FISHERMEN IN WAR TIME 



important salvage work were successfully accom- 

 plished there would be an appropriate reward, and 

 that the recompense might well be considerable. 



These deeds were done with even greater eclat 

 after the war broke out than before hostilities be- 

 gan, for to the ordinary perils of the sea were added 

 the graver dangers of the mine and submarine and 

 the isolated enemy cruiser, destroyer or raider that 

 might have had the brief good fortune to elude the 

 Allied navies. 



Such a performance was to the credit of a steam- 

 boat which was trawling in the Irish Sea early in 

 1915. The trawler sighted a powerful new tug 

 which was in distress through a breakdown of her 

 machinery. A whole gale was blowing and very 

 heavy seas were running, and the task of even at- 

 tempting salvage was difficult and dangerous. But 

 the skipper and his crew set to work in the old North 

 Sea style, bringing to the Western waters the ex- 

 perience of a lifetime on the Eastern area. After 

 many hard efforts and repeated failures a hawser 

 was made fast to the tug, and the rousing work of 

 towing began ; but a promising start had an early 

 setback in the parting of the hawser, and the help- 

 less tug swung off and wallowed in the deeps. 



Then came one of those long contests of dodging 

 and daring which are common to achievements of 

 this sort in wild weather ; and as the result of the 

 united efforts of men who badly wanted to be saved 

 and of those who longed to succour them, a second 

 hawser was made fast, a success which was quickly 



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