Sunshine Bill Part 10

With the precious fluid they had collected they returned to the hut, their strength greatly restored from the water they had drunk.

Now, for the first time, Mr Collinson learned to what a fearful state they had been reduced, and felt very grateful to them for the way in which they had supplied him, when they so much wanted the water themselves. Mr Collinson continued very ill; and often Bill, as he sat up watching him, thought that he was going to die.

Rain now frequently fell, and the heat became even greater, at times, than during the bright weather. At length the rain ceased, and the water which had been collected began once more to diminish with fearful rapidity. A long, dry season was before them, and by what means the casks were to be replenished no one could tell.

CHAPTER TWELVE.

One night they were all asleep in their hut--for, as there were neither natives nor animals to be feared, no watch was kept--when suddenly Bill was awoke by a loud roaring sound. He could hear the trees above the hut shaking and rustling as if their heads were knocking together, the wind whistling among their boughs. All hands were quickly awake. A hurricane had just broken, and appeared to be far more furious than that when the schooner was wrecked.

"I am afraid the trees will be coming down and crushing us," cried old Grim, starting up.

"It won't do to take Mr Collinson out now," said Bill; "so, if you are afraid of their coming down, I'll stay by him."

Grim went to the door, followed by Jack and Tommy. As they looked out they could see the whole sea, which had been calm as a mirror when they went to sleep, now tossed into high waves topped by foam, which came roaring against the island. Sometimes, indeed, it seemed as if they would roll over it, and sweep them and the hut and everything away, for the reef at the side from which the wind was blowing at that time afforded but slight shelter.

"Look out, lads; we had better say our prayers, for to my mind our last days have come," said old Grim, coming back into the hut.

"I'll say my prayers," said Bill, "whether or not the last day is likely to have come."

"Right, boy," said Mr Collinson, who overheard him. "If all prayed as you do, lad, in times of safety, no one need have cause to tremble in danger. However, lads, you need not fear that the sea will break over the island. Depend upon it, this hurricane is not worse than has often blown in these lat.i.tudes; and if the sea had ever broken over the island, these tall trees would not be standing. There is no fear either, I think, of their coming down. Our hut, too, seems to stand securely, thanks to your carpentering, and the strong way in which it has been built. Very likely many a larger mansion will be unroofed to-night by the wind which spares our little hut."

Encouraged by Mr Collinson, his companions again lay down, but of course to sleep was impossible. They, therefore, pa.s.sed the remainder of the night in conversation, though they had to raise their voices to make themselves heard. The more furious hurricanes often do not last for any length of time. By the time the sun once more rose, the wind had abated, and rapidly falling, there was once more a calm. Bill was the first to go out of the hut, for the rest of the party, as the noise ceased, had gradually fallen off to sleep again. As he looked seaward, his eyes caught sight of a dark object floating at some distance from the land. A second glance only was required to show him that it was a dismasted vessel. With the hope that she might perhaps afford them the means of escaping, he hurried back with the Intelligence into the hut.

The whole party, with the exception of the lieutenant, were quickly on their feet, rushing out to see the stranger. Mr Collinson, hearing their exclamations, in spite of his weakness, rose from his bed and followed them.

"I should not mind going out on the raft, if either of you will accompany me," cried Jack Windy. "It's a long pull, to be sure; but if we don't get quickly on board she may be drifting by, and be still farther off than she is now."

"My lads," said Mr Collinson, "I should not like to separate. I would therefore rather increase the size of our fishing-raft, and all go off together. Those on board will be glad of your a.s.sistance, probably; and, considering that our provisions and water have nearly come to an end, we cannot be worse off than we shall be in the course of a few days. I believe G.o.d in His mercy has sent that vessel to our a.s.sistance. Had she not been dismasted, she would have pa.s.sed by, and we could not have got aboard of her."

The lieutenant's proposal pleased all hands. They immediately set to work to increase the size of their raft, by placing some broken spars on either side, which projected a considerable distance fore and aft, and lashing spars across them. A couple of fresh paddles were also made, and a larger one to serve as a rudder. The sail already used was sufficient in case a breeze should favour them. While they were employed, they constantly looked up to the vessel to see if she was drifting away, but she seemed rather to get nearer than farther off. So eager had they been, that no one had thought of breakfast. Mr Collinson, however, insisted that they should take a good meal before starting.

"We do not know how long it may be before we shall reach the vessel, and, at all events, it will be pretty hard work," he observed.

By his directions, also, the cask containing the remaining stock of water was placed in the centre of the raft, and lashed there securely.

Two other casks were placed below the raft to give it greater buoyancy.

As soon as all was ready, Mr Collinson was lifted on to the raft, for he was as yet too weak to walk. A seat had been formed for him where he could sit and steer. Jack and old Grim paddled in the forepart of the raft, while Bill and Tommy stood, or rather knelt, farther astern. A couple of poles had been provided, with which the two men shoved off the raft, and then, when they were in deep water, all hands began to paddle away with might and main. It was satisfactory to find that they could go ahead faster than they had expected. They now began to speculate what sort of vessel was the one in sight. They judged her to be of no great size--a brig, or barque, perhaps; a trader, at all events; but whether English, American, French, or Spanish, it was hard to say at that distance. Unaccustomed of late to much exercise, they found the work very hard. The sun, too, came down from the blue sky with intense heat upon their heads. Fortunately they had protected them with caps, or turbans rather, made out of bits of sail-cloth, their own hats having been lost when they were washed ash.o.r.e. They now also felt grateful to Mr Collinson for having advised them to bring a good supply of water, and over and over again they dipped their tin mug into it, to satisfy the burning thirst which the heat produced.

