t: "Bill's boat? Well, it's drawed up ashore at the head of
Barnegat--down there. You kin see it out of the window ef you like."

"There is very seldom any call for the surf-boats and crews in
summer," explained the captain. "The men follow fishing usually. But
in winter they're always ready if a ship comes on the bar."

"Your crew has done good service in saving life, I hear, Jacob?" said
one of the strangers.

"Well, I dunno. We're generally the first called on by the
wracking-master. Sure of the best pay. There's Shattuck and Curtis and
Van Note and George Johnson, and Fleming in the starn," checking them
off with his fingers--"all good men to bring off trade in a heavy
pull."

"You don't mean that these surf boat crews are paid to save the cargo,
and that human life is left to the care of the government?" cried a
listener indignantly.

"The government undertakes the life-saving service, and we're paid
by the wracking-master, certainly," said Jacob calmly. "To save the
cargo. But the human bein's is took out first. Of course. As you say.
It's not likely any man's a-goin' to bring trade out of a wrack's
long's there's a live critter aboard."

"There's not one of these men," said the captain with a little heat in
his tone, "who has not saved many a life at the risk of his own. Isn't
that true, Jacob?"

"I dunno. We jist work ahead at what's got to be done. I know Van Note
saved _my_ life. The way of it was this. It was the time the Clara
Brookman went down: you mind the Clara Brookman, cap'n? She was
homeward bound after a long cruise--three year--and she struck the bar
just below, a mile or two. It was a swashin' sea an' a black night.
Our surfboat was overturned with thirteen aboard: 'leven of us was
picked up by the other boat. The men, they stood in the starn an'
hauled us aboard by main force--lifted us clear out of the water. Van
Note's a tremendous musc'lar fellar, he is. He caught me by the wrist
jest as I was goin' down for the last time: I'm not a small fish,
either," slapping his brawny thigh. "Yes, sir. Van Note and I never
mixed much together afore or sence. But he did that for me: I don't
deny it."

"You remember some terrible scenes of suffering no doubt, Jacob?"

"Well, I've seen vessels pretty well smashed up, sir. There was the
Alabama, coast-schooner: all the crew went down on her in full sight;
and the Annandale: she was a coal-brig, and she run aground on a
December night. It was a terr