Collapsed in a water-sodden heap, Paul gave a hacking cough and gasped for oxygen. As the lugger hit the crest of the next wave he was thrown on to his back and stared up stupidly at the grim faces of his rescuers.

‘So it was the Lowenek we hit,’ muttered Samuel, wiping a wet, calloused hand over his stony face. He knelt at Paul’s side. ‘Are you hurt, Paul?’

Paul shook his head, but his hands travelled to massage at the red marks and bruises on his throat and scalp. Then his relief at being rescued vanished as quickly as the fog had first appeared. He was too breathless to speak but using Samuel’s body as a lever he prised himself up beside Bartholomew and scanned the short limits of the sea under the thick cloying air, looking for other members of his family.

A full five agonising minutes passed when a startled outburst came from Christopher King at the stern. ‘Somebody’s climbing in!’

Eager hands reached out to help another sodden fisherman to safety. It took the combined strength of all those on board, clinging to each other’s wet coats and avoiding slipping legs, before the exhausted body of Matthew King, Solomon’s eldest son, was safely on board. A giant in stature, Matthew King had used his massive strength to swim through the waves in the direction of the shore and had hardly believed his good fortune to find the stern of a lugger in front of him.

‘How… many… of us… have ’ee… pulled in?’ he rasped out moments later, granite-faced but hopeful, while gulping in lungfuls of chilled air.

‘Just you and your brother Paul,’ Samuel answered him gravely.

Shaking off his helpers, Matthew’s eyes eagerly sought his brother. ‘You all right, boy?’

‘Aye, Matt, I’m all right,’ Paul replied solemnly. ‘No need to worry about me. I’m ruddy glad to see you though, afraid I was goin’ to be the only one to…’ He didn’t finish the sentence and Matthew turned to Samuel.

‘Were it your boat who hit us, Samuel?’

‘Aye, it was,’ Samuel replied in a small voice.

‘Have ’ee lost any on board here?’

Samuel nodded. ‘Aye, Jonathan. He went over the side on impact.’

‘Ruddy hell!’ the big man exclaimed unbelievingly. He moved about the rocking boat as best he could and stared into the grim faces of each of the fishermen on board to reassure himself of their presence and safety.

‘Only five of you!’ he cried in anguish a moment later. ‘For heaven’s sake, Samuel! There’s only five of you here! Where’s Josh?’ Glaring wildly at Samuel, Matthew gripped his shoulder. ‘Where’s young Josh? Where’s the boy!’

‘But, but…’ Samuel wrenched himself free and whirled round to the bow, pointing agitatedly. ‘He was there, beside Bartholomew, I counted him. I did, he was there!’ Samuel appealed to his son. ‘Did you see him, after the accident?’