t broken for
some minutes thereafter except by old Martha muttering softly once or
twice, while she gravely shook her head: "Hold your noise, Teddy, hold
your noise, lad; you're very like your father; hold your noise!"

CHAPTER EIGHT.

EXPERIENCES, DIFFICULTIES, AND DANGERS OF THE FIRST SEASON.

While the building of the new lighthouse was being thus calmly discussed
on shore, out at the Eddystone the wild waves were lashing themselves
into fierce fury, as if they had got wind of what was being done, and
had hurried from all ends of the sea to interdict proceedings. In
hurrying to the field of battle these wild waves indulged in a little of
their favourite pastime. They caught up two unfortunate vessels--a
large West Indiaman and a man-of-war's tender--and bore them
triumphantly towards the fatal Rock. It seemed as though the waves
regarded these as representative vessels, and meant thus to cast the
royal and the merchant navies on the Eddystone, by way, as it were, of
throwing down the gauntlet to presumptuous Man.

For want of the famous light the vessels bore straight down upon the
Rock, and the wild waves danced and laughed, and displayed their white
teeth and their seething ire, as if in exultation at the thought of the
shattered hulls and mangled corpses, which they hoped ere long to toss
upon their crests.

Fortunately, Man was on the "look out!" The _Buss_ was tugging at her
moorings off the Rock, and some of the seamen and hands were
perambulating the deck, wishing for settled weather, and trying to
pierce the gloom by which they were surrounded. Suddenly the two
vessels were seen approaching. The alarm was given. Those on board the
doomed ships saw their danger when too late, and tried to sheer off the
fatal spot, but their efforts were fruitless. The exulting waves
hurried them irresistibly on. In this extremity the Eddystone men
leaped into their yawl, pushed off, and succeeded in towing both vessels
out of danger; at once demonstrating the courage of English hearts and
the need there was for English hands to complete the work on which they
were then engaged.

Next day Mr Smeaton came off to visit the Rock, and the news of the
rescue served him for a text on which to preach a lay-sermon as to the
need of every man exerting himself to the uttermost in a work which was
so obviously a matter of life and death. It was, however, scarcely
necessary to urge these men, for they were almost all w