the storm that culminated on that november morning was the worst that had been known on the moorlow coast for years. the wind, which was north-east, blew a hurricane averaging eighty-four miles an hour. the beach was flooded by a furious surf, and, strangely enough for that time of the year, the weather was freezing cold. in less than ten minutes after the second vessel stranded captain murray's crew was abreast of her, but in the meantime she had worked to within a hundred yards of the beach, and joe burton, running down behind a receding wave, cast a line on board with a vigorous throw of the heaving-stick.
“hurrah for burton!” cried harry. “he's a fine fellow, i tell you.”
as soon as the line reached the ship, the sailors on board of her tugged away at it until they had pulled up the larger line, on which captain murray purposed to send out the breeches-buoy. but before the buoy could be rigged up, the sailors, ignorant of his purpose, showed that they were going to endeavour to reach the land by coming hand-over-hand along the rope. captain murray and his men shouted from the shore, and wildly gesticulated, for it seemed impossible that any of them could reach the shore alive in that way. the surf was very violent, but the greatest danger lay in the fact that the position of the brig in the set of the strong current caused an enormous swirl of water between her and the beach, which retained eddying masses of wreckage, mainly cord-wood from the wreck of the starlings and which masses were continually swept out by the undertow, and hurled in by the breakers.
“oh, those foolish men! those foolish men! why don't they understand and see their danger?” cried sister julia, attempting to draw the children away from a sight so distressing; but the boys were immovable. mrs. murray, sister julia, and nan went down to the little kitchen to wait, since they no longer had the heart to watch.
“there, one of the fellows has started!” cried harry, with long pauses between his sentences, “and he's all right so far. no; my goodness, there he goes! a wave has flung him over the rope, and his head is caught between the cords of the whip-line. he will choke to death. no! there goes burton again right into the surf holding on to the line. there! he's got him, he's got the sailor; but how can he ever bring him to land? see, rex, he's clinging to a piece of driftwood with one hand, and holding on to the sailor with the other.”
“oh! but another man is trying it now!” exclaimed rex. “oh! why don't they wait? look there—and another one of the crew has plunged in after him; but, goodness! the driftwood has knocked him completely under. ah! there go two more of the men in to his rescue, and burton is in the breakers again, too. who's that with him, harry?”
“i can't make out, but—hurrah! they've reached the sailor; they'll save him, i know.”
and harry was right; they did save him, and five others besides, all of whom attempted the same foolhardy method of reaching the land, and all of whom were rescued by the same hand-to-hand struggle in the surf on the part of captain murray's gallant crew.
“i never saw such bravery, never!” called mr. vale, and it could plainly be seen that his enthusiasm cheered the men wonderfully in their perilous work. he longed to plunge in with them, but he knew that he would be powerless to render any aid. it was their long experience that was standing the crew in such good stead. by this time a crowd had gathered on the beach, that is, every able-bodied resident of moorlow was there, and as the last sailor was brought safely to shore a hearty cheer went up that, for the moment, even rose above the pounding of the breakers on the shore. stretched on the sand, in such shelter from the wind and rain as the side of the surf-boat afforded, the disabled seamen were laid. they were all spaniards, and only two of them were able to stand upon their feet.
“which of you is captain of the brig?” asked captain murray, looking kindly down upon this second group of shipwrecked mariners.
“he no here,” answered one of them who had been the least hurt, in broken english; “when he think his ship go to pieces, he go below and make hisself dead;” but the man's gestures told more plainly than his words that the captain had shot himself in the head.
captain murray turned to his men with a look that meant, “our work is not over yet.”
“what shall be done with these poor fellows?” ventured mr. vale, when he saw that the thought of how he should reach the man still on the brig had driven all other thoughts from the captain's mind.
“lord knows!” answered captain murray, sorely puzzled. “it'll be more'n a week before some of them will get out of bed, when they once get into it. there's some ugly bruises among 'em.”
“do you think we could make them comfortable in the chapel on the beach yonder? it would serve splendidly for a hospital.”
“the very thing! i'll leave the arrangements to you, sir,” said captain murray, confident now that this really was nan's new friend, the minister, about whom she had talked so much.
the first thing to be done was to get the exhausted spaniards up to the station, where rex and harry and nan, with excited, earnest faces, waited to receive them. over and over again the children had begged and entreated to be allowed to run down to the scene of the wreck, but mrs. murray had thought best to refuse them.
captain murray could not have left the preparation of the hospital in better hands than mr. vale's. won by his handsome face and simple manner, the villagers crowded about him, eager to do his bidding. the sexton of the little church hurried home for the keys as fast as his rheumatic old limbs could carry him, and with the aid of joe and jim croxson, he soon had a roaring fire blazing in the big chapel stove. two men, harnessing up captain murray's dobbin with all possible haste, drove to the branch for doctor and surgeon, for both were needed. two others, borrowing the largest waggon the town afforded, went off for a load of cots. there was something for every one to do, and every one was happy in doing it.
