Sail Ho! Part 94

"Then we can talk aloud," I cried.

"Ay, and shout if you like."

It was morning, and there were signs of the sun being just about to roll up above the smooth sea, as the men gently dipped their oars so as not: to waken the sleepers, and the boat began to move softly toward the ship.

"It is a puzzle to me that she has not gone down, Dale," said Mr Brymer, in a low voice. "That explosion was enough to drive out her sides, as well as rip up her deck; and I am beginning to think that after all she may float."

"But she is on fire still," I said; "and though burning slowly, the fire must be eating its way through the bottom."

"Perhaps not, my lad," he replied. "There was an immense amount of cargo solidly stowed below, and it may be only that which is burning."

"But you will not venture to go on board?" I said.

"Why not, my lad?"

"She may suddenly sink."

"She does not look now as if she would; at all events not during this calm. Yes; I am going on board, and you may come too if you like."

I looked at him wonderingly, and felt a strange shrinking; but I fancied that I could detect a faint smile at the corner of his lip, and this touched me home, and made me speak at once.

"Very well," I said. "I'll go with you, sir."

"That's right, my lad," he said, laying his hand on my shoulder. "Why, Dale, you will be chief mate of some ship, young as you are, almost before I get to be captain. But we won't waste time pa.s.sing compliments. What should you say if we find that the old ship is strong enough to carry us into port?"

"Oh, it is impossible," I cried.

"Not so impossible perhaps after all; but we are getting near, and we'll see."

"But suppose she is so near sinking that the addition of our weight proves to be enough to make her begin settling down?"

"Well, I should be greatly surprised if it did," he said with a smile.

"But we'll be on the safe side. As soon as we mount on deck through the cabin-window, the boat shall be backed out of the way of danger, and our first task shall be to cut loose a couple of the life-buoys. Then, if the ship drags us down, we shall be sure to rise again and float."

I could not help a shudder at the idea of being dragged down in such a horrible vortex, perhaps to be entangled in some part of the rigging, and never rise again; and seeing what I was thinking, Mr Brymer laughed.

"No fear, my lad. She will not sink now, unless there is a storm; perhaps not even then. Row right round, my lads," he continued to Bob Hampton and Barney; and we made a circuit of the ship, pa.s.sing from astern right forward, without the hull showing any damage; and though Mr Brymer touched her just about opposite to where the princ.i.p.al body of smoke arose, there was no perceptible heat to be felt. Then as we pressed on under the bowsprit, I looked up at the bob-stay and the rigging about that spritsail where I had climbed; and we began to go back on the other side, to find the hull intact, and no sign of damage, but here the side was decidedly warm. Then on to the stern and under the first window, where a rope was still hanging out.

"Will you go first, Dale, or shall I?" said Mr Brymer.

For answer I began to climb, and in a very short time reached the window and crept in.

Then the rope was drawn taut again, and the mate climbed in after me, turned, and spoke gently--

"Row aft about a hundred yards, my lads. It is only for form's sake."

And as the men began to paddle gently away, he said to me quietly--

"There is no fear of her going down, Dale, for many hours, if at all. I want to see what damage there is forward, and whether we can come aboard and attack the fire with any chance of success."

"But shall we not be safer in the boat?" I said.

"Most decidedly not. And fancy, boy, there are three sick and wounded people, and a lady! It is our duty to study them, and besides, after all, we may save the ship."

This sent a thrill of enthusiasm through me as we pa.s.sed out of the cabin, littered with all kinds of stores and fittings, out along the damaged saloon, and thence through the companion on to the deck, which was blackened with pieces of burnt wood, sc.r.a.ps of a heterogeneous kind that had probably been sent skyward by the explosions, to fall back half-charred.

The smell of burnt powder now was terrible, and I could not help stopping.

"What is it?" said Mr Brymer.

"Do you think there is any more powder below?" I said, as I thought of the possibility of another explosion.

"Indeed I don't," said the mate, decisively. "Not a grain. It is all honest fire, my lad, smouldering away in the cargo, and waiting for a little encouragement in the shape of wind to burst out into an unconquerable blaze."

We had been advancing again through the charred embers and fragments, to stand at last by a large ragged cavity, torn up in the deck. The whole of the hatches and combings were blasted away, and a clean sweep had been made for fully thirty feet onward, and twenty or so across; and everywhere was of a blackish grey, showing the effects of the blasting-powder. Still there was room enough on both sides to walk along by the hole; and as we looked down we could see that, in spite of the destruction, with one exception the great cross-beams which supported the deck were intact.

"She will not sink, Dale," said the mate, quietly; and as a feeling of confidence on that question made me feel better, the fire suddenly flamed up in one place, burning briskly with a good deal of crackling and sputtering, making me feel doubtful of the ship's stability on that side.

Mr Brymer gave me a nod, meant for encouragement, as he went on--

"All the force of the powder went upwards, as it usually does. If it had been dynamite, the explosion would have struck down, driving out the bottom, and then of course the ship would have sunk."

"But the fire!" I said; and the anxiety I felt affected my voice, making it sound husky.

"Oh, the fire," he said coolly. "We must fight that. It is dangerous, but the explosive spirit has burned out, or been destroyed; the powder has gone, and we have nothing to fear now but the slow working of our friend or enemy, whichever you make it."

"But it may burst out furiously at any moment."

"It may, my lad, but I hardly think it possible. Of course a great deal of the cargo is highly combustible, but things will not burn quickly without room and plenty of air. Fire shut in only smoulders, and eats its way slowly, as you see it there. Come, I think we may hail the boat, and get our friends on board."

"But do you think it will be safe?"

"Safer than leaving them in an open boat."

"But the mast--the main-mast? Suppose the fire has eaten its way through that?"

"If it had the mast would fall; but the fire has worked forward, and, as far as I can see, the mast is untouched. Run up to the main-top, it is clear now. Have a look round, to see if you can make out the two boats with our friends."

I looked at him sharply, and he laughed. "Not afraid that the main-mast will give way with your weight, are you?"

I felt the colour burn in my cheeks at this, for he had read my thoughts exactly; and without another word, I sprang to the side, climbed above the main-chains, and made my way upwards. But I had not gone far before, as I rose higher and more over the burning hold, I became aware of a hot, stifling fume, and the irritating smoke which rose from beneath me.

But I persevered, and though it increased for a time, a few feet higher still the oppressive sensation of breathing these hot fumes grew less; and by the time I had reached and climbed into the top, the smoke was so much dissipated as to trouble me very little indeed.

The moment I was up I laid hold of a rope and began to look round, my eyes falling, naturally enough, first upon our boat lying a short distance away, with Mr Frewen, who had just awakened, bending over Walters; and I watched him anxiously, to see if I could make out how my messmate was. But I was brought back from thoughts of him and his position by the mate's voice, as he hailed me from the deck.

"Well," he said, "what can you see?" I looked sharply round before answering, and there was the wide sea in all directions, glistening in the morning sunshine. "Nothing," I said at last. "Try again. Take a good look round, my lad. The boats look small in the distance. They can hardly have pa.s.sed out of sight."

I shaded my eyes, and looked long and carefully east, west, north, and south, but could see nothing, and said so.