The White Squall Part 18

THE TAIL-END OF A HURRICANE.

Immediately the sudden blast of wind struck the ship, the meteor-like ball of fire, which had previously hovered about our rigging lighting up the dense gloom of the atmosphere, suddenly disappeared, leaving us for a moment in darkness; but this was only for a brief spell, as the gale-- at the same time that it forced us to cut and run before its tremendous impulse, scudding away to the north-west at right angles to what should have been our proper course, which was to the northwards and eastwards-- dispelled in a very short time the overhanging ma.s.s of vapour that shrouded the sky. The clouds cleared away, as if by magic, disclosing the blue vault of heaven open above us for the stars to shine down at their will; while the moon presently coming out, the ocean was displayed in all its vastness to the extreme limits of the horizon.

But, what a different scene was now presented to our gaze to that which we had looked upon but an hour agone!

Then, the sea, with the exception of a faint throbbing swell as if proceeding from the deep breathing of Neptune below the surface, seeming to rise and fall with rhythmical regularity, was calm and still, unbroken by even the tiniest ripple; now, as far as the eye could reach, it was all life and motion, the billows leaping up and tossing their heads, crowned with wreaths of curling spray and growing larger and larger each moment in volume as they dashed onward madly before the wind.

The ocean coursers seemed, indeed, like a pack of hounds pursuing the ship, gnashing their teeth in surf as they missed their prey, and then gathering themselves up again together to renew the chase, rolling against each other, boiling in eddies, clashing, dashing, swelling, breaking in sheets of foam, and presenting one seething ma.s.s of moving waters.

Nothing is so wonderful as this sudden getting up of the sea after a spell of calm weather.

It is like the sudden uprising of a giant in his wrath--one moment it is sleeping quietly, the next far and wide it is in a state of mad commotion, threatening destruction to those who brave the perils of the deep.

The _Josephine_ sped bravely before the gale, unmindful of the stormy billows bl.u.s.tering after her, her speed enabling her easily as yet to outstrip the rollers, although she was only scudding under close-reefed topsails. She was not too heavily laden; and, being a good sea-boat, she rose easily on the lift of the waves, almost skimming the surface like one of Mother Carey's chickens, and jumping, as it were, from billow to billow as the wind urged her onward.

"If we keep on long like this," observed Mr Marline grimly to the captain, "we'll soon lose all our easting, and have to begin our voyage over again!"

"Never mind that," cheerfully answered Captain Miles. "The gale will only drive us into the Gulf Stream at the worst; and then, we'll have the a.s.sistance of the easterly current there in making our way home, when we have the chance of bearing up on our course again. We won't lose much in the end, you'll see."

"All right, we'll see," said Mr Marline. "But, don't you think, sir, we may be running into the worst part of the gale?"

"No, Marline, no; I don't believe that," replied the other. "You'll see that it will blow itself out presently and calm down to a steady breeze, when we'll be able to haul our wind, making that fair for us."

"Don't you notice, though, captain," urged the mate, "that those clouds also sheer off in a contrary direction, showing that the upper currents of air are not affected by this wind at all--a proof that it is a sort of cyclone or hurricane?"

"And if so," retorted Captain Miles, "it began in the south-east, where it is still blowing from; so, when it veers, it will be to the south and west, making a fair wind for us, as I said before."

"Very good; you know best, sir," said Mr Marline in a way that showed he was still unconvinced.

But the captain had not done with his reasons yet.

"Just consider, Marline," he continued, "we couldn't very well wear the ship now with this thundering wind and following sea, or try and heave her to--the only thing left for us to do if we don't scud. Indeed, I think we must get some more sail on her as it is; for those rollers are getting too heavy and gaining on us, and, if we don't keep ahead of them, why, they'll p.o.o.p us, that's all!"

"Do you think the masts will stand it, sir?" queried the first mate, glancing aloft, where the spars were bent like whips and the rigging as taut as fiddle-strings.

"Stand it? Of course they will," replied the captain. "I'll back them to stand anything, if the stays only hold."

"And I'll guarantee that they will not carry away," retorted Mr Marline, who had specially seen to the setting up of the rigging and was confident of the job being well done, being rather proud of his handiwork.

