The Three Admirals Part 44

Murray uttered his thanks to Heaven. "Bring a light here, and look round the deck," he exclaimed. "He may have been struck down."

The search was in vain. The man who had been at the helm seemed to have been seriously injured, as he was found senseless close to the taffrail.

It became too sadly evident that the young lord had been carried overboard.

He must have been struck on the head; for no cry had been heard, and, owing to the pitchy darkness, no one had seen him. The crew, with the exception of the helmsman, having been gathered forward, they were now mustered to ascertain if any one else had been carried overboard, but all answered to their names.

Murray and Jack blamed themselves bitterly for having left the deck when they ought to have been on the look-out; but even had they remained, the collision might not have been avoided, so suddenly had the stranger appeared running down before the wind. Adair could scarcely restrain his grief for the loss of his nephew. Murray immediately put the schooner about, and then kept away, so as to pa.s.s over the spot where the accident had occurred. Desmond might possibly have recovered his senses, and kept himself afloat, either by swimming or holding on to the fragments of the boat. Every eye was strained in looking ahead and on both sides, in the possibility of discovering him; but no voice replied to their repeated shouts, and nothing was seen floating on the water.

Hands were stationed at the falls to lower the boat, should it become necessary. The schooner was frequently tacked, so that every inch of water was explored; but the search was in vain.

Murray considered that it would be useless to attempt to overtake the stranger, to ascertain who she was, and to demand reparation for the damage inflicted. At length the search was abandoned as hopeless; and the yacht once more hauled her wind. She was destined, to all appearance, to have a long beat up Channel.

Jack undertook to convey the sad intelligence to his wife and Mrs Murray, who had remained below, wondering what had occurred.

It was a sad event in the trip, which had otherwise been so agreeable.

The wind continued to increase, and Murray felt too anxious to go below.

The schooner had been put about and was now standing to the northward.

He had made up his mind to run into Falmouth to wait for a fair wind, should the weather not improve. Ben s.n.a.t.c.hblock came aft.

"I'm afraid, sir, that the craft's making more water than she should.

We'll man the pumps, if you please. She got more damage than I had supposed. The chief injury seems to be amidships, and I should not be surprised if the water wasn't coming in through one of the side berths."

Jack and Adair went below to examine into the state of affairs. One of the berths on the port side had been occupied by Desmond. On entering it, by the light from the main cabin, they saw the water gushing in every time the schooner heeled over. The ladies naturally cried out with alarm.

"It might have been far worse," said Jack. "We can soon stop this. We must shorten sail and keep as much as possible on an even keel."

The carpenter came below with some tools and planks, and set to work to try and stop the leak. The pumps were, in the mean time, kept actively going, and Ben reported that the water was decreasing. Still, the injury might be more serious than was at first apprehended, and no little anxiety was felt by all on board. It might be many hours before Falmouth could be reached.

The damage having been partially repaired, the yacht was put about. The leak in the side was anxiously watched, to ascertain if the water still came in. A small quant.i.ty was evidently forcing its way through the seams, but Murray hoped that it would not prove of much consequence, and that the pumps might easily keep the vessel clear. Still he was aware that at any moment the plank nailed on might be forced in. It seemed a wonder indeed that the yacht had not been sunk at once by the blow she had received.

"The wind's coming a point or two more to the south'ard, sir," observed Ben s.n.a.t.c.hblock, who had been looking at the binnacle. "Half a point or so more, and we shall weather the Lizard. There are the lights, sir. I thought we should see them before long."

The mist clearing away, the fixed lights of the Lizard were seen on the port bow. Gradually the wind allowed the vessel's head to be turned more to the eastward, when they appeared broad on the bow. The schooner, by keeping close to the wind, was able to steer a course direct for Falmouth Harbour, and away she went slashing through the seas at a great rate. Just before dawn it again grew unusually dark and thick, so that even the bright lights of the Lizard could be seen but dimly. They served, however, to show that she was at a sufficient distance from the sh.o.r.e, but that sh.o.r.e was a lee one, and should any accident happen, she would be placed in great peril.

"Luff all you can," said Murray to the helmsman, for he naturally dreaded, should the wind increase, to find himself with a rocky coast under his lee, though he had confidence in his craft.

Day dawned, and the Cornish land appeared stretching along from north to south, and much nearer than had been supposed. Breakers were seen dashing over the dangerous rocks of the Manacles, close under their lee.

