ing over
the foaming billows. Often had he seen it in model and in quiescence in
its boat-house, ponderous and almost ungainly; but now he saw it for the
first time in action, as if endued with life. So, we fancy, warriors
might speak of our heavy cavalry as _we_ see them in barracks and as
_they_ saw them at Alma.

Again all was silent and unexciting on board the Gull; but, not many
minutes later, the watch once more shouted down the skylight--

"Tug's in sight, sir."

It was afterwards ascertained that a mistake had been made in reference
to the vessel that had signalled. Some one on shore had reported that
the guns and rockets had been seen flashing from the _North_ sandhead
vessel, whereas the report should have been, "from the vessel at the
_South_ sandhead." The single word was all-important. It had the
effect of sending the steam-tug Aid (which always attends upon the
Ramsgate lifeboat) in the wrong direction, involving much loss of time.
But we mention this merely as a fact, not as a reproof. Accidents will
happen, even in the best regulated families. The Ramsgate lifeboat
service is most admirably regulated; and for once that an error of this
kind can be pointed out, we can point to dozens--ay, hundreds--of cases
in which the steamer and lifeboat have gone, straight as the crow flies,
to the rescue, and have done good service on occasions when all other
lifeboats would certainly have failed; so great is the value of steam in
such matters.

On this occasion, however, the tug appeared somewhat late on the scene,
and hailed the Gull. When the true state of the case was ascertained,
her course was directed aright, and full steam let on. The Ramsgate
boat was in tow far astern. As she passed, the brief questions and
answers were repeated for the benefit of the coxswain, and Jim Welton
observed that every man in the boat appeared to be crouching down on the
thwarts except the coxswain, who stood at the steering tackles. No
wonder. It is not an easy matter to sit up in a gale of wind, with
freezing spray, and sometimes green seas, sweeping over one! The men
were doubtless wideawake and listening, but, as far as vision went, that
boat was manned by ten oilskin coats and sou'westers!

A few seconds carried them out of sight, and so great was the power of
steam that, despite the loss of time, they reached the neighbourhood of
the wreck as soon as the Broadstairs boat, and found that the crew of
the str