meanwhile captain murray was hard at work in an effort to board the brig, with such of his crew as were still able to assist him. three of his men had been helped or carried to their homes, too much exhausted and bruised to be of further service. when at last the little party had succeeded in reaching the brig, they had the good fortune to find the captain still alive, but unconscious from the ugly wound he had himself inflicted. they wasted no time in lowering the poor fellow into the surf-boat, and then made for the shore, for the vessel was fast going to pieces. the rescue of the spanish captain completed the heroic labours of epher murray's crew for that morning, and the brave and wearied fellows went to their homes for a well-earned rest. half-a-dozen fishermen volunteered their services to get the tackle once again in order. indeed, none of the moorlow people thought of setting about their regular occupations that eventful november morning, and all seemed proud to lend a hand in whatever way they could. fortunately in a few hours the crew of the starling were so far refreshed and rested as to be sent by the afternoon train to new york, where most of them lived when on land. there was literally no place in moorlow where they could have been accommodated, unless in the chapel, that was fast being converted into a hospital. sister julia was superintending the work there, and by four o'clock everything was in readiness. mrs. murray had devoted her time to caring for the crew of the brig in the life-saving station. as soon as damp clothing had been removed, those who had sustained the severest injuries were made comfortable on mattresses brought from the bunks in the loft, and laid on the floor of the large room. the surgeon and doctor found considerable to do when they arrived, and the captain's wound claimed their first attention.
sister julia had remained to wait upon them, until all the bruises and wounds had been dressed. meanwhile, mrs. murray had improved the opportunity to slip home and prepare a second breakfast, and harry and rex and nan again trudged to and fro, laden with good things, only with much less difficulty now, for the storm had greatly abated.
all through that busy day of preparation, ned and hereward had kept up an incessant racing in and out of the chapel. now and then they would brush against sister julia's black dress, and she could never resist the temptation, no matter how busy she might be, of giving them a friendly little pat. then the two fellows would go bounding out of doors, as though through her touch they had received some special command which they must hasten to execute.
early in the morning, to meet the first need of the surgeon, sister julia had taught some of the women, who were helping in the chapel, how to prepare a bandage. she showed them how they must tear off the muslin in strips, twice the width needed, and then must fold them evenly lengthwise through the centre, and cut them apart with scissors, because tearing both edges was likely to stretch them. then she instructed them in the art of “rolling firmly,” for there is not a more useless thing in the world than a poorly-rolled bandage. as she sat now by the side of one, and now by another, she would ask some simple question betraying her deep interest in them, and so more than one moorlow woman, almost unconsciously, unburdened her heart to this new sweet friend, or told the story of her life. as mr. vale's work threw him into the company of many of the men, one after the other, he would enter into a friendly conversation with them, and some of the moorlow men had their eyes opened to the fact that a minister might be something more than a mere preacher, standing quite apart from the common interests of their lives; that he might be an earnest, sympathetic man, a man subject to the same temptations and same trials as themselves, but able to rise above them, and even triumph in them, through the spirit of god, which not only was in him, but which shone out in well-nigh every look and word and deed.
oh! how welcome was the sight of the beds and the cheery fire to the eyes of those spanish sailors, when they were tenderly carried into the chapel at sunset. only a few hours before they had thought the bottom of the ocean would be the only bed they should ever know. no wonder their faces looked grateful and happy, notwithstanding every one of them was suffering more or less from the injuries he had received. when at last there was nothing more to be done, and with the exception of sister julia and her assistants the moorlow folk were making ready to go home, the spanish captain, who had regained consciousness soon after being brought ashore, beckoned to mr. vale. the poor fellow was quite too weak to speak, but knowing him to be a minister, he glanced round the chapel, and then, slightly raising his hand, pointed upward. mr. vale readily understood that the captain did not want the little company to break up till they had united in thanking god for the preservation of the crew of his vessel. stepping into the reading desk, he easily gained the attention of everyone.
“the captain of the christina,” he said, “has indicated to me that he would like us to give god thanks for the rescue of his crew. will as many of you as are willing remain for a few moments?”
the women and children took their seats in the pews near which they were standing, and not a man went out. never was a sweeter or more earnest service held in the little chapel, and there were tears in many eyes at its close. every face looked tranquil and happy. for one whole day those moorlow folk had not had so much as a thought of self, and nothing brings a happier look into the face than pure unselfishness. it had been a wonderful day for them all, and who of the number would ever forget it?
out into the glow of the sunset and homeward went the little congregation, leaving sister julia and three or four women whom she had chosen as assistants in charge of the hospital. regie and harry and nan, reluctant to leave, lingered in the doorway, till sister julia came and urged their going.
“come, children,” she said, “hurry home. little nan there looks ready to drop.”
“yes, i am tired,” nan admitted; “it has been such a long, long day,” and without further urging the little trio trudged silently home; silently, because they had so much to think over. two shipwrecks in one day! regie remembered self-reproachfully that he had had his wish. for nan, the excitement and fatigue had proved too much, and she fell asleep at the table before she had eaten a mouthful of supper, and knew nothing more till she woke late the next morning, with the sunlight streaming so brightly into her room as to make storms and shipwrecks seem the most improbable things that could ever happen.
