<h2><SPAN name="CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII. <br/><span class="cheaderfont">WHAT THE MORNING BROUGHT FORTH.</span></SPAN></h2>
<p>And what of the watchers on South Head? Wal
Jessop’s summons had been obeyed, and a small
knot of men, and one or two women, stood looking
out to sea at the doomed ship.</p>
<p><span class="pagenum">[65]</span></p>
<p>‘What is she, Wal?’ said one man. ‘Do you know
her name?’</p>
<p>‘Not for certain; but I’m afraid it’s the <em>Distant
Shore</em>,’ replied Jessop.</p>
<p>‘Captain Manton? I hope not,’ was the reply.</p>
<p>‘She’s helpless,’ said Jessop. ‘There’s no control
over that ship. It’s awful! Here we are, and cannot
lend a helping hand. No boat could live in such a
sea; no man could swim near those rocks.’</p>
<p>They saw the ship lifted upon the top of the waves,
and then sink out of sight again. The large vessel
was no more to the merciless sea than a mere cork.</p>
<p>‘It will not be many minutes now,’ said Jessop to
his wife; and she shuddered, and stepped back from
the cliffs. ‘Go home, Mary,’ he said; ‘this is no
place for you.’</p>
<p>‘I’ll face it now I’m here,’ she said; ‘the crash will
be awful. Can nothing be done to save them?’</p>
<p>‘Nothing,’ he replied. ‘We must wait and see
what the morning brings forth; the sea may have
gone down by then. There’s very little hope that
anyone will be saved.’</p>
<p>They crowded dangerously near the edge of the
cliffs, and strained their eyes in the direction of the
ship.</p>
<p>Suddenly the vessel shot upright under them, deep
down below. She was heaved forward with tremendous
force on the waves, and then came the crash, which
seemed to shake the rock upon which they stood. It
was an awful sound, this rending of timbers, the<span class="pagenum">[66]</span>
grinding and splitting to pieces of a fine ship, with
her living freight, within a few yards of the harbour.</p>
<p>Cries came up from this abyss and made strong
men tremble and weep. Cries for help, and they
could not help, although there was not a man
amongst them but would have risked his life cheerfully
had he thought there was the slightest hope of
saving those on board.</p>
<p>They heard the ship grinding on the rocks, they
heard groans and shrieks, and in a few moments
there came an awful stillness. Even the waves
seemed awed by this terrible disaster, and there was
a lull in the storm. The wind dropped quickly and
moaned dismally.</p>
<p>Wal Jessop lay flat down, and, while a man held
his legs, peered into the depths below, but he
could see nothing but the white foam from the waves.
There was not a trace of the vessel, so far as he could
make out.</p>
<p>‘We must wait till morning, but it’s weary work,’
he said. ‘Would to God we could do something to
help them! They’re beyond help now, I’m afraid.
Poor Manton!’</p>
<p>‘Then, you feel sure it’s the <em>Distant Shore</em>?’</p>
<p>‘I have a presentiment it is. She’s due shortly,
and Manton always liked to make a quick passage.
If it is the <em>Distant Shore</em>, it will be the last trip he
will ever make,’ said Jessop.</p>
<p>‘What shall we do as soon as it’s light?’</p>
<p>Wal Jessop was always the man addressed; the<span class="pagenum">[67]</span>
others recognised him as the guiding hand in this
trouble.</p>
<p>‘We must have ropes ready,’ he said. ‘I’m going
down the rocks as soon as it’s light.’</p>
<p>‘No, no,’ said his wife; ‘you must not, Wal. It
will mean death to you, and then to me. If the rope
broke you would be dashed to pieces. Wait until
you can row round through the Heads.’</p>
<p>‘Nay, my lass,’ he said kindly; ‘even if the gale
drops, the sea will be too rough for any boat to reach
the rocks below. I must go down. There’ll be no
danger, with a stout rope and sturdy arms to hold
me. Think of it, lass—I might save a life. It’s
worth the risk, if only for the chance.’</p>
<p>She knew it would be useless to try and dissuade
him; but she determined to remain and watch.</p>
<p>It was weary work waiting for the light to come.