Just then a heavy squall struck the yacht; over she heeled, and the water rushed half up her deck, pouring in through crevices which had hitherto not been discovered. To keep her away was impossible. By luffing up she ran the risk of getting into the wind. To shorten sail would have been equally hazardous. She must stand on at all risks. The yacht flew through the water, plunging into the seas like a being struggling for life. Falmouth Harbour appeared directly ahead, with Saint Anthony's light-house on the east side of the entrance. In a short time the vessel would be safe. She shot by close to the buoy of the Manacles. Murray knew that it was placed some distance outside the rocks. He drew his breath when he saw it astern; still no one looking at him would have suspected the anxiety which had weighed on his heart.

By keeping the pumps going the water did not gain sufficiently to cause much alarm, but the _Stella_ had already more in her hold than was pleasant, and her stores, at all events, were likely to suffer. Murray was infinitely relieved when he was able to let go the anchor, and the yacht rode safely in the beautiful harbour of Falmouth, among numerous other craft, of various rig and size. The vessel once at rest, the water was soon pumped out, and, breakfast over, Murray and Adair went on sh.o.r.e to obtain a carpenter capable of thoroughly repairing the damages the vessel had received, as also to ascertain whether she had received any injury below water. Meantime Ben was engaged in mending the mainsail.

The ladies did not feel disposed to go on sh.o.r.e. They were, fortunately, not fully aware of the danger in which the yacht had been placed, and had as much confidence in her as ever. The carpenter and his a.s.sistants set to work without delay, and, wonderful to relate, undertook to have all damages repaired by the following day. A doctor was also sent for to attend to poor d.i.c.k Stokes, who had remained senseless since he was taken below. After some treatment, however, he recovered sufficiently to speak and to give an account of what he recollected from the moment he saw the stranger gliding stem on towards the _Stella's_ beam.

"She seemed to be coming just as it were out of a fog, like a big ice mountain, and I thought it was all over with us," he said. "I'd just time to put the helm down, hoping to sc.r.a.pe clear of her, when I heard a crash and saw her bowsprit come sweeping along over our deck, tearing away the luff of the mainsail and knocking the port quarter-boat to pieces. I thought I saw some one hanging on to her bobstay, and the next moment that or something else struck me on the head and shoulders, and I thought I was going overboard. It seemed as if I heard a cry, but whether it was my own shout or some one else's is more than I can tell.

You see, sir, it was so dark I could not make out anything more, so whether it was really a man I caught sight of or not I cannot tell. To my mind, where the schooner was struck, she bounded off from the ship, or we should have been sent to the bottom. That she was a sailing ship and not a steamer I am pretty certain, for I had time to see her canvas rising up above us."

d.i.c.k's statement, as far as the appearance of the ship was concerned, was corroborated by the rest of the crew, but so dark was it that only two had actually seen her before she was again clear of the schooner and running past astern. d.i.c.k's statement slightly raised the hopes of Adair and his friends, that Lord Saint Maur might have escaped, but why, if he had got safely on board the ship, she did not heave to to allow the yacht to speak with her was surprising. The only supposition was that she was a foreigner, and that he could not make himself understood, or that the officer of the watch, supposing that the schooner had sunk, was afraid to heave to lest he might be made answerable for the catastrophe.

Such utter disregard for human life had before been exhibited on more than one occasion, and this might be another instance. However, conjectures were useless. If Saint Maur had been saved they would hear of him again. He would either get on board a homeward-bound vessel, or land at the first port at which the ship touched. The sad subject was discussed over and over again.

"I cannot believe that Lord Saint Maur is dead," said Miss Julia Rogers, Jack's eldest daughter--who had looked the picture of woe since the accident, although she had said nothing--when she heard d.i.c.k's statement. "He was telling me of the numerous dangers he and Tom had been in, and how they had got out of them all, and I don't see why he should not have escaped from this one. d.i.c.k Stokes thinks he saw a human being clinging on to the bowsprit rigging, and that must have been Lord Saint Maur, and he being a sailor could easily have climbed up and got on board. I have been picturing to myself his doing so, and how astonished the sailors must have been when they saw him, though it was very, very cruel of them not to heave to and wait for us to receive him back again."

Stella smiled sadly at young Julia's remark. Murray was not so sanguine as his friends. He suspected that d.i.c.k had been nodding at the helm, and that had he had his eyes open, he would at all events have given the alarm before the stranger had struck the yacht. The latter, it should have been said, was sailing on a course diagonal to the ship, or she would have been more severely damaged.

The bad weather being over, the _Stella_ once more sailed for the Isle of Wight. Adair had written to Counsellor McMahon an account of the accident. He had posted the letter before d.i.c.k had come to his senses, and he then expressed no hopes that his nephew had escaped. As the winds were light, the _Stella_ was three days getting up the Channel, and it was not till late at night that she brought up off Ryde. The party, therefore, did not go on sh.o.r.e until the following morning. His aunt and young cousins were deeply grieved at hearing of Desmond's possible fate.

