The Three Admirals Part 15

His shout brought the rest of the party up around him, and all were eagerly looking out in the direction be pointed. As daylight increased, Tim began to rub his eyes--

"Arrah now, ill-luck to it; but my ship has just turned into a white rock," he cried out. "Shure but it's a mighty disappointment."

The expectation of speedy deliverance was thus suddenly destroyed; but the shipwrecked party continued looking round on every side, in the hope of discovering land. The light yet further increasing, Tom's countenance brightened as he observed what looked like the masts of a ship rising, far off, out of the water.

"Why, I believe those are three cocoa-nut trees," he cried out cheerfully. "I see several others away to the eastward."

"If there are cocoa-nut trees, there must be land too, for they don't grow out of the sea," said Billy, "and I hope we may be able to get there."

"You need not doubt about our doing that," said Tom.

This announcement raised every one's spirits. The weather had much moderated. The sea between the reef on which the ship lay and the land was tolerably smooth.

The forlorn party began to cheer up. All now began to feel hungry.

"I'll tell you what it is: if we don't get something to eat soon, I for one shall die of inanition," exclaimed Billy. "I can't stand starving at the best of times, and I am suffering dreadfully."

"We will see what can be done, Billy," said Tom, and as if it was a matter of course, he told Peter to get breakfast ready.

"Yes, ma.s.sa officer, me soon do dat same," answered the black, grinning and looking towards where the caboose had lately stood. "Me try what can do in de cabin," he added, diving below.

Though the caboose had been washed away Peter managed to light a fire in the cabin stove and to cook a tolerable breakfast, of which all thankfully partook.

"'Faith! we're not so badly off after all," observed Gerald. "If the boatswain and the poor fellows with him had stuck to the ship, they might all have been alive now and have reached land without difficulty."

Immediately after breakfast they began to put the raft together, which Tom determined to form of an oblong shape like a catamaran, so that it might, should the wind be fair, be sailed or propelled by paddles towards the sh.o.r.e. As the distance was considerable, it was important to make it as strong as possible, to stand any amount of sea they were likely to meet with before they reached the sh.o.r.e. It took upwards of an hour to form the frame-work and deck it. They then, having cut away the bulwarks, launched it overboard with capstan bars. The water under the lee of the wreck was tolerably smooth, so that the raft remained alongside without injury. They had next to lash the casks below it.

This was a more difficult operation, as it was necessary to secure them firmly in their proper positions, a row on each side, head to head.

When it was completed, the platform floated well out of the water.

Three oars only could be found on board, so that they had to form paddles by nailing boards on to the ends of short spars. The next work was to rig the masts. Tom and Desmond agreed to have two masts with a bowsprit, so that they might be able to sail with the wind abeam. The masts were firmly fixed by means of blocks nailed to the deck, and they were set up with stays. By noon the raft was completed. The midshipmen surveyed her with considerable satisfaction.

"I for one should not mind sailing in her anywhere, provided she was well provisioned," said Billy Blueblazes. "I don't see why we should not try to fetch the Ladrones, if we don't find ourselves very comfortable where we are going."

"I would strongly advise you not to make the attempt, young gentlemen,"

said the doctor, with a groan, he not being as well satisfied with the appearance of the raft as his younger companions.

"We shall see how she will behave when she has her cargo on board, and we get under way," said Tom.

"Don't you think we had better have some dinner before we shove off?"

asked Billy; "it won't do to be going away without our grub, as it may be some time before we reach the sh.o.r.e."

Billy's proposal was agreed to, although Tom strongly recommended that there should be no unnecessary delay. While Peter was preparing dinner, all the stores which could be collected were placed on the raft and lashed securely down amidships. The princ.i.p.al provisions found aft were biscuits, tins of potted meats, a few preserves, coffee, tea, sugar, and five well-cured hams.

"We are pretty well off as it is," said Desmond; "but don't let us go without firearms."

The doctor had a fowling-piece, and muskets and pistols enough were found to arm each of the rest of the party. With a good supply of ammunition they would thus, should they meet with hostile savages, be able to keep them at bay.

They had already secured provisions sufficient to last them for several weeks. As it was important, however, to obtain some of a more substantial character, Jerry and Tim volunteered to dive down into the fore hold to try and get up some casks of beef. This, after some labour and no little risk of drowning themselves, they succeeded in doing, and two casks of beef were hoisted on deck. They fortunately came upon two casks, one of flour the other of rice, which, although damaged by the water, might be dried on sh.o.r.e in the sun, and rendered eatable. These accordingly were added to their provisions. Two cases of wine and a small keg of spirits were also put on board. Peter added to these some cooking utensils, with cups, plates, knives, and forks. At length, Tom declared that the raft would carry no more. It was high time indeed to set off, as it might take them until dark to reach the land in sight.