"I wonder if they see us coming," said Bill. "I should think, by this time, they would have caught sight of the raft."

"Maybe they have plenty to do to look after themselves," said Jack, "working away to get up jury-masts, and labouring at the pumps. Depend upon it, when we get on board we shall not have an idle life of it."

"If foreigners, they will make us work like galley-slaves, I have a notion," observed old Grim. "I think, after all, it would have been better if we had stayed where we were."

Mr Collinson, who had discovered Grimshaw's character by this time, made no remark, but let him talk on. It seemed to those paddling the raft that the longer they paddled the farther off was the vessel.

Still, urged by their officer, they persevered. They now began to scan her more narrowly, but still could not determine of what nation she was.

"We hope, lads, that they will prove friends," said Mr Collinson, "and at all events when they hear our story, unless they are brutes indeed, they can scarcely fail to treat us kindly."

"Not so sure of that," growled out old Grim. "They won't eat us, maybe, but if they take us on board, it will be to work for them; we may depend on that."

Such remarks, made occasionally, a.s.sisted to pa.s.s the time. At length they really were convinced that they had got very much nearer the vessel. Still no one could be seen on board. There she lay, floating quietly on the calm sea, and, except that her masts were gone, not having apparently suffered much in the hurricane. On and on they paddled. At length, having got within hailing distance of the vessel, which they now discovered was certainly a brig, Jack shouted out--

"Brig, ahoy!"

No answer came in return. They drew nearer and nearer. Again he shouted, but without receiving a reply. It now became nearly certain that no one was on board. At length they got alongside, and Jack made fast the raft by a rope which was hanging over the main-chains. By the same means he hauled himself up. As he reached the deck, he gazed around. No one was to be seen.

"We have the ship to ourselves, sir," he said, looking over the side.

"Will you come up?"

"Of course," said Mr Collinson.

However, he found it impossible to do so by himself. The two boys, therefore, sprung into the chains, and old Grim remained on the raft to a.s.sist him up. It was not without difficulty that he at length got on board. The brig had suffered more than they had at first supposed in the hurricane. Her bulwarks on the opposite side had been completely stove in, her boats had been carried away and her deck swept of everything. Altogether, she was in a deplorable condition. Still, as some of the rigging remained attached to her, and there were probably spare spars below, Mr Collinson told the men that he proposed getting up jury-masts, and endeavouring to carry the vessel to Port Royal.

"It may be a long business, though," he observed; "and first, lads, get up our cask of water. That is the most precious thing out here, and we must not throw a drop away. Very likely we shall not find an over-supply on board."

He spoke just in time, for Tommy, fancying that the raft would no longer be wanted, was on the point of letting it go.

"Hold fast with the raft too," said the lieutenant. "As we have no boat, it is possible we may yet find it of use."

The cask having been hoisted up, with a few other articles which had been brought off, as well as the paddles and mast, the raft was veered astern.

"As we are afloat again, lads, I must once more take the command," said Mr Collinson. "Jack Windy, do you and Bill Sunnyside go below, and come and report to me what you see. Grimshaw, sound the well. After the battering the brig must have had, she must be making a good deal of water."

Old Grim soon returned aft, reporting that there was six feet of water in the hold.

"That looks bad," observed the lieutenant. "However, some may have got in when the sea which carried away the masts struck the vessel."

While he was speaking Jack and Bill came hurrying up from below.

"Oh! Sir," exclaimed Jack, "I don't like the look of things at all. We have found two people in the cabin--dead--who, from their looks, I am pretty certain, died of yellow fever; if so, it will be a bad job for us."

"It may be so," said Mr Collinson. "At all events, we shall be wise then not to live below. Go forward, and see if there are any people there. Bill, do you stay on deck."

Jack disappeared down the fore-hatchway, but directly afterwards returned with a look of horror.

"There are three poor fellows there, sir. One of them is alive; but, from the way he was crying out, I don't think he can live many minutes longer. She looks to me like a French vessel--at all events, she is not English."

This announcement was truly alarming. Mr Collinson told the men to carry him down, that he might see the poor sick man.

"We don't want to be mutinous, sir," answered Jack, "but that is what we won't do. You are ill already, and more likely to catch the fever than we are. I'll carry him down a mug of water, maybe that will do him good, but it's little use any of us can be to him, I have a notion."

Saying this, Jack again disappeared down the fore-hatch. He quickly returned.

"It was of no use, sir," he said. "No sooner did I put the water to the poor fellow's lips, than he gave a gasp and off he went. And now, sir, there are five of them lying there all dead. The sooner we get them up and overboard the better."

Mr Collinson agreed to this, and the two men accordingly went at once into the cabin, and returned bringing a man, whom from his appearance they supposed to have been the captain. Without more ado, they slid the body overboard. Thus one after the other was treated. There was no time for ceremony of any sort. For their own safety, the great point was to get rid of the bodies at once. A tar-pot having been found, Mr Collinson then sent the men below, to fumigate the cabin and the forepeak.

"If we do that thoroughly, I trust that we need not fear the fever," he observed. "At all events, let us put our faith in Providence, and pray that we may be preserved."