wed a
little to admit of the same brief question and reply, the latter being
repeated, as the boat passed, for the benefit of the coxswain. As she
swept by us I looked down and observed that the ten men who formed her
crew crouched flat on the thwarts. Only the steersman sat up. No
wonder. It must be hard to sit up in a stiff gale with freezing spray,
and sometimes heavy seas sweeping over one. I knew that the men were
wide awake and listening, but, as far as vision went that boat was
manned only by ten oilskin coats and sou'-westers!

A few seconds carried them out of sight, and thus, as regards the Gull
Lightship, the drama ended. There was no possibility of the dwellers in
the floating lights hearing anything of the details of that night's work
until the fortnightly visit of their "tender" should fall due, but next
morning at low tide, far away in the distance, we could see the wreck,
bottom up, high on the Goodwin Sands.

Afterwards I learned that the ship's crew had escaped in one of their
own boats, and taken refuge in the South Sand Head Lightship, whence
they were conveyed next day to land, so that the gallant men of Ramsgate
and Broadstairs had all their toil and trouble for nothing!

Thus, you see, there are not only high lights and deep shadows, but also
neutral tints in the various incidents which go to make up the grand
picture of lifeboat work.

There is a Fund connected with the Broadstairs Lifeboat which deserves
passing notice here. It was raised by the late Sir Charles Reed, in
1867, the proceeds to be distributed annually among the seamen who save
life on that coast. The following particulars of this fund were
supplied by Sir Charles Reed himself:--

"Eight boatmen of Broadstairs were interested in a lugger--the
Dreadnought--which had for years done good service on the Goodwins. One
night they went off in a tremendous sea to save a French barque; but
though they secured the crew, a steam-tug claimed the prize and towed
her into Ramsgate Harbour. The Broadstairs men instituted proceedings
to secure the salvage, but they were beaten in a London law court, where
they were overpowered by the advocacy of a powerful company. In the
meantime they lost their lugger off the coast of Normandy, and in this
emergency the lawyers they had employed demanded their costs. The poor
men had no means, and not being able to pay they were taken from their
homes and lodged in Maidstone Gaol. He (Sir Charl