The Three Lieutenants Part 20

A stout hook, with a bit of chain to the end of a strong line, and baited with a piece of pork, was quickly got ready. Even the most apathetic of the seamen were aroused with the hopes of capturing their hated foe. A couple of running bowlines were prepared. Higson dropped the tempting morsel, and let it sink down deep, then rapidly drew it up again. Quick as lightning the shark darted at it, and down his throat it went, his jaws closing with a snap which made Higson draw up his leg.

The monster's sharp teeth, however, could not bite through the chain.

"Haul away, lads!" cried the old mate.

While Ben s.n.a.t.c.hblock slipped a running bowline over the creature's head, its tail coming to the surface, he dexterously got another round it, and, in spite of its violent struggles, it was hoisted on board.

"Stand clear of him, lads," shouted Higson, though the men did not need the warning.

The crew seizing axes, capstan-bars, and boarding pikes, attacked the captive monster, as it lay writhing on deck, lashing out furiously with its tail, and every now and then opening its huge jaws, as if even then it had hopes of catching one of its a.s.sailants. It showed what it could do by biting off the head of a boarding-pike, which Ben thrust into its mouth. With wild shouts the men sprang round it, rushing in, every now and then, to give it a blow with an axe or capstan-bar, and leaping back again to avoid its tail; for even though its head was nearly smashed in, that continued striking out, and lashing the deck as furiously as at first, till Higson came down on it with a well-aimed blow of his axe, which instantly paralysed it, and it lay motionless.

"We'll make sure, lads, he don't come to life again," exclaimed Ben, as he set to work to chop off the tail.

The head was treated in the same way; and a number of slices being cut off the body, the remainder was thrown overboard. Murray, wondering what the hubbub was about, had come on deck, and was an amused spectator of the scene. The men no longer thought of the heat, and, in spite of it, regaled themselves heartily on shark-steaks at dinner. The capture of the shark, too, brought them good luck, they declared; for a favourable breeze shortly afterwards sprang up, and held till the northern coast of the South American continent was sighted. Before, however, Carthagena, the port at which Murray had been directed to call, first could be made, it again fell calm. He felt the delay very trying.

He had been eagerly hoping to get in by the evening, to ascertain if anything had been heard of the _Sarah Jane_, and now another whole day or more might pa.s.s before he could gain any information. The coast lay in sight, its ranges of light-blue mountains looking like clouds, rising above the horizon but proving that they were mountains by never altering their shape or position. Higson whistled as energetically as usual, but not a catspaw played over the surface of the mirror-like sea, and not an inch nearer the sh.o.r.e did the brig move during the day. The night pa.s.sed by, and the hot sun rose once more out of the still slumbering ocean. The day wore on, but no breeze came. The men, of course, were not idle. Murray had from the first exercised them at their guns, and especially in the use of the long one. He remembered the advice Admiral Triton had given to Jack Rogers, and which Jack had repeated to him--

"Don't mind throwing a few rounds of shot away; you'll make the better use of those you have remaining."

He, accordingly, had a floating target rigged and carried out to a distance, and each day during a calm he exercised the men at it for some hours, till they learnt to handle their long gun with as much ease as the carronades.

"Though we miss that mark sometimes, we shall manage to hit a larger one without fail if it comes in our way, my lads!" he sang out, to encourage the crew as they were working away at it during the morning.

After dinner the men were allowed some time to rest, and all was quiet.

An observation showed that the brig's position had not altered since the previous noon.

"What do you make that out to be, Green?" asked Higson, the officer of the watch, who had been looking through his telescope towards the sh.o.r.e.

Green turned his gla.s.s in the same direction.

"A boat! and she must be coming towards us," he answered, after the delay of a minute or so.

Higson sent him to report the circ.u.mstance to the commander, who at once came on deck. Various were the surmises as to what could bring the boat off to them.

"She must have had a long pull of it, at all events," observed Higson.

"Perhaps she had the land wind, which we don't feel out here?" said Green.

