Ashore it was not immediately known whether any loss of human life had
added crowning horror to the catastrophe, but evil news came quickly off
the sea. Mourning fell upon Mousehole for the crews of two among its fisher
fleet who were lost that night upon the way toward Plymouth waters to join
the herring fishery; and Newlyn heard the wail of a robbed mother.
At Drift the farmhouse was found to hold a mystery soon after the day had
broken. Joan Tregenza, whose condition rendered it impossible for her to
actively assist at the struggle in the coomb, did not retire early on the
previous night, as her family supposed, and Mary, entering her room at
breakfast-time, found it empty. There was no sign of the girl and no
indication of anything which could explain her absence.
CHAPTER SEVEN
OUT OF THE DEEP
At the dawn of the day which followed upon the great storm, while yet the
sea ran high and the gale died hard, many tumbling luggers, some maimed,
began to dot the wind-torn waters of Mounts Bay. The tide was out, but
within the shelter of the shore which rose between Newlyn and the course of
the wind, the returning boats found safety at their accustomed anchorage;
and as one by one they made the little roads, as boat after boat came
ashore from the fleet, tears, hysteric screams and deep-voiced thanks to
the Almighty arose from the crowd of men and women massed at the extremity
of Newlyn pier beneath the lighthouse.
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