| CHARLIE THE COX
A LIFE POEM BY HALL CAINE Painting by CHARLES NAPIER HEMY, R.A. Drawings by ARCH. WEBB |
Charlie was the cox of our Peel lifeboat. A braver spirit never sailed the sea.
Years ago, in a terrific gale, a ship from Norway, the St. George, came dead on for the wildest part of our coast, the fierce headland that lies back of the old Castle rock. The sound signal was fired, and Charlie and his brave comrades went out to her. She was reeling on the top of a tremendous sea, and there was no coming near to her side.
It was an awful task to get the crew aboard the lifeboat, but Charlie saved every soul, and lost not a hand of his own. When the "traveller" was rigged and the "breeches" were ready, and the crew of the doomed ship were at the bulwarks waiting to leave her, Charlie sang out over the clamour of the sea:
"How many are you?"
"Twenty-four," came back as answer.