Abel,' says I, `is that you?'

"`That's me,' says he, ketchin' hold o' my grapnel, an' givin' it a
shake that a'most unshipped the shoulder. `Leastwise it's all that's
left o' me.'

"`What d'ee mean?' says I.

"`I mean,' says he, `that I've just lost my wessel on the Gunfleet
sands, but, thank God, I haven't lost my life, nor none o' my men,
though it was a close shave.'

"`How did it happen, Abel?' says I.

"Says he, `It happened pretty much in the usual way. A gale, wi' sleet
that thick we could hardly see the end o' the jib-boom. The moment we
struck I know'd it was all over wi' the old wessel, but I didn't see my
way to go under without a struggle, so we made a desp'rit attemp' to git
out the boats, but a sea saved us the trouble, for it swept 'em all away
before we got at 'em, as if they'd bin on'y chips o' wood. Then, as if
to mock us, another sea pitched us higher on the sands, so as the decks
wasn't washed by every wave quite so bad, but we knew that wouldn't last
for the tide was makin' fast, so I calls the crew together, an' says I,
"Now, lads, I've often prayed with you an' for you. In a few minutes
we'll have to take to the riggin', an' you know what the end o' that's
likely to be. Before doin' so, I'll pray again, for nothin' is
impossible to the Lord, an' it may be His will to spare us yet a while."
Well, I prayed. Then we took to the riggin' to wait for death--or
rescue. An' sure enough, after we had bin six hours there, an' was all
but frozen, a fishin'-smack came past and took us off.'"

"Now, mates," said Joe Davidson, after they had chatted thus in subdued
tones for some time, "it do seem to me that as most of us are of one
mind here, and we are, so to speak, of one fisher-family, it might do
Mrs Bright good if we was to have a bit of the Word together, and a
prayer or two."

As every one agreed to this either heartily or by silence, a Bible was
produced, and Joe,--being mate of the late _Evening Star_, and therefore
a sort of natural head of the family--read the portion where God
promises to be a Husband to the widow, and a Father to the fatherless.

Then they all knelt while he prayed in simple language for comfort and a
blessing to the mourning household. He was followed with a very few but
intensely earnest words by Luke. Even John Gunter put up an
unpremeditated prayer in the words, "God help us!" uttered in a choking
voice, and the old fisherman followed them all with a deep "