The Quest Of The 'Golden Hope' Part 28

Sunrise revealed no trace of the boats of the ill-fated ship, so, ordering the _Golden Hope_ to be again placed on her course, Captain Jeremy retired to his cabin to enjoy a well-earned repose.

Hardly had he turned in when, just as seven bells was striking, the look-out reported four boats ahead.

Instantly there was a rush to see what manner of craft they were, and it was soon evident that they were indeed the boats from the burning ship.

By this time there was a fairly high sea running, and the boats, having perceived our approach, had turned and lay on their oars, with their bows facing us, the men giving an occasional stroke to keep the boats so that they met the rollers bows on.

"She was no ordinary trader," observed Silas Touchstone, pointing to the little flotilla. "Yon boats are crowded to excess. There's a couple of hundred aboard 'em, or I'm a Dutchman."

"They would never reach land with the wind piping up as it is doing," said Captain Jeremy, who had been roused from his cabin, giving a hasty glance to windward. "Stand by to shorten sail."

Already three of the boats had shipped several seas, for we could see the men bailing vigorously. There was not a moment to be lost.

It being now eight bells, we hoisted our ensign, according to custom, and the sight of the Cross of St. George was hailed by a cheer that was faintly borne to our ears from the still distant boats. If the survivors had had any doubts as to our nationality, they were now set at rest.

"Hands shorten sail!" Hardly had the last notes of the bos'n's mate's whistle died away, when the topmen were flying away aloft; the courses were taken up, the topsail yards lowered, and slowly the _Golden Hope_ began to lose way.

"Women and children too, by Jove!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Captain Jeremy, as the boats made towards us. "'Tis well we are close to land, or we would be hard put to it to feed them."

"'Twill mean half rations, in any case," replied 'Enery, "though the men will not mind that."

"I'm sure they won't," a.s.sented the Captain. "But stand by; let the men prepare bowlines, or we'll never get the women aboard without mishap."

A long-boat, with most of its pa.s.sengers huddled on the bottom boards, was the first to get alongside, and willing hands helped the weary men to climb our heaving sides. This done, 'twas easier for our people to board the boat and fix the bowlines round the waists of the female pa.s.sengers; and without a hitch, though the frightened women made no little commotion, we had them safely aboard. The crew followed, and we having no further use for the boat, she was cast adrift.

The second and third boats were also relieved of their human loads and likewise sent adrift, but the fourth gave us more trouble.

Being handled with less skill than her consorts, she crashed broadside on to the _Golden Hope_ just as the brig was recovering from a heavy roll, with the result that some of the boat's planks were stove in and she commenced to fill.

In the confusion several of the pa.s.sengers, despite the a.s.surances of the officers and seamen in the boat, jumped to their feet, so that the already heavily laden craft was in imminent danger of capsizing.

Ropes were thrown from the towering sides of the _Golden Hope_ amidst a loud shout of "Women first!" Yet (though some excuse must be made for their cowardice) several of the men sprang for our bulwarks. Others, with more presence of mind, a.s.sisted in slipping the bowlines over the shoulders of the women; and as each one was hoisted aboard the danger of the boat being swamped became less.

Just as the last female pa.s.senger was being hauled up, the knot in the rope that held her became unhitched-no doubt 'twas a landlubber who tied it--and the next instant she was struggling in the sea.

It so happened that at that moment I was standing in the main chains with a coil of rope in my hands, ready to throw it into the boat.

Fastening one end of the line round my waist, and calling to some of our men to tail on to the other end, I took a flying leap into the water. In my haste I miscalculated the distance that the brig rolled, and ere I struck the surface I came into violent contact with the side of the _Golden Hope_ as she swung back to larboard.

Half-dazed with the blow and well-nigh breathless, I plunged, or rather rolled, into the water. The shock of the immersion recovered me some what, and I struck out to where I had seen the girl sink for the second time.

Guided by the bubbles that rose to the surface, I swam downwards for nearly two fathoms, till just beneath me I saw her feebly struggling form.

Grasping her by the hair--the only time I have ever served a woman thus--I reached the surface in a few strokes, and called to the men to haul handsomely on the rope. Then disengaging my hand and throwing my left arm tightly round the girl's waist, I waited for the _Golden Hope_ to come to the end of a roll, and shouted to the men to heave roundly. This they did, and in a trice we were on the deck of the brig.

By this time the work of rescuing the other occupants of the boat had been completed. The female pa.s.sengers had been sent into the after cabins, there to be rigged out in motley garments of blankets, sailcloth, and what not. The male pa.s.sengers were sent w.i.l.l.y-nilly into the fo'c'sle, where they and the crew of the lost ship were accommodated with the spare clothing of our men. The captain of the vessel, a short, red-faced man, was almost beside himself at the loss of his vessel, a.s.serting in no mild tones that she had been fired maliciously, and that he knew the culprit and would hand him up to justice at the first port we touched. Strangely enough, he uttered no expression of grat.i.tude for the deliverance of the ship's company and pa.s.sengers from the perils of the deep, nor did he seem sensible of the services we had rendered.

