ke startled deer, while
the mistress turned to Sam and directed him to convey his burden to
Number 4, herself leading the way.

A number of women, the mothers and wives of the fishermen, had gathered
at the "Anchor" as soon as it was known that the smack had gone out to a
wreck, in order that they might be at hand to render any assistance
which might be required. They were all collected in the bar-parlour;
and two of them now rose, in obedience to "mother" Salmon's summons, and
following her upstairs, took over from Sam their patient; and, shutting
the door, lost not a moment in applying such restoratives and adopting
such measures as their experience taught them would be most likely to
prove beneficial.

The rest of the survivors speedily followed; the women and children
being promptly conveyed to the rooms already prepared for them; but the
men, for the most part, proved to be very little the worse for their
exposure, seeming to need for their restoration a good hot supper more
than anything else; and this contingency also having by "mother"
Salmon's experience and foresight been provided for, the rescued and
their rescuers were soon seated together at the same table busily
engaged in the endeavour to restore their exhausted energies.

One man only of the entire party seemed unable to do justice to the meal
spread before him, and this was the master of the wrecked ship. He
seated himself indeed at the table, and made an effort to eat and drink,
but his thoughts were evidently elsewhere. He could not settle
comfortably down to his meal, but kept gliding softly out of the room,
to glide as softly back again after an absence of a few minutes, when he
would abstractedly swallow a mouthful or two, and then glide out once
more. At length, after a somewhat longer absence than before, he
returned to the room in which the meal was being discussed, the look of
care and anxiety on his face replaced by an expression of almost
overwhelming joy, and, walking up to Bob, somewhat astonished that
individual by exclaiming--

"Young man, let me without further delay tender you and your brave
comrades my most hearty thanks for the rescue of my passengers, my crew,
and myself from a situation of deadly peril, a rescue which was only
effected at very great hazard to yourselves, and which was successfully
accomplished mainly--I am sure your comrades will join me in saying--
through _your_ indomitable courage and perseverance. The d