'But, child, the bark may have some; anyhow, our sending up rockets would, I feel certain, only confuse the coastguard. They would know even in the dark that these were sent up from the shore, and imagine we were only just having some fireworks.'
'That is true; but, oh dear, it is terrible!' Then suddenly she added, 'I think we should light a fire just here; that would warn them off.'
'Yes, Miss Lotty.'
The child let go Antony's hand now, and he knew she meant business. There was dead wood, with withered furze, lying about here, and all hands commenced at once to collect it. Even Wallace brought piece after piece and wisely laid it down beside the rest. And in five minutes' time a red, roaring fire was gleaming through the darkness far across the sea.
Those on that devoted bark saw the fire even if they could not perceive the treacherous rock; and, knowing too well what it meant, tried to luff and get farther out to northwards. From the lights which now appeared upon her, Lotty could tell that she had put about and was trying to work into the wind's eye.
They left the cliff, and left Chops there to feed the flames, and by making all haste were not long before they reached the camp. It would now be about nine o'clock, or hardly; and so heavy were the clouds that nothing was to be seen, never a star above, and only the shifting lights in the camp. Little to be heard either except the wash and swell of the breakers and the occasional wild scream of a sea-bird. That was an ugly coast at night for vessels to get near when the shore was a lee one, and more especially in the dark o' the neap, with a falling tide.
As they were still gazing, with hands above their eyes, out into the pitchy gloom of that wild sea, suddenly there was a flash as of red lightning, then a gun roared out, awakening a hundred echoes among the rocks.
'Oh, Mr Blake, Mr Blake, the bark has struck!'
'I fear she has, Lotty. But nothing can be done. Why, I wonder, do they not fire a rocket?'
'Because, dear Mr Blake, perhaps they haven't one.'