“Oh, Mollie!” he called, as soon as she came near enough for his voice to reach her, “go back to the Station; you'll catch your death o' cold in this driving wind.”
“No fears for me, Epher,” she called back, “but you must go right up to the Station yourself, you and the men, and get some breakfast, or you'll be down sick, every one of you.”
All hands were only too glad to obey this order, for the lifesaving apparatus was again intact, and they were very hungry. Filing into the big room, they laid aside their tarpaulins, and then sat down to a better breakfast than ever before graced their mess table. It did Mrs. Murray's heart good to see how thoroughly they enjoyed it, and when the captain said, “I'd like to see the wife that can compare with Mollie Murray,” the colour flushed proudly into her face.
It was eight o'clock when the hungry party finished breakfast, and they were just pushing their chairs back from the table when one of their crew, who had been left on the beach on patrol duty, threw open the door and called for aid.
“Can it be possible that we are to have another wreck this morning?” thought the captain, as he and his men hurried into their tarpaulins, and rushed out of the Station. But alas! it was possible, for a short distance up the beach another vessel was stranded. In a moment the little house was quite deserted. Calling for their clothes, the men who had been rescued from the Starling got into them, wet as they were, and, accompanied by Mr. Vale, hastened to render what service they could. Notwithstanding the commotion the mother and baby still slept quietly on in the kitchen, while Sister Julia, Mrs. Murray, and the children crowded into the seaward window of the loft, to watch as best they could the terribly exciting scene taking place below them on the beach.