The ill-fated vessel was the _Phoenix_ of London, bound for Richmond and other parts of Virginia with a full cargo and a great number of settlers, mostly men of means who were dissatisfied with the state of things at home, and hoped to live with greater freedom in the New World. Many of them had lost their all, yet the worst sufferers seemed by far the most stouthearted of the forlorn crowd.

The _Phoenix_ was but four days out from the Downs when, just after sunset, the alarm of fire was raised, and soon dense volumes of smoke were seen issuing from the fore hatch, apparently from the lamp and oil room. Already the flames had taken a good hold, and in spite of the utmost efforts of the crew, aided by many of the pa.s.sengers, the fire steadily gained, till just before midnight the order was given to abandon the ship.

Directly the whole of the pa.s.sengers and crew were embarked, the boats pushed off and shaped a course for the Lizard, and having the burning ship 'twixt them and us, they were prevented by the thick cloud of smoke and the roar of the flames from seeing our lights or hearing our signal guns.

Daylight showed them our sails well down to the west'ard, so, on making sure that we were proceeding in their direction, they abandoned the attempt to reach land, and waited for us to come up.

'Twas as well they did so, for all were of the opinion that none of the boats would have reached sh.o.r.e.

Having been unable to change my saturated clothing, the after cabins being, as I have said, given over to the women, I borrowed some clothes from one of the men, putting on a thick pilot coat over all, for the air was raw, especially after our lengthy sojourn in the Tropics.

Then, to regain warmth, I began to pace the deck vigorously. In the midst of my walk the p.o.o.p door opened, and a girl appeared. In spite of her quaint appearance--for she wore a skirt fashioned from a red blanket and a coat that belonged to Captain Jeremy--my heart gave a sudden bound, for I was face to face with my sister Constance!

CHAPTER x.x.xII

Constance's Story

The surprise and recognition were mutual. Only the untoward state of my sister's garments prevented her from throwing herself into my arms. As it was, she could only grasp my hand and exclaim:

"Oh, Clifford, you here! I thought you were dead long ago."

"Far from it," I replied, leading her to the shelter of the weather bulwarks, for the wind was now howling fiercely. "But tell me, how came you here?"

"'Tis a long story," she said, striving to keep back the tears of joy that welled to her eyes. "But why--oh, there's Captain Jeremy!"

And at that moment our Captain came down the p.o.o.p ladder, to find, to his unbounded astonishment, that Constance was one of the rescued pa.s.sengers.

It was some time ere we dispensed with small talk and entered into the more important details of our respective adventures, when Captain Jeremy listened with rapt attention to my sister's narrative, occasionally giving vent to a hearty exclamation of approval as she told her story.

"You would hardly realize the consternation that your disappearance caused. At first our uncle thought you had left the house by stealth in order to go fishing, and promised you a warm reception on your return. But when evening came and you did not return, we began to grow anxious----"

"There you are," exclaimed Captain Jeremy. "Did I not say you were a young rascal, when you were found in the hold? Didst give a single thought to your worthy relative's distress?"

"There was a hue and cry raised, but though the countryside was searched most diligently, not a trace of you was found. A month or so later a lad's body was found in the Lym stream, and though 'twas well-nigh unrecognizable, our uncle was convinced 'twas yours. At any rate, he came to the conclusion that you had been drowned while swimming in the river, and the body was buried as that of Clifford Hammond."

"Then another misfortune came. Uncle John was thrown from his horse near Buckland Rings, and received such severe injuries to his head that in less than a week he died. Thus I was left without a relative in England. In my distress I thought of our mother's brother's wife, whom I knew to be living somewhere in Virginia; and being, as I thought, without a single tie at home, I resolved to adventure myself in the New World. With this object in view I went to see Lawyer Thompson of Lymington, who had, as you know, the ordering of our affairs. He approved of my resolve, but urged me to wait until definite news could be obtained of our relative's whereabouts.

Accordingly a letter was sent by the hand of one Captain Joseph Bennett, whose ship _Prudence_ was about to sail for the port of Richmond."

"Four months later I had a reply, brought by the same Captain Bennett, to the effect that Mistress Green, our maternal aunt, would be glad to receive me."

"The _Prudence_ was timed to sail again from Gravesend on the following Thursday week, and having made arrangements for my pa.s.sage, I prepared for the hazardous journey."

"At length I bade farewell to the home of my childhood. Lawyer Thompson accompanied me as far as Southampton, whence the coach was to carry me to London. It was a tedious two days' journey, with the best part of another day's ride to Gravesend."

"On arriving at the latter place I found, to my consternation, that the _Prudence_ had sailed on a special voyage to Hull, and would not be back for another fortnight."

"There was nothing to do but wait, and by good fortune I found a comfortable lodging at the house of one Mistress Thetwell. But once again I was doomed to disappointment. The _Prudence_ never returned to the Thames--she was lost, with all her crew, off Yarmouth--so I was obliged to wait at Gravesend until such time as I could find a ship that was sailing for Virginia."