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diff --git a/23048.txt b/23048.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0021a39 --- /dev/null +++ b/23048.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4393 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Adrift in a Boat, by W.H.G. Kingston + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Adrift in a Boat + +Author: W.H.G. Kingston + +Release Date: October 17, 2007 [EBook #23048] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ADRIFT IN A BOAT *** + + + + +Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England + + + + +Adrift in a Boat, by W.H.G. Kingston. + +________________________________________________________________________ + +This is not a very long book, but the story is a good one. Several +families have met together to have a picnic on a pleasant local beach. +To everyone's delight they are joined by Harry Merryweather, a +midshipman home on leave. Harry and another youth, David Moreton, go +for a wander round the rocks, but are cut off by the strong tide. The +weather then turns very nasty, but the boys are able to swim to a +passing boat containing an old man, Jefferies, and his young grandson, +Tristram. The weather is now so bad they can't get back to the local +harbour at Penmore. + +There is an accident and young Tristram is lost overboard, and drowned. + +They see a vessel, a brig, on her way down channel, but when they get to +her they find she is an abandoned wreck. More bad weather. They are +seen by a schooner about some bad business, who opens fire, probably to +destroy an unwanted witness to some crime. The brig is sinking. They +make a raft. Old Jefferies dies. They are picked up by a French +schooner, which turns out to be a privateer. At this point the story +gets even more convoluted, and you will have to read the book to see +what happens next, and how the boys eventually get home. + +________________________________________________________________________ + +ADRIFT IN A BOAT, BY W.H.G. KINGSTON. + + + +CHAPTER ONE. + +THE PICNIC ON THE SANDS--THE MIDSHIPMAN--HARRY MERRYWEATHER AND DAVID +MORETON CAUGHT BY THE TIDE--THE ALARM. + +Few parts of the shores of old England present more beautiful and +romantic scenery than is to be found on the coast of Cornwall. There +are deep bays, and bold headlands, and wild rocks, and lofty cliffs, and +wooded heights, and bare downs, and yellow sands full of the most minute +and delicate shells, so delicate that it is surprising how they could +have existed in the rough and boisterous ocean, and been cast up whole +from the depths below. In one of those beautiful bays, many years ago, +a large party was collected, on a bright afternoon in the early part of +autumn. Among the party were persons of all ages, but most of them were +young, and all were apparently very busy. Some were engaged in tending +a fire over which a pot was boiling, and others were collecting +drift-wood thrown up close under the cliff, with which to feed it. Two +or three young ladies, under the superintendence of a venerable matron, +were spreading a tablecloth, though the sand looked so smooth and clear +that it did not seem as if the most dainty of people could have required +one. Several were very eager in unpacking sundry hampers and baskets, +and in carrying the dishes and plates, and bottles of wine, and the +numerous other articles which they contained, to the tablecloth. Two +young ladies had volunteered to go with a couple of pails to fetch water +from a spring which gushed out of the cliff, cool and fresh, at some +distance off, and two young gentlemen had offered to go and, assist +them, which was very kind in the young gentlemen, as they certainly +before had not thought of troubling themselves about the matter. To be +sure the young ladies were very pretty and very agreeable, and it is +possible that their companions might not have considered the trouble +over-excessive. The youngest members of the party were as busy as the +rest, close down to the water collecting the beautiful shells which have +been mentioned. The shells were far too small to be picked up singly, +and they therefore came provided with sheets of thick letter-paper, into +which they swept them from off the sand where they had been left by the +previous high tide. A loud shout from a hilarious old gentleman, who +had constituted himself director of the entertainment, and who claimed +consequently the right of making more noise than anybody else, or indeed +than all the rest put together, now summoned them up to the tablecloth, +to which at the sound, with no lingering steps, they came, exhibiting +their treasures on their arrival to their older friends. The party +forthwith began to seat themselves round the ample tablecloth, but they +took up a good deal more room than had it been spread on a table. The +variety of attitudes they assumed was amusing. The more elderly ladies +sat very upright, with their plates on their laps; the younger ones who +had gone for the water, and their friends of the same age, managed to +assume more graceful attitudes; while the young men who had been to +school and college, and had read how the Romans took their meals, +stretched themselves out at the feet of the former, leaning on their +elbows, and occasionally, when not actually engaged in conveying ham and +chicken or pie to their mouths, giving glances at the bright and +laughing eyes above them. The hilarious old gentleman tried kneeling, +that he might carve a round of beef placed before him, but soon found +that attitude anything but pleasant to his feelings; then he sat with +one side to the cloth, then with the other. At last he scraped a trench +in the sand sufficient to admit his outstretched legs, and, placing the +beef before him, carved vigorously away till all claimants were +supplied. The younger boys and girls, tucking their legs under them +like Turks, speedily bestowed their undivided attention to the task of +stowing away the good things spread out before their eyes. + +"This is jolly, don't you think so, Mary?" exclaimed a fine boy of about +fourteen to a pretty little girl who sat next to him; "there is only one +thing wanting to make it perfect--Harry Merryweather ought to be here. +He wrote word that he expected to be with us this morning, and I told +him where the picnic was to take place, that should he be too late to +get home, he might come here direct. Oh, he is such a capital fellow, +and now that he is in the navy, and has actually been in a battle, he +will have so much to tell us about." + +Mary Rymer fully agreed with David Moreton, for Harry was a favourite +with every one who knew him. Although Harry Merryweather had not +arrived for the picnic, his friends appeared to be enjoying themselves +very much, judging by the smiles and giggling and the chattering, and +the occasional shouts of laughter which arose when old Mr Tom Sowton, +and florid, fat Mr Billy Burnaby, uttered some of their jokes. Not +that they were the only people who uttered good things, but they were +professed jokers, and seemed to consider it their duty to make people +merry; Mr Burnaby, indeed, if he could not make people laugh at what he +said, made them laugh at what he did. + +The party had come from various quarters in the neighbourhood, some from +a distance inland, in carriages, and two or three families who lived on +or near the coast, in two pretty yachts, which lay at anchor in the bay. +One of them belonged to Mr Moreton, David's father, and the other to +Captain Rymer, with whose family David was as much at home as with his +own; and he and his sisters looked upon Mary, Captain Rymer's daughter, +quite in the light of a sister. She was, indeed, a very charming little +girl, well worthy of their affections. The first course of the picnic +was concluded--that is to say, the chickens, and hams, and pies, and +cold beef, and tongues, and a few other substantials were pushed back; +the potatoes, which had been boiled in salt water, having been +pronounced excellent. The tarts and cakes and fruit, peaches and figs +and grapes, were brought to the front, and underwent the admiration they +deserved, when suddenly David Moreton, looking up, raised a loud shout, +and, jumping to his feet, clapped his hands and waved them vehemently. +The shout was echoed in different keys by many others, and all turning +their eyes in the direction David was pointing, they saw, on the top of +the cliff a boy, on whose jacket and cap the glitter of a little gold +lace and his snow-white trousers proclaimed him to be that hero in +embryo, a midshipman. Having looked about him for a few seconds, he +began to descend the cliff at so seemingly breakneck a speed, that +several of the ladies shrieked out to him to take care, and Mary Rymer +turned somewhat pale and stood looking anxiously as the young sailor +dropped from one point of rock to another, or slid down a steep incline, +or swung himself by the branches of shrubs or tufts of grass to the +ledge below him, and ran along it as if it had been a broad highway, +though a false step might have proved his destruction. Once he stopped. +To go back was impossible, and to attempt to descend seemed almost +certain destruction. Mr Sowton and Billy Burnaby jumped up, almost +dragging away the tablecloth, upsetting tarts, and fruit-dishes, and +bottles of wine, and all the other things, when Harry gave a tremendous +spring to a ledge which his sharp eye had detected, and was in a few +seconds afterwards standing safe on the sands and shaking hands warmly +with everybody present. When he came to Mr Tom Sowton and Billy +Burnaby, it might have been supposed from the way in which they wrung +each other's hands, that there was a wager pending as to which should +first twist off his friend's fist. + +"Fortunately, we haven't eaten up all the good things, Harry," exclaimed +Mr Sowton, dragging the midshipman, nothing loth, to the well-spread +cloth. "Now open your mouth, and Burnaby and I will try and feed you. +What will you have first,--beef, or pudding, or a peach, or a tongue, or +a cold chicken? Oh dear me, there is but a drumstick and a merrythought +left. Which will you have? No! I see I am wrong again, the drumstick +is in the dish, and the merrythought is in my head, with numerous +companions. Does anybody wish to know what they are? I'll fill my +naval friend's plate first with cold beef and mustard, and then inform +you." Thus the old gentleman ran on. He kept his word with regard to +Harry, who very soon by diligent application caught up the rest of the +party, and was able to commence on the tarts and peaches. All the +gentlemen asked him to take wine, and the ladies were eager to hear his +adventures. He briefly recounted them in an animated manner, for as he +had been little more than a year at sea, everything he had seen and done +had the freshness of novelty. He belonged to the gallant _Arethusa_ +frigate, which had put into Plymouth from a successful cruise in the Bay +of Biscay, where, after capturing several minor prizes of considerable +value, she had taken an enemy's frigate of equal force. He had +consequently got leave for a few days to come home and see his widowed +mother. He was her only son; her husband had been an officer in the +army, and was killed in battle; her daughter Jane could never be induced +to leave her, but they had promised to send Harry on to the picnic after +he had indulged them with a little of his society. He had come by a +chance conveyance, knowing that he should be able to return with some of +his friends. + +In those days it was the custom to sit long after dinner, and even at a +picnic people consumed a considerable amount of time round the cloth. +At length, however, they got up and broke into separate parties. Some +went in one direction, some in another. The elders were more inclined +to sit still, or went only a little way up the cliff; but several of the +grown-up young ladies and gentlemen climbed up by somewhat steep paths +to the downs above. The younger ones, the tide being low, very +naturally preferred scrambling out on the rocks in search of +sea-anemones, and other marine curiosities. There were numerous +projecting rocks forming small bays in the large bay, and thus +completely hiding the different parties from each other. No two boys +could have had a more sincere regard for each other than had David +Moreton and Harry Merryweather. David was longing to go to sea with +Harry, but his father was greatly averse to his going. He was the +eldest son, and heir to a large property. As the boys had been +separated for so long a time (long in their lives), they had a great +deal to say to each other. They consequently strolled away, forgetting +what Mary Rymer or the rest of their fair companions might have thought +of their gallantry, in and out along the sands, round the points and +over the rocks, till they had got to a considerable distance from the +place where the picnic had been held. A dry rock, high above the water, +which they could reach by going along a ledge connecting it with the +mainland, tempted them to scramble out to it. There they chose a nice +cosy, dry nook, where, sitting down, the water immediately around them +was hidden from their sight. This circumstance must be remembered. It +was very delightful. They had not yet said one-half of what they had +got to say to each other, so they sat on talking eagerly, looking out +seaward and watching the white sails which glided by coming up channel +in the distant horizon. David was so delighted with the accounts Harry +gave him, that he resolved to make a further attempt to induce his +father to allow him to go to sea. It must be owned that Harry, full of +life and happiness himself, had pictured only the bright side of +everything. He had described the courage and determination to win with +which he and his shipmates had gone into action, and the enthusiasm and +delight they had felt on gaining the victory and capturing the prize; +but he forgot to speak of the death of some cut down in their prime, and +the wounds and sufferings of others, many maimed and crippled for life. +Thus they talked on without marking how the time went by. Harry's +watch, which he had locked up carefully before going into action, had +been destroyed by a shot which had knocked the desk and everything in it +to pieces; and David had forgotten to wind his up. Suddenly it occurred +to them that the sun was getting very low, and that it was high time for +them to return. + +They jumped up to scramble back over the rock, but no sooner had they +done so than Harry cried out, "We are caught!" and David exclaimed, "The +tide has risen tremendously, how shall we get to the shore?" + +"Swim there," answered Harry; "I see no other way. If we were to shout +ever so loud we should not be heard, and I do not suppose any one knows +where we are." By this time they had got to the inner end of the rock, +where they found that the distance between them and the shore was not +only considerable, but that a strong current swept round the rock, and +that though before the sea had been calm, it had got up somewhat, and +caused a surf to break on the shore. What was to be done? David was a +first-rate swimmer, and would not have had much difficulty by himself in +stemming the current, and landing through the surf; but Harry, though a +sailor, had not learned that art before he went to sea, and could swim +very little. It is extraordinary how many sailors in those days could +not swim, and lost their lives in consequence. They stood looking at +the foaming, swirling waters, not knowing what to do. + +"I would try it," said Harry at length, "but I am afraid if I were to +give in that I should drown you as well as myself." + +"I think that I might support you, and we should drift in somewhere a +little further down, perhaps," said David. + +"Much more likely that we should be swept out to sea," answered Harry. +"No, no, David, that will never do. You can swim on shore before the +surf gets heavier, and your father or Captain Rymer will send a boat for +me very soon." + +"But these are spring tides, and if the sea gets up at all, it will soon +wash right over this rock," said David. + +"The more reason for you to hurry to get a boat from the yachts," +observed the midshipman. + +While they were speaking, they observed the two yachts, which had +hitherto been hid by a point of land, standing out to sea. They had +come from the east with a fine northerly smooth water breeze, but the +wind had drawn off shore to the east, and as the tide was at flood +running up channel, the vessels had stood off shore to get the full +strength of it. This the boys at once understood, but how they should +have gone off without them was the puzzle. Matters were growing +serious. Even should David reach the shore, he might not find a boat, +and it was a long way he feared from any house where he could get help, +so that Harry might be lost before he could get back. They retraced +their steps to the highest part of the rock, and waved and shouted, even +though they knew that their voices could not be heard, but the yachts +stood on at some distance from each other; it should be remarked, +Captain Rymer's leading. It was evident that they were not seen. The +hot tide came rushing in, rising higher and higher. Both the boys +became very anxious, David more on his friend's account than his own. +So many persons have lost their lives much in the same way, that it +seemed probable the two boys would lose theirs. + +We must now go back to the picnic party. Mr Sowton and Mr Burnaby, +and a few of the other more elderly ladies and gentlemen, began at +length to think it time to return home. The hampers were repacked and +carried, some up the cliffs by the servants, and others on board the +yachts; and Mr Sowton and Billy Burnaby acting, as they said, as +whippers-in, began shouting and screeching at the top of their voices. +Captain Rymer and Mr Moreton had gone on board their vessels to get +ready, and thus there was no one actually in command. The boats to take +off the party were rather small, and several trips had to be made. In +the meantime, those who were returning home by land climbed up the steep +path to the top of the cliff, where their carriages were waiting for +them. When they were fairly off, each party inquired what had become of +Harry and David. Captain Rymer's yacht, the _Arrow_, was off the first, +for the _Psyche_, Mr Moreton's, fouled her anchor, and it was some time +before it could be got up. + +Mr Moreton thought that his son, and the young midshipman had, +attracted by sweet Mary Rymer, gone on board the _Arrow_; while Mary, +who, it must be owned, was rather sorry not to see them, took it for +granted that Harry was returning, as he had come, by land, and that +David had gone with him. + +The yachts had a long beat back. As they got away from the land, the +wind increased very much, and came in strong sharp cold gusts which made +it necessary first to take in the gaff-topsails, and then one reef and +then another in the mainsails. As the wind increased the sea got up, +and the little vessels, more suited to fine weather than foul, had hard +work to look up to the rising gale. Still there was no help for it. +The tide helped them along, but by its meeting the wind much more sea +was knocked up than if both had been going the same way. Had such been +the case, the vessels could not have made good their passage. Darkness +coming on made matters worse: poor old Mr Sowton became wonderfully +silent, and Mr Burnaby, who was sitting on the deck of the cabin, +holding on by the leg of the table, looked the very picture of woe. +Mary Rymer, who was well accustomed to yachting, and a few others, kept +up their spirits, though all hailed with no little satisfaction the +lights which showed the entrance to Pencliffe harbour, into which they +were bound. + +Mr Moreton's party had been at home some time, and most of the family +had retired to their rooms, when they began to wonder why David had not +appeared. + +"He is probably still at the Rymers', or has accompanied Harry to Mrs +Merryweather's," said Mrs Moreton to her husband; still, as night drew +on, she became somewhat anxious. Her anxiety increased when a servant +came with a message from Mrs Merryweather to inquire why Mr Harry did +not come home. + +Mr Moreton himself now became even more anxious than his wife. Neither +his daughters, nor some friends staying with them, remembered seeing +either Harry or David for some time before they embarked. + +Mr Moreton, putting on a thick coat, for it was now blowing very hard, +went off to Captain Rymer's house, which was close down to the bay, +accompanied by Mrs Merryweather's servant, and greatly alarmed the +family by asking for his son and Harry. + +"Why, did they not come back with you?" asked the captain. "No, we +thought they were on board the _Arrow_," answered Mr Moreton. "They +may have gone with the Trevanians, but I do not think that Harry would +have failed to come back to his mother. I will go back and see her. +They must have set off by land, and there may have been an upset or a +break-down. It will be all right tomorrow." + +The morrow, however, came, but the boys did not appear. Mr Moreton +therefore rode over early to the Trevanians, but they knew nothing of +the boys. + +He now became seriously alarmed. As it was blowing too hard to go by +sea, he sent a messenger to say that he should not be home for some +hours, and continued on to the bay where the picnic had been held. Then +he made inquiries at the nearest cottages, but no one had seen his son +or Harry Merryweather. He went from cottage to cottage in vain, making +inquiries. + +At last a fisherman suggested that the beach should be searched. Mr +Moreton at once set out with a party quickly assembled to perform the +anxious task, dreading to find the mangled body of his son and his brave +young friend. No signs of them could be found. Still his anxiety was +in no respect lessened. + +He stopped on his way back at one cottage which he had not before +visited. He found the inmate, an old woman, in deep affliction. Her +husband, old Jonathan Jefferies, a fisherman, when out on his calling, +had perished during the gale in the night. He could sympathise with +her, and as far as money help was concerned, he promised all in his +power. With an almost broken heart he returned home to give the sad +news to his wife and family. + +Poor Mrs Merryweather, she was even still more to be pitied. To have +her son restored to her, and then to find him snatched away again so +suddenly, perhaps for ever! + +Day after day passed by, and no news came of the much-loved missing +ones. + + + +CHAPTER TWO. + +ON THE ROCKS--A BRAVE LAD--SAVED--TRISTRAM'S FATE--STILL IN A BOAT. + +"David, you must try to swim on shore, and save yourself," exclaimed +Harry Merryweather, looking at the foaming seas, which now began, with a +deafening noise, to dash furiously round the rock on which he and his +friend stood. "If you don't go soon, you will not be able to get there +at all. Leave me, I beg you. There is no reason why both should be +lost." + +"No indeed, that I will not," answered David, stoutly. "If I thought +that I could get help by trying to swim on shore I would go, but I do +not think there is a place near where I could find a boat." + +Harry did not speak for a minute or two. + +At last he put his hand on David's shoulder, and said, "I ask you again +to swim on shore by yourself. I will pray for you as you are swimming, +and you shall pray for me when you reach the beach. My dear mother +taught me to pray when I was a child, and she has ever shown to me that +God hears all faithful prayers, and in His good time grants them; so +that I have always prayed since I went to sea, both when I was turning +into my hammock, and when I was turning out; and I knew that my mother +was praying for me too, for she is always praying for me; and I know +that God hears those prayers, so you see that makes me very brave. I am +sure that I can trust Him." + +"I am so glad to hear you say that," answered David. "My father was +teaching us just the same thing after reading the Bible at prayers the +other night. It's true--it's true, I know." + +"Then trust to Him, and do as I ask you," said Harry, earnestly. "Take +off your jacket and shoes at all events--you will be back in time to +save them and me also." + +"I don't like leaving you at all, but I will do as you wish," exclaimed +David, after a moment's further thought, taking off his jacket. As he +did so he turned his head round seaward. "Hillo!