Sunshine Bill Part 12

"I would rather it had been water," said old Grim; "though, to be sure, the wine is not bad, and I should not mind if it had been a little stronger."

The calm continued. The sea was like gla.s.s. Chips of wood, even some feathers, thrown overboard, did not move from the side of the vessel.

There she lay, her battered sides reflected in the mirror-like surface of the ocean. Now her head slowly moved round in one direction, now in another, but no progress was made. At night they lay down, hoping that the morning would bring a breeze; but when the morning sun began its upward course, his rays getting hotter and hotter, till the pitch in the seams bubbled and hissed, on he went, pa.s.sing almost overhead, till he again glided down into his ocean bed in the west.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

Day after day, the brig floated on the motionless ocean. The water was almost exhausted, so also was the cask of claret. There was still some food remaining, but, without water, it would be of little avail in keeping those on board the brig alive. Grimshaw had hitherto kept up his spirits, as well as the rest of the party, but he and Tommy Rebow declared that they would work no more, that the vessel was doomed to destruction, and that sink she would in the course of a few days.

"But before that time, perhaps, a breeze will spring up, and we shall be slipping along merrily through the water," observed Sunshine Bill.

"We shall be slipping down to the bottom, rather," said Old Grim.

"Though we have been pumping away till we have nearly pumped our arms off, the water has been gaining upon us for the last two days, to my knowledge. It comes in all round the vessel, and human power can no longer keep her afloat."

Even Mr Collinson looked graver than he had done for some time. He was now able to take an occasional spell at the pumps, and, as if to shame Grimshaw, he took hold of the brake. After working away for some time, he sounded the well His countenance showed that there was more water in the vessel than he liked.

"My lads," he said at length, "I am afraid, after all, that we shall be unable to keep the brig afloat. At all events, in case she should go down, it will be wise to have some means of saving our lives. Our raft is small for a long voyage: we will, therefore, haul it up alongside, and enlarge and strengthen it. It will enable us to keep afloat till some vessel pa.s.ses, though I cannot promise you that we should be able to reach Jamaica on it."

Several empty bottles had been found in the cabin, and into these all the water that remained was put, as was also the claret into others.

They, with the remainder of the biscuit and meat which had been found, were put ready to place on the raft. In the mean time, following Mr Collinson's directions, they increased and strengthened the raft. This being done, it was once more dropped astern. The heat and the anxiety they underwent was now telling on all hands. Mr Collinson again became ill; indeed, none of the party were in a much better condition. Still they had to keep their watch at night as usual. Bill was forward, looking out over the ocean, and wishing that a breeze would come, when he cried out--

"See! See! She's coming towards us! I see her white canvas shining in the moonlight. She's coming on fast. Look, Jack, look! Can't you make her out?"

Jack Windy at first declared he could see nothing, but when Bill more clearly described the vessel, he also a.s.serted that he saw her. Yet not a breath of wind had reached them. On came the stranger.

"Shall we call up Mr Collinson?" asked Bill.

"No, no, boy, I can't make it out. Don't say anything. I fancied I heard a voice hail us; yet I don't know. Why, there she goes, not two cables' length off from us. I could almost declare I saw the people on her deck. Yet I have never before seen a vessel sailing head to wind, as some say they do, or in a calm like this."

Rapidly the vessel glided away to the east, till she was lost to sight.

"Boy, this is the strangest thing I ever saw in my life," said Jack Windy. "It's not a thing I should like to talk about--no more will you, I have a notion--yet both of us saw it, I'll swear to that."

On calling Grimshaw and Tommy to relieve the deck, they could not resist telling them what they had seen.

"Maybe we shall see something of the same sort," said old Grim. "I don't like those sort of things, but I am not surprised."

When daylight broke, old Grim declared that he also had seen a vessel pa.s.sing rapidly by, and disappearing to the east. They determined to tell Mr Collinson.

"I am not surprised," he answered, "at what you tell me, my lads; but I have to a.s.sure you that the vessels you think you have seen have been all the time inside your own brains. Bill thought he saw a vessel, and that made Jack think he had seen one; and when they told Grimshaw and Tommy Rebow, it made them fancy the same; but, depend upon it, you have not, in reality, seen a vessel of any sort. If G.o.d should wish to relieve us, He will send one in His own good time; but if not, He has His reasons for leaving us alone."

"That I am sure He will have, sir," said Bill.

They waited the whole of the day, anxiously looking out for the sight of a breeze, but still round them was the same unbroken surface of water, blue and shining in the day, and dark and leaden at night. The water in their cask was decreasing fearfully; their provisions, also, were nearly exhausted. Though they kept lines overboard, and Bill was constantly fishing, no fish were caught. At last they gave up even attempting to catch them. As their strength decreased from want of food and water, they were less able to work the pump. The consequence was, the leak again gained upon them. All but Bill began to despair. He, true to his principles, kept up his spirits.

"Well, Bill, I do envy you," said Tommy Rebow; "but your hoping is of no use. If the vessel does not go down, we shall all be starved in a few days, so it will make but little difference."

