Dick Sands, the Boy Captain Part 2

"Only too probable," answered Captain Hull, "unfortunately, such instances are very far from rare"

He scanned the drifting ship carefully and continued,-

"No, I cannot see any sign of boats here, I should guess that the crew have made an attempt to get to land, at such a distance as this, however, from America or from the islands of the Pacific I should be afraid that it must be hopeless."

"Is it not possible," asked Mrs Weldon, "that some poor creature may still survive on board, who can tell what has happened?"

"Hardly likely, madam; otherwise there would have been some sort of a signal in sight. But it is a matter about which we will make sure."

The captain waved his hand a little in the direction in which he wished to go, and said quietly,-

"Luff, Bolton, luff a bit!"

The "Pilgrim" by this time was not much more than three cables' lengths from the ship, there was still no token of her being otherwise than utterly deserted, when d.i.c.k Sands suddenly exclaimed,-

"Hark! if I am not much mistaken, that is a dog barking!"

Every one listened attentively; it was no fancy on d.i.c.k's part, sure enough a stifled barking could be heard, as if some unfortunate dog had been imprisoned beneath the hatchways; but as the deck was not yet visible, it was impossible at present to determine the precise truth.

Mrs Weldon pleaded,-

"If it is only a dog, captain, let it be saved."

"Oh, yes, yes, mamma, the dog must be saved!" cried

[Ill.u.s.tration: Negoro had approached without being noticed by any one]

little Jack; "I will go and get a bit of sugar ready for it."

"A bit of sugar, my child, will not be much for a starved dog."

"Then it shall have my soup, and I will do without," said the boy, and he kept shouting, "Good dog! good dog!" until he persuaded himself that he heard the animal responding to his call.

The vessels were now scarcely three hundred feet apart; the barking was more and more distinct, and presently a great dog was seen clinging to the starboard netting. It barked more desperately than ever.

"Howick," said Captain Hull, calling to the boatswain, "heave to, and lower the small boat."

The sails were soon trimmed so as to bring the schooner to a standstill within half a cable's length of the disabled craft, the boat was lowered, and the captain and d.i.c.k, with a couple of sailors, went on board. The dog kept up a continual yelping; it made the most vigourous efforts to retain its hold upon the netting, but perpetually slipped backwards and fell off again upon the inclining deck. It was soon manifest, however, that all the noise the creature was making was not directed exclusively towards those who were coming to its rescue, and Mrs. Weldon could not divest herself of the impression that there must be some survivors still on board. All at once the animal changed its gestures. Instead of the crouching att.i.tude and supplicating whine with which it seemed to be imploring the compa.s.sion of those who were nearing it, it suddenly appeared to become bursting with violence and furious with rage.

"What ails the brute?" exclaimed Captain Hull.

But already the boat was on the farther side of the wrecked ship, and the captain was not in a position to see that Negoro the cook had just come on to the schooner's deck, or that it was obvious that it was against him that the dog had broken out in such obstreperous fury. Negoro had approached without being noticed by any one; he made his way to the forecastle, whence, without a word or look of surprise, he gazed a moment at the dog, knitted his brow, and, silent and un.o.bserved as he had come, retired to his kitchen.

As the boat had rounded the stern of the drifting hull, it had been observed that the one word "Waldeck" was painted on the aft-board, but that there was no intimation of the port to which the ship belonged. To Captain Hull's experienced eye, however, certain details of construction gave a decided confirmation to the probability suggested by her name that she was of American build.

Of what had once been a fine brig of 500 tons burden this hopeless wreck was now all that remained. The large hole near the bows indicated the place where the disastrous shock had occurred, but as, in the heeling over, this aperture had been carried some five or six feet above the water, the vessel had escaped the immediate foundering which must otherwise have ensued; but still it wanted only the rising of a heavy swell to submerge the ship at any time in a few minutes.