--why, there is a +boat," he exclaimed. "She is under sail, standing this way." + +The boys together sprang back to the highest part of the rock, and David +still holding his jacket waved it vehemently. It was a small +fishing-boat, beating up from the westward. She was then standing in +for the land, and Harry, whose nautical knowledge was not as yet +by-the-bye very great, was doubtful where she would go about again +before she got near enough for those on board to see them. All they +could do was to wave and wave, and to shout--though their shouting, +shrill as it was, would have been of no use. + +David, who really knew more about boat-sailing than his naval friend, +expressed his opinion that she was beating up for the little +boat-harbour of Penmore, about two miles to the eastward. How anxiously +they watched her, as the tide sweeping her along she drew nearer and +nearer! The wind, having--as the expression is--backed into the +south-east, enabled her to lay up well along shore, or their hope of +being seen would have been small indeed. For some minutes longer she +stood on almost directly for them; then at length she went about--high +time, too, for she was getting near the breakers. Now was the moment +for them to shout and wave, for if they were now neither seen nor heard +they must abandon their hope of help from her, as by the next tack she +would be a long way to the eastward. How eagerly they watched her! +Again and again they waved and shouted. + +"Yes, see--she is about," cried Harry, joyfully. He was right--the boat +was evidently standing towards them. Harry, forgetting all past +dangers, shouted and danced for joy. Life was very sweet to him. He +thought nothing of the ordinary risk of losing it which he was every day +running--but this was out of the way, and he had almost made up his mind +that he should not escape. There were two people in the boat--an old +man and a boy. The sail was lowered, and getting out their oars they +approached the rock cautiously. It would have been excessively +dangerous to get close, as a heavier sea than usual might have driven +the boat against the rock and dashed her to pieces. This Harry and +David saw. The old man stood up in the boat, and beckoned to them. He +was shouting also, but the thundering noise of the sea against the rock +prevented them from hearing him. + +"He wants us to swim out to the boats," said David. "I am sure that I +could do it, and I will bring in a rope for you." + +"Oh, I do not think that you could," answered Harry. "The sea rolls in +so heavily that you would be driven back. They might let the end of a +rope, made fast to a cork or a float of some sort, drift in, and haul us +off." The plan was clearly a good one, and they made signals to the old +man to carry it out; but either he did not understand them, or had not a +rope long enough. + +"I must go," cried David, throwing off his coat and shoes. "Pray for +me, remember." He had been watching his opportunity: a heavy sea had +just passed, and, before Harry could even say another word, slipping +down to the edge of the rock, he glided in, giving himself all the +impetus he could with his feet, and almost the next instant was +breasting a sea at some distance from the rock. Harry watched him +anxiously, not forgetting to pray. Now he seemed almost driven back, +and now a foam-crested sea rolling in looked as if it would inevitably +overwhelm him. Alas! yes--he disappeared. + +"He is lost--he is lost!" cried Harry. But no. Directly after he was +again seen on the surface, working his way up another advancing sea. + +Harry was now guided chiefly by the gesticulations of the people in the +boat,--that is to say, by the way the old man waved a hand, or looked +out, for they had to keep their oars moving with all their might and +main to avoid being driven dangerously near the rock. At length Harry, +with thankfulness, saw David close to the boat but she seemed to be +going from him--then the old man stood up--stretched out his arm, and +David, well-nigh exhausted, was dragged into the boat. Harry saw that +he was talking to the old man. + +"What will he do? I hope that he will not attempt to swim back to the +rock," thought Harry; yet he felt very sure that he should never reach +the boat by himself. As the boat rose on the top of a wave, Harry saw +that David was employed in fastening several ropes together. The task +which the old man and the boy could not perform, as they were obliged to +continue rowing, he was able to do. Harry saw him very busy in the +bottom of the boat, and now he lifted a water-cask into the sea, and +veered away the rope over the stern. For some time Harry did not regain +sight of the cask; at last he saw it on the top of a sea, but still a +long way from the rock. He watched it anxiously; but still he doubted +whether he should be able to get hold of it. It might, even if it +reached the rock, be dashed to pieces. He got down as close to the +water as he dared go, for the seas were dashing so high up the rock that +he might easily be carried away by them--indeed, he was already wet +through and through with the spray, which was flying in dense sheets +over the rock, and in a few minutes more it seemed to him that it would +be completely overwhelmed--indeed, any moment a sea might sweep over it. +Harry had a brave heart, and as long as he had life was not likely to +lose courage. He showed his coolness, indeed, for believing that the +cask would soon reach him, he deliberately tied David's jacket and shoes +round his waist, that he might have the pleasure of restoring them to +him. He had observed how David slipped into the water. There came the +cask, nearer and nearer. Before it had time to touch the rock, he slid +down into the sea, and struck out boldly for it, and throwing his arms +over it caught the rope to which it was made fast, and drew himself up +till his chest rested on it. + +He then shouted at the top of his voice, "Haul in--all right." David, +however, could not hear him: but having watched him with intense +eagerness, now began slowly to haul in the rope, while the old man and +boy pulled the boat further off the rock. Harry held firmly on, though +he almost lost his breath by the waters, which dashed in his face. He +kept his senses, however, and had the wisdom to strike out with all his +might with his feet, which greatly helped him on, and took off the drag +from his arms which they would otherwise have felt. + +As he rose to the top of a sea he again shouted out every now and then, +"All right--haul away." He was, however, not much inclined to shout by +the time he got up to the stern of the boat. David, with the help of +the old man, then quickly hauled him on board. + +"And you have brought me my jacket and shoes," exclaimed David, gladly +putting them on, for he felt very cold directly the exertions he had +just gone through ceased. The boys sincerely thanked God in their +hearts that they were saved--though but a very few audible words of +thanksgiving were uttered. No time, indeed, was to be lost in getting +away from the rock. + +The old man told David to go to the helm. "And you other young master +take my oar and pull with all your might, while I sets the sails," he +added. A sprit-mainsail, much the worse for wear, and a little rag of a +foresail were soon set. It was as much sail as the boat in the rising +gale could carry, and away she flew seaward. The old man took the helm, +and the boy, who had not spoken, laid in his oar, and facing forward, +put his hand on the foresheet to be ready to go about when the word was +given. The boat was somewhat old and battered, like its master,--the +rigging especially seemed in a bad condition. + +The old man saw the boys examining her, and divined their thoughts. +"She's not like one of your fine-painted yachts, young masters; but she +has helped to save your lives, and she'll serve my time, I'm pretty sure +of that," he observed. "She'll be tried, howsomever, not a little +to-night, I'm thinking. We were late as it was coming up from `Put off +shoal,' and this work with you made us still later, so that we shall +have to be thankful if we get into Penmore harbour before the tide +turns." + +"She is a good boat, no doubt, and at all events we are most thankful to +you for having by her means saved our lives," said David; and Harry +repeated what he had said. + +"No, young masters, it wasn't I saved you, it was God. Don't thank me. +Man can do no good thing of himself, you know, and I couldn't have saved +you if it hadn't been His will." The fishing-boat went careering on +over the foaming seas, guided by the skilful hand of the old man. It is +surprising how much sea a small boat with good beam will go through when +well managed. The old man was far more loquacious than the young one, +who sat quite still forward, only every now and then turning his face +aside as the spray dashed in it, and shaking the water from his +sou'-wester. + +To the boys' inquiry of the old man to which place he belonged, "Little +better than a mile to the eastward of where I took you aboard," he +replied; "but when the wind blows as it does now, there's no place for +landing nearer than Penmore harbour. That matters nothing, as we get a +good market for our fish near there, and we have a good lot to sell, you +see." He pointed to the baskets in the centre of the boat, well filled +with mackerel and several other kinds of fish. He told them that his +name was Jonathan Jefferies, that he had married a Cornish woman, and +settled in the parish, and that the lad was his grandson. "Not quite +right up there," he remarked, touching his forehead; "but he is a good +lad, and knows how to do his duty. We call him Tristram Torr, for he is +our daughter's son. She is dead, poor thing, and his father was lost at +sea, we suppose, for he went away and never came back." + +The old man thus continued giving scraps of his family history, till the +gloom of evening gave way to the darkness of night. His chief regret at +being out so late was that his old woman would be looking for him, as he +had told her that he expected to be home earlier than usual. The darker +it grew the less talkative, however, he became; indeed, all his +attention was taken up in steering, for with the darkness the wind and +sea increased, till the boat could hardly look up to it. At last Harry +and David began to suspect that though they had escaped from the rock, +they were in no small danger of being swamped, and thus, after all, +losing their lives. Every now and then a heavy sea broke into the boat +and half filled her. Still the boy Tristram said nothing, but turning +round took a bailer from under the thwart, and began energetically +bailing away. Harry and David did the same with their hats, till old +Jefferies handed them a bucket, with which they more rapidly cleared the +boat. They had to be quick about it, for scarcely was she free of water +than another sea came in and again half filled her. It seemed also +pretty evident to them that instead of going to windward she was making +leeway, though, as the tide was still running to the eastward, she was +going in that direction. The two boys were feeling thoroughly chilled +and uncomfortable; they were, of course, wet to the skin, and the wind +was strong and keen, and even when they sat down, by the old man's +advice, in the bottom of the boat, their legs were in water. Still they +kept up their spirits, and when the water washed into the boat they were +glad to jump up and bail it out again. Besides that they were in danger +of being swamped, it appeared to the midshipman and his friend that +there was a great risk of being run down. Already two or three +phantom-like forms had suddenly appeared out of the darkness, and +gliding by were soon lost to sight. + +The boy, however, had made no remark about them; suddenly he shouted, +"Grandfather, a sail on the weather-bow." + +"About, then," cried the old man. Harry and David looked out, and saw, +almost ahead of them, towering to the skies it seemed, a dark pyramid of +canvas. + +"She is a big ship running down channel," said Harry. "She will be over +us! she will be over us!" The boat was at that moment in stays, going +about. Scarcely had he spoken, when there was a loud crack. The mast +went by the board, and as it came down struck the old man on the head. +He would have fallen overboard had not Harry and David seized his coat +and dragged him in. + +"Here, pull, masters," cried Tristram, trying to get out both the oars. +In doing so he let one of them go overboard; both would have gone had +not Harry, springing forward, seized the other. But poor Tristram, in +endeavouring to regain the one he had lost, overbalanced himself, and +met the fate his grandfather had just escaped. Harry threw the oar over +to the side on which he had fallen, but the poor lad in vain endeavoured +to clutch it. There was a piercing cry; Harry thought he saw a hand +raised up through the darkness, and then he neither saw nor heard more. + +How came it that the boy's cry did not rouse the grandfather? Sad to +say, he lay without moving at the bottom of the boat. + +"This is fearful," cried David, feeling the old man's face and hands; "I +am afraid that he is dead, and the poor lad gone too. What are we to +do?" + +"Keep the boat's head to the sea as long as we can with one oar, and +then up helm and run before the wind," answered Harry, who knew that +such was the way a big ship would be managed under similar +circumstances. David sat at the helm, and Harry vigorously plied his +oar--now on one side, now on the other, and thus managed to keep the +boat from getting broadside to the sea. It was very hard work, however, +and he felt that, even though relieved by David, it could not be kept up +all night. Several times David felt the old man's face; it was still +warm, but there was no other sign of life. The boat was broad and deep, +or she would very quickly have been turned over. This, however, made +her very heavy to pull, while from the same cause the sea continually +washed into her. At length they agreed that she must be put before the +wind. They waited for a lull, and then getting her quickly round, +hoisted the jib, which had been before taken in, to the end of the +spreet, which they lashed to the stump of the mast. The wind blew as +strong as ever, but the tide having turned there was less sea than +before, and thus away they went down channel, at a far greater rate than +they supposed. + +"It is going to be only a summer gale," observed Harry. "When the +morning comes we shall be easily able to rig a fore and aft sail, and +stand in for the shore. The poor, good old man, I am very sorry for +him, and so I am for the boy; but for ourselves it does not so much +matter, except that we shall have to breakfast on raw fish, and perhaps +after all not get home to dinner. My dear mother, too, and Jane, may be +frightened, and I don't like the thought of that." + +"Yes, to be sure, I forgot that; I am afraid those at my home will be +frightened too, when they hear nothing of us," said David. "One comfort +is, that we did not keep away intentionally, though, to be sure, it was +thoughtless of us to be caught by the tide as we were. But don't let us +think of ourselves; better let us see what we can do for this poor old +man. I believe that he is still alive, though how to bring him round I +don't know. If we had any liquor to give him we might pour it down his +throat, but as we have nothing we must keep his head up and let him lay +quiet till daylight," said Harry. + +David was thoroughly accustomed to boat-sailing, so that he was well +able to keep the boat dead before the wind. The sea came curling up +astern, but none broke over her; had even one done so it would have sent +her to the bottom. A very little conversation took place after this. +Only Harry, fearing that he and his friend might lose heart, every now +and then said something to keep up their spirits. It was somewhat +forced, it must be owned, for they both saw that their position was very +critical. The hours passed slowly by--now the one, now the other took +the helm. Morning broke at last; they looked out, expecting to see the +land aboard on the starboard hand, but not a glimpse of land was +visible--nothing but sea and sky on every side around of a leaden grey +hue--not a streak in the horizon showed where the sun was rising. They +could only guess by the wind the points of the compass. Harry proposed +hauling up for where they supposed the land to be, but David considered +that such a proceeding would be dangerous, and that it would be safer to +run on till the weather moderated and they could get sail on the boat. +They neither of them sufficiently calculated the strength of the tide, +which, running for six hours, had carried them many miles to the +eastward. The old man was alive, but sat perfectly still at the bottom +of the boat. It seemed indeed doubtful if, after remaining in that +state so long, he would ever recover. Their anxiety prevented them from +feeling hungry; indeed, as yet, they fancied that they could not bring +themselves to eat raw fish. They now tried various means to bring the +old man to consciousness, by rubbing his hands and his feet, and +occasionally his forehead. It is difficult to say whether these means +had any effect. At length, at all events, he slowly opened his eyes; +then he closed them again, and they thought that he was dying. Then +once more he opened them, and looked about him with a puzzled and pained +expression of countenance. Now he gazed inquiringly at David--now at +Harry. + +"Where is Tristram? where is my grandson?" he asked, speaking very +slowly. "Gone! gone! oh, don't say that. What have you done with him, +my young masters?" + +With sad hearts the boys told him how the accident had happened. + +"Then may God take me to my boy, my poor boy," he exclaimed hiding his +face in his hands, and sinking back once more into the bottom of the +boat. + + + +CHAPTER THREE. + +WHERE WERE THEY?--RAW FISH--SLEEP--THE BRIG WITHOUT A CREW--AN AGED +CHRISTIAN. + +The gale continued blowing harder than ever, and had not the boat been +built especially to encounter heavy seas, she would very soon have been +swamped. It was only by careful steering, indeed, that this could be +avoided, while the two boys took it by turns to bail out the water which +occasionally came in over the gunwale in rather alarming quantities. +Still they did not lose courage. They, however, grew very hungry, and +began to look wistfully at the hamper of fish. + +"I wish we had a stove of some sort, that we might cook some of these +fish," said David, holding up a mackerel. "I am getting fearfully +ravenous." + +"Just scrape off the scales and take out the inside of one of them, and +hand it to me," answered Harry, who was steering. "I have seen seamen +eat raw fish, and raw meat too, and the islanders in the South Seas I +know do, so we must if we are not to starve." + +David prepared the fish as directed, during the intervals of bailing. +Still he could not bring himself to eat any. Harry's inside was more +seasoned. A midshipman's berth in those days did not allow of any +squeamishness. + +"Just pour a little water into the tin mug, it will help it down," he +said, after he had taken a few mouthfuls of the fish. + +They had found a tin mug, with a jar of fresh water. They husbanded the +water carefully, and David poured out very little, lest it should be +jerked out of the mug as the boat was tossed about. Harry dipped the +bits of fish into the water before eating them. It took away somewhat +of the raw taste, he fancied. Still he very soon came to an end of his +meal. + +"I shall do better another time," he observed, putting the remainder of +the fish down by his side, and drinking up the water. + +David sat for some time very silent, bailing out the water. At last he +looked into the basket and took out a fish, which he began to scrape +with his knife. He held it in one hand while he bailed with the other, +then he scraped a little more, and finally cleaned the fish completely. +He looked at it, his lips curled, as is often the case when a person is +about to take nauseous physic. A pang came into his inside. He could +stand the hunger no longer, and, putting the fish between his teeth, he +began to gnaw away at a great rate. He far outdid Harry. When the +water rose to the side of the boat, he dipped the fish into it. It +added to the flavour, and made it more digestible. The boys were +thankful that there was not much risk of their starving as long as the +fish kept good and the water lasted. It was not food that would keep +them in health for any length of time; yet it stopped the pangs of +hunger, and that was a great thing. All this time they were looking out +for some abatement in the gale, but not a break appeared in the mass of +dark lead-coloured clouds which formed a canopy above their heads, +reaching down to the horizon on every side. + +"Whereabouts do you think we are?" asked David, after a long silence. + +Harry thought for some time. + +"Somewhere in the chops of the British Channel, to the westward of +Scilly, I fear," he answered. "Possibly, if the wind shifts to the +southward, we may get driven up the Irish Channel, and then it will be a +tremendous time before we get home; I may be wrong, but I fear not." + +"That's what I think too," said David. "I wish that the old man was +sensible. We might consult him what to do." + +Old Jefferies, however, continued in the same unconscious state as +before. They had some hope of getting assistance from any vessels which +might pass them, but though they saw a number at a distance gliding +quickly by, not one came near them. On they drove, further and further +they feared from land. Again darkness came on. They were very drowsy, +but they feared, should they yield to sleep, that the boat would be +swamped. Harry had, he said, more practice in keeping awake, so he +insisted that David should lie down on one of the thwarts and take an +hour's rest, while he could steer and bail out at the same time. + +"I can manage it," answered David, with a yawn, stretching himself out +on a seat, and in less than half a minute he was sound asleep. + +Poor Harry had very hard work to keep awake. He could not venture to +remain sitting. More than once his eyes closed. Phantom shapes passed +before his eyes, strange sounds came into his ears, shrieks, cries, and +groans; sometimes he heard, he thought, shouts from afar. His brain +swam round. In another instant he would have lost all consciousness. +He had to spring to his feet, and to bail away with one hand while he +held the tiller with the other. He would not venture to sit down again; +indeed, the high, green, rolling, froth-topped seas, by which he was +surrounded, were sufficient to keep him awake. At last, putting down +the skid, he looked at his watch. It was past six o'clock. David had +slept more than his allotted hour, and yet he could scarcely bring +himself to awake him. + +"Poor fellow, he is not so accustomed to this sort of work as I am," he +said to himself. "After that long swim, too, he requires rest, and had +it not been for his courage I should no longer have been in this world. +I'll try and keep awake a little longer." + +Harry did his best to do as he intended. He kept moving his feet, he +talked aloud, he sang even. He looked at old Jefferies. He thought he +was nodding his head and answering him, but he could not make out what +was said. At last he felt that, if David did not wake up and come to +his relief, he should drop down, and the boat would broach to, and they +would all be drowned. + +"David! David!" he tried to cry out, but his tongue seemed to cleave to +the roof of his mouth. Still he kept the tiller in his hand, striving +steadily. He made one more effort. "David! help! help!" he shouted. +David's mind was far away in his father's garden, with his sisters and +sweet Mary Rymer. He was telling them about Harry being in danger, but +he had forgotten he was with his friend. At last he heard himself +called. He started up, and was just in time to seize the tiller, which +Harry had that instant let slip from his grasp, as he sank down to the +bottom of the boat. In another second of time the boat would have +broached to. The gloom of evening was coming on rapidly, and there was +but a dreary prospect for poor David. He still felt very sleepy, and +had almost as much difficulty in keeping awake as before. He managed to +drag Harry to one side, and to place some of the nets under his head as +a pillow, but no moving had the effect of rousing him up. David felt as +he had never felt before; sitting there, the only being conscious of +external affairs in that lone boat, running on amidst those huge +billows. As long as the gale continued, on the boat must go, he well +knew, or run almost the certainty of being swamped. The short sleep he +had enjoyed had refreshed him, and he thought that he should now be able +to keep awake. He felt very hungry, though. No wonder! Most people +would have been hungry who had eaten nothing but raw fish during upwards +of twenty-four hours. He, however, would now have been very glad to get +some more raw fish, but he could not reach the hamper, and he dared not +leave the helm for an instant. There was a locker under where he sat. +He had just bailed out the boat, when stooping down, he put his hand in, +and, feeling round, discovered to his great joy a large piece of bread, +the best part of a quartern loaf. It was very stale, but he was not +inclined to be particular. Never had he tasted bread so sweet. He +took, though, only a small portion, as he did not like to eat more +without having Harry to share it with him, or old Jefferies, if he could +be aroused. The bread, with a little fresh water, greatly revived him. +He thought, indeed, that he should be able to keep awake all the night, +if Harry should sleep on. He tried his best. He stood up, then he +bailed, but as much less water came into the boat than before, he had +but little to do in that way. He tried to sing and whistle, but the +tunes were somewhat melancholy. The wind was certainly decreasing, and +the sea going down. "I must wake up Harry, and then, if we can but +manage to rig a fore and aft sail, we might haul our wind, and stand to +the north-east," he said to himself. "But which is the north-east, I +wonder? The wind may have changed, and there is not a break in the +clouds. Without a compass, how can we find our way? If the clouds +clear away, the stars would help us--at least, I suppose Harry knows all +about them. I wish that I did. But I was lazy, and to this moment am +not quite certain as to the look of the Polar Bear. I remember that the +North Star is in that. However, we could not do much yet, and, with her +beam to the sea, the boat would not be steady enough to rig our mast +properly. We must wait patiently till morning. Dear me, how heavy my +head feels! They must be all wondering what has become of us at home. +I hope they don't think we are lost. That is the worst part of the +business. It will not be pleasant to live upon raw fish for very long, +but I suppose that it will keep us alive, and probably we shall fall in +with some vessel or other, which will tow us home. That will be very +nice. What a pleasant picnic we had, and Harry to come home just in +time, and Mary Rymer, and what a dear--oh! how pleasant--how--" Poor +David was asleep. No wonder, after having been awake for so many hours, +and only just a little more than one hour's rest on a hard plank. He +still held the tiller, and instinctively moved it to or from him, as he +felt the boat inclined to broach to. His eyes, indeed, were not quite +closed, so that in reality he saw the seas as they rolled before him, +and perhaps steered almost as well as he had done before. Meantime the +old man remained in a state of stupor, and Harry slept as soundly as a +"church door," or rather as midshipmen are generally supposed to do. +Thus the boat must have gone on for hours. Happily, the wind and sea +were going down, or it would have been a serious matter to the boys. It +will be understood that, after an easterly gale in the Channel, the sea +goes down more rapidly than after a westerly one, when there has been a +commotion across the whole sweep of the Atlantic. Suddenly a loud +concussion and a continued grating sound made both David and Harry start +to their feet, and they saw what seemed a huge black mass towering above +them. What could it be? + +"A ship! a ship!" shouted Harry. "Heave a rope here!" + +No one answered. As the boat was slowly rubbing by the side of the ship +(for Harry was right in his conjecture), he found a rope hanging +overboard. With the activity of a seaman he secured the end round the +fore-thwart of the boat, while David hauled down the sail--not that that +was of any consequence, as the wind had fallen almost to a calm. Again +Harry, joined by David, shouted loudly, but no one answered. + +"I believe the ship is abandoned," he observed. "Yes, I am sure she is, +for I see no masts. She is not quite so large, either, as I thought at +first--a brig probably. However, we shall soon have daylight, and know +all about it." + +The dawn was already breaking, but no roseate hue was seen in the sky, +to indicate the position of the rising sun. Although the sea had gone +down greatly, still the boat struck heavily every now and then against +the vessel, as she rolled slowly from side to side. There was, indeed, +great danger that she would be stove in, if not altogether swamped. The +boys, therefore, agreed that the sooner they could get on board the +better. + +"We shall find some food, at all events; and if we can get nothing more, +we may shove off again," observed David. + +"Oh! I hope we shall get much more than that," exclaimed Harry, in a +confident tone. "What do you think of a compass, and sail, and spars, +and rigging for our boat, and if so we shall without difficulty be able +to find our way home. Hurrah! what do you think of that?" + +"I did not fancy that we were likely to be so fortunate," answered +David. "To think that we should have run directly against a ship out in +the ocean here! What shall we do now?" + +"Why, get on board ourselves, and then hoist the old man up," answered +Harry. "We must not leave him in the boat, lest she should get stove +in." + +The boys quickly scrambled up the ship's side. Both her masts were +gone, and the bowsprit had been carried away, with a considerable +portion of the bulwarks, when the masts fell, and all her boats and +caboose. Altogether she had a very forlorn appearance, while there was +no sign of a human being on board. Their first care was to get up the +old man. Harry leaped down into the cabin of the brig, and instantly +returned with a long horsehair sofa cushion. "We must pass straps round +this, and parbuckle him up," he observed. Fortunately a davit remained. +To this they secured a tackle, and David, jumping into the boat to pass +the cushion under old Jefferies, they soon had him up safe on deck. +They then, having got up the hamper of fish, with the bread and the jar +of water, veered the boat away with a hawser astern. They were now able +for the first time to attend to the old man. They examined his head, +and finding where he had been struck, bathed the place with water, and +they also poured a few drops of water down his throat. This seemed to +revive him greatly, and at last they thought that they might leave him, +to examine the vessel. The cold dull grey light of the early morning +enabled them to do so. The brig had not long been deserted, and great +was their satisfaction to find all sorts of things to eat on board-- +biscuits, and even soft bread, though it was rather stale, and a box of +eggs, and bacon and cheese, and even some cooked meat, and there were +also melons, and oranges, and dried figs, and grapes, and other fruits, +which showed that she had probably come from a warm country, where these +fruits grew; indeed, they afterwards learned from some papers they +found, that she was the _Fair Ianthe_, and was from the Mediterranean, +homeward bound. While Harry and David were examining one of the +lockers, they felt something moving against their legs. They looked +down, and saw a fine white cat, which by her movements, and the pleased +purrs she gave when she saw that she was noticed, seemed to welcome +them. + +"She must be a fairy, or the good genius of the ship," exclaimed David. +"Or, if she is a mere mortal cat, she must be very hungry, as I am sure +I am, so let us go up and breakfast on deck, and try and get the old man +to eat something." + +"Do you know, I think that he would do much better down below, if we +could take off his wet things, and put him to bed," observed Harry. + +To this David agreed, and, after they had eaten a little bread, for they +would not give themselves time to take more, they contrived, with +considerable exertion, to lower old Jefferies into the cabin, and to put +him into bed. This done, they lighted a fire in the cabin stove, and +made tea and boiled some eggs, and did some rashers. They wisely, also, +took off their own wet things, which they hung up to dry, while they put +on some clothes which they found in the cabin. What a hearty breakfast +they made!