"Little doubt about that. She must have some urgent cause for coming out thus far to us," remarked Murray. "Lower the gig, Mr Higson, and go and meet her," he added immediately afterwards. "The people in the boat are evidently tired with their long pull, and make but slow progress."

The gig's crew called away--she was lowered, and Higson pulled off towards the approaching boat. Meantime, Murray walked the deck with impatient steps. Several times he stopped, and raised his gla.s.s to his eye, watching her eagerly. At length he saw that the gig had reached her. The two boats were alongside each other for a minute, and then the gig came rowing rapidly back, leaving the other behind. Murray watched her.

"There must be something of importance to make Higson hurry back at that rate," he said to himself. "He has brought the people from the boat, I see."

As the gig drew nearer, he saw Higson stand up and wave his handkerchief. In a few minutes more she was near enough for him to distinguish those in her.

"Is it possible, or do my eyes deceive me?" he exclaimed. "There's a lad in a midshipman's uniform. If he is not Gerald Desmond, he is wonderfully like him."

"There can be little doubt who he is, sir," said Green, who was standing near his commander. "If that is not Desmond I'm a Dutchman, and the man sitting just abaft the stroke-oar is d.i.c.k Needham, who went with the youngsters in the drogher. As they are safe, it is to be hoped the rest escaped, too. I've often heard that midshipmen have as many lives as cats."

"I trust, indeed, that all have been saved," said Murray, in a grave tone. He felt too anxious to joke with Jos just then.

The gig was soon alongside, and Gerald Desmond, looking pale and exhausted, was lifted on deck; Needham, with some help, managing to follow him.

"I am truly thankful to see you, Desmond," said Murray, as he took the hand of the young midshipman, who was being carried aft in the arms of two of the sailors. "Have Tom and Archy also been saved?"

Gerald tried to reply, but no sound came from his parched throat. He had barely strength to point with a finger to his lips. Needham was in but little better plight, though he managed to murmur, "water--water."

Several cans-full were instantly brought by eager hands.

"Stop, lads, you'll suffocate the poor fellows if you pour all that water down their throats!" exclaimed McTavish, the a.s.sistant Surgeon of the corvette, who had been lent to the _Supplejack_. "Just a wine-gla.s.sful at a time, with a few drops of brandy in it, will be the best thing for them."

While the surgeon was attending to his patients, Higson made his report to the commander. He had found them both still trying to pull, but so exhausted that they could scarcely move their oars. No sooner did he get alongside than Desmond sank down in the bottom of the boat, unable to speak. Needham, however, had had strength sufficient to tell him that both the other midshipmen were alive, but prisoners on sh.o.r.e; though how they got into prison he had not said.

"From what I could make out, sir, I am afraid they are not the only English in the hands of the Spaniards, or Carthagenans, or whatever the rascals call themselves," continued Higson. "I caught the words, 'the colonel and a young lady--and no time to be lost!' but what he wished to say more I couldn't make out, only I cannot help thinking that he must have alluded to the colonel and his daughter, who sailed the other day in the brig from Antigua."

"I fear that there is no doubt about it!" exclaimed Murray, greatly agitated. "When Needham has sufficiently recovered to speak we shall learn more about the matter, and be able to decide what to do. Stay.

That no time may be lost, let the boats be got ready with water-casks and provisions, and see that the crews have their cutla.s.ses sharpened and pistols in order. Should the calm continue I will lead an expedition on sh.o.r.e, and insist on the liberation of the prisoners. The sight of the British flag will probably put the Dons on their good behaviour, and, if not, we must try what force can do. I will leave you, Higson, in charge of the brig with twenty hands, and as soon as a breeze springs up you will stand in after me, and act according to circ.u.mstances."

"I am afraid, sir, that if the Carthagenans, or whatever they call themselves, are threatened with force, they will retaliate on their prisoners," observed Higson.

"Mongrels as they are, if they have a drop of Spanish blood running in their veins, they would not surely injure a lady!" exclaimed Murray.