Ropes had been procured, and a heavy crowbar
driven firmly down.</p>
<p>‘No danger of them breaking,’ said Wal Jessop as
he handled the ropes. ‘You must keep the rope
well away from the rock as you lower me down; if it
frays on a jagged sharp edge it might break.’</p>
<p>At last daylight began to appear, and in these
climes there is not long to wait before it is quite light.</p>
<p>As the men looked over the cliffs they could see no
sign of any living creature. Spars and timbers had
been dashed upon the rocks, and remained there, but
they were the only signs of the wreck.</p>
<p>‘If timber can lodge there,’ said Jessop, ‘maybe<span class="pagenum">[68]</span>
some poor fellow has managed to be cast up out of
reach of the waves. Make ready quickly; we must
lose no time.’</p>
<p>The men set to work with a will. The stoutest
rope was not long enough to reach to the foot of the
rocks, and another long one had to be fastened on.
The end was made fast to the iron bar, bags were
put along the edge of the cliff to prevent the rope
fraying, and, when Wal Jessop had inspected everything,
and found all right, he tied the rope round his
waist, and stood ready to make the descent. It was
a perilous task, for the wind was still high and the
face of the rocks dangerous, having so many sharp
projections against which he might be knocked as he
was lowered down.</p>
<p>He kissed his wife, and bade her think only of the
duty he had to perform; and if there was a spice of
danger in it, why, so much the better, and the more
credit to a man for undertaking it.</p>
<p>‘You ought to be proud I’m going to do it,’ he
said; ‘there’s not a man here who does not envy me
the job, and would like to take it on himself.’</p>
<p>‘That’s so,’ said one of the men. ‘It’s because
we have such respect for your husband that we’re
letting him have first turn. If he wants to go down
a second time, I reckon there’ll be a dispute about it.’</p>
<p>Wal Jessop crawled to the edge of the rocks, and
then, taking a firm hold of the rope, slipped quickly
over. Two men held the rope near the edge, the
others were behind, and one man stood watching<span class="pagenum">[69]</span>
Jessop, giving the signal when to stop and when
to lower.</p>
<p>The wind was blowing strong from the sea, and it
took Wal Jessop all his time to keep himself clear of
the rocks. He dared not push off with his feet because
the wind swung him back violently. He was
bruised and scratched, and his clothes were torn, when
he reached a rock above the level of the waves, and
signalled to stop lowering.</p>
<p>‘He’s down,’ said the man giving orders to the
others, ‘and in a safe place, too.’</p>
<p>Mary Jessop felt thankful for this, but she would
not be at rest until her husband reached the top
again.</p>
<p>Wal Jessop unfastened the rope and left it dangling.
He then sat down and looked around him. Those
above could merely see a small figure contemplating
the scene. On all sides there was ample evidence of
a wreck, but it seemed to Wal Jessop the vessel had
been shattered to atoms.</p>
<p>‘Not much chance of anyone being saved,’ he
thought sadly. ‘How could they be dashed against
these rocks and live?’</p>
<p>He scrambled along from rock to rock and found
very little. A hat or a coat he came across, lodged
high up on some projection. There was plenty of
timber and odds and ends, but not a sign of any
living soul. He searched in one direction, towards
the Heads, for about an hour, and then began to make
his way in the opposite direction. It was hard work,<span class="pagenum">[70]</span>
for the sea was still rough and the wind high, and it
was difficult for him to obtain a firm foothold on
the slippery slabs and slanting rocks.</p>
<p>He was about to give up his search, when he caught
sight of something white lying on a high level piece
of rock some distance away.</p>
<p>‘Wonder what that is?’ he thought. ‘A white
jacket, or something of the sort, I expect. Anyhow,
now I am here, I may as well go and see.’</p>
<p>He scrambled along, and as he neared the object
that had attracted his attention, his heart began to
beat fast. The white garment he fancied covered a
human form. Could it be possible? Had some poor
fellow been cast up by the sea on to a ledge of safety?
He hurried on, in the hope that after all he might be
able to save a human life. What a feeling of exultation
comes over a man when he snatches a fellow-creature
from the jaws of death! Wal Jessop had
saved men’s lives before this time, but he was
anxious to save someone from this fearful wreck if
possible.</p>
<p>As he struggled on over the uneven rocks, he saw
that the ledge upon which the white object lay was
out of the reach of the waves. His practised eyes
saw at a glance that, if a man had been cast up on to
this ledge, he would not be washed back by the
receding waves. He reached the foot of the rock, and
found it a difficult matter to get up the side. He
walked round and found a better foothold on the
other side. It was not long before he reached the<span class="pagenum">[71]</span>
top, and there he saw a sight that brought tears to his
eyes.</p>
<p>Stretched on the rock lay a youth, calm and still—so
still that Wal Jessop thought him dead. It was a
comely face he looked upon, a face he knew would
be fair, indeed, if life still remained to bring back
light to the closed eyes. Clasped in the left arm
of the youth was a child, and she also lay insensible.</p>
<p>Wal Jessop looked down upon them with great
sorrow in his heart.</p>
<p>‘A brave lad this,’ he thought. ‘He must have
fought hard to save that little lass—a brave lad,
indeed, to risk his life for a little child.’</p>
<p>He stooped over them. He had a flask of brandy
in his coat-pocket. He placed his hand on the
youth’s heart and felt there was a slight pulsation.