It did not take many more strokes to bring the boat close to the larboard bulwark, which was half out of the water, and Captain Hull obtained a view of the whole length of the deck. It was clear from end to end. Both masts had been snapped off within two feet of their sockets, and had been swept away with shrouds, stays, and rigging. Not a single spar was to be seen floating anywhere within sight of the wreck, a circ.u.mstance from which it was to be inferred that several days at least had elapsed since the catastrophe.

Meantime the dog, sliding down from the taffrail, got to the centre hatchway, which was open. Here it continued to bark, alternately directing its eyes above deck and below.

"Look at that dog!" said d.i.c.k; "I begin to think there must be somebody on board."

"If so," answered the captain, "he must have died of hunger; the water of course has flooded the store-room."

"No," said d.i.c.k; "that dog wouldn't look like that if there were n.o.body there alive."

[Ill.u.s.tration: The dog began to swim slowly and with manifest weakness towards the boat.]

Taking the boat as close as was prudent to the wreck, the captain and d.i.c.k called and whistled repeatedly to the dog, which after a while let itself slip into the sea, and began to swim slowly and with manifest weakness towards the boat. As soon as it was lifted in, the animal, instead of devouring the piece of bread that was offered him, made its way to a bucket containing a few drops of fresh water, and began eagerly to lap them up.

"The poor wretch is dying of thirst!" said d.i.c.k.

It soon appeared that the dog was very far from being engrossed with its own interests. The boat was being pushed back a few yards in order to allow the captain to ascertain the most convenient place to get alongside the "Waldeck," when the creature seized d.i.c.k by the jacket, and set up a howl that was almost human in its piteousness. It was evidently in a state of alarm that the boat was not going to return to the wreck. The dog's meaning could not be misunderstood. The boat was accordingly brought against the larboard side of the vessel, and while the two sailors lashed her securely to the "Waldeck's" cat-head, Captain Hull and d.i.c.k, with the dog persistently accompanying them, clambered, after some difficulty, to the open hatchway between the stumps of the masts, and made their way into the hold. It was half full of water, but perfectly dest.i.tute of cargo, its sole contents being the ballast sand which had slipped to larboard, and now served to keep the vessel on her side.

One glance was sufficient to convince the captain that there was no salvage to be effected.

"There is nothing here; n.o.body here," he said.

"So I see," said the apprentice, who had made his way to the extreme fore-part of the hold.

"Then we have only to go up again," remarked the captain.

They ascended the ladder, but no sooner did they reappear upon the deck than the dog, barking irrepressibly, began trying manifestly to drag them towards the stern.

Yielding to what might be called the importunities of the dog, they followed him to the p.o.o.p, and there, by the dim glimmer admitted by the sky-light, Captain Hull made out the forms of five bodies, motionless and apparently lifeless, stretched upon the floor.

One after another, d.i.c.k hastily examined them all, and emphatically declared it to be his opinion, that not one or them had actually ceased to breathe; whereupon the captain did not lose a minute in summoning the two sailors to his aid, and although it was far from an easy task, he succeeded in getting the five unconscious men, who were all negroes, conveyed safely to the boat.

The dog followed, apparently satisfied.

With all possible speed the boat made its way back again to the "Pilgrim," a girt-line was lowered from the mainyard, and the unfortunate men were raised to the deck.

"Poor things!" said Mrs. Weldon, as she looked compa.s.sionately on the motionless forms.

"But they are not dead," cried d.i.c.k eagerly; "they are not dead; we shall save them all yet!"

"What's the matter with them?" asked Cousin Benedict, looking at them with utter bewilderment.

"We shall hear all about them soon, I dare say," said the captain, smiling; "but first we will give them a few drops of rum in some water."

Cousin Benedict smiled in return.

"Negoro!" shouted the captain.

At the sound of the name, the dog, who had hitherto been quite pa.s.sive, growled fiercely, showed his teeth, and exhibited every sign of rage.

The cook did not answer.