"Not so sure of that. Whether whole or half-blooded, Spaniards are savage fellows when their temper's up," answered Higson. "However, let us hope for the best. All I can make out is that our friends are prisoners, but the why and the wherefore I don't understand; only as Desmond and Needham were evidently in a great hurry to get off to us, I'm afraid that they must be in some danger."

Higson's remarks contributed to make Murray feel more anxious even than at first. The forebodings which had oppressed him since Stella and her father left Antigua had, too, probably been realised. While Higson issued the orders he had just received, Murray went up to where the young midshipman and Needham had been placed under an awning, attended by the surgeon. The cook had, meantime, been preparing some broth, a few spoonsful of which as soon as they could swallow them, were poured down their throats. This treatment had an almost magical effect Needham was soon able to sit up and speak, and even Gerald, though his strength had been more completely prostrated, recovered sufficiently soon afterwards to give a clear account of the way they had been saved, and of what had afterwards happened. In consequence, however, of Murray's anxiety, they narrated the latter part of their adventures first; though they will be better understood if they are described in their proper sequence.

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

NEEDHAM'S NARRATIVE--THE DROGHER DRIVEN OFF FROM SABA--CAPSIZED--THE MIDSHIPMEN SAVE THEMSELVES ON HER SIDE--TAKEN OFF BY THE SARAH JANE-- STEER FOR CARTHAGENA--THE COLONEL ON Sh.o.r.e--LOOK OUT FOR HIS RETURN.

"You remember that night at Saba, Mr Higson, when the three young gentlemen and I were left aboard the drogher, and you and the other gentlemen went ash.o.r.e to look after Captain Quasho, as he called himself, and his rascally black crew," began Needham, who having recovered his voice, was inclined to make good use of it by spinning a long yarn.

"I should think I did, indeed," said Higson; "but go ahead, d.i.c.k: we want to hear how you and they were saved, for I had little hope that you would be, when I saw the drogher driven away from her anchorage by the hurricane."

"Nor had I, sir, I can tell you; but I've always held that there's nothing like trying to do one's best, in however bad a way one may seem to be," continued Needham. "I saw that there was only one thing we could do, and that was to run before the wind, and to try and keep the craft above water. As to beating back, I knew that the old drogher would either have capsized, or been driven on the rocks, if we had made the attempt so I took the helm, got a foot of the foresail hoisted, the hatches battened down, told the young gentlemen to lash themselves to the rigging, if they didn't wish to be washed overboard, and let the craft scud. It was precious dark, except every now and then, when the flashes of lightning darted from the clouds and went zigzagging along on either side of us, casting a red glare on the tops of the black seas, from which the foam was blown off just for all the world as if a huge white sheet had been drawn over them. The spoondrift, too, came straight along our deck, over the taffrail, as if it would cut our legs off; for, though we flew at a pretty good rate, it flew faster. As every now and then I turned my head I couldn't help thinking that one of thy big seas which came roaring on astern just for all the world like one of the savage monsters I've heard tell of, eager to swallow us up, would break down on the deck, and send us in a jiffy to the bottom. I didn't care so much about it for myself as for the brave young lads, likely to be admirals one of these days; but not a cry nor a word of complaint did I hear from them. Mr Rogers, maybe, was the most plucky, as he seemed to feel that it was his duty to set an example to his messmates; and I could hear his voice every now and then, as they all stood close together, lashed to the starboard rigging, and when the lightning flashed I could just get a glimpse of their faces, looking pale as death--not from fear, though, but contrasted, as it were, with the darkness around. I had made myself fast you may be sure; for I shouldn't have been long on the deck if I hadn't, as not once, but many a time a sea came tumbling over first one quarter, then the other; and, though it was but just the top of it, we should all of us have been swept overboard, and if the hatches hadn't been battened down, the old drogher would have gone to the bottom. We had managed to light the binnacle lamp before we got from under the land, and I saw by the compa.s.s that we were driving about south-east, so that I had no fear of being cast on the sh.o.r.e of any other island, and I hoped, if we could weather out the gale, that we might beat back to Saba. On we ran hour after hour. It seemed to me the longest night I'd ever pa.s.sed since I came to sea. The wonder was that the drogher still kept afloat; but she was tight and light as a cork--now she was on the top of one sea, now climbing up the side of another. One comfort was that the longest night must come to an end, and that the hurricane could not last for ever. We were, I judged, too, on the skirts of it, and that if we stood on we should in time get beyond its power. It required pretty careful steering to keep the wind right aft, for if I had brought it ever so little abeam the vessel would have gone clean over in a moment. I was thankful, you may be sure, when daylight came at last--not that the prospect round us was a pleasant one. The big seas were rolling and leaping, and tumbling about like mad, on every side hissing and roaring, and knocking their white heads together, as if they didn't know what they would be at. It was a hard job to steer clear of the worst; it was often Dobson's choice, and many came with such a plump down on the deck that I thought after all we should be sent to Davy Jones's locker; but the lively little craft managed to run her nose up the next mountain sea, and to shake herself clear of the water, just as a Newfoundland dog does when he gets ash.o.r.e after a swim. The only pleasant sight was to see the young gentlemen standing where they had been all night, and keeping up their spirits.

