“9. These instructions apply alike to all circumstances, whether as regards the roughest sea or smooth water.”
When night came it was what sailors call a “dirty” one, and Sam Hardy announced that Benny would not be allowed to go on patrol.
“You know we made the agreement, lad, that you might share my watch with me except when the weather was too bad, and that’s what I allow it to be now. There’s no good reason why a boy of your years an’ size should tramp up an’ down this coast for four hours when nothin’ more is to come of it than the toughenin’ of him. Stay under cover with Fluff, an’ if it be so we’re called on for work, you shall take your proper station as No. 8 of this ’ere crew.”
Benny did his best, and succeeded fairly well, in keeping from his face the disappointment which came over him at thus being, for the first time, deprived of the opportunity to share in his comrade’s tasks.
He went to bed while Sam was yet on patrol, and nothing disturbed his slumbers until next morning when the cook set about preparing breakfast.
The report from those who had been on duty was to the effect that no vessels had been sighted during the night, and that the stranded steamer had been breaking up rapidly during the past twelve hours.
The sky was yet cloudy, but the snow and sleet had ceased to fall, and the wind showed signs of abating.
Before breakfast was ready the wrecking tugs appeared off shore, and two hours later some of their crews visited the station.
Keeper Downey wrote out his report, and when that was done the work of the life savers, so far as the steamer and lighters were concerned, had come to an end, except as it might be possible later to pick up such wreckage as should drift ashore.
Then the crew settled down to the dull routine of pleasant-weather work, occupying the greater portion of the time in drilling and patrolling the coast.