Meanwhile the vessel filled so fast that their boat floated on the deck
before the crew could get into it, and the whole affair had occurred so
suddenly that some of the men, when taken off, were only in their
shirts. That night the rescued men were hospitably entertained in the
_Buss_ by the builders of the new lighthouse, and, soon after, the ribs
of the _Charming Sally_ were torn to pieces by the far-famed teeth of
the Eddystone--another added to the countless thousands of wrecks which
had been demonstrating the urgent need there was for a lighthouse there,
since the earliest days of navigation.

Having enacted this pleasant little episode, the indefatigable builders
set to work again to do battle with the winds and waves. That the
battle was a fierce one is incidentally brought out by the fact that on
the 8th of August the sea was said "for the first time" to have
refrained from going over the works during a whole tide!

On the 11th of the same month the building was brought to a level with
the highest point of the Rock. This was a noteworthy epoch, inasmuch as
the first completely _circular_ course was laid down, and the men had
more space to move about.

Mr Smeaton, indeed, seems to have moved about too much. Possibly the
hilarious state of his mind unduly affected his usually sedate body. At
all events, from whatever cause, he chanced to tumble off the edge of
the building, and fell on the rocks below, at the very feet of the
amazed Teddy Maroon, who happened to be at work there at the time.

"Och, is it kilt ye are, sur?" demanded the Irishman.

"Not quite," replied Smeaton, rising and carefully examining his thumb,
which had been dislocated.

"Sure now it's a sargeon ye should have bin," said Teddy, as his
commander jerked the thumb into its place as though it had been the
disabled joint of a mathematical instrument, and quietly returned to his
labours.

About this time also the great shears, by means of which the stones were
raised to the top of the building, were overturned, and fell with a
crash amongst the men; fortunately, however, no damage to life or limb
resulted, though several narrow escapes were made. Being now on a good
platform, they tried to work at night with the aid of links, but the
enemy came down on them in the form of wind, and constantly blew the
links out. The builders, determined not to be beaten, made a huge
bonfire of their links. The enemy, growing furious, called up