--and if it had not been for the thoughts of the poor lad who +had gone overboard, and the anxiety of their friends, they would have +pronounced themselves very jolly. As it was, it cannot be said that +they were very unhappy. At last they contrived to get old Jefferies to +swallow some tea, and a little substantial food, for which he seemed +much the better, and in a few minutes they had the satisfaction of +seeing him drop off into a sound sleep. + +Harry and David returned to their meal, for they still felt somewhat +hungry. They soon began to nod, and at last David's head dropped on the +table. + +"I shall be off too, if I don't jump on deck and look after the boat, +and see how the weather is," said Harry. He found the boat secure, but +the weather very dull and far from promising, though there was then but +little wind. He scanned the horizon. Not a sail was in sight, and +unless with a stronger breeze than then blew, none could approach for +some time to come. On examining the vessel he thought that there was no +danger of her sinking; indeed, except that she had lost her mast, he +could not make out why she had been deserted. He judged by the way she +rolled that she was slightly leaking, and had made some water. "We'll +pump her out by and by, and she will be all right till we get a fair +breeze to return home," he thought to himself. "Perhaps we may carry +her in, and obtain salvage. That would be very fine, better than all +the prize-money I am likely to make for a long time to come." Such were +the ideas that floated through his mind as he returned to the cabin. A +comfortable-looking bed invited him to rest, and rousing up David for a +moment, he made him crawl half asleep into another. Both of them in +half a second were soundly sleeping, and had the tempest again arisen, +they would not probably have awakened then. + +Very different would have been the case had Harry been a captain, but +the cares and responsibilities of midshipmen are light, and their +slumbers sound. Hours passed by, when they both started up, hearing a +voice crying out, "Where am I? What has happened? Ah me! ah me!" It +was old Jefferies who spoke. They went to him. He had returned to +consciousness, and now remembered the loss of his grandson. They did +their best to comfort the old man. They felt that they had been +remotely the cause of the lad's death. "No fault of yours, young +gentlemen," he answered to a remark one of them had made; "it was God's +will to call the boy home. We must never murmur at what God chooses to +do. He knows what's best for us. Ah, if you had heard Mr Wesley +preach, as I often have, you'd understand these things better than you +do, perhaps." They were glad to let him talk on, as the doing so seemed +to divert his mind from his grief. He told them much about the great +preacher, and among other things that he was never stopped by weather +from keeping an appointment, and that though wet through, with his high +boots full of water, he would deliver his message of love to an +assembled congregation before he would change his garments. + +While they were all asleep the fire had gone out. They relighted it, +and cooked an abundance of their fish, and spread their table with it, +and several other things they had discovered. They little knew how the +time had gone by, and were therefore greatly surprised to find darkness +again coming on. The two lads hurried on deck, followed by old +Jefferies. The sky was still obscured. No land was in sight, and only +two or three sails could be observed in the far distance. They watched +them, but they were steering away from the ship. It was evidently too +late, even if old Jefferies had been strong enough, to leave her that +day. They therefore made up their minds to pass another night on board, +and to leave early the next day. + +"If the sky is clear we may do so," observed Harry. "But I have hunted +everywhere, and can find no compass; so that unless we can see the +stars, we shall be unable to steer a right course. If we venture to +make the attempt, we may perhaps find ourselves far away in the +Atlantic, and never be able to return." + + + +CHAPTER FOUR. + +A STORM--THE BOAT LOST--A DISCOVERY--HARRY SAVES DAVID'S LIFE--PUMPING-- +THE STRANGE SAIL. + +Another night began on board the wreck. The boys, however, saw nothing +unpleasant in the prospect. They had plenty of food and firing, their +clothes were dry, old Jefferies appeared to be recovering, and they +hoped he would be able to assist them in navigating the boat homeward. +They agreed that they would be up by daylight, and fit the boat with a +mast and sails and oars, besides loading her with as many provisions as +she could carry. They felt rather chilly, so they made up a fire, and +sat chatting over it quite comfortably, till they almost forgot they +were out on the ocean, no land in sight, in a dismasted vessel, and all +by themselves. Harry again broached the idea of carrying in the ship +herself, but David doubted whether they could manage to do so. Harry +then explained that they might form ury-masts out of a number of spars +lashed together, and that sails might be hoisted on these, fixed in +different parts of the deck. + +"The rudder is in good order, so that we may just as easily find our way +to the land, and into port, I hope, in the ship, as in the boat; while +we shall be far more comfortable, and not much longer about it, I should +think," he remarked. "I only fear lest an enemy's cruiser should see +us, and either take possession of the brig, or burn her, and carry us +off prisoners." + +"Not much chance of that, I should hope," answered David. "We should +not prove a prize of much value, after all." + +"Oh, indeed! they would think it no small thing to capture a British +naval officer," remarked the young mid, drawing himself up to his full +height, which was not very great; "and I vote we do not give in without +a fight for it." + +"But I only saw two guns on deck, and I do not think that we should be +able to work them, even if we can find powder and shot," said David. + +"Oh, there is a store of both on board, depend on it, and if we put on a +bold face, we may drive off an enemy, provided he is not a very big +one," answered the midshipman. + +Some time was occupied in these discussions. They then went on deck and +looked about them. Though a long slow swell swept as it were +occasionally across the ocean, the surface was otherwise perfectly +smooth; indeed, there was not a breath of air to disturb it, but a thick +mist hung over the sea, which prevented any objects from being seen even +at a short distance off. This was as likely to prove advantageous to +them as the contrary; and so, having taken a short walk on dock, they +went below, said their prayers, found that the old man was asleep, +turned in and followed his example. Harry knew perfectly well that, +according to strict discipline, a watch ought to have been kept, but he +and David agreed that, as there was a calm, they could not be run down, +and that the wreck was not likely to drift far from where they then +were, while it was clearly far pleasanter to be asleep than walking the +deck. Hitherto they had not had time to examine the hold or the fore +part of the vessel. This, however, they purposed doing in the morning. +Happy time of youth! They slept very soundly and comfortably, looking +forward with confidence to the future, and little dreaming what was to +happen. When people have been deprived of their night's rest, they +frequently sleep a very long time on a stretch. Harry was awaked by +David, who exclaimed-- + +"Dear me! the ship is tumbling about fearfully; the gale must have +sprung up again." + +He then heard old Jefferies say, in a weak voice, "What, lads, are you +there? I was afraid that you had deserted the old man." + +"No, no, we would not do that," answered David. "But I am afraid that +the ship must be shaken to pieces if this continues." + +"If she has floated through one gale she may float through another. We +must trust in God," said the old man. "Ah me! I am very feeble. If we +couldn't put our faith in Him, we should be badly off indeed. I cannot +help myself, much less you." + +Harry was by this time fully awake, and called David to follow him on +deck, to ascertain what was the matter. When David got there, he wished +himself below again. The gale had returned with tenfold fury, and the +helpless ship was driving before it, surrounded by high foaming and +roaring seas; the mist had cleared away, but the clouds were as thick as +ever, chasing each other across the sky. Nothing else was to be seen. +Mountain waves and dark clouds almost pressing down on their heads--no +sail in sight to bring them assistance. So violently was the ship +tossed about, that they could scarcely keep their feet, even by holding +on. + +"Oh, the boat! the boat!" shouted David. Just before, they had seen her +still afloat, secured by the hawser, when a heavy sea, rolling towards +the ship, broke aboard the boat, and filled her in an instant. She rose +on the top of a high foaming sea, when the thwart to which the two ropes +were secured was torn out of her, and the next moment she sunk from +sight. The boys looked at each other for a minute or more without +speaking. + +"We shall have to stick to the ship now, at all events," said Harry at +last. + +"I hope that the ship will stick to us, and keep afloat, then," remarked +David. + +"We'll sound the well presently, and see what water she has in her," +said Harry. "In the meantime, let us go down into the hold, and see of +what her cargo consists. Much depends on that, whether or not she keeps +afloat. I want to have a look into the fore peak also; I cannot make +out why the vessel should have been deserted." + +The main hatch was on, and as it would have been dangerous to lift it, +even if they could have done so, when any moment the deck might have +been swept by a sea, they worked their way on to the fore hatch. This +was not secured. They descended. It was some time before they could +see about them in the close, dark, and dirty abode of the seamen. On +either side were bed-places, one above another, with a few large wooden +chests below them, and jackets and trousers, and various other articles, +hanging up against the bulkhead. They observed nothing of consequence, +and as the atmosphere was stirring, they were about to climb up again on +deck, when a low groan was heard. Both were brave fellows, but it must +be confessed that their hearts sunk, and their first impulse was to +hurry up the ladder as fast as they could go. Again there was a groan. +They looked at each other. Was it a human voice? There could be little +doubt about that. Where could it come from? They stopped for a few +seconds, holding on to the ladder, to recover their composure. The +voice came from one of the berths; of that they were soon satisfied. +Just then Harry observed a small locker close to the ladder, and putting +in his hand found a candle and tinder-box. A light was soon struck; and +they approached the berth whence the groans had proceeded. It is not +surprising that they should have started back with horror. The dim +light of the candle fell on the ghastly features of a human being, who, +except that his eyes moved wildly, might have been taken for a corpse. +His beard was long and tangled, and blood, which had flowed from a +fearful gash across his brow, stained the blankets in which he was +wrapped. His eyes were staring wildly, his mouth was open. He seemed +at the point of death. Yet he was not dying of starvation, for within +his reach hung a bottle of water and a bag of biscuits. Why, however, +he had been deserted was a mystery which he himself seemed incapable of +solving. In vain Harry and David asked him. Not a word did he speak in +answer to their questions. He was, however, conscious of their +presence, they thought, by the way his eyes followed them as they moved +about the cabin. Had they discovered him before, they might have been +of some assistance to him, but they could not now even attempt to move +him into another berth. David, however, undertook to get some better +food from the cabin. Harry did not feel altogether comfortable when +left alone with the dying man. He looked so horrible, and the groans +which he uttered were so fearful. David seemed to be absent a long +time. He did not like to leave the wretched man, or he would have gone +to look for him. What could have become of David? The sea every now +and then washed with a loud sound across the deck. Could he have been +carried away by it? How dreadful the thought! He went back to the +dying man, and stood over him, hoping that he might return, to +consciousness. Suddenly the man sat up, and pointing with his thin hand +across the cabin, uttered a loud shriek, and sinking back was a corpse. +The young midshipman was left alone in the dark fore peak of the sinking +vessel. The sad thought came across him that perhaps he might be the +only living person on board. Old Jefferies was apparently on the point +of death, and perhaps David had been washed overboard. As he could be +of no use where he was, he determined to ascertain the worst, and +climbed up on deck, immediately closing the hatch again. He looked +about him. David was not to be seen. Even during the time he had been +below matters had grown worse--the ship was tumbling about more than +ever, and the seas, which rose high above the bulwarks, seemed every +instant about to engulf her. But where was David? He worked his way, +not without great danger of being carried overboard, to the companion +hatch, over which, stooping down, he shouted David's name. His heart +sank within him. There was no answer. "David! David!" he cried again. +"Oh, David, where are you?" Was his dear brave friend really gone? +Just then he observed that some rigging had been washed over the +starboard quarter, and he fancied that he heard a faint cry. From the +temporary position of the wreck, the sea ceased just then to break +aboard. Harry sprang aft, and there, clinging desperately to the +rigging, now almost under water, now lifted into the air, as the stern +of the ship was thrown upwards, he saw David. His friend recognised +him, but seemed unable to speak. Though Harry could not swim he could +climb well, and was strong and active. His immediate impulse was to +fasten a rope round his own waist, the other end secured round a +stanchion, and to spring towards David. "We will die together," he said +to himself as he did so, "or I will save him. May we be protected!" He +alighted on a spar close to David, whose arm he saw was caught by a +rope, from which he could not disengage himself. To do this without the +risk of his friend being washed away was no easy task. He succeeded at +length, however, in doing so, and by an effort, of which he would not +have thought himself capable, he scrambled up on deck again by means of +the tangled mass of ropes, and tattered sails and spars, which hung +overboard. Then, dreading that another sea would come and sweep them +back together into the seething ocean, they tottered to the companion +hatchway, down which Harry half dragged, half carried his friend, +closing the hatch above him. Scarcely had he done so than a tremendous +blow on the hatch, and the loud rushing sound of the water as it passed +over the deck, told them that another sea had broken aboard, which would +in all probability have swept them away to destruction. They fell on +their knees in thankfulness as they reached the cabin, that they had +been thus providentially preserved. They then went to the berth in +which old Jefferies lay. He was still too weak to move, but perfectly +sensible. They told him what had just occurred, and of the death of the +poor seaman whom they had discovered in the fore peak. He could not +conjecture why the man had been left there. The boys, however, thought +that, by examining all the papers, they might elucidate the mystery. +They feared, from the appearance of the poor stranger, that some foul +deed had been done on board. Now, however, they were more concerned +about themselves. The brig had hitherto withstood all the buffeting she +had received without apparently leaking much, but would she continue to +do so? Old Jefferies thought not. He had heard, he said, strange +sounds as he lay in bed, which he knew well proceeded from water forcing +its way into the hold, or rather from the air which was thereby forced +out--groans, and sighs, and low cries. + +"Some people, when they hear these sounds for the first time, think that +the ship is full of ghosts and spirits, and that they are crying out +that she is going down," observed the old man. "But I know better. I +wish that I hadn't heard them, for they make me sad. Not for myself, +though, for I am well-nigh worn out, and that poor boy's death weighs +heavy on me. I daren't face his grandmother, and tell her that he is +gone. But, boys, I am sorry for you. You are young and full of life, +and there are many who love you on shore, and will mourn your loss." + +"What, do you think that the ship is going down?" exclaimed Harry and +David together, in a very natural tone of dismay. + +"It would be cruel in me not to tell you so, and I hope that you are +prepared to die, my boys," answered the old man. "Still I don't say but +that in God's mercy you may escape. A vessel may heave in sight in time +to take you off, or you may build a raft, and it may float you till you +are picked up. I don't say give in, but be prepared for the worst." + +The boys listened calmly to what the old man said. + +"We will hope for the best, rig the pumps, and try and keep her free," +answered Harry. + +"Not much hope of that, I fear," said the old man. "We can but try," +exclaimed David. "Let us go on deck at once, and see what we can do." + +"You may be washed overboard if you go now on deck," said old Jefferies. +"You must wait till the sea goes down again somewhat, and you may then +pump away with a will." + +The latter part of this advice the boys agreed, after waiting some time, +to disregard. If the ship was sinking, the sooner the water could be +pumped out of her the better. They fancied, also, that she rolled less +than before. In spite of the old man's warnings, they once more, +therefore, found their way on deck. The state of the wreck seemed +almost hopeless, but, like brave boys as they were, they still kept to +their resolution of trying to pump out the water. They fortunately +found the brake of the pump, as the handle is called, and shipping it, +began to work away with might and main. The water quickly came up in a +clear, bright stream, which told too plainly, without their sounding the +well, the large amount of water which had either leaked in or found its +way below. They had left their coats and shoes in the cabin, everything +that would encumber them, in case they should be washed from their hold. +The waves rose up around them, the spray in dense showers dashing every +instant over their heads, and almost blinding them when it struck them +in the face. Still undaunted they stood at their post. + +"This must tell," exclaimed David, as he watched the full stream flowing +from the pump. "If we get the ship clear, all may yet be well." + +"It may be coming in faster than we are pumping it out," said Harry. +"Still it may keep us afloat till help comes." + +"I am afraid that there is not much prospect of that," said David. +"Though, to be sure, we cannot be so very far from land, or those +screeching seagulls would not be hovering about us." + +"They have powerful wings, and can fly a long way from land," observed +Harry. "Those come probably from the west coast of Ireland." + +These remarks were made at intervals and by jerks, as it were, while +they stopped pumping for an instant to change their position. They were +encouraged to persevere, first, by believing that their efforts were +producing some effect on the amount of water in the ship, and then, by +observing that the sea was again going down. During one of these +intervals, when the wreck had been thrown higher up than usual, Harry +exclaimed, "A sail! a sail! she is standing this way." + +The glimpse was momentary, and before David could catch sight of the +stranger the ship had again sunk into the trough of the sea. In vain +David looked out for the ship. Still Harry asserted that he was not +mistaken. After pumping for some time they were compelled to knock off +from fatigue. For fear of being washed away they lashed themselves to +the stump of the nearest mast, and thus secured they lay down on the wet +deck to rest. Again they rose bravely to their work, but each tune they +had to stop pumping they rested for a longer period, and continued +pumping after it for a shorter period. + +David, at last, caught sight of the vessel Harry had seen, and was also +of opinion that she was approaching them. The hope of being saved, +which had never died, now grew stronger and stronger. Now, as the wreck +was lifted up the side of a sea, or the stranger mounted a foaming +billow, her whole hull was visible, and they saw she was a long, low +black schooner. Even at that distance Harry did not like her +appearance. To satisfy himself he went to the companion hatch, inside +of which a telescope was hung up. With it both he and David took a more +exact examination of the stranger, and came to the same conclusion. + +"She is not an English craft, of that I am certain," observed Harry. +"She may be a privateer, but is more like those rascally pirates who +infest the West Indies and African coast, and used to be found down on +the Spanish main; she has a large crew, too, I see. Now, I suspect, if +we were to get aboard her the fellows would make us join them or walk +the plank. Still, it might be better to pretend to enter on board than +to go down with this wreck. What do you say?" + +"If yonder craft is of the character you fancy, I say let us stick to +the wreck; but we will ask old Jefferies what he thinks about it--we +wouldn't leave him on any account; at the same time, if he wishes to go, +I should say that we ought to go." + +"I agree with you," answered Harry. "Let us pump away till she gets +nearer, and then we will go and consult Jefferies." + +The schooner approached, and a nearer view only confirmed the boys in +their opinion of her character. Why she came near the wreck it was +difficult to say. Another look through the spy-glass showed them a +number of men on board and several guns on her deck. + +"I do not suppose they will trouble themselves about us unless we hail +them, and then, perhaps, they might endeavour to take us off the wreck, +but I am not quite certain about it," observed Harry. They were +standing while speaking inside the companion hatch, with their heads +just above it. + +The schooner was coming up fast. Suddenly the ports nearest them were +opened, wreaths of smoke burst forth, and several shots whistled close +above their heads, one going through the bulwarks and ploughing up the +deck. Their impulse was to jump below. They could do nothing to help +themselves, but they hoped that the strangers would not continue to make +a target of them. + +Jefferies had heard the shots, and wondered why they had been fired. +When they told him their suspicions, he advised them to keep below. + +"I have my thoughts on the subject," he remarked. "Hark! they are +firing again; there! another shot struck the ship. If it was not for +the heavy sea running we should be worse off than we are. It is no easy +matter to take aim from the deck of a craft tumbling about as the +schooner must be. If it was, depend upon it there would be a score or +more sent into the brig between wind and water." + +"But why should the schooner's people be so anxious to make a target of +the brig?" asked David. + +"To sink her," answered the old man. "They think, if fallen in with, +she might tell a tale they don't wish to have known. That's my notion, +but I may be wrong." + +"There they go again at it!" exclaimed Harry. "Two shots struck us. +Don't you think, David, that we had better go on deck and show +ourselves? They would scarcely try to sink the wreck if they found that +there were people on board, even though they might not take us off." + +"The very reason that would make them still more anxious to send us to +the bottom. You had better not show yourselves," said the old man; but +the lads did not hear him, for they were already on their way on deck. + + + +CHAPTER FIVE. + +MAKING A RAFT--AFLOAT ON IT--THE GRIEF AT HOME--CAPTAIN RYMER'S +APPOINTMENT--THE VOYAGE. + +That raging sea, which it appeared at first would prove the destruction +of those on board the brig, was in reality the means of their +preservation. Just as the boys got their heads above the companion +hatch, another whole broadside was let fly, and though many of the shots +passed over the ship, two or three struck her between wind and water. +Had the sea been calmer, many more probably would have found their way +through her sides, and she must instantly have gone to the bottom. Such +was the fate the boys, not without good reason, now anticipated for her. +Another broadside would prove sufficient. + +"Had we not better show ourselves, and ask to be taken on board?" said +David. + +"What, boys, and be murdered!" cried the old man from below. "Stick to +the ship, and don't trust those villains. There's One who will take +care of you if you put faith in Him." + +"Old Jefferies is right. Let us die rather than go on board the +pirate," said Harry. + +Once more they climbed up the companion ladder, from which they had +jumped down at the last broadside. They watched the schooner. She had +tacked, as if about to run down close to them, and deliver another +broadside. Seeing this, they were prepared to leap back into the cabin, +when suddenly she hauled her tacks aboard, and stood directly away from +them. Did her crew believe that the shots they had fired would speedily +effect their supposed purpose, and take the brig to the bottom, or were +they only firing for practice? As soon as the schooner had got a little +distance off, the boys jumped on deck and hurried to the pump. Harry +first sounded the well. His face grew very serious. + +"David," he said, "the water has gained fearfully on us. The shot-holes +must be letting in the water fast, and I do not think that the brig can +float another hour--perhaps not ten minutes." + +"What are we to do, then?" asked David. + +"Build a raft," answered Harry. "There are plenty of spars. I saw some +carpenter's tools and large nails in the cabin, and we may break off the +hatches. They will help us. We must be sharp about it, though." + +Of this there could be no doubt. That they might give the old fisherman +a better chance of saving his life, they agreed to get him up first. By +taking an abundance of food and rest, he had greatly recovered his +strength, and