“Risk!” exclaimed one of his comrades; “it will be certain death!”
But the daring Coastguardsman had already seized the thin line and plunged into the boiling surf.
His anxious comrades knew that delay would only make death more certain, so they hauled on the endless line as quickly as they could. Of course, being rove through the block before mentioned, the other half of it went out to the wreck with the gallant rescuer holding on. And what an awful swim that was! The line pulled him out, indeed, but it could not buoy him up. Neither could it save him from the jagged rocks that rose out of the sea every now and then, like black teeth which were quickly re-swallowed by each crashing wave. It was more like a dive than a swim, for the seething foam burst over him continually; but every time he rose above the surface to gasp for breath, he sent up a great shout to God for strength to enable him to save the perishing! Those loud prayers were drowned by the roaring tempest, but, though unheard by man, they did not fail to enter the ears of Him who rules in earth and Heaven.
Once the hero was thrown headlong on a rock, and so severely bruised that he lost hold of the rope, and when swept off again was left foundering in the foam. His comrades could barely see that something had happened to him, and a loud cry of consternation arose when they felt the line run light and slack. But our hero caught it again, and the cry was changed to a cheer as they ran him out to the vessel’s side.
He was soon on board, and saw at a glance what was the matter. The crew of the brig, being benumbed by long exposure, had not strength to tie the heavy cable round the mast. This the Coastguardsman did for them at once, and, as he did so, observed that there were two little girls among the crew. Then he gave a well-understood signal with a ship’s lantern to the men on shore, who fastened a slung lifebuoy to their whip line, hung it by a block to the thick cable, and ran it quickly out to the wreck.
There was no time to lose now. Our hero seized the two little girls and put them into the bag which hung from the circular lifebuoy.
“Take care of my darlings,” gasped the captain of the brig, who clung to the ship’s side almost quite exhausted.
“Come, get into the buoy, and go ashore with ’em yourself,” cried our hero.
“No. The three of us would be too heavy; send the steward. He’s a light man and brave,” replied the captain.
The steward was ordered to jump on the buoy and cling to it, so as to guard the little ones and prevent their being thrown out.