightover the pier, and well-nigh swept away one or two of them. Theargument of the storm was more powerful than that of the young sailor--no one responded to his appeal, and when the boat came alongside thestairs, none moved to enter her except himself.

  "That's right, Bob Gaston," cried one of the four men who had jumpedinto the boat when she was launched, "I know'd you would be the first."

  "And I won't be the last either," said young Gaston, looking back at themen on the pier with a smile.

  "Right, lad!" cried Captain Boyns, who came up at the instant and leapedinto the boat. "Come, lads, we want four more hands--no, no, Harry," headded, pushing back his son "your arms are not yet strong enough; comelads, we've no time to lose."

  As he spoke, a faint cry was heard coming from the wreck, and it wasseen that one of the masts had gone by the board, carrying, it wasfeared, several poor fellows along with it. Instantly there was a rushto the lifeboat! All thought of personal danger appeared to have beenbanished from the minds of the fishermen when the cry of distress brokeon their ears. The boat was overmanned, and old Jacobs, the coxswain,had to order several of them to go ashore again. In another minute theywere at the mouth of the harbour, and the men paused an instant as if togather strength for the mortal struggle before quitting the shelter ofthe breakwa
ter, and facing the fury of wind and waves.

  "Give way, lads! give way!" shouted old Jacobs, as he stood up in thestern-sheets and grasped the steering oar.

  The men bent to the oars with all their might, and the boat leaped outinto the boiling sea. This was not one of those splendid boats whichnow line the shores of the United Kingdom; nevertheless, it was a noblecraft--one of the good, stable, insubmergible and self-emptying kindwhich were known as the Greathead lifeboats, and which for many yearsdid good service on our coasts. It sat on the raging waters like aswan, and although the seas broke over it again and again, it rose outof the water buoyantly, and, with the brine pouring from its sides, keptend-on to the seas, surmounting them or dashing right through them,while her gallant crew strained every muscle and slowly urged her ontowards the wreck.

  At first the men on shore gazed at her in breathless anxiety, expectingevery moment to see her overturned and their comrades left to perish inthe waves; but when they saw her reappear from each overwhelming billow,their hearts rose with a rebound, and loud prolonged huzzas cheered thelifeboat on her course. They became silent again, however, whendistance and the intervening haze of spray and rain rendered her motionsindistinct, and their feelings of anxiety became more and more intenseas they saw her draw nearer and nearer to the wreck.

  At last they reached it, but no one on the pier could tell with whatsuccess their efforts were attended. Through the blinding spray theysaw her faintly, now rising on the crest of a huge wave, thenoverwhelmed by tons of water. At last she appeared to get close underthe stern of the brig, and was lost to view.

  "They're all gone," said a fisherman on the pier, as he wiped the saltwater off his face; "I know'd that no boat that ever wos built couldlive in that sea."

  "Ye don't know much yet, Bill, 'bout anything a'most," replied an oldman near him. "Why, I've see'd boats in the East, not much better thantwo planks, as could go through a worse surf than that."

  "May be so," retorted Bill, "but I know--hallo! is that her coming off?"

  "That's her," cried several voices--"all right, my hearties."

  "Not so sure o' that," observed another of the excited band of men whowatched every motion of the little craft intently,--"there--why--I dobelieve there are more in her now than went out in her, what think 'ee,Dick?"

  Dick did not reply, for by that time the boat, having got clear of thewreck, was making for the shore, and the observers were all too intentin using their eyes to make use of their tongues. Coming as she didbefore the wind, the progress of the lifeboat was very different fromwhat it had been when she set out. In a few minutes she becamedistinctly visible, careering on the crest of the waves towards theharbour mouth, and then it was ascertained beyond doubt that some atleast, if not all, of the crew of the brig had been rescued. A shortsharp Hurrah! burst from the men on the outlook when this becamecertain, but they relapsed into deep silence again, for the return ofthe boat was more critical than its departure had been. There is muchmore danger in running before a heavy sea than in pulling against it.Every roaring billow that came into the bay near the Cove like a greenwall broke in thunder on the sands before reaching the wreck, and as itcontinued its furious career towards the beach it seemed to gather freshstrength, so that the steersman of the lifeboat had to keep her sterncarefully towards it to prevent her from turning broadside on--or, as itis nautically expressed, broaching to. Had she done so, the death ofall on board would have been almost inevitable. Knowing this, the menon the pier gazed with breathless anxiety as each wave roared under theboat's stern, lifted it up until it appeared perpendicular; carried itforward a few yards with fearful velocity, and then let it slip backinto the trough of the sea.

  But the boat was admirably managed, and it was seen, as she drew near,that the steering oar was held in the firm grip of Captain Boyns. On itcame before the gale with lightning speed towards the harbour mouth; andhere a new danger had to be faced, for the entrance was narrow, and theseas were sweeping not into but athwart it, thereby rendering the dangerof being dashed against the pier-end very great indeed.

  "Missed it!" burst from several mouths as the boat flew round the headof the breakwater and was overwhelmed by a heavy sea which rendered herfor one moment unmanageable, but almost as soon as filled she was againemptied through the discharging tubes in her floor.

  "No fear of father missing it," exclaimed young Harry Boyns, with aproud look and flashing eye as he saw the stalwart form of the captainstanding firm in the midst of the foam with his breast pressed hardagainst the steering oar.

  "Back your starboard oars! Hold water hard!" shouted several voices.

  "She's round! hurrah!" cried Harry, as the boat almost leaped out of thefoam and sprang into the comparatively smooth water at the harbourmouth. The rowers gave vent to a short shout of triumph, and severalworn, exhausted seamen in the bottom of the boat were seen to wave theirhands feebly. At the same time, Captain Boyns shouted in a deep loudvoice--"All saved, thank God!" as they swept towards the land.

  Then did there arise from the hundreds of people assembled on and nearthe pier a ringing cheer, the like of which had never been heard beforein Covelly. Again and again it was repeated while the lifeboat shot upon the beach, and was fairly dragged out of the sea, high and dry, bymany eager hands that were immediately afterwards extended to assist thesaved crew of the brig to land.

  "Are all saved, father?" asked Harry Boyns, who was first at the side ofthe boat.

  "Ay, lad, every one. Fifteen all told, includin' a woman and a littlegirl. Lend a hand to get the poor things up to our house, Harry," saidthe captain, lifting the apparently inanimate form of a young girl overthe side as he spoke; "she ain't dead--only benumbed a little with thecold."

  Many hands were stretched out, but Harry thrust all others aside, and,receiving the light form of the child in his strong arms, bore her offto his father's cottage, leaving his comrades to attend to the wants ofthe others.

  "Oh Harry!" exclaimed Mrs Boyns, when her son burst into the house, "isyour father safe?"

  "Ay, safe and well," he cried. "Look sharp, mother--get hot blanketsand things ready, for here's a little girl almost dead with cold. Shehas just been rescued from a wreck--saved by the new lifeboat!"