was now able to do as they proposed. + +"If I cannot work, I may give you my advice," he observed. "I have more +than once had to trust to a raft for my life." + +The cat followed them on deck. The old man shook his head when he saw +her. + +"She knows that the cabin is no longer a safe place for her, and that +she will be better off up here," he said, as the boys placed him on a +heavy coil of rope near the mainmast. The ship was happily more quiet +than she had before been, and the boys, having collected all the spars +and planks they could find, as well as some chairs and a table from the +cabin, commenced, under old Jefferies' directions, to form the proposed +raft. They worked away with all their might, knowing well that a few +minutes' delay would be fatal. A large raft was not required, as it had +to support only three persons and their provisions. The great thing was +to make it strong enough. They brought up all the small rope they could +find and lashed the stoutest of the spars together, so as to form an +oblong framework, with a centre spar as a keel. They further secured +them with large nails. Then they placed planks and smaller spars across +this, with the table, top downwards, and the chairs on their backs, +secured to it. They managed to wrench off two of the cabin doors, and +these, nailed down and lashed across the raft, raised the deck and +increased its strength. Besides the chairs, there were some strong +stools in the cabin. These they nailed down at each corner, and secured +them also by lashings, with their legs up. They then passed ropes round +the legs, thus forming a sort of bulwark that might save them from being +washed off the raft. They had still much to do after this before the +raft would be complete. They wanted a couple of chests in which to keep +their provisions, a cask for water, a mast and sails, and oars, and +blankets to keep them warm at night. They had been some time at work, +and the water was already over the cabin floor. Any attempt to save the +vessel was now hopeless. Harry, happening to look up, saw what, had he +been on the watch, he would have observed long before, a large ship, +under a press of sail, at no great distance. Was the wreck seen by +those on board? If so, their prospect of escape was greatly improved. +They hoped that they were seen, for although they were thankful that +they had had time to form a raft, they knew well that at best it was a +perilous means of support, that it might be upset or dashed to pieces, +or that they might float about on it unseen till all their provisions +and water were exhausted, and then die of starvation and thirst. They +earnestly hoped, therefore, that they might be seen from the passing +ship. They had reserved a short spar as a mast for the raft. To this +they fastened a flag, and secured it to the mainmast. So occupied were +they, indeed, in watching the stranger, that for a few minutes they +forgot to go on with their raft, till recalled by old Jefferies to +continue the important work. They had now to search for some chests. +They had seen several in the fore peak. It was with a degree of awe, +perhaps not altogether free from fear, that they again went to where the +dead seaman lay. They quickly cut two chests clear of the lashings +which secured them, and were emptying them of their contents, when they +came upon a box or case, the size of an ordinary writing-case. It was +of foreign manufacture, and secured with strong brass bands. When +taking it out with other things, Harry heard a sound like the chink of +money within. He shook it. There was no doubt about the matter. +"We'll keep it. It may be useful, and it is our lawful prize," he +observed, as he put it back into the chest. Fastening ropes to the +handles of the chests, they were soon hauled on deck, and secured to the +raft. Now came the important work of provisioning their ark of safety. +They had already got on deck some biscuits, and salt beef and pork +uncooked. They again descended for more articles which they had seen, +and which, together with some blankets, they brought up. Once more they +went below, and even during the short time they had been on deck, they +observed that the water had considerably risen. Still they were +persevering in their search for more provisions, when old Jefferies' +voice summoned them hastily on deck. + +"She is going down!--she is going down!" he shouted. + +They rushed up, and had just time to drag him on to the raft, and to +seize the oars and spars they had got ready, when the vessel's bow rose, +and her stern gradually sank, till she glided away towards the bottom, +literally from beneath their feet. Just before this the cat, who seemed +determined to stick to the vessel to the last, made a spring on to the +raft, where she stood trembling with fear and astonishment at the +disappearance of her home. As soon as the water reached the raft, by +means of the poles they shoved off from the wreck, and then pulled away +with all their might, so as completely to clear her. The raft rocked +violently, and, in spite of all their efforts, seemed dragged towards +the vortex formed by the sinking vessel. In another instant the brig +was no longer to be seen, and her secret, whatever it was, was buried +with her. They looked anxiously around. The ship was standing in the +direction the schooner had gone. They floated alone on that wild, +stormy waste of waters. The old man had been placed in the middle of +the raft, while the boys took their places on either side of him, +endeavouring with the oars to keep the raft before the seas. Among +other things placed on it were some carpenter's tools, spars, blankets, +and a good supply of rope. They had thus the means of rigging a mast. +They did this by nailing boards between the two front legs of the table, +and lashing the mast to the middle of the boards, while they carried +stays forward and on either side. The wind was so much warmer, that +they supposed it must have shifted to the west, though the thick clouds +which still shrouded the sky prevented them from finding out the points +of the compass. By Jefferies' advice, they continued making the +arrangements which have been described, though they still hoped they +might be seen from the passing ship, which Harry declared to be the +frigate to which he belonged--the _Ariadne_. At last, however, they had +to abandon this hope, as the frigate continued her course, in chase, +apparently, of the mysterious schooner. Unless seen by some other +vessel, Harry and David felt that they must now, humanly speaking, +depend on their own exertions for reaching the shore. Harry rigged a +mast; they next fitted a sail, and with no small satisfaction hoisted +it. By fixing an oar so as to act as a rudder astern, the raft, as soon +as the sail was hoisted, behaved remarkably well, and glided over the +seas with considerable ease and rapidity. Their spirits rose again, for +they fully believed that they should in two or three days reach either +the English or the Irish coast. They had no idea how far to the +westward they had been driven. By degrees the sea went down, which was +very pleasant, but so also did the wind, till it became a perfect calm. +An end was thus put to their hopes of soon reaching the land. However, +they were far more comfortable than they had been for some time. The +afternoon sun shone out brightly, and dried their clothes; and they had +plenty to eat--biscuits, and cooked meat, and cheese and butter, and +figs and raisins, and several other fruits, and some bottles of wine, of +which they wisely partook very sparingly. It, however, did the old man +much good, and he appeared to have recovered both his strength and +spirits. Although well off in many respects, they had, however, a +scarcity of one article, without which they could not hope to prolong +existence. That was water. They could only secure one small cask, and +they saw, therefore, that they must husband the precious liquid with the +greatest care. + +They now floated tranquilly on the calm waters, and though they would +far rather have been sailing northward, they were thus enabled to +strengthen the raft, and to prepare for it encountering any more rough +weather which might come on. They had made old Jefferies as comfortable +as they could in the centre of the raft, and they soon had the satis +faction of finding that he had fallen asleep. Having accomplished all +that could be done, they began to chat away as composedly as if nothing +very particular had occurred. They went on, indeed, almost with the +conversation which had been interrupted when they discovered that the +rock on which they were sitting was surrounded by water. Strange to +say, Harry expressed no wish or intention of leaving the profession he +had embraced should they reach the shore, while David was as determined +as ever to enter it should he be able to obtain his father's leave. No +wonder, when the long list of glorious victories won by the British navy +was fresh in the memory of the nation, and naval officers in all social +circles were looked upon and courted as heroes. At length old Jefferies +awoke. + +"Now, boys, you must take your rest," he said. "You have watched for +me, and now I'll watch for you. It won't do for us all to nap together, +and if I see any change I'll call you. Never fear, puss and I will look +after the ship." + +The boys did not require a second bidding, but stretching themselves +inside the legs of the upturned table, were soon fast asleep. + +We must now return for a short time to their friends on shore. Poor +Mrs Merryweather was almost broken-hearted on being at length compelled +to give up all hopes of ever again seeing her gallant son, and on being +able to account in no other way for his and his friend's disappearance +than that they had fallen over a cliff, or been washed away by the sea. +She knew where to go for comfort and consolation; and her chief +satisfaction, when she heard that old Mrs Jefferies had lost her +husband and grandson on the same night, was to show her whence she could +derive the same consolation she herself had found. It was a sore trial +to the poor old woman. Mr and Mrs Morton also did their best to +comfort her; indeed, had it not been for them she would have been +compelled to resort to the workhouse for support. They sympathised with +the old woman, not because they were aware of the service her husband +had rendered those dear to them, but because, as they supposed, a like +calamity had overtaken her and themselves at the same time. Still Mr +Morton did not cease for a long time to have search made for them, till +at length he was with a sad heart compelled to give it up in despair. +Captain Rymer sympathised heartily with his neighbour's misfortune, and +pretty little Mary shed many a tear for the loss of her two friends. +Several months passed by, and still no news came of the lost ones. With +great reluctance the two families at length went into mourning. It was +a sad day, for it was an acknowledgment that hope was given up, and that +the two dear lads were no longer among the living. + +One morning Captain Rymer and his family were seated at breakfast; Mrs +Rymer had just poured out a cup of tea, and Mary had handed it to him +with a slice of toast which she had carefully buttered, when the +post-bag was brought into the room. He opened it, and drew forth a long +official-looking envelope. + +"No other letter?" asked his wife. + +"No, not one; and this is probably of no great importance either," he +answered, placing it by his side, and beginning to eat the toast Mary +had just given him. Captain Rymer had been actively engaged during the +whole of the late war in many dangerous and arduous services, and, like +other officers, felt somewhat aggrieved that his services had not been +fully recognised. He had frequently applied for some civil appointment, +but his requests had not been attended to, and the only results were +polite answers, couched in the same official language, stating that his +merits would be duly considered. At last he made up his mind that he +was to be laid on the shelf, and that he should never get anything. +However, when he had finished his toast, he opened the letter. + +"This is indeed what I little expected," he exclaimed. "I am appointed +as Lieutenant-Governor of Saint -- in the West Indies. It is one of the +most healthy of the islands. I have often been there; indeed, it is in +consequence of my knowledge of the inhabitants that I have been +selected; and you will all be able to accompany me." + +This information, as may be supposed, caused a great deal of excitement +in the family. As Captain Rymer was ordered to proceed at once, there +was no time to be lost in making the necessary preparations. Their +friends called to congratulate, and at the same time to express their +regret at losing them. The Mortons, and poor Mrs Merryweather, would +certainly miss them more than anybody else. Mary could not help looking +forward with pleasure to the interesting places she would probably +visit, and the new style of life she would have to lead; though she was +very sorry to leave so many kind friends, and the attached servants, who +could not accompany them. In those days outfits were not to be +procured, nor other arrangements made, so rapidly as at present, and +Captain Rymer found it impossible to be ready to sail in the ship +appointed to carry him out. He had, therefore, to take his passage in a +West India trader, to sail a few weeks later. The _Betsy_ was a fine +large ship, carrying guns, to enable her to defend herself against the +pirates and small privateers, often no better, which at that time +infested the Caribbean Sea, and especially on the Spanish main and round +the coast of Cuba. The cabins of the _Betsy_, on board which many +wealthy West India planters frequently came backwards and forwards, were +for their accommodation fitted up in a style of luxury seldom found on +board merchantmen in general. The _Betsy_ put into Falmouth to take the +family and their baggage on board. She then had to remain till joined +by several other West India ships. Everything was then made ready for +sailing, and a bright look-out was kept for another fleet, bound in the +same direction, coming down channel under convoy of two men-of-war. +They were at length descried, and the ships in Falmouth harbour +immediately got under weigh, and stood out to join them. At that time, +although most of the men-of-war carrying the flag of England's enemies +had been swept from the seas, a large number of their privateers still +remained to annoy and often injure her commerce. It was therefore not +considered safe for merchantmen to sail without the protection of one or +more men-of-war. Mary was delighted with the appearance of the cabins, +so luxurious compared to what she had expected; and she was still more +pleased when, on going on deck, she observed a large fleet of stately +ships with which she was surrounded. The water was calm, the sky clear, +and the sun shone brightly on the pyramids of white canvas towering up +from the black, shining, freshly painted hulls which floated on the blue +ocean in all directions. On the outskirts were the still more stately +men-of-war, their bright-coloured signal flags continually moving up and +down, while they occasionally fired a gun either on one side or the +other, in rather a difficult attempt to keep their somewhat refractory +charges on their proper course. Mary, after watching the manoeuvres of +the men-of-war and the fleet of merchant vessels for some time, +exclaimed-- + +"Why, papa, they put me in mind of a herd of cattle driven through the +country, the drovers running here and there, shouting loudly, and +sending their sharp barking dogs now to one side, now to the other, to +keep them together." + +"Not a bad idea, Mary," answered Captain Rymer. "But should thick +weather come on, or a heavy gale spring up, the work will be much more +difficult. Sometimes a whole herd, as you would call them, is +scattered, and lions or wolves occasionally pounce down on the weakest, +and carry them off." + +"I hope that will not be our fate, papa," said Mary, timidly. + +"No fear of that, dearest. I am sorry that I should have put such a +notion into your head," answered Captain Rymer. "The _Betsy_ is a +well-found ship, well manned and well armed, and Captain Bolton has the +character of being a first-rate seaman, so that we have every reason for +expecting to arrive in safety at our destination." + +"Oh, I am not at all afraid," said Mary. "Besides, you know, papa, we +can pray to be protected; and what a comfort it is, and how brave it +should make us, to know that God hears our prayers, and will grant them +whenever He sees that to do so is best for us!" + +What a support in daily life, what a consolation to the voyager over the +stormy ocean, is a firm confidence in that glorious truth! + + + +CHAPTER SIX. + +ON THE RAFT--THE SHARK--THE SEA-FIGHT. + +The raft still floated uninjured; the sea continued perfectly calm. +Harry and David retained their health and spirits, hoping that they +should reach the land at last; and the old man appeared to be steadily +recovering. The calm tried them in one respect more than when the wind +blew, because after the raft had been strengthened they had nothing to +do. They talked of the past and of the future, but even friends cannot +talk on all day, especially if they are hungry and thirsty, and are +anxious about any matter. At last David recollected that they had taken +some fishing lines and hooks out of the boat, and thrown them with other +articles on the raft. They were soon discovered, and the lads flattered +themselves that they had nothing more to do than to bait the hooks, if +bait could be found, and to throw them overboard. Old Jefferies smiled +when he saw their preparations, and told them that, although certain +fish were to be caught occasionally in the open sea, the greater number +were to be found along the coasts of the different countries of the +world. "To my mind God has so ordered it that all the fish which best +serve for the food of man swim round and round the coasts of the +countries of the world, in shallow water, where they can be got at and +caught, or else they visit certain known spots, like the banks of +Newfoundland, or the fishing grounds in the North Sea. Now if they all +lived in the deep seas, or kept wandering about to all parts just as +fancy led them, fishermen would never know where to go and look for +them. Instead of that, as I have said, as the seasons come round, God +leads them to the same places and almost on the same day every year; and +so the fisherman is prepared with his nets or lines to catch them. +However, I don't mean to say that there are no fish out even in +mid-ocean, and if we get our lines, perhaps we shall catch some." + +The lines were fitted in different ways; one with a heavy lead that it +might sink towards the bottom, the other to throw to a distance, and +then to drag quickly back again. The chief difficulty was with regard +to the bait. David, however, proposed using a piece of salt pork, +though old Jefferies thought that no fish would bite at it. + +"I'll try, at all events," he answered; and baiting his hook he threw it +skilfully to a considerable distance. He tried over and over again till +his arm grew tired, while Henry let his line down to its entire end, but +neither of them got a bite. + +"Very little use, I am afraid," said Harry, drawing up his line. + +"Let it hang out, at all events. It can do no harm, and something may +take a fancy to it," observed David, again throwing his own line. +"Halloa! I have got something--a big fellow, too--he'll pull me off the +raft if I don't take care. Lend a hand, Harry." + +Harry took hold of the line. Now they were able to haul in some of the +line, and then again the fish swam off in an opposite direction, +actually moving the raft. + +"It may be a porpoise," said Harry. + +"Perhaps it is a shark!" exclaimed David. "It can't be a young whale." + +"It is a big fish of some sort, of that there is no doubt," responded +Harry. "The fellow will get tired before long, and then we will make +him show his nose." + +"If he does not cut through the line before that," observed old +Jefferies, who would not pronounce as to what fish it was. + +"If the line does not break I have little fear of its being cut through, +for there is a long shank to the hook, and the line has never been +slack," answered David, hauling in more of the line. + +The fish, if such it was, at length began to grow weary of towing the +raft, and allowed himself to be drawn nearer and nearer till his mouth +was seen for an instant close to the surface. + +"Ah! I know him," exclaimed old Jefferies. "A shark! a shark! he's as +mischievous a fellow as any that swims, though he will hurt no one who +does not put his hand down his mouth." + +He explained that the fish they had hooked was the _blue shark_, which, +although he does not attempt to take the fisherman's life, is yet one of +his greatest foes. If he cannot bite through a line he often rolls it +round and round himself in a way that is most difficult for the +fisherman to undo; and sometimes he will swim among the nets, killing +the fish in mere wantonness apparently, and biting the meshes. Now and +then, however, he gets caught himself--a small satisfaction considering +the damage he causes. + +It took some time before his sharkship was wearied out, and when at +length he was hauled up on the raft, it was found that he had contrived +to wind several fathoms of the line round his body. From the line +having been kept tight, it was not so cleverly twisted as is often the +case, and a blow on the tail quieted him before he had managed further +to wriggle it round himself after he was out of the water. When the +line was unwound, and the shark stretched out, he was a handsome-looking +fish of a blue lead colour, about four feet long. Harry and David did +not feel disposed to eat any of the shark, but when assured by the old +fisherman that neither he nor any of his ancestors had ever touched +flesh, they got over their reluctance, and as their appetites told them +it was dinner-time, they each took a thin slice with some biscuit. They +agreed that when cooked it would be tolerable food. + +After this meal David, having got his line in order, and both their +lines being baited with shark, they commenced fishing. After some time +Harry got a bite. + +"A fine fish, I am sure, by the way he tugged," he exclaimed, hauling up +the line. + +It came up very easily, though, and instead of the large fish he +expected, a small whiting appeared. Several others were pulled up in +succession. As Harry was hauling in his line after a bite, he felt a +heavy weight suddenly come on it. Still he was able to get it in. + +"It is something curious, but what it can be I am sure I don't know," he +exclaimed, hauling away, while David looked eagerly on. + +"What a monster!" they cried out both together, when a huge mass, with +what looked like a number of snakes wriggling about round it, was seen +on the surface amidst a circle of dark water. + +"That's a squid," remarked old Jefferies. "Some of them are awkward +customers in the water, but he can do you very little harm out of it." + +The truth of this last assertion was put to the test when, in spite of +its struggles, the creature was hauled up on the raft, and its long arms +chopped off. It had expected simply to catch a whiting, and had itself +been caught by the hook sticking through the whiting's mouth. It was +very untempting-looking for food, though they might have preferred it to +shark flesh. The whiting, however, supplied them with as much fish as +they could eat raw. Altogether they agreed that they had had a good +evening's sport, and that if they could have forgotten where they were, +and that their friends were anxious about them, they should have enjoyed +themselves amazingly, only that they should have preferred cooked fish +to raw. As night, however, crept on, they began to feel the loneliness +and helplessness of their position. Still, the calm continued, and the +stars shone forth, each spark of light being reflected in the +mirror-like ocean; and Harry made out the polar star, and wished that +there was a good breeze that they might steer by it towards England. +The air was very chilly, but as they had saved several blankets, they +wrapped themselves up, and kept tolerably warm. As they had not got a +lantern or candle, or any means of striking a light, they could do +nothing, and so they chatted away till they both went off to the land of +dreams. + +"Sleep on, my poor lads," said the old man, guessing by their silence +what had happened. "You little think of the danger you are in. If a +gale springs up, how is this small raft to weather it? For myself, I am +worn out, and my time must come in a year or two, or a few months it may +be; but life is fresh and pleasant for the young lads. Well, well, God +is kind and just. He knows what is best for them. His will be done." + +The lives of most men are metaphorically varied by storms and calms, +clouds and sunshine, and so in reality was the existence of our two +young friends on the raft. The night passed away quietly, and towards +morning the old man, in spite of his intentions to keep watch, fell +asleep. David was the first to rouse up. The sun had not risen, but a +streak of red in the sky showed in what quarter he was about to appear. +David stood up to look around him. He would not call Harry till it was +necessary, for he was sleeping so calmly, with a smile on his +countenance, dreaming of some pleasant scenes at home, probably with his +mother and sister present. As David was thus standing up, holding on to +the mast, he felt a light air fan his cheek. It came from the south. +He turned his eyes in that direction to look for a further sign of the +wished-for breeze. As he did so he observed in the horizon a sail--he +judged a large ship. Directly afterwards another appeared, in a +different part of the horizon. He watched them attentively for some +time. Their sails were filled with wind, and they seemed to be drawing +nearer to each other, and also nearer to the raft. As soon as it struck +David that this was the case, he could no longer resist the temptation +of rousing up his companion. Harry sprang to his feet. Midshipmen do +not rub their eyes and yawn, and groan and growl, before they get up, +especially if they happen to be sleeping on a raft in the chops of the +channel. + +"Yes, they are standing this way," he exclaimed. "They are frigates, +and what is more, though one is English, I doubt by the cut of the sails +whether the other is." + +"At all events we shall have a good chance of being picked up," said +David. + +"I hope so; but if an idea which has struck me is correct, they will +have too much to do to look after each other to take any notice of us," +observed the midshipman. + +"What do you mean?" asked David. + +"That one is English and the other French, and if so, it is not likely +that, having come in sight of each other, they will part without +exchanging shots," remarked Harry. + +"Unless the Frenchman runs away," said David. + +"No fear of that. The monsieurs are brave fellows, though we can lick +them, and it is not often they show the white feather," remarked Harry. +"I really think that I am right. They look to me like two frigates, and +one I am sure is French. We'll rouse up the old man, and hear what he +has to say about the matter. He'll not thank us for letting him sleep +on." + +"The old man is awake," said Jefferies, sitting up and gazing in the +direction indicated by the boys, under his open hand. For some time he +was silent. "Yes, there's little doubt about the matter," he said at +length. "They are frigates, and one is English; the other is a +foreigner, but whether Spaniard, Dutchman, or French, is more than I can +say. If they are going to fight, as you think, we can't help it, +neither can we make them sail near enough to see us, and pick us up; but +I'll tell you what we can do, young gentlemen, we can lift up our voices +in prayer to God to thank Him for His favours, and to ask Him for His +protection." + +All three knelt down, and lifted up