He could not resist a loud cry of joy.</p>
<p>‘He’s alive yet!’ he shouted. Then he felt the
child’s heart. Yes, it still beat faintly.</p>
<p>‘Both alive!’ he cried. ‘Thank God, they may be
saved!’</p>
<p>He forced some brandy into the youth’s mouth,
and a few drops he gave to the child. Then he
pulled off his coat, wrapped the little girl in it, and
began to rub the youth’s limbs and body to try and
restore animation.</p>
<p>‘Not a case of half-drowned,’ he said. ‘They’ve
been thrown up on to this ledge and stunned. They
must have been insensible for some hours. He’s got<span class="pagenum">[72]</span>
a nasty cut at the back of his head, and the little one
has a big bruise on her temple.’</p>
<p>After rubbing the youth’s hand for some time
Wal Jessop saw signs of returning life. The sight
gladdened him, and he redoubled his efforts.
Presently he heard a faint sigh, the youth’s eyes
opened, and he gazed wildly about him as though
thinking of and looking for something. In a few
minutes he gasped:</p>
<p>‘The child! Little Eva—where——’</p>
<p>‘Safe, my lad. She’s here,’ said Wal Jessop.</p>
<p>A satisfied smile passed over the youth’s face, and
he sank again into insensibility.</p>
<p>‘A brave lad,’ muttered Wal Jessop again. ‘Thinks
of naught but the saving of that little one.’</p>
<p>A faint cry made him turn his head, and he saw a
movement under his coat.</p>
<p>‘The warmth has brought her round,’ he thought.
‘I’ll attend to her first. He won’t come round again
yet awhile.’</p>
<p>He took up the girl and she opened her eyes wide.</p>
<p>‘Where is I?’ she lisped. ‘Where’s my daddy
and my mammy? Where’s Eddy? Who is you?’
Then, as she caught sight of the sea and the rocks,
she began to cry.</p>
<p>‘I’ll take care of you, my lamb,’ said Wal Jessop.
‘Eddy’s asleep—look.’</p>
<p>The girl looked at him and said quickly:</p>
<p>‘No wake him. Eddy very tired. He carried me
long way.’</p>
<p><span class="pagenum">[73]</span></p>
<p>‘Then, I’ll take you home and come back for him,’
said Wal. ‘Give me a kiss, little one.’</p>
<p>She put up her face and he kissed her tenderly.
Then he took her up in his arms and carried her as
gently as possible over the rocks back towards the
rope. Tired and worn out, the child was soon fast
asleep.</p>
<p>‘That’s well,’ said Wal Jessop as he hurried on;
‘she’ll not be frightened as we are hauled up.
There’ll be something for Mary to do here. We’ve
no young one of our own. Perhaps we are to have
this one from the sea. We’ll see about it when the
lad can tell us all.’</p>
<p>When Wal Jessop reached the rope he gave a loud
hallo, and held up the sleeping child. He could hear
the ringing cheers from those on the top.</p>
<p>Having made the rope fast and tied the child firmly
round the waist, he gave the signal to haul up, and
soon reached the top without any mishap.</p>
<p>‘Here, lass, there’s a present for you,’ said Wal, as
he laid the sleeping child in his wife’s arms.</p>
<p>Mary Jessop kissed it fondly, and could find no
words to express her feelings.</p>
<p>‘There’s a lad down yonder,’ said Wal Jessop. ‘I
must go back for him. You take the child home,
Mary. I’ll not be long. There’s no danger. It’s a safe
trip. I’ve been once, and I know the way. Now, lads,
lower me down again, and we’ll soon have the young
fellow up here. He’s a fine-looking chap, and I’m
glad I’m the one to rescue him. Lower away, boys!’</p>
<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
<p><span class="pagenum">[74]</span></p>
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