Читать книгу Stories of the Lifeboat - Frank Mundell - Страница 10

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[On the night of the 9th of December 1886, the Lytham, Southport, and St. Anne's lifeboats put out to rescue the crew of the ship Mexico, which had run aground off the coast of Lancashire. The Southport and St. Anne's boats were lost, but the Lytham boat effected the rescue in safety.]

Up goes the Lytham signal!

St. Anne's has summoned hands!

Knee deep in surf the lifeboat's launched

Abreast of Southport sands!

Half deafened by the screaming wind,

Half blinded by the rain,

Three crews await their coxswains,

And face the hurricane!

The stakes are death or duty!

No man has answered "No"!

Lives must be saved out yonder

On the doomed ship Mexico!

Did ever night look blacker?

Did sea so hiss before?

Did ever women's voices wail

More piteous on the shore?

Out from three ports of Lancashire

That night went lifeboats three,

To fight a splendid battle, manned

By "Warriors of the Sea."

Along the sands of Southport

Brave women held their breath,

For they knew that those who loved them

Were fighting hard with death;

A cheer went out from Lytham!

The tempest tossed it back,

As the gallant lads of Lancashire

Bent to the waves' attack;

And girls who dwelt about St. Anne's,

With faces white with fright,

Prayed God would still the tempest

That dark December night.

Sons, husbands, lovers, brothers,

They'd given up their all,

These noble English women

Heartsick at duty's call;

But not a cheer, or tear, or prayer,

From those who bent the knee,

Came out across the waves to nerve

Those Warriors of the Sea.

Three boats went out from Lancashire,

But one came back to tell

The story of that hurricane,

The tale of ocean's hell!

All safely reached the Mexico,

Their trysting-place to keep;

For one there was the rescue,

The others in the deep

Fell in the arms of victory

Dropped to their lonely grave,

Their passing bell the tempest,

Their requiem the wave!

They clung to life like sailors,

They fell to death like men,--

Where, in our roll of heroes,

When in our story, when,

Have Englishmen been braver,

Or fought more loyally

With death that comes by duty

To the Warriors of the Sea?

One boat came back to Lytham

Its noble duty done;

But at St. Anne's and Southport

The prize of death was won!

Won by those gallant fellows

Who went men's lives to save,

And died there crowned with glory,

Enthroned upon the wave!

Within a rope's throw off the wreck

The English sailors fell,

A blessing on their faithful lips,

When ocean rang their knell.

Weep not for them, dear women!

Cease wringing of your hands!

Go out to meet your heroes

Across the Southport sands!

Grim death for them is stingless!

The grave has victory!

Cross oars and bear them nobly home,

Brave Warriors of the Sea!

When in dark nights of winter

Fierce storms of wind and rain

Howl round the cosy homestead,

And lash the window-pane--

When over hill and tree top

We hear the tempests roar,

And hurricanes go sweeping on

From valley to the shore--

When nature seems to stand at bay,

And silent terror comes,

And those we love on earth the best

Are gathered in our homes,--

Think of the sailors round the coast,

Who, braving sleet or snow,

Leave sweethearts, wives, and little ones

When duty bids them go!

Think of our sea-girt island!

A harbour, where alone

No Englishman to save a life

Has failed to risk his own.

Then when the storm howls loudest,

Pray of your charity

That God will bless the lifeboat

And the Warriors of the Sea!