their voices to God in prayer, with +a heartiness which might be sought for in vain within the lofty walls of +many a proud building. Such is the spiritual worship in which God the +Spirit alone has pleasure. The party on that wave-tossed raft rose from +their knees greatly refreshed in spirit, and sat down to enjoy their +morning meal with hearts grateful that they had food sufficient to +sustain life. Soon after, the sun rose, as it were with a spring out of +his ocean bed, and shed his light across the expanse of waters on the +sails of the approaching ships, which seemed to have drawn suddenly +near, so clear and defined did their forms become. Harry watched with +even greater eagerness than before one of the ships, which he declared +was, he believed, that to which he belonged. David was rather inclined +to laugh at the notion, as he considered that it was impossible Harry +should be able to know his own ship at so great a distance off. There +seemed to be no doubt that both were frigates--of that the old man +expressed himself sure; that they were not both English he thought very +likely. As to the other point, it was, if correct, a guess of Harry's. +They continued to draw nearer and nearer to each other, and as they +approached the raft at the same time, the breeze which filled their +sails reached her. + +"Shall we hoist our sails, and stand for the shore as before?" asked +David. + +"We should miss the chance of being picked up if we did so," answered +Harry. "Besides, I should not like to run away without knowing after +all whether the ships would fight, and who was the conqueror." + +"Not much chance of our getting out of sight before they begin, for they +are already not far off gun-shot of each other," observed the old man, +who again raised himself to look out, but sunk down once more to his +seat in the centre of the raft. + +The two boys, however, stood up, holding on by the mast, in spite of the +increasing rocking of the raft, watching eagerly the movements of the +two frigates--for frigates there was no doubt they both were. + +"Up go the colours!" exclaimed Harry, with a shout. "Hurrah! There's +the glorious old flag of England, and the other is French--there's no +doubt about it. Then there'll be a fight. Hurrah! I wish I was aboard +the old ship; I'm sure it's her. Couldn't we manage it even now? Pull +the raft up to her. I wish that she would see us and pick us up. Oh +dear! how provoking! I'd give anything to be on board!" Such were the +exclamations to which the young midshipman gave utterance, as he stood +watching the ships. "The old ship has tacked, she is standing away from +us! The Frenchman is about also. They'll be away. We shall not see +any of the fighting after all." + +"We shall be less likely to suffer from their shots, and for that we may +be grateful," observed the old man. + +The midshipman, so eager was he, scarcely listened to what was said. +The frigates were manoeuvring, each endeavouring to gain the +weather-gauge before commencing the action, which it was very evident +would take place. There appeared to be no lack of a disposition to +fight on either side, for they both took in their lighter sails, and +finally hauled up their courses. Now the English frigate wore round, +her example being followed by the Frenchman, both running back towards +the raft, which it seemed that the former would pass by, or even run +over, when suddenly she tacked, and standing close to a wind towards the +French frigate, fired a broadside into her quarter, while the latter was +in stays. The effect of the broadside must have been severe, for it was +some time before she actually got about, leaving to the English frigate +the advantage of the weather-gauge, which had been the object of all the +previous manoeuvres. For some time the two ships ran on alongside of +each other, rapidly exchanging shots, without any great apparent damage +to the masts or rigging. They were so placed that many of the shots +which missed came flying towards the raft, but providentially she was +too far off for them to reach her. Once more the after-yards of the +French ship being shot away, she kept off the wind, and, followed by her +antagonist, stood towards the raft, still keeping up a hot fire at her. +In a short time the damage was repaired, and once more the French ship +hauling her wind, the two stood on together close-hauled. It was +evident, from the rapid way in which the French frigate's damages had +been repaired, that she was well manned, and that the result was by no +means so certain as Harry had at first anticipated. The firing had had +the effect, it appeared, of lessening the little wind there had +previously been. The two frigates, therefore, moved but slowly, and +consequently kept within sight of those on the raft. Harry was almost +too eager to speak. David now and then made a few remarks. More than +an hour had passed away since the commencement of the action, and as yet +there was no visible advantage gained by either party. Suddenly Harry +gave a cry of anger and annoyance, in which David joined him. The old +man looked up. There was cause for it. The flag of England was seen to +drop from the masthead of the frigate. Could it be that she had struck? +The firing continued as furious as ever. No, it was impossible! + +"See! see! there's another flying out!" exclaimed the midshipman, +exultingly. "All right, some fine fellow has climbed up and nailed it +there. Only the halliards were shot away. My captain would go down +sooner than strike; I know that." + +The loud reports of the guns came succeeding each other rapidly over the +calm ocean. Now a loud crash, then a broadside was fired by both +parties at once, the sound of the different guns blending into one; now +a perfect silence, and then again single shots, and after a cessation +another broadside. At length the combatants scarcely moved, and became +enshrouded in a dense cloud of smoke, which nearly concealed them from +view. The firing was more furious than ever. They were yard-arm to +yard-arm, discharging their broadsides into each other. A light breeze +played over the water--the ships emerged from the cloud of smoke. The +English frigate had lost her mizen-mast, and its wreck lay over her +quarter. + +Harry groaned, but directly afterwards he shouted, "They'll not give in, +though--they'll not give in, I am sure they won't." + + + +CHAPTER SEVEN. + +THE UNION JACK BEATS--THE RAFT STILL UNSEEN--THE PRIVATEER--DEATH OF OLD +JEFFERIES--THE FRENCH CAPTAIN. + +The loss of her mizen-mast did not appear to damp the ardour of the +British frigate's crew. The firing was continued with unabated fury on +both sides, neither ship apparently moving through the water; now they +were shrouded in smoke--now the smoke was blown away, and the firing +ceased. "The Frenchman's foremast is tottering!" shouted Harry. "See! +see! David. Down it comes--hurrah! hurrah!" Still the flags of their +respective countries waved at the mastheads of the frigates. The mast +did not come down either when Harry thought it would, neither did the +firing cease altogether. Faint sounds of musketry or pistol-shots came +across the water--then three or four great guns were fired--the sides of +the ships were close together, or rather, the bow of the English frigate +was fast to the Frenchman's side. + +"They are boarding," cried Harry; "I know it must be that--then our +fellows will win the day.--The Frenchman's flag will be down directly. +Watch! watch! I know it will." + +They waited eagerly, looking out for some time. Suddenly a cloud of +smoke ascended from one of the ships. It was difficult to say from +which; again and again the guns were fired. "I am afraid that after all +our friends are getting the worst of it," remarked David, with a sigh. + +"Oh, no, no! impossible!" exclaimed Harry. "See, see! down comes the +Frenchman's flag--hurrah! hurrah! I knew it would be so. Englishmen +are never licked. We would go down first with our colours flying. +Hurrah! hurrah! we've gained the day." Harry waved his cap above his +head, and shouted long and loudly, communicating his enthusiasm, not +only to David, but to the old man himself; but so vehement in his +demonstrations of joy did he become at last, that he nearly upset the +raft, and then well-nigh fell overboard himself. David was rather more +quiet in his demonstrations, still he did not feel less satisfaction +probably than his friend. + +"We must get on board to congratulate them," exclaimed Harry; "I +wouldn't miss that on any account; if we pull hard we shall be able to +get up to them--eh, Mr Jefferies? They will be some time repairing +damages and shifting the prisoners, and they are not likely to make sail +till then." + +"We mustn't count too much upon that, young gentleman; we are further +off than you think, and darkness will be down over the ocean long before +we can get up to them. Besides, do you know, I don't think the sights +aboard those ships, either the conqueror or the conquered, would be so +pleasant as you suppose. I know what a man-of-war is after a +hard-fought battle. The decks strewn with the dead, and slippery with +blood and gore, the cockpit full of wounded men, lately strong and +hardy, now cripples for life, many dying, entering into eternity, +without a hope beyond their ocean grave, Christless, heathens in reality +if not in name, stifled groans and sighs, and oftentimes shrieks of +despair on every side. Such sights I have seen in my youth, and I speak +the language of some of the great preachers who have come down to these +parts, and boldly put forth the gospel of salvation to perishing sinners +under the blue vault of heaven. You only look at one side of the +picture, and that quickly vanishes away; mine, unhappily, is too real to +be wiped out quickly." The old man spoke in a tone he had not hitherto +used, which showed that his education had been superior to that which +men of his vocation generally possess. + +This remark, it must be confessed, considerably damped the ardour of the +young midshipman. The latter, however, still continued to urge him and +David to try and get on board one of the ships. They were in reality as +anxious as he was to do so, for they could not but feel that they were +exposed to many dangers while they remained on the raft. The wind had +dropped, and in one respect this was in their favour, as the frigates +could not sail away; but what little wind there was was against them, +and this made rowing their heavy craft more tedious. They progressed +very slowly, and after two hours' hard rowing they seemed no nearer than +before. The day was drawing on; still they persevered. Hope continued +to cheer the two boys, whatever the old man might have thought about the +matter. At last Harry stopped. "They are making sail, and the breeze +is getting up. Oh dear! oh dear! They'll be off before we can reach +them. Still we'll try--pull away, David, pull away, there's a good +fellow." + +All the efforts of the lads brought them no nearer the two frigates. +They could see the British ensign run up above that of the French. +Still it was evident that they themselves were not observed: no wonder, +under the circumstances, as everybody on board must have been busily +engaged. Still thus, as it were, to be deserted, was very trying to the +young lads. They bore up, however, manfully under the disappointment. + +"Perhaps the wind may fall or shift again, and they may have after all +to take a tack this way," exclaimed Harry, whose hopeful enthusiasm it +was impossible to damp. At last the night returned, and the darkness +shut out the frigates from their sight. The lads had to while away the +time by conversation, and expressed their intentions of not going to +sleep during the night; they, however, stowed themselves away in their +accustomed places, where, should they by any chance begin to slumber, +they might not run the risk of falling into the sea. For some time they +kept to this resolution, Harry still buoyed up with the hope that they +might get on board the frigate in the morning. At last David's voice +began to get very drowsy, so even did Harry's, and in spite of their +strange position and their anxiety, first one and then the other dropped +off to sleep. The old man leaned forward to ascertain that they were +both secure. + +"Sleep on, lads! sleep on!" he muttered. "He who reigns above can alone +tell whether or not this is the last night you will spend on earth. I +liked not the look of the sky when the sun went down, and before many +hours have passed this frail raft may be tossing on an ocean of foaming +seas." The old man was silent, but he did not sleep. Often he prayed. +He thought over many things of his past life, as men under such +circumstances are apt to do. Happy are those who have not to reflect on +crimes committed, injuries done to others too late to remedy! and still +more fearful must be the thoughts of those who are not trusting to the +perfect and complete sacrifice offered on Calvary--whose sins have not +been washed away in the blood of the Lamb. The old man knew in whom he +trusted, and no bitterness entered his thoughts. The hours passed on; +stars became obscured; clouds were seen chasing each other across the +dark sky, slowly at first, then more and more rapidly; the raft began to +rock, scarcely perceptibly, then gently, then with more and more +movement, but the boys slept on; accustomed to spend their time on the +heaving wave, they did not feel the motion. At length a grey cold light +began gradually to steal over the foam-covered ocean. The boys still +slept on. The old man alone was awake on the raft. He lifted himself +up, and bent forward as if in prayer. Thus he remained for some time. +At length David, less accustomed to the sea than Harry, awoke from the +motion of the raft. The exclamation to which he gave utterance aroused +his companion; David quickly started to his feet, and gazed anxiously +around the horizon. The two frigates had disappeared. No sail was in +sight; nothing was to be seen but the heavy leaden-coloured waves, while +the clouds seemed to come closely down on all sides. The raft drove +quickly on before the storm. + +"In what direction are we going?" asked David. + +"To the south-west, I have an idea," answered Harry; "but I should not +mind that, if I thought we were likely to fall in with the two +frigates." + +"Trust in God, my lads," said old Jefferies. + +He spoke truly; for already the raft gave signs of breaking up, from the +violence to which it had been exposed. The old man and the two boys did +all they could to secure it more strongly by such ropes as they still +had to spare, but it was difficult and dangerous to move from their +positions. The seas followed rapidly, and more than once had almost +broken over them. Still, while their mast stood, and they could keep +their sail set, they hoped to continue running before the sea. They +spoke but little to each other, and continued looking out on either +side, in the hope of seeing some vessels which might afford them a +refuge. Still none appeared. The old man continued steering the raft +with great judgment and dexterity, but it was clear that the gale was +increasing, and that in a very short time the frail structure on which +they floated could not hold together amidst the fierce waves to which it +would be exposed. Still, serious as was their position, the boys did +not forget that they had had nothing to eat since the previous night. +Harry dived down into their provision-box, and produced some biscuits +and a piece of tongue. Their first care was to offer some to the old +man. + +"No, thank you, good lads, I've no hunger," he answered. + +In spite of their pressing, he refused to take any of the food. + +"I can't say that I'm not hungry," cried Harry, "though I'm afraid we +must go without our tea." + +David, who felt something like old Jefferies, when pressed, however, by +Harry, gladly joined him in discussing such provisions as they could +easily get at. Both of them were much refreshed by the nourishment, and +in spite of the foreboding looks of the old man could not help holding +sanguine hopes of escaping from their perilous position. Still they +were hoping against hope, for in spite of the additional lashings they +had cast round their raft, first one piece of plank and then another was +torn off. + +"Hold on tight!" cried Harry, as he gazed astern, "here comes a +tremendous sea, and I don't know how we shall keep before it." + +As he spoke a high foaming wave came roaring up. Already the raft was +mounting a wave in front, or the consequences would have been more +disastrous. The upper part of the sea broke completely over the raft, +but it still floated on. Those on it looked anxiously round to see if +any of their number were missing. The old man was still at his post at +the helm, and the two boys at their places. It was evident, however, +that a few more such seas would utterly destroy the raft. As Harry +again gazed astern, he saw to his dismay many similar seas preparing to +follow; still he would not say this, even to David, and tried in his own +hearty way to keep up his companions' spirits. An hour or so thus +passed away, when the raft gave stronger signs than ever of not having +power to hold together. + +"How fearful it would be if we were separated!" said David, who clearly +comprehended what was likely to happen. Just then another tremendous +sea came rolling up, and washed over the raft. The boys clung on for +their lives, but when the raft once more rose to the surface, the mast +was gone. + +"No hope, I fear," said David. + +"Yes, there is!" cried Harry; "I see a vessel bearing down directly for +us." + +The boys eagerly turned their eyes towards the stranger. It seemed +doubtful, however, whether the raft would hold together till her +arrival, or whether they could avoid being washed off the raft by the +sea, which kept continually rolling over them. On she rapidly came. + +"I don't much like her appearance," said the old man; "she doesn't look +much better than the craft which we before refused to go on board." + +"We have no choice at all," said Harry. "She looks like a Frenchman; +but even the Monsieurs, considering our circumstances, would not treat +us otherwise than with kindness," said David. + +The boys waved and shouted with all their might. It seemed doubtful +whether or not they were observed; still the stranger, a large topsail +schooner, was standing directly for them. Presently they saw her +shorten sail. + +"All right!" cried Harry; "we're seen." + +She rounded-to close to them, so close, indeed, that the two boys were +able to grasp the ropes which were thrown to them, and were immediately +hauled up on deck. + +"But old Jefferies, we mustn't desert him!" cried Harry, as he saw the +old man still on the raft. "Here! fasten this rope round my waist, and +I'll go and haul him in." + +The crew of the stranger seemed to understand him, but at that moment a +sea rolling up drove the raft completely under the schooner's bottom. A +few fragments again appeared, but the old man was not to be seen. + +"Oh, where is he? where is he?" cried David and Harry; "we must save the +good old man." + +The people on board looked round on every side. So deep was the grief +of the boys for his loss, that they scarcely for the moment seemed to +think of their own preservation, nor of the character of the vessel on +board which they had got. It was very clear that the old man had sunk +for ever, as no signs of him appeared. Once more the vessel was put +before the wind, and flew onward on her course. + +Harry and David, on looking round, observed she was an armed vessel, +carrying sixteen long guns, with swivels and other pieces. From the +language they heard spoken by the crew, they knew she was French; while, +from the varied dresses of the men and officers, they suspected she was +a privateer, and not a man-of-war. + +"I'm afraid we shall not much like our quarters here," said Harry. "The +best thing we can do is to put a good face on the matter, and go aft and +thank the captain for saving our lives; he will see by my uniform that I +am an officer, and treat us as gentlemen." + +Poor Harry's patch of white cloth, however, was not likely to be treated +with much respect by a French privateer captain of those days. + +"I wonder which of these fellows is captain," said Harry, as they +approached three or four rough-looking fellows, as they were walking the +deck with the air of officers. "Oh, I wonder whether they will +understand English, for not a word of French can I speak." + +"Nor can I indeed," said David; "I didn't think of that." + +"We must make our intentions known, however," said Harry, "and I must +muster up what I can say. I know they always begin by saying `Monsieur' +if they want to be polite, so I'll say `Monsieur Captain, Monsieur +Captain,'" looking round as he spoke, "we have to thank you for taking +us aboard your vessel, and should be still further obliged if you could +give us a change of clothes while ours are drying." + +The Frenchmen looked at the boys with an air of indifference. + +"Monsieur Captain," again began Harry, "I say we want to thank you for +pulling us out of the water." + +"Perhaps the captain is not among these men," suggested David. + +"I want to see the captain," said Harry, bowing as before. + +At length a small wizen-faced man appeared from below. His countenance +wore anything but a pleasant aspect. By his dress, and the respect with +which the others seemed to treat him, the boys had little doubt that he +was the person of whom they were in search. They accordingly approached +him. + +"Are you the captain?" said Harry, bowing as before, for he did not +forget his politeness, in spite of his wet clothes. + +"Yes, I am," said the wizen-faced man. + +"Oh, you speak English; how glad we are!" answered Harry, "because we +can thus thank you for saving our lives." + +"No great reason to thank me," said the man, in an unpleasant tone. + +"You speak English very well, sir," said Harry, wishing to soothe him. + +"I have had plenty of time to learn it," said the captain. + +"Where was that, sir?" asked Harry. + +"In an English prison," answered the Frenchman, with a grin, turning on +his heel; "and I've no great cause to love those who kept me there, or +their countrymen." + +"I'm afraid we've gained very little by the expression of our +gratitude," said David; "what are we to do?" + + + +CHAPTER EIGHT. + +THE GOOD-NATURED SEAMEN--PIERRE LAMONT--DAVID'S EMPLOYMENT--THE +REPUBLICAN OFFICER. + +No one seemed disposed to pay the slightest attention to the two boys. +The officers glanced at them superciliously. The captain, after taking +a few turns on deck, scowled on them as he passed on his way below. +They were left standing on the deck of the schooner, which went flying +on before the still increasing gale. They were wet and cold, and +grieving for the loss of their old friend, as well as very anxious about +the sorrow their absence would cause their relatives at home. + +"I suppose the Frenchmen won't let us starve altogether," said David. +"The officers indeed don't seem inclined to treat us well, but perhaps +the men may be differently disposed. I propose that, having done what +we considered our duty, we go forward and throw ourselves upon their +kindness. Still, as I'm a quarter-deck officer, we ought to be treated +with respect by the officers. I'm sure, if we had picked up two French +midshipmen on board our frigate, we should have made regular pets of +them, and given them no cause to complain." + +"But remember this is not a frigate," observed David; "I think it will +be wiser to put our dignity in our pockets, and make the best of things +as they are." + +Still Harry held out for some little time; but at length the surly looks +of the officers, not to mention his hunger, made him yield to David's +suggestions, and they quietly worked their way forward. As soon as the +backs of the officers were turned the men came round them, and by the +expression of their countenances showed that they at least bore them no +ill-will. One or two, by signs, invited them below, and they were very +glad to escape from the cold autumn gale which was blowing through their +wet clothes. Although unable to communicate by words, the lads had no +difficulty in making their wishes known to the Frenchmen by signs. Some +dry clothes were quickly produced from the bag of a young seaman. As +soon as Harry and David had dressed themselves in these, some provisions +and a bottle of wine were brought to them, the Frenchmen standing round +looking on with great satisfaction while they discussed them. + +"_Buvez, me amis_," said a stout good-natured looking seaman, pouring +out a glass of claret. The boys guessed by his signs clearly enough +what he said, and thanked him by nodding in return. They both felt +considerably better for their repast. + +"If it wasn't for the loss of poor old Jefferies, I should not have +minded it at all," said David; "but for him to lose his life, and for us +to find ourselves little better than prisoners on board a Frenchman, is +very trying." + +"As you remember, nearly his last words were, `Trust in God,'" remarked +Harry; "so let us go on trusting; he was a good old man, and is gone to +heaven I'm sure, so we ought not to mourn for him much. It would have +broken his heart to find himself on board this vessel." + +"I wonder in what direction we are going?" said David. + +"I will try and get a look at the compass when we go on deck again, but +we mustn't let the Frenchmen think we care anything about the matter," +said Harry. + +"What a pity it is we can't talk French a little! I wish we could thank +these kind, good-natured fellows, because really I am very grateful for +their kindness to us." + +"At all events, we can do it by signs," said Harry, jumping up and +shaking the Frenchman by the hand who had given them the wine. + +"Much obliged, monsieur; much obliged for your good dinner; the sausages +were excellent. We don't often taste such claret at sea as you gave +us." + +Of course, though the Frenchman did not understand a word Harry had +said, yet he was evidently in the way of becoming a favourite among +them. When invited to return on deck they did not hesitate to do so, +for by keeping forward they were not recognised among the French crew. +In the evening they were again invited to join the mess of the men +below, which, if not quite in accordance with English notions, was not +quite the wretched fare on which Frenchmen are supposed to exist. +Indeed, it must be owned that the provisions were far better cooked and +made into more palatable messes than they would have been on board an +English vessel of the same character. At night they had a berth +allotted to them in a standing bed-place forward, into which they were +too glad to creep. Having thanked the God of mercy who had thus +preserved them, in a prayer which came from the very bottom of their +hearts, and asked for a blessing on all those they had left at home, +they lay down in their narrow berth, and stowed themselves away as well +as space would allow. They had reason to be thankful that they had +escaped the perils to which they had been exposed for so many nights on +the raft; and though their sleeping-place was very close and dark, it +had the advantage of being dry. They were very quickly fast asleep, in +spite of all the rolling and pitching of the vessel, as she dashed +forward across the stormy ocean. There was no danger of their being +pitched out. In spite of the groaning of the bulkheads, the whistling +of the wind through the rigging, the loud dash of the seas against the +vessel, and the numerous other loud wild sounds which are heard during a +gale at sea, the boys slept on till a gleam of daylight found its way +down to their narrow berth. + +"_Mangez, mangez, mes amis_!" said a voice, which was recognised as that +of their kind friend of the previous evening. He had come, it appeared, +to summon them to breakfast, for the crew were employed below in +discussing that meal. Once on their feet, the boys found themselves +perfectly ready to join their French friends, and to do ample justice to +the food placed before them. + +"If it were not for the dignity of the thing we should