"Let me advise you, gentlemen, to carry some clothing and blankets; they will not weigh much, and we may want them," observed the doctor.

His advice was followed.

"We must get on board and shove off," cried Tom, at last.

His messmates and the men obeyed him, being fully as eager as he was.

The doctor was below; he presently appeared with his medicine chest and instrument case, which were handed down.

"Why, we are going off without a chart or nautical instrument!"

exclaimed Tom, reminded of his negligence by seeing the doctor's cases.

He and Desmond returned on board and found the chart, s.e.xtant, and chronometer, which the boatswain had fortunately not carried off.

"The raft is as fully laden as she should be," observed Tom to Desmond; "we should arrange what things to heave overboard, if it comes on to blow and she cannot carry them all."

"The doctor's physic, cases, and instruments, I should say," answered Desmond; "however, I hope we shall not have to do that. The weather looks promising. As the wind is fair, we may soon reach the land."

These remarks were made on deck. The two midshipmen now sprang on board the raft. Tom gave the order to cast off, and all hands getting out the oars and paddles, the raft began to move away from the wreck. The foresail was now set, then the mainsail with the jib, Tom steering with a long oar, the raft glided rapidly and smoothly over the water. Their voyage was thus far well commenced, but Tom and Desmond could not help recollecting their late adventure in the boat, and how narrowly they had escaped perishing from hunger, although they had been so well supplied with provisions when they started. While Tom steered, Billy remained aft to tend the main-sheet, and Desmond, with Jerry, stood forward to keep a look-out for any reefs which might not have sufficient water on them to allow the raft to pa.s.s over. No dangers, however, as yet appeared ahead. They were apparently in the centre of a large circular reef, of which the island they hoped to gain formed a portion. They expected to find a beach on which they might run the raft, and land their cargo without difficulty. They were, however, too far off as yet to ascertain its character. Of its existence they could only tell by seeing the cocoa-nut trees growing on it. It was evidently very low.

Of its extent they were unable to form an opinion.

"My fear is that we shall find no water on it, and in that case we must search for another," observed the doctor.

"You forget the milk in the cocoa-nuts," said Desmond, laughing.

"We should very soon exhaust that," answered the doctor, in a gloomy tone.

"But we don't know yet that we shall not find water," answered Desmond; "I can already make out the land extending a couple of miles north and south, and if it was not higher than we at first supposed, we should not see it even yet."

"If any volcanic agency has been at work, we may then hope to find water," observed the doctor, brightening a little; "but I confess that I cannot see the land."

The doctor, however, was near-sighted. The question next arose whether there were any inhabitants, and if so, whether they were likely to prove friendly.

"I should say that if white kidnappers from your colonies have visited them, they are likely to be anything but friendly, and we shall probably have to fight for our lives," said the doctor.

"But, my dear sir, we don't know whether there are any inhabitants,"

said Desmond. "Let us look at the bright side of things we have escaped with our lives, and have abundance of provisions. Why should we make ourselves more unhappy than is necessary?"

The wind occasionally dropped, when the oars and paddles were put in motion, and the raft continued its course steadily towards the land.

Even when the wind blew the freshest she moved but slowly, so that for a long time it appeared as if she would not reach the sh.o.r.e before dark.

As they looked astern, however, they found that they had sunk the wreck almost out of sight. The doctor fancied she must have gone down, as he could not distinguish her. The wind, however, again freshened, and Jerry a.s.serted that the raft was going at the rate of three knots an hour.

At length the land was clearly seen in some places, at the further side of the island especially, rising to a considerable height in ridges and hillocks.

"No fear now, doctor, about not finding water," observed Desmond.

"Volcanic agency must have been at work to throw up those hills, and I begin to see low trees or shrubs. It may turn out to be after all a fertile spot, though not a very picturesque one, I grant."

"If it affords us rest to our feet, and vegetable productions to keep scurvy at a distance, with an ample supply of water, we shall have reason to be thankful," said the doctor, whose spirits rose as he was persuaded that his worst antic.i.p.ations would not be fulfilled.

The sun was now getting low, and it would be dark before they could reach the sh.o.r.e. Desmond and Jerry both declared that they could see no sign of breakers, and just before the sun dipped beneath the horizon his rays shone on a white sandy beach, which promised to afford them an easy landing-place. On one point, however, the doctor's mind was not satisfied. "What if the island is inhabited by savages? And if it supplies food and water, it is very likely to be the case," he observed.