Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1882-02-23
THE LADY BLANCHE LIFEBOAT.

The LADY BLANCHE LIFEBOAT.
He was drunk as usual On his watch
though there was q big gale blowing out Eat
sea, with gathering signs of storm over
head; and it might be that the lifeboat
would have some work to do before morn
ing. .s HI If n h.
But what did Peter Penco1row care about
tho hfeboat. except for the salary Of Ell d
week which he drew as its custodian? No
body in the village of Polloot had looked
with kindly eye on the arrival Of this fool
ish boat--as they called (which was to
take the harvesting out of their mouths.
For the population were Wreckers to a man
aud woman, and they termed it harvesting
when some well freighted ship was driven
on to the great Needle Rock OFF their coast
and went to pieces ,;..8gB Ell
Such accidents happened TOO rarely for
Their taste~--onca @ Year or whereabouts.
and the booty was often miserably small
But there had been years within the memory
OF sone Of the inhabitants, who were not
yet old, when a dozen vessels Of all sizes
had foundered in single winter, and
when the luck OF the wreckers had been
large. 1t was in q winter Of this kind that
9ld Peter Panetorrow had made his fortuna.
lie Was young then, and it was said hat he
had picked up a package of diamonds from
the Brazil as his share of the spoils Any
how, he disappeared from Polloot, and
went to live in London, like q gentle1 IAN
as some supposed; though others affirmed
that he ran through his money pretty fast,
aad went through multitude of queer "a
ventures afterwards. Twenty-Five yeals
after his departure he returned to the VIII.
lage with a boy sixteen and q girl one yeal
younger; and soon afterwards he was APP
pointed custodian of the lifeboat Lady
Blanche, when had been presented to
Poltoot by the rich and good Cornish Earl,
and chlIsteued after his fayorite daughter,
Peter Pencorrow was not liked ct Polloot.
Ii was said that he had 'blown the gatf. z
He was accused Of having, while steward
ON board an old steamer. told number Of
ugly stories to the Earl and Lady Blanche.
who were returning home from q tour in
America; insomuch that my lord and his
daughter had made vow to dedicate
hfeboat at once to the salvation of human
life. There was some talk of blasting the
Needle Rock, and erecting a lighthouse on
that dangerous part Of the coast. Engineers
had come to take soundings, and their oper-
atlons had been watched with slllen wrath.
Harold Ireeorpe, the biggest, most scowl-
ing fisherman in the village "a fellow whose
face looked murder, and whose mouth
never opened without q curse-had sworn
That if he hanged for it Pencorlow should
never live to see life saved by his boat
nor vessel warned Of danger by the beacon
Of 8 lighthouse. Before long, however,
Peter Pencorrow, ceased to be SO much
hated. He Was d worthless scamp, always
drunk, and his chosen companion came to
be Harold Trecorpe, who had several times
threatened his life. Drunken men are not
dangerous, save to themselves, at least such
is the popular idea, and Harold used to
laugh an odd mocking laugh when anybody
talked Of what things the Lady Blanche
would do With her signals, her rockets, and
all her costly and complete apparatus for
salvage the first time that q vessel stood in
peril Of touching on that dangerous Needle.
2 Three year spassed, ard the lifeboat did
nothing. TIL ey happened to be exception
ally disastrous years from the Pollooters'
point OF view, for though wrecks enough
took place on other parts OF the coast, no
craft Of any consequence foundered on the
Needle. BY this time Harold Trecorpe was
captain Of the Gfeboats crew. Heand sew
en- other men received se12 year apiece
from the Earl TO go out practicing some
times with the boat ana to hold themselves
in readiness at any time when their services
might be wanted, If they saved lives, they
were to have each q bounty of ye1 pound on
every human head rescued. Nay they we're
to have fifteen shillings, too, Tor every dead
human body they brought to shore. Thus
had tho Earl and his daughter tried to enlist
She cupidity of these men on the side Of
b manity, hoping, may be, that some high
81 agencies would work too for the reclaim
ing of 3 population as barbarous and de-
based rs any in these isles.
pata,, 1iva6 i'm Y,roffv hnuaa
which his patron had built for him near the
large white shed where the hfeboat was
kept. There was q pharmacy III the place,
with two rooms holding. three beds each,
which were to be reserved for half drowned
men and women who might be drawn out
Of the sea; and there We're d great number
of useful appliances for restoring lives that
might be just Pickering out Sometimes
Che Earl and Lady Blanche would drive to
the village to see if everything was in good
order: but since their carriage could be
seen 1--WE miles off as it wound down the
b steer road ON the rock side, leading to Pol
loot. Peter and his daughter Meg always
had about an hour notice to set things tidy
peter now lived alone with his daughte,
MARGARET, His son had left him in DISCUS
60 enlist, and Meg only remained witt
y hin, because there was nothing else for he
h, do She had been cursed at and cud
relled by him all through her childhood
She had been his drudge, his scapegoat y
every one Of those drunken fits OF his Whlc
REQUIRED daily, and her body bore marks
brutal kicks he had given her when "a
was little thing, with limbs Sill tende
and Veal. But now she had grown up t
be a tall, strong girl, with q tanned fac
aud determined look, so that Peter va
afraid Of her. He used to hide his none o. !.
from her, as q bad boy does from his mosf
er, and il she wanted anything Tor house
hold expenses she had to search hls penci
cts when he was dead drunk. HoWe Y