Come down, my boy, and let us see what we can do." The good old man seemed to be nearly beside himself with excitement and impatience.

I sprang from my bed, and was huddling on a few clothes, when a dull, booming sound made itself heard above the howling of the wind and the thunder of the breakers.
"There it is again!" cried my father.

"It is their signal gun, poor creatures! Jamieson and the fishermen are below.

Put your oil-skin coat on and the Glengarry hat.

Come, come, every second may mean a human life!" We hurried down together and made our way to the beach, accompanied by a dozen or so of the inhabitants of Branksome.
The gale had increased rather than moderated, and the wind screamed all round us with an infernal clamour.