“It’ll blow itself out now, sir, very soon, and a good job.  We’ve had one or two very near things, and I never had such an anxious time since I came to sea.”

“I suppose we didn’t know the real danger?”

“Not when we shipped that big ’un sir.  However, praise the Lord, we’re all safe, and I wish I could say as much for our poor commerades.  It’ll take two days to get the fleet together, and then we shall hear more.”

At midnight a lull became easily perceptible, and the bruised, worn-out seafarers gathered for a little while to hold a prayer-meeting after their fashion.  They were dropping asleep, but they offered their thanks in their own simple way; and when Ferrier said, “I’ve just had a commonplace thought that was new, however, to me:  the fishermen endure this all the year, and do their work without having any saloons to take shelter in,” then Fullerton softly answered, “Thank God to hear you say that.  You’ll be one of us now, and I wish we could only give thousands the same experience, for then this darkened population might have some light and comfort and happiness.”

And now let me close a plain account of a North Sea gale.  When the weather is like that, the smacksmen must go on performing work that needs consummate dexterity at any time.  Our company of kindly philanthropists had learned a lesson, and we must see what use they make of the instruction.  I want our good folk ashore to follow me, and I think I may make them share Lewis Ferrier’s new sensation.

CHAPTER III.

The second gale.

In thirty-six hours the gale had fined off, and the scattered and shattered vessels of the fleet began to draw together; a sullen swell still lunged over the banks, but there was little wind and no danger.  Fullerton said, “Now, Ferrier, we have an extra medicine-chest on board, besides Blair’s stock, and you’ve seen the surgery.  You’ll have plenty of work presently.  After a gale like this there are always scores of accidents that can’t be treated by rough-and-tumble methods.  A skipper may manage simple things; we need educated skill.  The men are beginning to know Blair’s boat, and I wish we had just twelve like her.  You see we’ve got at a good many of the men with our ordinary vessels, and that has worked marvels, but all we’ve done is only a drop in the sea.  We want you fellows, and plenty of you.  Hullo!  What cheer, my lads! what cheer!”

A smack lumbered past with her mainsail gone, and her gear in a sadly tangled condition.

“Can you send us help, sir?  We’m got a chap cruel bad hurt.”

“We’ve got a doctor on board; he shall come.”

All round, the rolling sea was speckled with tiny boats that careered from hill to hollow, and hollow to hill, while the two cool rowers snatched the water with sharp dexterous strokes.  After the wild ordeal of the past two days these fishers quietly turned to and began ferrying the fish taken in the last haul.  While the boat was being got ready, Ferrier gave Mrs. Walton and Miss Dearsley an arm each, and did his best to convey them along the rearing deck.  The girl said—­