Year: 1862

WAVES vi tiic
was most enough to stun a body. Says | to, Ned,
'Ned, you're more spry man than nae, Just
take a look out to sea- WE'LL he'd not gone but
a step or two when the report came again full
and true, and even my old eyes could see the
fash | stepped up and turned off the water,
and Ned and me went and called up the neigh
bors. / sent boy on horseback TO Trcbarfoot
to bring more help; and getting the ropes and
things we should want if anything could be done
for the poor creatures on board the distressed
ship, we went to the point we thought she would
strike on. We had no help from our eyes, but
| were guided by our knowledge of the wind and
the tide.


at might be about five, or between that and
six o'clock, when we got to Saltstone. We coald
not stand against the wind but were obliged to
lie down on the edge of the cliff TO try to dis
! cover the vessel. It.seemed whole night, tho
suppose it could not be more than an hour,
before we coulrl see or hear ANYTHING more than
the flash of the gun and the roar of the winds
! and waves After bit we touched hands, and
went back to a more sheltered place to talk over
| what was best to be done. Some were for light
ing fire TO try TO guide them into Widemouth
| Sandbay, but | knew twas use, for | was
sure the vessel had not rag of canvas standing
to help her helm even if the helm itself was yet
serviceable, and so she could never make reach
to clear Deadman's Corner, and might miss the
only chance of running into deep quiet water
near the Cupboard Rock.


| '.All at once, while we were doubling what
to do, we heard crash and cry, such as only
stranded ship and the pcrishing souls on board
of her can make. All! you talk of Cornish
wrcckcrs-but there was wet eyes among lis
then, and mems hearts that never knew fear,
huttered like leaves ON the lime tree
awe stood right above where the vessel struck.
Sheer up from the beach-we measured it after
wards--two hundred and fourteen feet. Amouse
could not have found footing down that cliff. and
as it was within an hour of high water, no help
could come to them poor souls but by letting
some one down from the place where we stood.


'',Ihe dim light of morning Just enabled us to
see each other, and the white line of the shore
waves. Some thought they could see the wreck;
cannot tell if it was so. For certain we could
hear now and then, fainter, and fainter and faint
CT, the cry of mortal man.


II can't stand this no longer,' says Ned, at
last 81 can't stand here in health and strength,
with nv two hands idle, while they poor crea-
lures are beaten to death against the very rocks
we stand on. Bear hand, herc--fll 60 down
this place"


s.We stood like men blind and deaf for a min
utc and then all tried TO persuade him out of it,
for we thought it was certain death. The rope,
most likely, would be cut through, fraying over
the cliff, or the wipd might dash him with fatal
force against the rocks. But nothing would stop
him he knotted the rope round his waist and,
taking short gatf in his hand, stood ready to
| IL, 7 l. Il . on1 hp


''Give my love to Mary and the ehildien and
if | don't see them more, don't let them come on
the parish


'.lIe shoook hands all round, and then step
ped off, and in n moment he was hanging all his
weight ON the rope we held.


ssFor Gods sake, lower away" he cricd 81
see them"


ave saw them, too, for God rent the black
clouds, and looked through to see that noble deed
In the east there was space of clear sky thro'
which stream of light fell on the scene before
us An awful scene it was The ship was bro
ken to pieces, and with every turn of the waves
her timbers tossed and whirled, and anong them
were the sailors-some past help forever, and
two or three still striving hard for life.


'sJust as Ned touched the beach, one man was
swept out from the narrow ledge they were try
ing TO hold on to, with every third or fourth
wave breaking over them. The man Ned came
to first was lust such another for height and
strength as himself, and we held our breath with
terror when We saw by his actions that he was
(as is often the case) driven mad by his danger,
and was struggling desperately with the only
man who could save him.


For full five minutes they wrcstlcd together.
Sometimes we thought of pulling Ned up, and
so making sure of him; for it was hard choice
between the poor dehnented stranger and Ned's
young wife and three little children But then
the water left them once more, and we saw Ned
had him down with his knee on his chest, and
we knew if the tide gave him time he was his
master So it proved. He whipped o turn or
two of rope round his arms, and catching tight
to him with his left hand, gave the signal to haul
away.


''They had barely left the rock--for we pull
cd easy at first-when the whole keelson OF the
vessel was thrown against the very place they
had stood upon. We had them in our lift, how
ever and if the weight had been twice as much,
it would have come 10 grass if the rope held.


eve were all too busy drawing them to look
to see what happened on the way. hold it as
Bible truth that there's scarce another man but
Ned would have brought that sailor up. lie
had, as 1 have said, one arm around him, and
with the other, warded himself from the sharp
face Of the cliff, but he had some grievous brui-
ses for all his courage and strength.


sWhen the man found himself lifted up in
that strange way, he got more raving than ever,
and finding that he could not use his hands, he
| fixed his teeth in Ned's cheek till they met. For
all the pain and danger, Ned held on, and shall
never forget to my last hour what felt as we
drew them in over the ledge of the cliff, and
knew they were safe.