not be so badly +off, after all," said Harry; "but really I cannot quite get over the +skipper not treating us as officers, as he should have done." + +The Frenchmen greeted them with kind smiles, and soon again reconciled +them to their wretched fate. + +The gale now increased to a regular hurricane. The schooner ran before +it under a close-reefed fore-topsail, but even then the seas followed so +rapidly that there appeared great probability of their breaking on +board. Both officers and men either remained below, or, when necessity +compelled them to be on deck, kept close to the bulwarks, that they +might have something to catch hold of should an accident occur. Under +these circumstances no work was expected to be done; the boys were +therefore allowed to do just as they pleased. They wisely kept forward +among their friends the seamen. They had observed a boy about their own +age eyeing them occasionally as he passed sometimes with a dish from the +cook's caboose, or with various messages with which he seemed to be +generally employed; yet he had not hitherto spoken to them. + +"I like his looks," said David; "I can't help fancying that he wants to +be friendly. Next time he passes us I will say something to him; or +see, I've got a knife in my pocket; I'll present it to him, it will show +our good-will." + +"That will be very much like purchasing kindness," answered Harry. + +In a few minutes after this the boy again came near. + +"Here, garcon," said David, pulling out his knife as he spoke, "take +this, you may find it very useful." + +"Merci," said the boy, "thank you--much obliged." + +"What! do you speak English?" asked David. + +"Very little, but I know what you say." + +"Oh, we're so glad of that," exclaimed the two boys in the same breath. + +"What is your name?" asked David. + +"Pierre Lamont," answered the French boy. + +"We shall be friends," said David. "You don't hate the English, I hope, +like the captain?" + +"Oh no, no," answered Pierre, "I love the English; my poor mother was +English, but she is dead, and so is my father, but he was French." + +"Then have you no one to look after you?" exclaimed David, in a tone of +commiseration. + +"No, I am all alone in the world, no one to care for me," said Pierre. + +"Are you happy here on board this ship?" asked Harry. + +"Oh no, no. Sometimes I am pretty well off; but often our cruel men +order me about, and beat me with the rope's-end if I do not do quickly +what they command." + +"You see, Harry," said David, "there's one on board this ship worse off +than we are. We have some dear friends on shore, and though they don't +know what has become of us, we hope that they are are safe, and that we +shall get back to them some day." + +"Do you know where we're going, Pierre?" asked Harry. "I wanted to look +at the compass; but I'm afraid of going aft, lest I should meet the +captain." + +"You are right to keep away from him," answered Pierre. "If he knew +even that I spoke English he would treat me worse than he does. But you +ask where are we going. I believe that we're bound out to the West +Indies to take as many English merchant-vessels as we can find." + +"I thought we were going in that direction," answered David. + +"But, Pierre, do you think if any of the English vessels are defended, +that the captain will make us fight against our own countrymen?" + +"Oh, you may depend on that," said Pierre. "That is, you will be +employed in bringing up powder from below." + +"What! shall we be turned into powder-monkeys?" exclaimed Harry, in a +tone of indignation. "That will be too bad." + +"Is that what you call the boys who bring up the powder?" + +"Yes, but only the smallest among the ship's crew are employed in that +work, and they should not treat officers in that way, even though we are +their enemies," exclaimed Harry, indignantly. + +"That is the very reason the captain will take delight in giving you +such employment," said Pierre. "No one likes him on board. Even the +officers fear him; but he is said to be a very good seaman and a daring +character, so brave that he cares for nothing." + +From this account of the captain the boys saw that they were not far +wrong in the opinion they had formed of him from his countenance and his +manner towards them. They resolved, therefore, to keep out of his way, +and to avoid irritating him if they could. While the gale continued he +had quite enough to do to look after the vessel without troubling +himself about them. Indeed, as far as they could judge, he had +forgotten that they were on board. Although the place below where they +sat with the men was close and dark in consequence of being battened +down, they spent much of their time there. Many of the men were +employed in various works. Several were making models of vessels in a +way few English seamen could have done. David proposed doing something +of the sort, to show the Frenchmen that he did not wish to be idle, and +that he felt himself at home among them. He asked Pierre to get him +some corks, and to set to work to make a model of a village church. +This, with the aid of some pins, he rapidly accomplished with a file +which he borrowed from one of the men, and he drew down the warm +commendations of his companions, who were especially well disposed to +appreciate such efforts. He accordingly presented it to his stout +friend, Jacques Rossillion, the good-natured seaman who had from the +first taken an interest in him. + +Thus several days passed away till the gale abated, the sea went down, +and sail was once more made on the schooner. Harry had been perhaps +unwisely anxious to put on his own uniform again, which was now +thoroughly dry and fit to wear. Pierre advised him not to appear before +the captain in it. "Still it's my proper dress," answered Harry, who, +like many midshipmen, was very tenacious on that subject. The gale, +which had been in their favour, had carried them a long way towards +their destination, as they judged by the warmth of the atmosphere and +the tropical appearance of the sea. The officers as usual paced the +quarter-deck, and the men congregated together forward. A monkey, which +had hitherto stowed himself away somewhere out of sight, was among the +occupants of the deck. To an English crew a monkey is a great +acquisition, but a French ship's company can scarcely get on without +one. When they are inclined to play pranks he is always at their +service, and woe betide the unhappy small boy of a ship's company on +whose muster-roll a monkey is not to be found! as he has to endure what +the four-handed animal would otherwise have to go through. + +On looking over the side Harry observed a black fin gliding along at the +same rate as the schooner. "Look there, David; did you ever see a +regular shark before?" he said. "If anybody was to fall overboard that +fellow would snap him in two in half a second. The best swimmer would +have but a poor chance unless he was well prepared. I have heard of a +sailor attacking a shark with a knife in his hand, and cutting him up; +but a man only with iron nerves and great presence of mind and a good +swimmer could ever make the attempt." While they were speaking the +captain appeared on deck. "Here, you boys, come aft," he shouted. +"What, do you think you are to pass away your time in idleness, and get +fed and grow fat? You are very much mistaken if you think any such +thing. Take each of you a tar-bucket, and go and black down the rigging +from the fore-topmast head." Poor Harry looked at his uniform; it had +endured the wetting, but it would be spoiled in a few minutes by the +operation which he was ordered to perform. He saw that it would not do +to disobey the captain's orders. If they had time to find Pierre they +might borrow some frocks and canvas trousers. + +"I say what I mean," shouted the captain; "and off with you at once--one +taking the starboard, and one the larboard rigging. What, you don't +like to spoil your clothes, I see. I was not allowed any clothes to +spoil when I was in an English prison." + +"Surely you will let us borrow some frocks, sir," answered David. +"Though we are gentlemen, and unaccustomed to such work, we are willing +to obey you, only we don't want to spoil our clothes." + +"Aloft, I say, or overboard you go. There's a fellow alongside ready to +breakfast off you, if you are anxious to feed him." The little +Frenchman looked so fierce that the boys really believed he was in +earnest. + +"It can't be helped," said David. "You must tell me what to do, for I +never blacked down rigging even on board the yacht." + +"Just secure the bucket as you descend, and take care not to let the tar +drop from the brush on deck. It's not the difficulty of the thing, but +it is very derogatory." + +Seeing that there was no use in further expostulation, the boys took +each of them a bucket as they were ordered, and ascended, one on one +side, and one on the other, of the fore-rigging, and having reached the +masthead Harry secured his bucket, and showed David how to secure his. +The operation, besides being a very dirty one, was tedious, as each rope +had to be gone carefully round with the tar. Often they made melancholy +faces at each other as they gradually descended, but neither the captain +nor officers showed the slightest commiseration, only watching +apparently to see that the work was effectually performed. While the +captain remained on deck the crew took no notice of them. This was, +however, evidently done in kindness. At length the work was over, and, +seeing the captain on deck, they thought the best way was to go aft and +report what they had done. "Very well," said the captain; "tomorrow you +will black down the main-rigging; in the meantime I want to see a polish +put upon those brass stanchions, and the swivel guns are not so bright +as they should be. I shall have work for you in my cabin, too, by and +by. You are young English gentlemen, I understand. You may consider it +a privilege to have to serve a poor republican seaman, who has worked +his way up from before the mast." + +"We will do our best to obey you, sir," answered David, who wisely +wished to conciliate the man, in spite of his surly manners. He +remembered that "a soft answer turneth away wrath." + + + +CHAPTER NINE. + +THE PRISONERS HAVE TO WORK--THE CHASE--THE MERCHANT SHIP IS TAKEN--THE +BOYS FIND THEIR FRIEND CAPTAIN RYMER AND MARY--THE HURRICANE. + +Next morning, as soon as the boys appeared on deck, the captain again +called them aft. + +"Aloft with you, lads, and black down the main-rigging," he exclaimed as +they approached him, looking more humble even than they felt. Knowing, +however, that there was no use in refusing to do what they were ordered, +Harry and David took up the buckets to which the captain pointed, and +ascended as before. + +"We must look out not to drop any tar on deck," said Harry, "he will +make it an excuse to give us a rope's-ending if we do; I'm sure he means +mischief." + +The boys soon gained the masthead, and began their very disagreeable +task. The sun was extremely hot; the ship rolled slowly from side to +side as she glided on before the wind. Poor David felt very sick and +wretched; more than once he thought he must give in, but Harry cheered +him by exclaiming-- + +"Let us show that we are Englishmen, and at all events that we are not +to be daunted by any work these Frenchmen can give us." + +Thus encouraged, David, who really had as much spirit as Harry, +determined to persevere. The work, however, progressed more slowly than +on the previous day. Several times the captain came on deck and watched +them; they continued their work as it they did not observe him. By the +time it was completed, as may be supposed, their clothing was entirely +spoiled. As they stepped on deck he grinned at them maliciously. + +"Ah! now you look what you must in future expect to be," he remarked; +"go forward and stow away those buckets, and then come aft to me." + +"I wonder what he is going to make us do next?" said Harry, as they +handed the buckets over to the boatswain. Poor David, overcome with the +heat, scarcely answered. A cup of water which he had obtained from a +cask on deck somewhat revived him. + +"Well, we must go aft, and face it out as best we can," he answered; +"come along, I'm ready." + +The captain ordered them into his cabin. + +"Now, lads, I want that furniture cleaned; the brass has not been +burnished for some time." He put some leather into their hands. The +difficulty of the work was not so great, but it was evidently given to +insult them on account of its menial character. Harry especially felt +this. Still they had no resource but to obey, and scrubbed away with +might and main. At last the captain came below. + +"Now, you young English midshipman, I've some special work for you to +do. See that locker; there are several pairs of boots and shoes--you'll +find a blacking-bottle and brushes. I want them cleaned." Harry's +proud spirit rose within him. Should he defy the tyrannical captain, +and declare that he would die sooner than so employ himself? The +captain seemed to divine his thoughts. + +"As you please, youngster," he observed; "no one disobeys me on board +this vessel." + +Harry remembered the shark, and the captain's threat on the previous +day. + +"Oh! I will help you," said David, looking at him. + +"No, it is his work," said the captain. + +Poor Harry saw there was no use in offering any resistance, and taking +out the brushes began to clean the shoes. It was a work which a +midshipman in those days often had to perform for himself; but then it +was very different doing it for another, and that other a Frenchman. At +length, however, the boys were dismissed, having performed all the tasks +given to them. They hurried forward and dived below. The first person +they met was Pierre, who looked with commiseration on their tarred +dresses. + +"I came on board with a nice clean suit, and had to spoil it just as you +have had to spoil yours," he observed; "and now he abuses me when I go +into his cabin, for not looking clean." + +After this the boys were regularly sent aft to help wash down decks, and +to keep the stanchions and other parts about the ship bright. This gave +them abundant occupation. However, when they could manage to get below, +they were treated even more kindly than before by the crew. + +They had been for some weeks cruising up and down without even sighting +a sail, when one morning, on Harry and David coming on deck, they found +the captain and officers in a considerable state of excitement. The +captain himself went aloft with his glass, and on his return ordered the +ship's course to be altered, and all sail to be set. + +"We are in chase of some vessel or other," observed Harry; "depend upon +it the Frenchmen expect to make a prize of her." + +All hands were called on deck. Now one sail and now another was +added,--some rigged out so as just to skim the surface of the water, +while with buckets and scoops the sails were wetted as high as they +could be reached. Harry and David could see in the far distance a large +ship, which from her narrow yards and the cut of her sails Harry said he +thought was really a merchantman, which of course the Frenchman took her +to be. + +"But suppose she is not," said David. + +"Then they will find out that they have caught a Tartar, and we shall +get out of the power of this Monsieur Sourcrout," answered Harry; +"however, we mustn't raise our hopes too high." + +"The ship ahead has shown English colours," the boys heard from some of +the crew, for they could not get a glass to look through. She, it +seemed, did not like the appearance of the stranger, for she now set all +sail and went off also directly before the wind. A stern chase is a +long chase, but if the chaser is a faster vessel than the chased, she +will come up with her at last. As the day drew on it was very evident +that the schooner had gained very considerably on the chase. She was +seen to be an old-fashioned merchant vessel, a regular West India +trader, probably, which would afford a rich prize to the captors. + +The excitement of the captain and officers was extreme. Already they +anticipated the rich booty which would soon be theirs. + +"Oh! do you think those people on board that vessel will give in without +fighting?" asked David. + +"I think very likely not," said Harry; "we shall soon know; in less than +an hour we shall be alongside." + +"What had we better do?" asked David. + +"Stay on deck and see what takes place," said Harry. + +"What, and run the chance of being shot?" said David; "I don't think +that would be wise." + +"Well, let us wait and see till the time comes," said Harry, who was +evidently very unwilling to go below while any fighting was taking +place. + +In the meantime the Frenchmen were very active in preparing the ship for +action. Arm-chests were thrown open, and arms were handed to each of +the crew. The cutlasses were secured to their waists, and the pistols +they stuck in their belts. The guns were cast loose and loaded, and the +French ensign run up at the peak. The magazine was opened, and Harry +and David were called aft by the captain, and told to go below. + +"I knew that's what we should have to do," said Harry. + +"Stand by, and hand up the powder as it is wanted," said the captain, in +an authoritative tone, which there was no disobeying. Pierre and the +other boys were employed in the same way. + +"We shall have to carry the powder on deck in these tubs, and sit on it +till it is wanted," said Harry. + +"And run as great a risk of being shot as any of the crew?" asked David. + +"There's no help for it," said Harry. "If we refuse, the French skipper +is just as likely to shoot us through the head as not. He's been +waiting for this opportunity to have his revenge on us." + +As soon as the guns were loaded, a fresh supply of powder was called +for, and Harry and the other boys were ordered to carry it up on deck. +There they sat in a row on the tubs which contained the bags of powder, +looking anything but contented with their lot. The schooner now rapidly +came up with the merchant vessel,--for such there seemed no doubt was +the character of the chase. Whether or not she would fight seemed a +question. As they drew nearer, a considerable number of men were seen +on deck, and she gave no signs of yielding. As soon as the Frenchman's +bow-chaser could be brought to bear, a shot was fired, but no reply was +given. Another and another followed in rapid succession. Neither of +the shots took effect. At length the schooner got near enough to fire a +whole broadside. As she was about to do so, the ship hauled up her +courses, and, standing across the Frenchman's bows, gave her a raking +broadside which struck down several of her crew, and caused some little +damage to her masts and spars. Harry and David looked anxiously towards +each other. Neither of them was hurt, nor was Pierre, in whom they took +a warm interest. This opposition, however, seemed to excite the captain +to the utmost pitch of fury. He stamped and swore, and ordered a +broadside to be immediately poured into the English ship. The two +vessels now ran on alongside each other. It was clear if the English +vessel was to be taken, she would not be captured without a severe +struggle. The Frenchman's guns were heavier and more numerous than +hers, and the crew were better trained to their use. This soon began to +tell. Several of her spars were soon shot away, and from the faintness +of her fire it seemed too probable that many of her crew had been killed +or wounded. As long as the Frenchman's spars remained standing, to +escape was hopeless, and her guns were therefore directed rather to +knock away the Frenchman's masts than to kill the crew. In this, +however, she was not successful, and several of her own spars were shot +away instead. At length the French captain, delivering another +broadside, ranged up alongside with the intention of boarding. An +attempt was made to avoid this, and boarding nettings were seen triced +up above the bulwarks of the English ship. Again the Frenchman ran +alongside. + +"They shall not foil us a second time," exclaimed the French captain; +"no quarter if they do not yield." + +Harry and David trembled for the fate of their unfortunate countrymen on +board the merchantman. Just then the English ensign was seen to descend +from the peak. Those on board the English vessel thought that further +resistance was hopeless. The Frenchmen swarmed up the sides, and were +quickly in possession of the English ship. + +"We'll follow, and see what takes place," said Harry; "we may perhaps +help some of the poor people." + +As there was no one to interfere with them, they were soon on the +merchantman's deck. Some five or six of the crew lay dead, while three +or four others, badly wounded, were being conveyed below. The French +captain, by his gestures, seemed disappointed at not having his expected +revenge, and he was abusing the English captain for having attempted to +oppose him. A man stood by, receiving the swords of the captain and +several other persons, who seemed to be gentlemen. Harry and David +observed one whose face had been turned away from them at first. + +"Harry," exclaimed David, "I'm sure that's Captain Rymer. If Mary is on +board, how dreadful for her!" + +"It's very like him," said Harry; "I'm afraid it must be him. But how +could he have come on board the ship? We shall soon know, at all +events--I will try and speak to him." + +As may be supposed, even their dearest friends would not have known the +two lads in their tarry clothes, and their faces begrimed with powder. +As soon as the French captain and his followers went below to examine +the cargo of the ship, Harry and David stole up to the gentleman whom +they supposed to be Captain Rymer. He was indeed their friend. + +"What, lads!" he exclaimed, looking at them, "are you really alive? I +am thankful to find you so, even in this plight." + +Harry rapidly explained how they came to be on board the French vessel. + +"And is Mary with you?" asked Harry, eagerly. + +"Yes, and there are several other ladies in the cabin below. They have +shut themselves in, and I trust will receive no annoyance from the +Frenchmen." + +"I don't think we should be seen talking with you," said Harry, "because +we may hope to be of some assistance, although we don't see clearly how +that is to be just yet." + +The Frenchmen seemed highly elated at finding they had captured an +unusually rich prize, and were in a very good humour, in spite of the +loss of a few of their number. The dead were soon thrown overboard, and +the wounded placed in the doctor's hands out of sight, the decks washed +down, and most of the traces of the combat done away with. A picked +crew of the Frenchmen was sent on board the English merchantman, which +it seemed the intention of the captain to carry into the nearest port in +the West Indies belonging to France. Harry and David could not bear the +thoughts of being separated from Captain Rymer, and resolved to stow +themselves away on board the English vessel, hoping they might not be +missed. Among the prize crew were, to their great satisfaction, their +good-natured friends Jacques Rossillion and Pierre Lamont. The first +lieutenant came to take the command. The Frenchmen more than doubled +the remainder of the English crew, who, however, were expected to assist +in working the ship. Scarcely had these arrangements been made when a +strong breeze sprang up. The boats were hoisted in, and the two vessels +separated. The wind increased very rapidly, and so heavy a sea got up +that it would have been dangerous for a boat to pass from one vessel to +the other. Before long, however, the schooner ranged up near the ship. + +"You have got those two English boys on board; give them the +rope's-end," shouted the French captain, who, apparently, had only just +then discovered that Harry and David had escaped him. + +The French lieutenant replied that he would see to it, and again the +vessels separated. He, however, had never looked at them in the same +surly way the other officers had done, and as they took good care to +keep out of his sight, he seemed to forget the orders he had received. +The wind went on increasing till it seemed likely to become a regular +hurricane. The management of the ship completely occupied the French +crew, so that they had but little time to look after their prisoners. +The English captain and his officers were ordered to remain as prisoners +in one of the cabins with a sentinel placed over them, but the rest of +the crew were allowed to go about at liberty. + +"Don't you think it would be possible to get back the ship?" said Harry +to David. "Shall I propose to make the attempt to Captain Rymer?" + +"If it was not for Mary and the other ladies," said David, "he might +consent; but the risk to them would be too fearful were we to fail." + +Hitherto they had not had the opportunity of seeing Mary. Finding, +however, that the Frenchmen as well as the English crew were engaged in +making the ship snug, they stole aft and found their way to the cabin +door. + +"May we come in?" said Harry. + +"Yes, yes," answered a voice, which they thought was Mary's. + +When, however, they opened the door and presented themselves, for a +minute Mary could scarcely recognise them, so changed were they since +the day they had parted from her after the picnic--Harry in his bright +new uniform, and David in his trim yachtsman's attire. Now their hair +was long, their cheeks were sunken, at least so far as could be seen +through the powder which begrimed them, and their dresses were covered +from head to foot with tar; still, the moment they spoke, she sprang +forward and took them warmly by the hands. + +"Oh, I am so thankful that you have not been lost, as we thought you +were," she exclaimed, and the tears came into her eyes; "this is a very +sad way of meeting, but still I hope God will protect us all, and I am +thankful to see you both." + +Most of the ladies, who were all passengers, were eager to hear of the +boys' adventures. These they briefly gave. Some, however, were too +frightened by the sound of the hurricane, and the tossing and rolling of +the ship, to listen to them. + +"Do you think there is any danger?" at last asked Mary of Harry. + +"I hope not," said Harry, "but Captain Rymer knows more about it than I +do." + +Captain Rymer, who at this moment entered the cabin, looked somewhat +anxious, though he endeavoured to speak in a cheerful voice, and began +to express his satisfaction at the escape of his young friends from the +numerous dangers to which they had been exposed. Night was now coming +on, and it was evident that the ship was in the midst of a regular West +Indian hurricane. The French officer was evidently a good seaman, and +did all that could be done under the circumstances for the safety of the +ship. The topgallant-masts were struck, and every sail was furled +except a closely reefed fore-topsail, with which the ship ran before the +gale. Night had now come on; the wind, as is generally the case during +a hurricane, shifted so much that it was difficult to ascertain in what +direction she was driving. Captain Rymer several times went on deck, +but had a not very satisfactory report to give on his return. + +"As long as the ship does not spring a leak we have nothing to fear, +however," he observed. + +Still the ship rolled and pitched so much that it seemed scarcely +possible that a structure of wood and iron could hold together. The +poor ladies had to sit on the deck of the cabin and hold on by the legs +of the table, while the lamp swung backwards and forwards in a way that +threatened every instant to cause its fracture. Harry and David, though +they had seen enough of storms, agreed to go up on deck and see what was +taking place. One glance satisfied them. The mountain seas, covered +with white foam, were rolling up on either side of the ship, and +threatened every instant to come down upon her deck. They gladly +descended again. + +"I don't at all like the look of things, I confess," said David. "As +long, however, as Captain Rymer is satisfied that all is right, so +should we be." + + + +CHAPTER TEN. + +ON A REEF--FATE OF THE FRENCH CREW--THE ISLAND--THE