Sail Ho! Part 100

"Poor fellow! Yes, I know his wound's worse than he'll own to. He shall have it dressed as soon as I get back. I wanted to do it before, but he was as obstinate as a mule."

"Coming, Mr Frewen?" came from aft; and the doctor went on, leaving me once more alone, to go on searching out hot places with that jet of water till he returned and stood by me.

"Why, Dale," he said, "you are winning."

"Oh no, sir; it's as bad as ever," I cried.

"Nonsense, my lad; not half. The mist is not so dense overhead, and the hissing and shrieking of the steam is nothing like so loud. We can talk to one another without shouting."

"I say," squeaked Mr Preddle from the other side, "it isn't so thick, is it?"

"No," cried the doctor; and just then Mr Brymer came near, and, to my surprise, I could see him dimly on the other side of the gap in the deck.

"Three cheers!" he shouted; "the day's our own. In an hour or two we shall be able to cry hold hard!"

Those three cheers were given--cheers as full of thankfulness as they were of joy at our prospect of final success. Mr Brymer came round to me, and laid his hand upon my shoulder.

"Let Blane take the branch now," he said. "Why, Dale, my lad, you couldn't have stood to your water-gun better if you had been a man."

And I felt a burning flash of pride in my cheeks, and that it was time to leave off, for my arms ached so that I could hardly direct the branch.

CHAPTER FORTY FIVE.

So much water had been pumped into the hold, that it was now doing the work steadily by soaking in all directions, and making packing-case and bale so saturated that the fire was languishing for want of food.

For my part I fully expected that if we poured in much more the ship would become unsafe; and when I descended into the forecastle and cable-tier in turn, I thought the water would be a couple of feet deep on the floor. But there was no sign of a drop. Saturation had taken up an enormous quant.i.ty, but more had gone off into the air turned into steam; and when I went down with Mr Brymer to sound the well, I was astonished to find how small the amount of water was in the ship.

"No fear of our sinking, Dale," said the mate; and he went on deck again to look at the tremendous clouds of steam rising from the hold.

Before evening the pumping had been allowed to slacken; and as wherever the jet was directed now, the hissing had ceased, it was decided to give up and rest, though everything was laid ready for continuing the fight should it become necessary.

Every one was f.a.gged, but there was so much to do that we could not afford to show it, and we set to work to try and place matters so that we could go steadily on as far as was possible in the regular routine of the ship--no easy matter, seeing that we were so short-handed.

But the cabin arrangements were put straight, and Miss Denning and Mr Preddle did all they could to provide a comfortable late dinner, which, if not hot, was plentiful.

Then Mr Frewen did all he could for his patients, and Neb Dumlow was bandaged and ordered to rest. He said he could not, for there was so much to do. It was not, he said, as if he could have been set to steer, for the ship still lay motionless, merely drifting with the current.

"I can do nothing, sir," he growled morosely.

"Look here, my lad," said Mr Frewen, "I have no objection if you wish to provide me with a bit of practice--go on, and I will do my best."

"Whatcher mean, sir, with yer bit o' practice?--pouring of physic into me as if I was a cask?"

"No; I meant taking off your leg."

"Taking off my leg!" cried Dumlow, with so comical a look of disgust on his countenance that I was obliged to laugh; "whatcher want to take off my leg for? Can't you stop the holes up?"

"I don't want to take off your leg, my man, and I can stop up the holes as you call it; but you persist in using it, and if you do, the consequences will possibly be that the wounds will mortify, and the leg get into such a state that I shall have to amputate it to save your life."

"Hear this, Mr Dale!" growled Dumlow.

I nodded.

"That won't do for me. Timber-toes goes with the Ryle Navy and pensions. They won't do in the marchant sarvice. All right, doctor; I'm game to do just as you tell me, only let me get about a bit.

Couldn't you put my leg in a sling?"

"Your leg isn't your arm, Neb," I cried, laughing.

"Well, sir, who said it were? I knows the diffrens 'tween a fore and a hind flipper."

"There, that will do, my man," said the doctor. "Your wound is not a bad one, but in this hot climate it would soon be if neglected."

The doctor walked away, and the sailor chuckled.

"It's all right, Mr Dale, I won't do what the doctor don't want. Ketch me getting rid of a leg like a lobster does his claw. But I say, sir; I did think, you know, just then, as I might have a hankychy round my neck and hang my leg in it."

I was called aft soon after, and I saw Dumlow go forward, disappearing amongst the steam, while I went to Mr Frewen and helped him while he dressed Walters' wound, and was with him afterwards when he went to the captain and Mr Denning, both of whom were certainly easier now.

We had a light in the saloon too, for I had managed to trim the lamp, and Mr Brymer had been busy hunting out ammunition for the guns. This he had found in the forecastle lying in one of the upper bunks, and with it a couple of revolvers, so that once more we were fairly armed. Then it was decided that the boat should be hooked on to the falls, and an attempt made to raise her, but Bob Hampton shook his head.

"Don't think we can manage her, sir, to-night. To-morrow perhaps I might rig up tackle, and we could get her on deck. She's too big for them davits. But why not let her hang on behind, as the weather's fine?"

"And suppose those scoundrels return, sir, what then?" cried Mr Brymer.

Bob Hampton scratched his head.

"Ah, you may well say what then, sir," he grumbled. "I hadn't thought o' that. Don't think they will come, do you?"

"It is possible. They left in a scare, but if they see the ship still floating they may come back."

"Then we'd better get a couple o' pigs o' ballast ready to heave over, and knock holes in the bottom in case they do come, for we can't get her hysted to-night."

"I suppose you are right," said Mr Brymer in a dissatisfied tone; and, giving the orders, Hampton and Barney Blane went off to get the two big pieces of cast-iron and place them ready for the emergency, though it was fervently hoped that that need might not occur.

Then as the night was clear, and we were so short-handed, it was settled that one man only should take the watch, and every one volunteered, though we were all so exhausted that we could hardly stand. But Mr Brymer settled that.

"I will take the first watch myself," he said. "All of you go and get some rest so as to relieve me."

This consultation was held just outside the saloon, and Mr Frewen had just spoken and told Mr Brymer that he ought to have some one to share the watch with him, when a white figure suddenly came up out of the semi-darkness of the cabin, and I gave quite a start.

"You, Miss Denning?" I said.

"Yes. Mr Brymer, our cabin-door is open, and my brother and I have heard every word."

"Well, my dear young lady," said the mate pleasantly, "I wish you had heard better news."

"It was the best you could give us," she said quietly. "But my brother sends me to say that he has had a long sleep, and that if he is helped to a chair on the upper deck with a night-gla.s.s, he could keep the watch himself, and easily give the alarm if it were necessary."