The Missing Ship Part 39

"Shove off," he said, and his voice as he spoke appeared to have lost its usual cheerful ring.

He cast another fond look at her as she lay bilged on the cruel rocks.

He had reason to be thankful that not a life had been lost, and that it was from no carelessness or want of good seamanship that she had been driven on sh.o.r.e. Had she struck one of the outer reefs, where would he and his gallant crew now be? Probably not one would have escaped. The sky as he looked westward had again a.s.sumed a threatening aspect.

"We shall have another gale before long, I suspect," he observed to Gerald, who had brought the gig for him. "It may not do us on sh.o.r.e much harm, although it may blow down our tents if we don't stay them up well, but the poor ship--I fear that her days are numbered. A heavy sea rolling in here would soon knock her to pieces. Give way, my lads, and overtake the raft; we may a.s.sist in towing it, and the sooner it reaches the sh.o.r.e the better."

Fortunately by this time everything of value had been landed from the ship. The cabins had been stripped of their furniture, even to the bedding; the men's hammocks, and every article belonging to them, had been brought off. There was an abundance of water, and there was no probability of their provisions running short for some time to come.

Scarcely had the boats and raft been unloaded and the stores carried up to the camp, than the sea began to roll in with much greater force than hitherto, and as the sun went down the white breakers appeared on every side, like horses' manes waving in the wind, above the darkening waters.

The commander was received with hearty cheers by his crew.

"Now, my lads," he said, "I intend to turn this island into a man-of-war, and although we cannot get under way--for if we could we would soon run her up to Port Royal harbour--we will hold her against all enemies, whoever they may be, who may wish to make a prize of us. I intend to maintain the same discipline as heretofore, and I expect that you will still remain the well-ordered crew of whom I have always been proud."

The captain's address was received, as he expected it would be, with hearty cheers, and several voices among the men cried out, "We'll stick by you, sir, and you won't have to be ashamed of us."

Several fires had been lighted, round which the men were collected, cooking their suppers in a fashion in which Jack especially delights when he has the chance; but the rising wind soon made it necessary to put them all out, for fear of their setting the bushes and trees in flames, or lest a wandering spark might find its way to the tent in which the powder was stored. This, by Mr Foley's forethought, had been erected some way from the camp, and a sentry placed over it. The next thing to be done was to secure the tents with preventer-stays, as the seamen called them. By this means, furiously as the wind began to blow, not a tent was capsized. Being composed of sails, they were much lower than ordinary tents, and thus much less exposed than such would have been. They resembled indeed gipsy tents, though on a larger scale. It was fortunate for the shipwrecked crew that they had been erected in good time, for as the night drew on the rain came down in torrents, and would have drenched them to the skin. The wind increased, howling and whistling amid the cocoa-nut trees; while the sea, as it dashed with increasing fury on the sh.o.r.e, uttered continuous and never-ceasing roars, echoed, so it seemed, by the breakers on the more distant reefs.

The commander, who had scarcely closed his eyes on board, shared a tent with his lieutenants and the surgeon. His chief care, for the present was over, and he at length fell fast asleep.

"It is a hard trial for him, poor man," observed the surgeon, as he and the two lieutenants sat at their table at the further end of the tent.

"Though it may not be the commander's fault when he loses his ship, he must feel it dreadfully."

"Somewhat as you feel when you lose a patient, Mac," observed Mr Tarwig.

"Nay, nay," answered the doctor. "I have a better chance of getting fresh patients, whereas the captain who loses his ship is often looked upon as unfortunate, and may chance not to get another--"

"That he may have the opportunity of losing her, doctor, you would say, just as you would desire to have the chance of losing some fresh patients."

"You're hard on me, Tarwig," said the doctor. "My desire is to cure them. And just remember that men's lives are not in our hands: all we can do is to employ such knowledge as we possess. That may be but little, I confess, for I tell you our ignorance is great. If I pride myself on anything, it is that I am aware that I know next to nothing, and that is what many fools do not."

"Well said, Mac," observed Norman. "I always had a respect for you, and I have a greater now, and shall have perfect confidence in your skill, if I should have again to come to you for a.s.sistance. I believe I owe my life to you when I was wounded, as far as I owe it to any human being."

"Nay, nay," again said the doctor, laughing. "You owe it, to my thinking, to a fair young lady who looked after you so carefully when we put you on sh.o.r.e at Waterford--for you were in a bad way then, let me tell you, though I did not say so at the time."

"He has repaid the debt, doctor, for I understand that the same young lady was in the house attacked by the rebels, and that they were on the point of entering it and murdering all the inmates, when he drove them to the right-about," said Mr Tarwig.