SHIPWRECKED PEOPLE-- +THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT L'HIRONDELLE. + +It is scarcely necessary to relate that Captain Rymer was on his way, on +board the _Cerberus_, West Indian merchantman, to take the command to +which he had been appointed when he was captured by the privateer. He +had been too much accustomed to the ups and downs of a sailor's life to +be disheartened at what had occurred, though it was a great trial it +must be owned. He had cause also to be grateful that he and his +companions had not received that ill-usage to which passengers were too +often subjected when their vessel was taken by a privateer. It might +have been very different had the French captain himself remained on +board. He had now, however, great cause for apprehension, in +consequence of the increasing violence of the hurricane. The +_Cerberus_, he knew, was a stout, strong-built ship, but many a stout +ship had gone down in a West Indian hurricane; not long before, several +line-of-battle ships with all their gallant crews had been lost. Things +on deck looked as bad as they well could do. He was a Christian man, +and put his trust in One who is all-able to save. Thus he could impart +hope and confidence to his companions. Hitherto the ship had not sprung +a leak, and, as far as he could judge, they were at some distance from +any land. The French had, however, become alarmed. Some, like true +men, stayed at their posts on deck, but the greater number had gone +below and stowed themselves away in the berths. A few had endeavoured +to break open the spirit-room, but the French officers, suspecting their +intentions, had been in time to prevent them, and threatened to shoot +the first man, whether Frenchman or Englishman, who would again make the +attempt. Order was thus kept on board. No human power was longer of +any avail in guiding the ship. The hatches were battened down in time +to prevent the seas, which now began to break on board, from washing +below. On she drove before the hurricane. The caboose and spars were +first washed away; then two of the quarter-boats shared the same fate. +The seas were making a clean sweep over the decks; still on she drove. +Now part of the bulwarks were knocked to pieces, and it seemed that in a +short time everything on deck would follow; still the masts stood and +the ship floated. There was hope, but it grew fainter and fainter; even +the stoutest hearts had cause to fear. Several fearful hours followed. +The hurricane howled more loudly and fiercely around the ship, and the +raging seas seemed to have gained her as their prey. + +"Do you really think she will live through it?" asked David of Harry. + +"Yes, I do think so; we've gone through so many dangers, that I can't +fancy that we're to be lost at last," was Harry's reply. + +Another and another hour passed away. "Surely the hurricane must come +to an end at last," said David. "Did you ever know one last so long, +Captain Rymer?" he inquired. + +"They seldom last more than twelve or fifteen hours, and this gives me +hope that we shall escape," answered their friend. "I see a gleam of +daylight coming through a scuttle. Depend upon it, before long the wind +will begin to fall." + +While they were speaking loud cries arose from those on deck. "Breakers +ahead!" shouted the English crew. Directly afterwards there was a +fearful crash. + +"We're cast upon a reef!" exclaimed Harry; "perhaps, after all, our last +day is come." + +Captain Rymer set an example of coolness to his companions. "Remain +together," he said to Mary and the other ladies, "I will go on deck and +ascertain the state of affairs, and return for you, if there is a +prospect of your reaching the shore. We are in God's hands, and though +we may be unable to help ourselves, let us feel that He will care for +us." + +While he was thus speaking, the ship seemed to be lifted by the seas, +and then down she came again with another crash. Just as Captain Rymer +reached the deck, followed by David and Harry, the masts were seen to go +by the board; the ship had struck upon a reef, over which the sea was +driving her, and inside of it the waters seemed comparatively calm. + +"Why, men," shouted Captain Rymer to the crew, "I believe if we remain +by the ship we shall all be able to gain the shore in safety." The +Frenchmen, however, did not understand him, and were engaged in +launching the remaining boats. He felt sure that in the raging seas +which surrounded the ship no boats would live. + +"Whatever happens, we will remain on board," he said to Harry and David. +"The ship I know is strong, and will hold together till the storm is +abated. Those who attempt to embark now will, I fear, lose their +lives." + +In vain he urged the Frenchmen to remain. The English captain alone, +with one of his officers, agreed that he was right. The boats were +lowered and the infatuated men leaped into them. Pierre Lamont had +courageously remained on deck during the hurricane, but he now seemed +inclined to follow his countrymen into the boats. Harry and David saw +him, and shouted to him not to go. Hearing them he turned back, but one +of the Frenchmen seized him by the arms, and before he could disengage +himself, had dragged him into the boat. Scarcely, however, had the +boats shoved off, crowded with human beings, than first one, then the +other, was capsized, and all were thrown into the water. In vain the +shrieking wretches attempted to regain the ship; some clung to the +boats; a few who could swim struggled for some time amid the foaming +waves. Captain Rymer had before this gone below, but Captain Williams +and those who remained on deck, got ropes ready to throw to any who +might be washed near the ship. None were so fortunate, and one by one +they were carried far away, and disappeared amid the foaming breakers. + +"Is there not one who can be saved?" exclaimed David, who had stood +watching the scene with horror. + +"Yes, yes, I see one clinging to the wreck of our masts," answered +Harry; "I must go and try to rescue him. I do believe that it is +Pierre!" + +"Oh, let me go then," said David; "I can swim better than you, you +know." + +"This is a case for scrambling rather than for swimming," answered +Harry; "I'll fasten a rope round my waist, and we'll have him quickly on +board." + +Harry, before David could offer another objection, did as he proposed. +It was an undertaking, however, of the greatest danger, and the utmost +activity and vigilance could alone have saved him from being struck by +the broken spars which were dashed here and there by the seas. + +At length Harry reached the object of his search. Pierre looked up at +him eagerly. "Oh, save me, save me! I cannot hold on longer," he +exclaimed. + +Harry sprang forward and grasped the French boy by the collar just as +his hands relaxed their hold. He dragged him up on the mast. To return +with him was even more difficult than the first part of the undertaking. +Undaunted, however, Harry persevered, and, though more than once almost +losing his footing, succeeded at length in bringing young Pierre on +board. "Brave garcon!" exclaimed Jacques, as he helped him up; "oh, I +would die for you! I will be ever your friend." + +Except the lieutenant in command, and honest Jacques Rossillion, no +Frenchman remained on board, and the ship was once more, therefore, in +possession of the English. Scarcely had this fearful catastrophe +occurred than the weather gave evident signs of improving. Captain +Williams, the English commander, accompanied by Captain Rymer, went +round the ship below and brought back a satisfactory report that she +appeared to have suffered very little damage by the blows she had +received. The shore was, however, not particularly inviting; a few +groups of cocoa-nut trees and other tropical plants were alone to be +seen. It was an island scarcely more than two miles in circumference, +one of those spots known as keys in the West Indies; still, should the +ship break up, it would afford them shelter, and they could not help +longing to be able to reach the beach. As the boats and all had been +lost, this could not be done till a raft had been built. The gentlemen +immediately set about constructing one. As the spars had all been +washed away, it was necessary first to get those which floated alongside +from the rigging. There were planks also below; these were got up, with +all the empty casks which could be collected. By knocking away some of +the bulwarks, and by bringing on deck a few of the seamen's chests, they +soon had materials for constructing a raft large enough for carrying the +whole party. All hands worked with a will. The French lieutenant was +very active, and seemed in no way put out by having the tables so +completely turned upon him. He was probably grateful, as he ought to +have been, for having escaped with his life. By the time the raft was +finished, the sea had so completely gone down that there was little +difficulty in launching it. The bulwarks having been already completely +washed away, all that was necessary was to let it slip quietly +overboard. Its constructors gave a cheer as they saw it floating calmly +alongside; they had still, however, to rig the mast and sail, as well as +to fit some oars to guide it towards the shore. + +When this was done, the captains invited all the passengers up on deck. +It was agreed that it would be safer to convey only half at a time. +Harry and David begged that they might accompany Captain Rymer and Mary. +Captain Rymer agreed to let Captain Williams conduct the first party, +saying that he should be content to remain on board till the return of +the raft. Before the raft left the side, a supply of provisions were +lowered down upon it; and, with the prayers of those who remained on +board for its safe voyage, the raft shoved off from the side of the +ship. Its progress was slow, for there was very little wind, and there +seemed to be a current sweeping round the island which took it out of +its direct course. At length, however, it reached the beach, and those +on it leaped out and ran eagerly up on to the dry land. The men had, +however, to return for the provisions, which were landed in safety. +Then Captain Williams, and two seamen who accompanied him, had to return +to the ship; they were a considerable time, and it seemed doubtful +indeed, in consequence of the current which had to be encountered, +whether they would regain her. They succeeded, however, at last. + +Captain Rymer, with those who had remained on board, had employed their +time in getting up provisions, and their first care was to load her with +as large a supply as she could safely carry; this done, the remainder of +those on board now made for the shore, which by some exertion they +safely reached. The first care of the shipwrecked party on reaching the +shore was to send out some of their number in search for water. Captain +Rymer had brought some from the wreck, but this was only sufficient to +last for a short time, and their lives might depend upon their obtaining +a supply. Only those who have felt the want of water know how to +appreciate its value. Others, in the meantime, employed themselves in +getting up a tent for the ladies; for which purpose they had brought +some spare sails and ropes. In a short time the party which had gone +out in search of water returned with the report that none was to be +found. This rendered it important to economise their slender store, and +to procure a future supply from the ship as soon as possible. + +All this time no one seemed to have thought of the French privateer. +She had not been seen since the commencement of the hurricane, from +which, if she had escaped, it was too probable she would come and look +for her prize. This was a source of anxiety to Captain Rymer, for, +though of course anxious to escape from their present position, he had +no wish at all to fall again into the hands of the French. + +The men of the party found ample occupation for the rest of the day, in +putting up shelter for themselves, for hot as is the climate of the West +Indies, it is dangerous to sleep exposed to the night dews. + +Pierre seemed anxious to make himself useful, and begged that he might +be allowed to attend on the ladies. Jacques offered to undertake the +office of cook, the duties of which he was far better able to perform +than any of the English. The French lieutenant seemed the most +cast-down of any of the party. He sat by himself not speaking to any +one, and with an air of discontent, put away the food which was brought +to him. + +"The poor lieutenant mourns and seems very unhappy," said David to +Pierre. + +"Yes," answered Pierre, "he is often thus morose when anything annoys +him; the poor man has no religion." + +"Is he not a Roman Catholic?" asked David. + +"Oh, no; a large number of my countrymen threw off all religion at the +Revolution, and many, like him, have not taken to any since. He, I am +afraid, does not believe in God, or in any future state, but that when +he dies he will become just like a dog or a pig; so, you see, he has no +hope, and nothing to keep him up." + +"But what are you, Pierre? are you not a Roman Catholic?" asked David. + +"Oh, no, I am a Protestant," answered Pierre; "there are a great many +Protestants in France, and though some few at the Revolution became +infidels, by far the greater number remained firm to the true faith." + +"I didn't know there were any Protestants in France," said Harry, who, +like many boys at that time, fancied that the English were the only +Protestant people in Europe. + +"Oh, yes, there are a great number who are known as Huguenots, and who +fought bravely for the Protestant faith," said Pierre. "My father was +of a Huguenot family, and many of his ancestors lost their lives for the +love they bore the Bible." + +"Ah! that was a noble cause to die for," remarked David. "How sad to +think that people should reject the truths it contains." + +This conversation took place as the boys were sitting together in front +of the tent. Darkness now came rapidly on, but from the look of the +weather there seemed every prospect of their having the blessing of a +quiet night. The sea had gone completely down, and the moon shone forth +over the calm waters, the light just falling upon the spot where the +wreck lay, so that any object could be seen approaching it. Captain +Rymer and Captain Williams agreed, however to keep watch for the +protection of their charges. Three English seamen, with the mate, +wisely remained by their captain. There were, besides Captain Rymer, +four gentlemen passengers, West Indian planters, going out to their +property. They were not men of much individual character, evidently +more accustomed to look after their own creature comforts than to +trouble them selves about their fellow-beings. There was one subject in +which they were all agreed, that the emancipation of the negroes would +ruin them, and all persons concerned. It was a doubtful matter whether +negroes had souls, and that to attempt to educate them was a work of the +greatest folly. In this matter Captain Rymer did not agree with them, +and the discussion of the subject afforded them abundant supply of +conversation at all times. + +The night passed quietly away. As soon as it was dawn, Captain Rymer +urged Captain Williams to return at once to the wreck, and bring on +shore a further supply of provisions and water. + +"We cannot tell what may occur," he observed. "The hurricane season is +not yet over, and should another hurricane come on, and the vessel go to +pieces, we might be starved, and die for want of water." + +The wisdom of this advice was so evident, that the raft was immediately +despatched, under the captain's charge, to bring off the cargo. In a +short time it returned, and a message was delivered from the captain, +that he thought it would be wiser to build another raft, in order more +rapidly to get the stores on shore. This work occupied the men the +whole of the day. Jacques alone remained on shore to cook the +provisions, with the help of Pierre, while David and Harry begged that +they might be allowed to go off to the wreck, where they thought that +they could make themselves useful. + +"I vote that we make a small raft for ourselves," said Harry; "and I +think that we can paddle her backwards and forwards several times, while +the big raft is only making one voyage." + +With the experience they had already attained, they soon carried their +plan into execution, and in a short time conveyed a considerable +quantity of the stores on shore. During their last trip, however, Harry +observed close alongside the raft a black fin, and a wicked pair of eyes +glancing up at him. + +"There's a brute of a shark," he exclaimed; "he thinks he's going to get +a meal off one of us, I suspect." + +Still they kept paddling on, and the shark did not attempt to come +nearer them. They were not sorry, however, when they reached the shore, +and Captain Rymer told them that he considered they had done enough for +the day. It must be owned it was far pleasanter to sit near Mary, and +listen to the account of all their friends at home. She did not tell +them how completely they had been given up, for she knew it would make +Harry especially melancholy to think of the sorrow his supposed loss had +caused his mother, nor did she tell him how very sorry she herself had +been. Indeed, she could say truly that many of their friends fully +expected that they would turn up at last. + +"Doesn't this put you in mind of our picnic?" said Harry, looking up at +her, "though to be sure we are somewhat changed since then," looking +down on his tarred and dirty dress. "I really think the next time I go +on board the wreck I must try and find a new suit of clothes." + +"You do look rather disreputable," said Mary, laughing, "for an officer +in His Majesty's service. Here comes Jacques with the dinner. Really +Jacques must be a first-rate cook, and we ought to be thankful that he +escaped." + +None of the party seemed inclined to be out of spirits, except the +lieutenant, who sat as usual by himself, and refused to take the food +Pierre offered him. Had it even been otherwise, the good well-cooked +dinner provided by Jacques might have put them in good humour, while +there was no lack of wine, of which the West Indian planters had laid in +a good store. In the evening a further supply of provisions and water +was obtained from the wreck. The next day was wisely occupied in the +same way, till a sufficient supply of food was landed to last for a +couple of months or more. More than once it was discussed whether it +could be possible to get the wreck off, but it was agreed that without +more strength than they possessed it would be impossible, though, as far +as could be ascertained, she had suffered no material damage. Some of +the party thought they took a great deal of trouble for little purpose, +and that it would be more easy to get the stores on shore as they were +required. + +"They will see the wisdom of what we have done should a hurricane come +on," said Captain Rymer, "and I am not at all sure, from the appearance +of the weather, that we shall escape one." + +The next morning the heat was intense. The sun rose surrounded by a +mass of ruddy hue, but was hidden ere long in a thick canopy of cloud. +Not a breath of wind stirred the calm waters. In the distance a sail +was seen, which had approached the island during the night. Captain +Rymer had been watching her for some time through his glass. The French +lieutenant, on observing her, sprang to his feet, and eagerly asked the +captain to let him look through the glass. + +"It is the _Hirondelle_!" he exclaimed. "Then she did not go down in +the last hurricane. My captain guessed rightly that the prize was cast +away on some island in this direction. He is a sagacious man." + +"I wish his sagacity had not led him to discover us," said Captain +Rymer. "If he lands here he may after all succeed in getting off the +ship." + +This announcement caused, as may be supposed, a considerable amount of +anxiety among those on the island. While they were watching, two boats +were seen to leave the schooner. Hitherto it had been so calm that a +feather held up would have fallen to the ground. Suddenly, however, +there came a low moaning sound, and the leaves of the palm trees began +to rustle strangely. In an instant afterwards the blast swept over the +island, snapping off the tops of many of the tallest trees. The tents +were blown down, and it was with difficulty that those on the island +could avoid being carried away. The sea, hitherto so calm, came dashing +in huge foaming billows against the weather side, and breaking over the +wreck with tremendous force, and it seemed scarcely possible that she +could resist the blows that she was receiving. Now one sea and now +another dashed against her, till she seemed to be completely covered +with a mass of foam. They looked out for the schooner, she was nowhere +to be seen. Either she had gone down, or had been driven far away by +the hurricane. The hurricane continued blowing without cessation; now +coming from one quarter, and now from another. + +Evening was approaching, and an unusual darkness overspread the ocean. +It was fearful to contemplate what might be the fate of many of those +who floated on that stormy sea. It was impossible to put up any shelter +for the ladies, but Mary felt that she had her father to protect her, +who sat by her side, sheltering her as well as he could, aided by Harry +and David. Thus the night passed away, the whole party sitting grouped +together for mutual protection. "What could have become of the +schooner?" was a question often asked and answered. The morning broke +at length. The _Cerberus_ had disappeared, but still further off, at +the end of the reef, an object was seen. It was part of a wreck; there +were human beings clinging to it. "Whether Englishmen or Frenchman we +must endeavour to save them," said Captain Rymer. + + + +CHAPTER ELEVEN. + +THE RESCUE OF THE FRENCH SEAMEN--MARY A PRISONER TO THE FRENCH--PIERRE +DELIVERS HER--BAD CONDUCT OF THE FRENCH. + +The hurricane had given signs of abating, but the sea was still far too +rough to allow of even a good boat going off to the people on the reef; +still more impossible would it have been to have reached them by means +of a raft. On examining the rafts which had been constructed to bring +the cargo on shore, both were found to have suffered by the hurricane. +It was determined, therefore, to build a smaller and more manageable +one, by means of which it was hoped to reach the shipwrecked people. +This work Captain Williams and his companions immediately set about +performing. The French lieutenant now thoroughly aroused, lent his hand +to it. In the course of a couple of hours a structure was formed with +which it was hoped they might venture out to sea. + +Their next undertaking was to cut out a number mast, and fit a sail for +the raft. Still the sea would not allow them to venture from the shore; +they had, therefore, to wait patiently, watching in the meantime the +people whom they were anxious to rescue. The wreck seemed to be fixed +firmly at the end of a reef, and to have afforded them a shelter from +the fury of the seas, which would otherwise have washed them away. +Still, as they probably had no food nor water, it was impossible that +they could exist there for any length of time. Should any attempt be +made by those on the wreck to reach the shore by swimming, it was but +too probable that they would be carried off by the sharks, numbers of +which swarmed around the island. In the meantime, the men were employed +in getting up the tent, and in restoring matters to the condition they +were in before the hurricane. + +The poor ladies had suffered greatly from the alarm into which they had +been thrown, and it was necessary they should obtain that rest which had +been denied them during the night. Mary, however, kept up her spirits, +and could not help expressing her thankfulness that Harry and David had +been saved, and were thus sharing with her the adventures which she was +not likely to forget to the end of her days. + +"How curious it will be when they hear about us at home," said David, +"and that we were all wrecked together on this out-of-the-way island." + +"But how are they to hear about us?" observed Mary; "we must get away +from this before we can send a letter home, and how we are to get away +seems the question." + +"Some means will turn up, depend upon it," said Harry, "we shall be seen +by some passing ship, or if not, we must build a boat and try to reach +some of the nearest islands. We are not likely to have to spend all our +lives here, depend on that." + +They little thought of the difficulties and dangers they had still to go +through. The day was advancing, but still the sea was considered too +rough to allow the raft to be launched. They watched the people on the +reef, who seemed to be clustering together, and who probably, unless +they had a telescope, would not be aware that there were any people on +the shore likely to come to their assistance. At length the sun set, +and very unwillingly they were obliged to abandon the hope of going off +till the following morning. They anxiously watched the weather during +the night, and were thankful to find that the wind had dropped to a +perfect calm. By daybreak Captain Williams summoned those who had +agreed to accompany him, consisting of his mate and two English seamen, +and Jacques Rossillion. By means of the long sweeps, which had been +carefully fitted to the raft, they were enabled to urge it along at a +good speed over the waters. + +"Success attend your efforts!" said Captain Rymer, as he assisted in +shoving off the raft. Harry and David begged that they might also go, +and assist in working the sweeps; and their offer was accepted. They +had a somewhat long voyage to perform, and though they vigorously worked +the sweeps they could not move the raft more than at the rate of three +miles an hour. As they approached the reef they were perceived by the +shipwrecked party, who waved to them as if urging them to come faster. +As they drew near the men pointed to their mouths, indicating that they +were suffering from thirst. Unhappily, no water had been brought off. +Several, it appeared, had been in a state of delirium, and it was very +evident that it would be dangerous to approach too close to the wreck, +lest a number jumping upon the raft might upset it. There appeared to +be about twenty or thirty people on the wreck, and Captain Williams +agreed that it would not be safe to convey more than eight or ten at a +time to the shore. The French lieutenant recognised the men as +belonging to the schooner's crew, and he called out to them by name, +ordering eight at a time to come down, and that they would be taken on +board. They did not seem, however, inclined to obey him. Fortunately, +Captain Williams had stuck a brace of pistols in his belt, and he now +threatened to shoot any who might attempt to come on board the raft +unless ordered by the lieutenant. This had the effect of keeping back +the greater number, and eight of the Frenchmen were safely got on board +the raft, which now at once commenced its return to the shore. Those +who remained on the reef entreated that they might not be deserted, +though they would scarcely believe the promise made by their officer +that he would return for them. The poor men who had been rescued showed +how much they had been suffering by pointing to their parched tongues, +and again and again asking for water. + +Captain Williams and his companions exerted themselves to the utmost to +reach the shore. This they at length accomplished, and water was +immediately procured for the thirsty men. Their sufferings might be +those of the whole party, unless great economy was used in distributing +the precious fluid. A small cask was put on the raft, with some cups, +and once more the party set forth to return to the reef, leaving those +who had first landed to the care of their friends on shore. As the raft +again approached the reef, the poor wretches who had been left upon it +were seen stretching out their hands eagerly for water. There was still +great danger lest they might