"I don't say that," said Bill. "A breeze will some day or other spring up, and then, in this narrow sea, some vessel must surely pa.s.s us, and it's not likely that they would leave us to perish; and if not, we may still be able to carry the vessel to some land or other, even if we can't carry her to Jamaica, where we shall find provisions and water. I think it's wrong, therefore, to despair. Let's trust in G.o.d. He has taken care of us up to this time, do not you think He can take care of us still longer? He can't be tired of looking after us, and if He cared for us once, He will care for us still."

Still neither Tom nor the rest of the party could recover their spirits.

At length one night it was Jack and Bill's watch. Jack had sat down and dropped off to sleep, for he had little strength remaining, and all his spirits were gone. Bill, however, kept awake. He was standing at the helm, for though there was no wind, the sails were set ready to catch the first breath of air which might come to them. As he was looking round, he thought he saw a dark line on the water. It rapidly approached.

"Jack! Jack!" he shouted out, "here comes the breeze!"

But poor Jack was fast asleep, and fancied when he heard Bill's voice that he was only dreaming. Again Bill shouted. The vessel began to lift with the heaving sea. Jack sprang to his feet.

"A breeze! A breeze!" he shouted out, running to the sheets; but at that instant a strong blast struck the vessel, and before the rest of the crew could come on deck, with a loud crash both the masts were carried away, and the brig lay as helpless as at first on the water.

With great exertions, however, the spars and sails were saved, and got inboard. Still, it was evident that nothing could be done that night, and they must wait till the wind abated, before they could again get up their masts and sails.

"We have been waiting for this breeze, lads," said Mr Collinson, "and now it has come, we ought to make the best use we can of it. Even if we can rig a rag of a sail forward, it will help us along."

Though weak and ill, Mr Collinson set the example, and at length a short spar with a royal was fixed to the stump of the foremast. Aided by this, the vessel ran on before the wind. The breeze, however, though moderate at first, increased towards daylight, and the vessel now began to pitch and roll greatly. In the morning, when old Grim, who acted as cook, sent Tommy for some water, he returned with a look of dismay. Not a drop remained in the cask. This was sad news.

"Give me a lantern," said Bill; "and, Tommy, you and I will have another hunt, and see if there is another cask to be found."

"It's of no use," observed old Grim; "I hunted everywhere, and could not find one."

"Maybe we shall be more fortunate," said Bill; and, taking the lantern, he and Tommy went down into the hold. The water was washing about fearfully inside, and he could not help fearing that a good deal more was now coming in than during the calm. There was some danger, too, of their being struck by various articles which were tumbling about in the hold, having broken loose, or been washed up by the water.

"See! See!" cried Bill. "Hold up the lantern! Why, that looks like a water-cask!"

They waited till the vessel seemed steady for a moment; then, making a rush together, they caught hold of the cask. It was but a small one, such as was used to bring the water off, in boats, from the sh.o.r.e. It was full: there was no doubt about that. Having secured it under the hatchway, Bill told Tommy to go and call Jack or old Grim to a.s.sist them in getting it up. Jack soon came down with a tackle, and the cask was hoisted up on deck. It was quickly opened. Mr Collinson praised Bill very much for finding it.

"And now, lads," he said, "we must consider this worth its weight in gold, and more than that, too."

The men promised to husband it with the greatest care. All hands now went below, to search for more provisions, while Mr Collinson remained at the helm. A few onions were discovered, and another small cask of biscuits, but they were somewhat damaged by the salt water. Nothing else eatable could be found. Even during the short time they had been below, the wind had increased considerably, and the vessel was now tumbling about more than ever. Jack's face, too, looked unusually long as he went up to Mr Collinson.

"I am afraid, sir, the brig won't swim many hours longer, for, as she rolls about, the water comes pouring in on both sides."

"I was afraid it would be so," said Mr Collinson. "We must have another spell at the pumps, then."

"Very little use in that, sir," said old Grim. "I don't think if we were to pump spell after spell we should keep the vessel afloat. To my mind, if there's any sh.o.r.e near, we should steer directly for it, and even then I doubt if we should reach it."

Under the present circ.u.mstances, Grim could venture to speak to an officer with more freedom than on ordinary occasions. Although Mr Collinson wished to keep up the men's spirits, he could not help seeing that they were right. Indeed, from the peculiar motion of the vessel, in a short time he began to fear that she would not float even as long as they had expected. All this time the raft had been towing astern.

It was well-built, or it would have come to pieces from the tossing about it was now receiving. Should the vessel go down, it was their only hope. Still the lieutenant determined to try and save her; and, going to the pump, he began working away himself. Jack followed him, and even old Grim took a spell. He worked on for some time.

"It's of no use," he said at length; "I am sure we are not keeping the water under."

It was too evident that he was right, as it came in faster than ever.

Mr Collinson now ordered them to bring the water-cask, and their scanty supply of provisions, and a few other articles up on deck, ready to lower down on the raft.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

Although the water was rushing into the vessel with a rapidity which gave no hope of her floating much longer, the wind was at the same time going down. There was thus some prospect of their lives being preserved, uncertain though they felt it must be. Every now and then, either Jack or Grimshaw went below to ascertain the progress the water was making. At length Grim came hurrying up.