through a huge trumpet, and the sea was running nine feet on the bar. A
small vessel fought through, and appeared likely to get into the
fairway. She showed her port light for a time, and all seemed going
well. Suddenly she opened both her red and her green lights, and it was
seen that she was coming dead on for the pier. Presently she struck
hard, within thirty yards of the stone-work. There was wild excitement
amongst the brigade men, for they saw that she must be smashed into
matchwood in five minutes. The rockets were got ready; but before a shot
could be fired the ill-fated vessel gave way totally. A great sea rushed
along the side of the pier, and the pilot saw something black amongst
the travelling water. "There's a man!" he shouted; and without a
moment's thought plunged in, calling on the other fellows to pitch him a
rope. Had he tied a line around his waist before he jumped he would have
been all right. As it was, the Dutchman whom he tried to save was washed
clean on to the pier and put safely to bed in the brigade-house. The
pilot was not found until two days afterwards.




AN UGLY CONTRAST.


The steam-tug "Alice," laden with excursionists from several Tyneside
towns, struck in the autumn of 1882 on the Bondicar Rocks, sixteen miles
north of Blyth. The boat was not much damaged, and could easily have
been run into the Coquet River within a very few minutes if the
passengers had only kept steady. But the modern English spirit came upon
the men, and a rush was made for the boat. Women and children were
hustled aside; and the captain of the tug had to threaten certain