Bevis Part 44

"Did you ever see such a bother?" said Mark.

"Is anything broken?" said Bevis.

"No. You ought to have tacked sooner."

"How could I tell? She wouldn't come round."

"You ought to have had room to try twice."

"So we will next time."

"Let's go up the Nile and turn round, and get the sails up there," said Mark. "It will be such a flapping here."

Bevis agreed, and they pushed the boat along with the sculls a few yards up the Nile which was quite smooth there, while at the mouth the quick wavelets dashed against the sh.o.r.e. The bank of the river and the trees on it sheltered them while they turned the boat's head round, and carefully set the sails for another trial.

"We'll have two tries this time," said Bevis, "and we're sure to do it.

If we can't tack, it's no use sailing."

When everything was ready, Mark rowed a few strokes with one oar till the wind began to fill the sails; then he shipped it, and sat down on the ballast on the windward side. The moment she was outside the Nile the splashing began, and Mark, to his great delight, felt a little spray in his face. "This is real sailing," he said.

"Now we're going," said Bevis, as the boat increased her speed. "Lot's see how much we can gain on this tack." He kept her as close to the wind as he could, but so as still to have the sails well filled and drawing. He let the mainsail hollow out somewhat, thinking that it would hold the wind more and draw them faster.

"Hurrah!" said Mark; "we're getting a good way up; there's the big sa.r.s.en--we shall get up to it."

There was a large sa.r.s.en or boulder, a great brown stone, lying on the sh.o.r.e on the quarry side of the gulf, about thirty yards above the bathing-place. If they could get as high up as the boulder, that would mean that in crossing the gulf on that tack they had gained thirty yards in direct course, thirty yards against the wind. To Mark it looked as if they were sailing straight for the boulder, but the boat was not really going in the exact direction her bow pointed.

She inclined to the right, and to have found her actual course he ought to have looked not over the stem but over the lee bow. The lee is the side away from the wind. That is to say, she drifted or made leeway, so that when they got closer they were surprised to see she was not so high up as the boulder by ten yards. She was off a bunch of rushes when Bevis told Mark to be ready. He had allowed s.p.a.ce enough this time for two trials.

"Now," said Bevis, pushing the tiller over to the right; "let go."

Mark loosened the foresail, that it might not offer any resistance to the wind, and so check the boat from turning.

Bevis pushed the tiller over still harder, and as she had been going at a good pace the impetus made her answer the rudder better.

"She's coming," shouted Mark. "Jam the rudder."

The rudder was jammed, but when the bow seemed just about to face the wind, and another foot would have enabled Mark to tighten the foresail, and let it draw her quite round like a lever, she lost all forward motion.

"O! dear!" said Bevis, stamping with vexation. The boat stopped a moment, and then slowly fell back. "Pull tight," said Bevis, meaning refasten the foresheet. Mark did so, and the boat began to move ahead again.

"We're very close," said Mark almost directly.

"Tack," said Bevis. "Let go."

He tried to run her up into the wind again, but this time, having less weigh or impetus, she did not come nearly so far round, but began to pay off, or fall back directly, and, before Mark could get a scull out, b.u.mped heavily against the sh.o.r.e, which was stony there.

"Let's row her head round," said Mark.

"Sculls ought not to be used," said Bevis. "It's lubberly."

"Awful lubberly," said Mark. "But what are we to do?"

"Pull away, anyhow," said Bevis.

Mark put out the scull, pushed her off, and after some trouble pulled till her head came round. Then he shipped the scull, and they began to sail again.

"We haven't got an inch," said Bevis. "Just look; there are the rails."

They had made about twenty yards, but in missing stays twice, drifting, and rowing round, had lost it all before the boat could get right again, before the sails began to draw well.

"What ever is it?" said Mark. "What is it we don't do?"

"I can't think," said Bevis. "It's very stupid. That's better."

There was a hissing and bubbling, and the boat, impelled by a stronger puff, rushed along, and seemed to edge a way up into the wind.

"Splendid," said Mark. "We shall get above the Nile this time, we shall get to the willow."

A willow-tree stood on the sh.o.r.e that side some way up. The boat appeared to move direct for it.

"I shall tack soon," said Bevis, "while we've got a good wind."

"Tack now," said Mark. "It doesn't matter about going right across."

"All right--now; let go."

They tried again, just the same; the boat paused and came back: then again, and still it was of no use.

"Row," said Bevis. "Bother!"

Mark rowed with a scull out on the lee side, and got her round.

"Now, just look," said Bevis. "Just look!"

He pointed at the Nile. They had drifted so that when they at last turned they were nearly level with the mouth of the river from which they had started.

"Let me row quicker next time," said Mark. "Let me row directly. It's hateful, though."

"It's hateful," said Bevis. "Sailing without tacking is stupid. n.o.body would ever think we were sailors to see us rowing round."

"What's to be done?" said Mark. "Now try."

Bevis put the tiller down, and Mark pulled her head round as quick as he could. By the time the sails had begun to draw they had lost more than half they had gained, and in crossing as the breeze slackened a little lost the rest, and found themselves as before, just off the mouth of the Nile.

"I don't think you keep her up tight enough," said Mark, as they began to cross again. "Try her closer. Close-hauled, you know."

"So I will," said Bevis; and the breeze rising again he pulled the mainsheet tighter (while Mark tightened the foresheet), and pushed the tiller over somewhat.