In another tent the master and purser, with the midshipmen, were engaged in amusing themselves in a more uproarious fashion. Many a merry stave and sentimental ditty was sung, and not a few yarns were spun, anecdotes told, and jokes cut, albeit not of the newest. The remainder of the shipwrecked men having been pretty well worked during the day, soon turned in, and in spite of the storm raging over their heads went fast asleep; the only people awake being the sentries, who, wrapped in their greatcoats, their firelocks sheltered under them, stood with their backs to the wind.

Thus the night pa.s.sed away. With the morning light the rain ceased, and as Norman, who was the first among the officers on foot, looked in the direction of the spot where the ship had been, she was nowhere to be seen, but here and there amid the foam-covered reefs fragments of the wreck could be discerned, tossed about by the tumbling seas. He had reason to be thankful that such had not been her fate while the crew were still on board. He was soon joined by Mr Tarwig. He pointed in the direction of the wreck.

"Our chance of building a craft to carry us away is gone," observed the first lieutenant, with a sigh. "Well, we must bear our lot patiently, and maybe some friendly craft may heave in sight. And if a friend does not come, why, perhaps an enemy will; and if so, we must capture her, and change places with her crew."

"Little chance of that, I fear," said Norman, who, eager as he was to get off, had from the first not been very sanguine of doing so.

After the crew had been piped up, and Mr Tarwig had mustered them and gone through the usual duties performed by a first lieutenant--although, as he observed with one of his comical looks to Norman, he need not get the decks washed, the rain having done that already--they re-entered their tent, to which their servants brought fresh water for their morning ablutions. Fires were lighted, though the wood did not burn at first very briskly, and the cooks busied themselves in preparing for breakfast.

The commander on going out of his tent took one glance seaward. "I feared it would be so," he said, turning away his head. "Now, Mr Tarwig, we'll get our fort under way."

"It would be a hard matter to do that, sir," answered the first lieutenant, s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g up his mouth, with a twinkle in his eye, "seeing it is not built yet."

The commander, who knew he was fond of a joke, laughed, and desired to be shown the proposed site. On inspecting it, he highly approved of the spot selected.

Immediately breakfast was over, all hands were ordered to man the guns and commence the work of dragging them up the hill. One at a time, however, only could be moved, till it was got near enough to a stout tree to which a tackle could be fixed, and the seamen then ran it up the steepest part of the ascent with surprising rapidity.

Before the day was over half the guns were placed in position, and by means of stout shears, which were erected on the hill, were hoisted on their carriages. The rest were allowed to remain where they were till the embankments were thrown up. The smith and his mates, with such hands as he required, had put up a forge, and he and the carpenters had been busily engaged manufacturing pickaxes and spades. With such as had been finished the men were the next day set to work on the trenches, some being employed in cutting down trees to serve for the woodwork which was required. Eighty men were engaged in these operations, and it seemed extraordinary how much that number of willing hands could get through, the officers all labouring away to set them the example.

The commander was well pleased as he surveyed the work. "We shall be able to give a fair account of an enemy should one attack us before many days are over," he observed to Mr Tarwig. "I think it very probable, should the Spaniards find out we are here, that they will not let us alone, as they will fancy that for some reason or other we have taken possession of the island."

"Ay, sir; but I have a notion we should be able to beat them off without these embankments, satisfactory as it may be to have them as shelter,"

answered the first lieutenant.

It took, however, several days to complete the fort, and when that was done, one of the chief objects of the commander was to find occupation for the men. He knew that it would never do to let them be too long idle. Among the stores saved were several seines; one or two of these were drawn every day on the sandy portions of the beach, and never failed to catch a number of fish, which added to the store of provisions. Drawing the seine afforded not only occupation but amus.e.m.e.nt to the men, who engaged in it with the greatest avidity. The fresh fish, too, a.s.sisted to keep scurvy at a distance. The surgeon explored the island in search of any vegetable productions which might a.s.sist in that object. Happily there were a good number of cocoa-nuts, but it was necessary to husband them, or the men would have consumed them in the course of a day or two.

Though it was necessary to prepare for a long stay, the commander took the requisite measures for attracting the notice of any pa.s.sing vessels.

A high flagstaff was put up in the centre of the fort, from which the British ensign was kept flying from sunrise to sunset, and on the two highest points of the island piles of firewood were placed ready to light up at night, should it be considered expedient to try and attract the attention of any ships seen in the offing. There might, however, be a danger in doing this, lest a stranger, standing too close in, might run on the rocks. By firing guns, however, she might be warned off. Of course, by these means it was as likely that an enemy would be attracted to the spot as a friend, but this caused them no anxiety, as they could beat off any vessel which might come with hostile intentions.

Day after day, however, went by, and no sail appeared in sight. As soon as the weather moderated the boats were launched, and the second lieutenant and master, with Crowhurst, pulled round the island and surveyed its approaches in every direction. They found but two channels through which a vessel of any size could approach to attack them, and that could only be done with the greatest caution, by those who had a thorough knowledge of the navigation. Indeed, the island was almost completely surrounded by reefs, some rising above the surface, others sunk beneath it at different depths. These, it was found, extended to a considerable distance from the sh.o.r.e, so that no craft of large size was likely intentionally to approach. After the survey had been completed, Lieutenant Foley offered to try and make his way to Jamaica in the pinnace, the largest boat which now remained, the launch having been lost with the ship.

