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At Larry and the coast-guard trudged down the beach the guns from the doomed steamer were fired more frequently, and the rockets lighted up the darkness with a weird glare. "Not much farther now," remarked George, as he peered ahead through the blackness, whitened here and there with masses of flying spray. A little later they were at the life-saving station.
I shall make a Thermopylae of the corner of one of them, defend it with my cutlass against the coast-guard until my brave companions have sheered off, then dive into the darkness, and regain my Susan's arms. The South-Eastern Company have brought Pavilionstone into such vogue, with their tidal trains and splendid steam-packets, that a new Pavilionstone is rising up.
Apparently the police had been too occupied in rescuing their coast-guard allies from a watery grave to reach a telephone in time, and we passed along down the coast unsuspected and unchallenged. Whatever von Brünig's weak points might be, he could certainly steer a motor-boat to perfection.
"He's seen before great storms, however," said Trevethick; "you ask the coast-guard men, and hear what they say. There's many a craft has put out to her from Gethin, and come quite close, so that a man might almost reach her with a boat-hook, and then, all of a sudden, there is nothing to be seen but the big waves."
Nearer the beach, and on the opposite side of the valley, was "Verbena Cottage," the abode of Lieutenant Bobus, in command of the coast-guard; and still nearer the beach, some ten or a dozen yards back from the road, enclosed within a neat paling, sheltered by lofty trees, with a lovely flower-garden in front and an extensive fruit and kitchen-garden in the rear, stood "Sea View," a small but well-built house, in which resided the relict and daughter of the late "Cap'n" Walford.
He strode up and down at Coast-guard Point, and communed with himself, while Robin held sweet converse in the lane.
"A ship on the rocks! Quick, man! Will the mare reach to Innis?" "She'll have to." George wheeled her round. She was fagged out with two long gallops after hounds that day, but for the moment sheer terror made her lively enough. "Ride, then! Call up the coast-guard. By the flare she must be somewhere off the creek here. Ride!" A clatter of hoofs answered him as the mare pounded up the lane.
"Let Grace alone," said the younger of the boatmen, seeing my affliction at the lamentable catastrophe, "if there be but a spark of life in the gentleman, she'll bring him round many's the drowning man aye, and wounded one, too that's been brought in here during the stormy nights, and after fights with the coast-guard that she's recovered."
He strode out, and closing the door behind him with an effort, faced the gale again. Down in the lee of the light-house the lamps of the coast-guard carriage gleamed foggily through the rain. The men were there discussing, George among them. He had just galloped up. The Chief Officer went off to question the survivor, while the rest began their search.
But the Cornish hills have stark chimneys standing on them; and, somehow or other, loveliness is infernally sad. Yes, the chimneys and the coast-guard stations and the little bays with the waves breaking unseen by any one make one remember the overpowering sorrow. And what can this sorrow be? It is brewed by the earth itself. It comes from the houses on the coast.
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