“I’m not lookin’, as Joe is, for anything very heavy, but allow it won’t be pleasant for the patrol who comes after us.” Save that the wind was blowing freshly, Benny saw no indications of a storm, and whatever might have been the appearance of the sky, it would have had no meaning for him after Sam Hardy delivered his opinion. Their beat led them past where the stranded steamer lay, now considerably more than half unloaded, and at this point a long halt was made. As yet the surf had not risen, although the wind had been steadily increasing in force since sunset, and the lighters rose and fell on the gentle swell with but little tugging at their cables. White foam around the wreck told that the rising tide was churning against her sides; but with no more force than while the wreckers had been at work. To Benny, particularly after hearing Hardy’s opinion, there was no reason for the life savers to feel disturbed in mind, and, when the tour of duty having come to an end, he returned to the station, it was with the belief that the repose of the crew would be undisturbed. He was exceedingly tired, as he had been every night since the stranded steamer attracted so many visitors, and went to bed immediately after entering the building, failing to observe what at another time might have drawn his attention--that every member of the crew yet remained in the mess-room as if anticipating a sudden call to duty. It seemed to him that he must have been asleep several hours when Fluff’s shrill barking aroused him, and, sitting bolt upright in bed he observed, much to his surprise, that none of the men, with the exception of the cook, who regularly retired at an early hour, had been in the sleeping-room. [Illustration] Covering Fluff’s mouth to still his barking, Benny listened. It was evident Joe Cushing had just come in from patrol, and was making a report of rather an alarming nature. “In addition to the laboring of the steamer, one of the lighters appears to be dragging anchor, and if she sweeps down upon the stranded craft there’ll be no more work for the wreckers.” Benny was out of bed in an instant, for he knew that the crew would set about repairing the mischief without delay, and it was not his intention to be left behind. [Illustration] Dressing hurriedly, he descended the stairs just as the men were putting on their oiled clothing, and without comment he began following their example. “Hello, No. 8, what are you about?” the keeper asked. “Ain’t the crew going out, sir?” “Yes; but not on what you might call life-saving work. It’s only a ’longshore job of caring for lighters, with more hard work than glory in it. We may be knocking around from one of those tubs to the other until daylight, and it’ll be wiser for you to stay under cover.”