"I cannot let you go," answered Captain Olding. "Even should the weather continue favourable, the probabilities are that you would be picked up by a Spaniard or a Frenchman, and you would fail to reach your destination."

"But I might as probably be picked up by an English man-of-war or a merchant vessel, sir," answered Norman, who was eager to make the attempt.

The commander, however, was inexorable, and the lieutenant did not again for some time venture to broach the subject.

The shipwrecked crew continued in vain to look out for relief, and Commander Olding remained firm to his resolution of not allowing one of the boats to try and make her way to Jamaica.

Notwithstanding the refusal Lieutenant Foley had received, Mr Billhook, the master, offered to take charge of the pinnace with four or five volunteers. "No great harm can happen if we are taken, sir, and still less, some will say, if we go to the bottom, but the chances are we get clear and arrive all right," he urged.

"One great harm would happen. Should you be captured, the enemy would suspect where you came from, even if you refuse to tell them, and we should have them coming here to try and cut us off," answered the commander. "Wait patiently, gentlemen. Either some friendly vessel will appear, or a French or Spanish trader or guarda-costa will some day come to an anchor within the reefs; then, if we manage carefully, we shall be able to get aboard her before she has time to cut her cable and run out to sea."

This idea of the commander's soon got talked about, and all hands were constantly on the watch for any vessel which they might hope to capture.

Not that the seamen were in any great hurry to leave the island; as long as they had an ample supply of food and liquor they were happy, while they had sufficient occupation to keep them out of mischief.

A look-out for any craft which might approach the sh.o.r.e was of course constantly kept on both sides of the island. A mist had hung over the sea during the night, which completely concealed all objects, except those close at hand, from view. The sun rising above the horizon dispersed the mist, when a small vessel was discovered under sail, threading her way among the reefs to the westward. Those on board her must have perceived the fort with the people moving about, and the British flag which had just been hoisted on the flagstaff, for she immediately kept away, and, the wind being to the eastward, ran off before it towards the open sea. If she could be captured she would afford the means of sending to Jamaica, though she could not carry all the crew. The boats were therefore launched, and chase was made; but, the breeze freshening, the stranger got clear out to sea, when all chance of overtaking her was abandoned. Much disappointment was felt-- but as one vessel had come off the island so might others, and it was hoped that one of sufficient size would appear to carry the whole ship's company. The commander, being a sensible man, advised his officers to be patient, and to make the best of the circ.u.mstances under which they were placed.

After the fort was completed, and all the huts required were erected, the officers had work enough in devising employment and amus.e.m.e.nt for the men. They encouraged games of all sorts--football, cricket, rounders, and ninepins; indeed, a stranger coming among them would not have supposed that the merry fellows he saw were a shipwrecked crew, especially if they had been found playing leapfrog, or dancing to the sound of Pat Casey's fiddle. The commander and his officers were not, however, without anxiety; they knew that no British ships, either men-of-war or merchant vessels, were likely intentionally to approach the dangerous reefs which surrounded the island, and that their store of provisions must in time come to an end.

"We must not run the risk of starving," observed Commander Olding; "and in the course of a couple of months, if we do not get off, I will allow you, Foley, or Mr Billhook to try and make your way, as you propose, to Jamaica."

"I shall be ready to go at any time you give me leave," answered the second lieutenant, well pleased with the thoughts of getting away from the island and once more meeting Ellen. By that time the hurricane season would be over, and he hoped to be able to make the pa.s.sage safely.

"I trust, sir, that you will let me accompany you," said Gerald, when he heard that there was at length a chance of a boat being sent off.

"That must depend on the commander," answered Lieutenant Foley. "If he will give you leave, I will gladly take you, as I can depend thoroughly on you; but I suspect that he will prefer sending Crowhurst. However, we have some weeks to wait, and many things may occur in the mean time."

"Thank you, sir, for your kindness," answered Gerald, highly pleased at the compliment paid him, and thinking nothing of the danger to be run during a voyage of some hundred miles in an open boat, with a chance of being picked up by an enemy's cruiser, or by one of the piratical craft which were known to infest those seas. Gerald was not given to boasting, but he confided to Nat Kiddle the promise Mr Foley had made him.

"I wonder whether he would take me too," said Nat. "I should not like to be left here without you. I should wonderfully enjoy the trip. What fun it would be if we were chased, and managed, notwithstanding, to get away!"

"It would be no fun if we were caught, however," answered Gerald; "but I hope that won't happen. Depend on it, Mr Foley will do his best to keep clear of an enemy."