"It will be a sad blow for Tom and Archie when they hear of it,"

observed Jack to Adair. "They have as great an affection for him as we three had for each other."

Murray remained at Ryde some days longer, taking trips in various directions, and then the captain and his family, bidding adieu to their old friends, sailed, intending to go homewards along the east coast and round the north of Scotland. Young Alick, who had not yet been appointed to a ship, accompanied his father and mother.

Next morning, as Jack and Adair were seated at breakfast, Adair remarked, as he was overlooking a new navy list, just sent in from the library--

"I had no idea that Murray was so near his flag. I see that Sir Benjamin Blowhard, old Grummet, poor Marlin, and Kelson, Lord Figgins, as we used to call him, d.i.c.k Dotheboys, and Oak.u.m, have gone the way of all flesh. I saw by yesterday's paper that Bulkhead had died in the West Indies, and two other captains senior to Murray are very ill."

"I shall rejoice at Murray's promotion," said Jack; "there is no man better suited to command a fleet."

"I cannot say that I wish for such a responsibility," observed Adair, "nor am I in any special hurry to become an admiral, though Lucy may think it a very fine thing, especially if I am made a KCB, of which, however, there is not the slightest probability. I'm much more likely to be kicked off to sea and sent to the East Indies or West Coast of Africa to sun myself."

While this conversation was going forward, two long official-looking letters were received. Julia and Lucy looked at them suspiciously.

"Those very affectionate gentlemen, the Lords of the Admiralty, request that I will do them the favour of taking command of the _Bellona_, Murray's old ship," said Jack; "but whether to serve on the home station or to go out to the Antipodes they do not explain."

He handed the letter to his wife, who put her hand to her heart, as if she felt a sudden pain there.

"Oh, Jack, I did not think they would send you off again!" she said, with a deep sigh.

"And what is your despatch about?" asked Lucy, in a trembling voice.

"Of the same tenor as Jack's. Those dear old fellows offer me the command of the _Empress_, but leave me as much in the dark as Jack is as to where I am to go."

Lucy always behaved better than her sister-in-law on such occasions, although she certainly did not love her husband a bit the less.

"I hope if you are sent out to a foreign station where the children and I can live, that you will let us go too," said Lucy; "either to North America, or the Mediterranean, or Australia, or the Cape. I'm sure it will be one of these."

Julia was equally pressing to be allowed to go out to any part of the world to which the _Bellona_ might be sent, but Jack would wisely make no promises.

"Well, we must go over to-morrow or the next day to commission the old tubs, I suppose," said Adair, laughing, as if the appointment was anything but satisfactory, although in reality he felt proud at being again sent to sea.

This event almost banished poor Desmond for a short time from his mind, until he received a letter from Counsellor McMahon:--"I cannot believe that our young friend has gone, after all the efforts we made to obtain his rights for him. I would rather suppose that he was even now swimming about somewhere in the chops of the Channel, or was carried off by the ship which so abominably attempted to run you down. I have always heard that midshipmen have as many lives as a cat, and though he had become a lieutenant, he had not abandoned the privilege he enjoyed in his youth. I don't believe he is lost, and I do not intend to let either of the other claimants get hold of the property, or a.s.sume his t.i.tle, until I have stronger evidence of his death than your letter supplies. I remember only a short time ago, one of the Lords of the Admiralty, or some high official in the Marine Department, was carried off by a stranger running into the vessel he was on board, and it was not until several days after that he was discovered, having clung to what is called the dolphin striker--although to what part of a ship's rigging that instrument belongs I do not know, but conclude that it must be at the end of the bowsprit--and that his lordship was hooked up by the breeks, from which disagreeable position he was rescued by the sympathising crew of the vessel which had run into his."

The lawyer's confidence, although, perhaps, arising from insufficient grounds, greatly restored Adair's spirits, and he and Jack the next day went over to Portsmouth to a.s.sume command of their respective ships.

Jack applied for his brother, and the Lords of the Admiralty graciously granted his request. He was very glad to obtain Archie Gordon as his first lieutenant. He at once wrote to Murray, saying how delighted he should be to have young Alick. His letter found the _Stella_ lying in Leith Roads, she having put into the Firth of Forth to remain a few days. In less than twenty-four hours young Alick appeared with a letter from his father, requesting Jack to obtain the necessary articles for his outfit. Orders were received to get both ships ready for sea with all possible expedition, and the two captains found that they were to proceed round the Cape of Good Hope to Aden, to which place further orders were to be transmitted to them.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.