nn;
they had lost sight of her soon after the beginning of the gale. They
told us they had had an awful night, and had thought they would never
reach home in safety.

'However shall we tell Polly?' I groaned.

But a cold hand was laid on mine at that instant, and I turned round to
see Polly herself just behind me. She could wait no longer, but had run
down to the shore to hasten her husband up the hill. She was trembling
from head to foot, and seemed ready to faint. The kind-hearted fishermen
crowded round her with words of cheer and comfort.

'He'll be all right, my lass, never fear. He's put into Saltburn or
Staithes maybe; these gales they drive so far. He'll be home all safe
and sound afore night.'

But Polly did not seem to hear them. She stretched out her hands feebly
to Mr. Christie and to me as she said:

'Take me home; I can bear it better there.'

The fishermen turned away sorrowfully, and there were very few dry eyes
amongst the group which we left on the shore.

When we reached the house again all was quite still, and as we entered
the bedroom I thought the little soul had passed away, but I bent over
him to listen and to my relief I found he was still breathing.

As I look back, I hardly know how we lived through that sorrowful day.
The doctor came, and did nothing but shake his head in the ominous way
which doctors have when they feel a case is beyond their power. I think
Polly had so little hope herself that she did not care to ask him what
his real opinion was.

I went out for a short walk in the afternoon, to get a little fresh air
to strengthen me for the coming night, when I had determined to watch
with Polly beside little John, if he was still living. My young friends,
Bob and Harry, joined me, and we were pacing up and down together
watching the tide come in when we thought we saw a dark speck far out to
sea.

There were others who saw it also. The coastguard was looking at it
through his telescope, and before very long the shore was covered with
fishermen and their wives, all gazing in the same direction. Whatever
the object was, it was coming rapidly shoreward; wind and tide were both
with it, and it was being borne swiftly along. After a little time we
could distinguish, even without the help of a telescope, what it was,
and I do not think there was anything which we could have been more
aghast to see, for the floating object was a boat bottom upwards, and
being driven rapidly before