rush down, in their anxiety to obtain it, +and either fall into the water or upset the raft. Much caution was +therefore necessary. The lieutenant and Jacques first leaped on to the +rock, when Captain Williams handed them up the cups of water; but the +first man who got the cup refused to let it leave his lips till he had +drained every drop. Two were seen to fall backward after they had +drunk, and it was with difficulty they were saved from falling into the +sea. Several who were already in a state of delirium, scarcely seemed +to value the boon which had been brought them. In time, however, water +was given to all, and it was now necessary to select those who might be +carried away on the raft, as it would require another trip before all +could be removed. Harry and David looked somewhat anxiously for the +French captain, but neither he nor any of the officers were among those +saved. More than half of the crew, it was evident, had been lost. The +lieutenant did not ask questions; indeed the poor men were not in a +condition to have replied to them. + +For the safety of the raft it was necessary to secure the limbs of those +who were in a state of delirium, and it was painful to see them +struggling, as they lay on the raft, not understanding that this was +done for their own safety. The second party were thus landed safely, +and again the raft put off for the remainder of the crew. They had to +row the whole way; indeed it was fortunate that there was no wind, as it +would have made the approach to the reef much more dangerous. As it +was, during the last trip the raft was very nearly driven against the +rocks by one of those sudden upheavings of the ocean which sometimes +occur, and send the water breaking over any opposing obstacle. Happily, +they were able to shove off in time. + +Altogether, nearly thirty people were safely landed. It became, +however, a serious consideration to the former occupants of the island, +how the new comers were to be fed. They had provisions which might have +lasted them a couple of months or more, though they had already seen the +necessity of going upon an allowance of water; their numbers were now +doubled, and they had not water to last them more than a very short +time. Still, disregarding the character of those who had been rescued, +they did their utmost to restore the poor men who had been thrown upon +their care. Two of them, however, died from having drunk a large +quantity of salt water, and others remained seriously ill for several +days. + +The excitement of going off on the raft having subsided, the French +lieutenant again sunk into his former moody state. At length the +Frenchmen appeared to have recovered, but they did not seem inclined to +associate with the English, nor with Jacques nor Pierre, who continued +to perform their former duties. Captain Rymer and Captain Williams +agreed that it would be necessary to put a guard over their provisions +and stores, lest the Frenchmen should take it into their heads to help +themselves without leave. It was explained to them that they must be +content with a very moderate amount of food, and a still smaller +quantity of water, unless a supply of the latter could be found. They +seemingly acquiesced in the wisdom of this, but from the looks they +exchanged with each other, it was but too probable that they would be +tempted to break through the regulations which had been formed on the +subject. + +With regard to food, they might obtain sufficient to support life both +from the shell-fish on the shore, and from any fish they might catch, +while the trees promised to afford them a supply of cocoanuts. But +water was what they most required; without that it would be impossible +to support existence. As long, however, as they were supplied with +food, the Frenchmen did not show any inclination to search for it for +themselves. Pierre was sent to tell them that lines would be provided +for them, if they would try to catch some fish, and again the captain +set out to make a fresh search for water. + +As soon as the Frenchmen had recovered, they showed a very different +disposition to what they had previously exhibited. They then received +the food given to them by the English with apparent gratitude. Now, +however, when it was sent to them they seized it rudely, and grumbled +because the supply was not larger. Captain Rymer endeavoured to explain +to the French lieutenant that the arrangements made were for the good of +all. He, however, either had no authority over his countrymen or +pretended to have none. Still, as he associated himself with them, it +was evident that he intended to side with them whatever they might do. +This state of things gave considerable anxiety to the English officers. +It was arranged that a strict guard should be kept over the provisions +and water, and that no one should be allowed to take anything from the +stores. + +Pierre continued, as before, to attend on the English, though he +occasionally paid a visit to the French, who were encamped at some +little distance, and out of sight of the rest of the party. On being +questioned, he said that the French claimed the stores as their own, +because they had captured the vessel from which they were taken, and +that they were very angry at the idea of the English appropriating them. +It was agreed, however, that unless they were preserved as before, the +French sailors would probably consume the whole in a very short time, +and all the party would be left in a state of starvation. Still, as the +French had hitherto shown no disposition to annoy the English, the +passengers continued to stroll about the shore of the island without any +apprehension, as they had been accustomed to do. Harry and David +frequently escorted Mary in these expeditions. They always returned +with a basket-full of shell-fish of various sorts. The boys also fitted +some fishing lines, and after a little practice they succeeded in +catching a great many fish. Some of them were very beautiful; but when +they showed them to Jacques, he told them that they were not fit to be +eaten. Others, however, were excellent, and they had thus no +apprehension with regard to not having provisions for their support, +even though they might remain on the island for many months. The great +anxiety was with regard to water. + +One day Mary and her young companions had gone along the shore for a +considerable distance, when they reached a point of rock upon which they +believed that they should be able to catch a number of fish. Mary did +not take the same interest in the sport that they did, but preferred +wandering along the beach and picking up the beautiful shells, and +several curious creatures that had been cast on shore. Harry and David +soon began to catch a number of fish, and were completely absorbed in +their sport. Mary said that she would go along the beach some little +distance, and then return to them. They saw her walking along, now +stooping down to pick up a shell, now continuing her course close to the +water, when a rock hid her from view. Just at that moment the fish +began to bite faster and faster, and as they hauled them up in their +eagerness they forgot to look out for their companion. Suddenly Harry +exclaimed, "What can have become of Mary? She is a long time away." + +They both shouted her name, but there was no answer. Gathering up their +lines and their fish they leaped off the rock, and ran along the beach +in the direction she had gone. They did not, however, see her, and +became greatly alarmed. In vain they shouted her name. + +"She certainly could not have turned back and gone the other way," said +Philip; "besides, see, here are the marks of her feet on the sand; she +must have gone on further than she intended." They traced her by the +marks of her feet in the sand for a considerable distance, when she +appeared to have turned inland, away from the beach. "Surely here are +the marks of other feet," said David; "if there were any savages on the +island, I should be afraid she had been carried off by them." + +They now pursued in the direction of the marks of the feet, though +Mary's were no longer to be traced. The ground in the centre of the +island being hard, they here lost all traces. They looked round in +every direction. No persons were to be seen. They continued running +eagerly forward, shouting again and again Mary's name, when they found +themselves in front of the French camp. The French jeered at them as +they passed, and as they were unable to speak French, they could not +enquire if any of the people had seen Mary. Not knowing what else to +do, they hurried back to their own friends with the bad news. Captain +Rymer at first would scarcely credit the account they gave him. He +however, with the two boys and Captain Williams, immediately set out to +search the neighbourhood of the spot where Mary had disappeared. It was +evident to them that she had not been carried away from the island; they +therefore came to the conclusion that the Frenchmen had made her a +prisoner, in the hopes that they might thus compel the English to agree +to any terms they might propose. + +Captain Rymer therefore determined to go to the French with Pierre as +interpreter, and to ascertain what terms the French had to propose. At +first they denied that she was with them, but said that they were +determined to have one half of the provisions and water as their proper +share. Captain Rymer replied that they were determined for the good of +all those on the island not to give up the provisions, and again +enquired whether they had seen his young daughter, but could get no +answer in return; and doubting whether the French really knew anything +about Mary, he returned to consult further with Captain Williams. It +was agreed that, should they yield to the demands of the Frenchmen, as +soon as the first half of the provisions were consumed they would demand +the remainder, and that, therefore, it would be wiser at once to refuse +their demands. + +The day was drawing on, but still there were no signs of Mary. They +arranged that Jacques should carry their food as usual to the French, +and endeavour to obtain all the information that he could. Harry and +David offered to go and watch in the neighbourhood of the camp, so that +if she really was there, and could make her escape, they might be ready +to assist her. While they remained concealed, Pierre went on into the +camp. He brought a larger supply of food than usual to each man, and +talked to one and then to the other, often in no complimentary terms of +the English. + +"And why do you remain with them?" was the question put to him. + +"Because I am well fed; and until you came I had none else to associate +with except Jacques, and I cannot make out whether he likes the English +or our own countrymen the best." + +"Then do you intend to remain with us now?" was the question put to +Pierre. + +"O yes! I have had enough of the English, and wish to throw in my +fortunes with my own countrymen." + +The Frenchmen seemed to think that Pierre was in earnest, as he showed +no inclination to leave them. He was, however, very busy in going about +among the huts, whilst he put several questions to his countrymen, as to +whether they could guess anything about the little girl who had been +carried off. "Our lieutenant knows something about that, and as he does +not want to fight with the English, hopes to gain his object by +diplomacy." + +This convinced Pierre that Mary was in the camp, and he determined to +set her free if he could. There was a hut in a grove close to the camp, +into which he had hitherto not looked, and he thought it very likely +that Mary had been shut up there. He knew, however, that he should be +watched, especially by the lieutenant, who was walking up and down on +the beach, in his usual moody manner. Nothing could be done, at all +events, until it was dark; and he therefore continued laughing and +talking with his countrymen, so as if possible to throw them off their +guard. He observed the lieutenant once visit the hut with a tin of +food, and, on leaving it, he placed a log of wood across the door. This +convinced him more even than before that Mary was shut up there. + +Night came on at last. By the conversation of the Frenchmen, he feared +that they had determined to have possession of the provisions by force, +if they could not gain them in any other way. The Frenchmen amused +themselves as their countrymen, even under the most adverse +circumstances, are accustomed to do, by singing, telling stories, and +occasionally getting up and dancing. At last, tired with their +exertions, they laid themselves down in their huts. Pierre waited until +they all seemed asleep. He most dreaded being detected by the +lieutenant. He crept cautiously near the hut in which he was lying +down, and, greatly to his satisfaction, found that he also was asleep. +He instantly stole off to the hut in which he believed Mary was +confined. The log at the entrance was somewhat heavy, and he had no +little difficulty in removing it without making a noise. He pushed back +the rough planks that formed the door, and there, to his infinite +satisfaction, he saw Mary. She was seated on a heap of boughs in a +corner of the hut, with her hands tied together, and her feet secured to +a log. She uttered an exclamation of surprise on hearing Pierre +approach. + +"Hush!" he said, "make no noise, I have come to release you." + +He fortunately had the knife in his pocket that David had given him, and +with this he quickly cut the ropes with which the little girl was bound. + +"Now," he said, "take my hand, and I will lead you to those with whom +you will soon find your way back to your friends." + +Saying this, he took her hand and led her through the grove, the French +camp soon being lost sight of. They quickly found the spot where Harry +and David were waiting. The boys were delighted at finding their young +companion, and hurried off, supporting her between them, to their +friends, while Pierre returned to the French. Captain Rymer was +overjoyed at seeing his daughter, as will be supposed. The English did +not rest much that night, not knowing what the French would next do. It +was nearly morning when a footstep was heard approaching the camp, and +Pierre came running up. "My countrymen have determined to attack you, +and take the provisions by force," he said; "I had just time to escape, +for they already suspected me of assisting Miss Rymer to escape." + +Jacques, who had remained with the English, was very sorry to hear what +the French proposed doing; he promised, however, to fight on the side of +his friends. Ten muskets, and a small supply of powder and ball, had +been brought from the wreck. Of these the Frenchman were not aware, but +as there was very little ammunition, it would soon be exhausted, and +then numbers would prevail. + + + +CHAPTER TWELVE. + +THE ARRIVAL OF THE "ARETHUSA"--THE FRENCH TAKEN PRISONERS--DAVID BECOMES +A MIDSHIPMAN--THE FIGHT AND VICTORY--JOY AT HOME--THE END. + +Captain Rymer had taken the precaution of throwing up a breastwork round +the camp, which might assist him in repelling any attack of the +Frenchmen. "Though my countrymen will kill me if they discover I have +warned you, I would rather die than that you should be taken by +surprise," exclaimed Pierre, as he was helped over the parapet. + +"We hope that we shall be able to protect you," said Harry, who with +David had been on guard some time. + +"Never fear; we have firearms, and your countrymen are without them. If +they come, they will receive a warmer reception than they expect." + +A few minutes afterwards a number of persons were seen stealing towards +the camp, and evidently hoping to take the company by surprise. +"Silence!" said Captain Rymer to his companions, "we will let them +suppose that we are asleep, and then, if we suddenly start up and fire a +musket or two over their heads they will become so alarmed that they +will perhaps desist from the attack." This plan was followed out. The +Frenchmen were evidently somewhat startled at finding that those they +had come to attack were better armed than themselves. + +"Now, Pierre, tell them that if they come on many of them will be +killed," said Captain Rymer; "we don't wish to injure them, but we are +resolved not to yield to their demand." + +The Frenchmen hearing this at first seemed to hesitate, but shouting to +each other they again advanced towards the embankment. "You will take +the consequences of your folly," said Captain Rymer, and Pierre +interpreted what he said. Several shots were fired, and two or three of +the Frenchmen were apparently hit. The discharge had the effect of +making them retreat. It was evident, however, that from the few muskets +that had gone off that the powder was far from good, and that little +dependence could therefore be placed on their firearms. Still it +appeared that the French had had enough for the moment, as having failed +in their expected surprise of the English they retreated once more to +their own camp. But the state of affairs was very serious, as it could +not be supposed that they would not again attempt to attack the camp. + +"One thing must be done," observed Captain Rymer; "as soon as the sun +comes out we must dry our powder, that it may prove of more use than it +did just now." In a short time daylight broke, and the sun, rising out +of the ocean, shed a bright light over the scene. As he rose, his rays +fell on the white sails of a ship, not two miles from the island. +Captain Rymer's telescope was immediately turned towards her. "She's an +English frigate," he exclaimed. + +"Let me look, sir! let me look!" cried Harry, eagerly. + +"That she is, indeed, and my own ship, the _Arethusa_, I am sure she is, +I should know her among fifty other frigates. We expected that she +would be sent out to the West Indies." + +The great point was now to draw the attention of those on board the +frigate to the island. A flagstaff was quickly erected at a point clear +of the trees, and as the flag was run up, several muskets were fired at +the same time. They waited anxiously to see the effect. In another +minute an answering gun was fired from the frigate, and almost at the +same moment a couple of boats were seen approaching the shore. Harry's +delight was very great when he recognised several of his shipmates in +the boats. The second lieutenant of the frigate, who came in command, +was the first person to step on shore. Harry, forgetting his own +appearance, instantly ran up to him, and was somewhat mortified at the +look of astonishment with which the lieutenant regarded him. + +"What, don't you know me, sir?" exclaimed Harry. + +"I begin to have an idea," said the lieutenant, putting out his hand, +"though there are one or two reasons why I should not know you. The +first is, that we thought you had lost the number of your mess; and, +excuse me, you certainly do not look like an English midshipman." + +"No, sir, I don't think I do," said Harry, laughing. "Now let me +introduce my friends to you. Here is Mr David Morton, and Captain +Rymer and Miss Rymer, and all these ladies and gentlemen. And it will +take some time to tell you all about ourselves." + +Harry, in his joy, let his tongue run on, scarcely knowing what he was +saying. Captain Rymer now stepped forward and explained the state of +affairs. This required some little time to do. + +"I am sure the captain will be very glad to receive the master, crew, +and all the passengers of the _Cerberus_ on board the frigate," replied +the lieutenant; "but I don't know how he will be inclined to treat the +Frenchmen, who have behaved as you have described. If they are left on +the island they will probably perish of thirst. But, in the meantime, +should any English vessel come here, they might take the crew prisoners, +and make off in her." + +It was agreed, therefore, that the best way would be to carry them off +as prisoners to Jamaica. The Frenchmen were very indignant at hearing +the arrangements that had been made, but when they saw that the boat's +crew were armed they had the sense to know that resistance was useless. +Harry and David entreated that Pierre and Jacques might not be made +prisoners, and of course their request was granted. Both Jacques and +Pierre begged that they might enter on board the frigate. In a short +time nearly all those who had lately been living on the island were +carried on board the frigate. The Frenchmen were placed in the prison +forward. There was one exception, however, the French lieutenant was +nowhere to be found. While the rest of his countrymen were embarking he +had disappeared. A boat's crew was sent on shore to search for him. +The only trace that could be discovered of him was his hat at the end of +a ledge of rocks, off which it was supposed he had thrown himself, and +been drowned. Poor man! he had given up all hopes of happiness in this +life, and had refused to believe in a life to come. + +In those days it was not so difficult to enter the navy as at the +present time. Notwithstanding all the hardships David had gone through +he was as anxious as ever to become a midshipman. The captain promised +to place him on the quarter-deck, if he preferred remaining out in the +West Indies instead of going home. David was naturally very anxious to +see his friends; but at the same time his darling desire to enter the +navy could now be realised. If he went home he would be separated from +Harry, whom he now looked upon more than ever as a brother. + +"At all events, I will remain out," said David, "till I can hear from +home, and then, should my father and mother desire me to return, I must +obey them." + +The frigate conveyed Captain Rymer to his government, in the island of, +and as she was constantly cruising about in that neighbourhood Harry and +David had frequent opportunities of seeing Mary. Those were stirring +days, and midshipmen met with various adventures. David at length +anxiously broke open a letter which reached him from home. His father +and mother expressed their gratitude to Heaven that he had escaped so +many dangers, and told him that, as his heart was set on becoming a +midshipman, they would no longer oppose his wishes. + +Several years passed by; the frigate was at one time cruising amongst +the West Indian Islands, and at another time she was sent to Halifax, +then the chief station of the American squadron. Fully four years +passed away before she was ordered home. The command held by Captain +Rymer at the same time came to an end, and he and Mary prepared to +return to England. The _Arethusa_ sailed some little time after them. +Her crew, as was too often the case, was diminished by yellow fever; but +the survivors thought only of once more reaching their native land, and +looked forward with joy at the prospect of again seeing the white cliffs +of old England. Already the frigate was more than half-way across the +Atlantic, when one morning a sail was espied on the weather-bow; the +sails were trimmed and the frigate gave chase. The stranger took her +for an enemy, and did everything to escape, and not without good hopes +of success, for she was evidently a fast craft. + +The _Arethusa_ was, however, one of the fastest frigates in the navy, +and it was not likely that the chase would succeed, unless, favoured by +the darkness, she might alter her course during the night. A sharp +look-out was kept. Twice the look-out man exclaimed that she was +nowhere to be seen, but again she was caught sight of. When morning +dawned it was calculated that the frigate had gained considerably upon +her. The chase continued for the best part of the day. At last the +frigate got her within length of her bow-chasers. Several shots were +fired without inducing her to haul down her colours, which were French. +She was a large schooner, a powerful vessel, with heavy masts and sails. +At length a shot carried away her main-topmast, and now, finding that +any further attempt at escaping was useless, the colours were hauled +down. She proved to be a French privateer returning home after a +successful cruise. The rage of the Frenchmen was very great at finding +themselves captured, when they so soon expected to be in _La Belle +France_ to enjoy the booty they had obtained. In a short time, however, +after the greater number had been transferred to the deck of the +frigate, they were dancing and singing, apparently forgetful of their +misfortune. As no lieutenant from the frigate could be spared to take +charge of the prize, Harry, who had now become an experienced officer, +was sent on board in command, and David went as his lieutenant. Pierre +begged that he might accompany them. For two or three days they kept in +sight of the frigate, but a gale coming on, with thick weather, when +morning broke the _Arethusa_ was nowhere to be seen. + +"We must find our way up Channel as best we can," said Harry. "I think +you and I can manage a correct day's work, though we have not had as +much experience in navigation as would be desirable." + +The weather continued bad for several days, during which the schooner +was hove-to. Once more the sky cleared; the wind moderated, and a +coarse was steered up Channel. + +"I can scarcely fancy that more than four years have passed away since +you and I drifted out here in a boat with poor old Jefferies. We return +in a very different style, don't we?" remarked Harry to his companion. + +They had reached, they calculated, the chops of the Channel, when a +large merchant ship was seen ahead. + +"Should she prove to be an enemy's craft she will make a rich prize," +said David. + +"I rather think she is English," said Harry; "but see, there is another +vessel, a large lugger I make her out to be, bearing down upon her. The +lugger is French, there is no doubt about that. I should not be +surprised if she is a privateer, about to pounce down upon the merchant +vessel. If the Frenchmen have seen us, they take us to be French also, +and are anxious to secure the prize before we come up," observed Harry. +"I am not, however, certain that she will do that; see, there is a +strong breeze from the westward coming up, and the sails of the two +vessels are already becalmed." + +Harry was right; the schooner carried up the breeze, and stood in +between the two vessels before the lugger had time to fire a shot. +Instantly hoisting English colours, Harry boldly stood towards the +lugger, followed by the merchant ship. He at once opened fire on the +lugger, who made all sail to escape. This was what Harry had determined +she should not do. The schooner carried two long guns in her bows. +These were so well worked that after a few shots the lugger's mizen-mast +was knocked away. The main-mast followed, and the lugger, being now +reduced to an almost helpless condition, hauled down her colours. As +may be supposed, Harry and David's delight was very great, at not only +having made so valuable a prize, but saving a valuable merchant vessel +from capture. Still greater was their satisfaction when going on board +the merchant vessel, they found that Captain Rymer and Mary were amongst +the passengers. + +The merchantman was bound for Falmouth, and to that port Harry also +resolved to steer with the prize, as she was not in a condition to be +taken up Channel. The next morning the three vessels anchored in +Falmouth Harbour. As neither Harry nor David could leave their vessels, +a messenger was despatched to their homes, and in a short time Mr and +Mrs Morton, Mrs Merryweather, and a considerable number of friends who +formed the picnic party on that memorable day when Harry and David went +adrift in a boat, were collected at the Green Bank Hotel. If Harry had +been looked upon as a hero on the distant day of which we speak, much +more so was he now. + +Both Harry and David rose to rank and honour in the noble profession +they had selected, and as soon as the former obtained his rank as +post-captain, Mary Rymer became his wife; and among the adventures he +loved to describe to his young descendants, was that of how he and his +friend Admiral Morton, in their younger days, went "Adrift in a Boat." + +THE END. + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Adrift in a Boat, by W.H.G. 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