"'We are getting precious hungry, d.i.c.k,' sung out Mr Rogers, 'I'm thinking of going below to find some grub.'

"'No, no; just stay safe where you are, sir,' I answered. 'If you let go your hold, maybe that moment we shall have a sea come aboard us and carry you away with it, or if the companion hatch is lifted it may make its way below and swamp us.'

"'All right, d.i.c.k; we can manage to hold out for a few hours more,'

cried the other two. 'Don't think of going, Tom; we wouldn't have you run the risk for our sakes.'

"From the gnawings in my own stomach I knew that the poor youngsters must be very sharp set. However, it seemed to me that the wind was somewhat less than it had been, and I hoped that in a few hours more the hurricane would be over, or that we should be out of it. I told them so, and I soon heard them laughing and talking as if nothing particular out of the way was happening. Well, in a couple of hours or so the wind fell, and I saw that we must have the foresail set, or run the chance of being p.o.o.ped. I told them what I wanted, and casting off their lashings they all sprang together to the halyards, and soon had the sail hoisted and the sheet belayed. They then made their way aft.

"'Now I think we've earned our breakfasts,' says Mr Rogers, and slipping off the companion hatch he dived below, while the other two stood ready to draw it over again, in case a sea should come aboard us.

He quickly returned with some bread, meat, a bottle of wine, and a basket of fruit. They wouldn't touch anything till they had fed me, for they said I had had the hardest work, and saved their lives. My hands, you see, had still enough to do in working the tiller, and my eyes, too, for that matter, in keeping a watch on the seas; so all I could do was just to open my mouth and let them put the food into it. All I wanted was enough to keep body and soul together, and I then advised them to get back to the shrouds, and to make themselves fast as before, as there was no saying what might happen while the sea was tumbling about in its present fashion. 'You must take a swig of the wine first,' says Mr Rogers, in his cheery way, just like the lieutenant, his brother, holding the bottle to my mouth. I'd got a gulp or two of the liquor, keeping my weather eye open all the time, when I saw an ugly big sea come rolling up on our quarter. I sung out to the other two to hold fast to the companion hatch for their lives, while I got a grip of Mr Tom between one of my arms and the tiller. I couldn't avoid the sea.

Right over us it came, pouring down the still open hatchway, and sweeping across the deck. I had Mr Tom safe enough, though the breath was half squeezed out of his body; but I was afraid the others would have been torn from their hold. Like brave-hearted youngsters as they are they had held fast, though over head and ears in water. 'Och, but the venison has gone on a cruise,' sung out Mr Desmond, as soon as the sea had pa.s.sed clear of us, 'and some big brute of a shark will be making his breakfast of it.'