traggling village of Brightlingsea within
a stone's throw--a tiny light still twinkling here and there in the
cottage windows, and a perfect blaze of ruddy light streaming from the
windows of the "Anchor," and flooding the road with its cheerful
radiance--the bewildered glances with which they regarded this scene, I
say, showed that even now they were scarcely able to realise the fact of
their deliverance.

But they were not left very long in doubt about it. As they emerged
with slow and painful steps from the smack's tiny companion, strong arms
seized them, all enwrapped in blankets as they were, and quickly but
tenderly passed them over the side into the small boats which had come
off from the shore for them. Then, as each boat received its
complement, "Shove off" was the word; the bending oars churned the water
into miniature whirlpools, and with a dozen powerful strokes the boat
was sent half her length high and dry upon the shore. Then strong arms
once more raised the sufferers, and quickly bore them within the wide-
open portal of the hospitable "Anchor," where "mother" Salmon waited to
receive them.

"Eh, goodness sakes alive!" she exclaimed, as the first man appeared
within the flood of light which streamed from the "Anchor" windows.
"You, Sam; you don't mean to say as there's women amongst 'em."

"Ah! that there is, mother," panted Sam, "and children--poor little
helpless babbies, some on 'em, too."

The quick warm tears of womanly sympathy instantly flashed into the
worthy woman's eyes; but she was not one prone to much indulgence in
sentiment, particularly at a time like the present; so instead of
lifting up her hands and giving expression to her pity in words, she
faced sharply round upon the maids who were crowding forward, with the
curiosity of their sex, to catch a first glimpse of the strangers, and
exclaimed--

"Now then, you idle huzzies, what d'ye mean by blocking up the passage
so that a body can get neither in nor out? D'ye want these poor souls
to be _quite_ froze to death before you lets 'em in? You, Em'ly, be off
to Number 4 and run the warmin' pan through the bed, and give the fire a
good stir. Emma, do wake up, child, and take a couple of buckets of hot
water up to Number 4, and put 'em in the bath. Run, Mary Jane, for your
life, and see if the fire in Number 7 is burning properly; and you,
Susan, be off and turn down all the beds."

The maids rushed off to their several duties li