"Well, then, we'll have the mainsail on her," said the captain, to put an end to the discussion. "You'd better go and rouse up the other watch, Mr Jackson; it will be a rough bit of work, I fancy."

The second mate then went forwards, shouting, "All hands, ahoy!" and, shortly afterwards, the men were cl.u.s.tering in the shrouds, making their way as well as they could against the force of the wind, up the ratlines to the main-yard, the whole watch being employed on the job so as to get it done quickly.

As they lay out along the foot-rope they were almost blown away; but, holding on "by the skin of their teeth," they managed to cast-off the gaskets, when, the clew-lines and bunt-lines being let fly, the huge sail at once bellied out in puckered folds, banging about as if it would soon thump the mast out of the ship.

"Now, tumble down smart, men!" cried the captain. "Look alive and bring the sheets to the capstan."

Then, in a few more minutes, foot by foot, the clew-garnet blocks rattling the while like a lot of tin kettles, the ends of the mainsail were hove in nearer the deck, when it became fairly distended before the powerful breeze, which, catching it now full, seemed to make the _Josephine_ leap out of the water as if she were going to fly--although, the next instant, she dived down with a heavy plunge forwards that sent a great green sea right over her bows on to the forecastle, whence it poured down like a cataract into the waist, flooding the main-deck and floating aft everything movable into the cabin.

We had already two men at the wheel, a vessel running before the wind being always more unmanageable than when sailing close-hauled or on a bowline; but this additional sail-power made the ship yaw and break off so continuously that two more hands had to come and help the others in the steering. It was ticklish work; for, if she were once allowed to broach to, one of the pursuing waves would soon leap over the taffrail, and then it would be a case for us!

The rest of the crew, too, were set to work rigging up relieving tackle, in case the tiller ropes should part; for, one moment the stern would be lifted high out of the water and the next sunk in the trough of the sea, causing a great strain on the rudder, which banged from port to starboard every instant, causing constant work in putting the helm up and down so as to preserve a straight course.

Preventer stays were also set up to take away some of the leverage from the masts, everything being made as snug as possible under the circ.u.mstances; and so, we drove on before the gale, going wheresoever it liked, until, as the captain said, it had time to blow itself out-- although there did not seem any early prospect of this at present!

During all the bustle that was going on, I had managed to remain on deck unperceived; but now that matters had calmed down and nothing more urgent called for attention, Captain Miles, looking round the p.o.o.p, caught sight of me.

"Hullo, Tom!" he cried, "what are you doing here? You ought to have been in your bunk hours ago."

"I only stopped up to see the storm," I said. "Mr Marline saw me on deck some time since and said I might remain."

"Did he? Well, then, it's all over now, and there'll be nothing fresh till morning; so you can go below like a brace of shakes."

With these words, he hustled me off the p.o.o.p, good-naturedly, not losing sight of me until he had seen me go down the ladder and into the cabin-- much against my inclination, I must confess, as I wanted to see all that was going on.

Of course, as I had to go down, there was no use in my not turning in when I got there; but I stayed awake for a long time, listening to the thumping of the sea against the sides of the ship and the creaking of the timbers; while my cot swayed to and fro, hoisting me up to the deck planking one second, and then almost capsizing me on to the floor, until I at last sank to rest, wearied out with the motion and longing for the morning to come.

Harry, the steward, awakened me quite late.

"Here, you sah, Ma.s.s' Tom, rouse up!" he sang out close to my ears, making me jump out of my bunk in a brace of shakes. "It am gone eight bells an' break-fuss ready long time."

Captain Miles had already had his early meal, I found, when I had dressed and got out into the cabin saloon; so, after making a hurried repast, for I was anxious to see how the ship was getting on, I followed him on deck.

The sea looked awful!

Far and wide, it was covered with broken waves and sheets of foam, the huge billows fighting and struggling together in mad turmoil; while the wind shrieked as it tore through the vessel's cordage and almost blew me back as I essayed to mount up the p.o.o.p-ladder.

The _Josephine_ was still plunging on before the gale, as I had last seen her the night before, only that the mainsail had been torn away, although the tattered fragments were left clinging round the yard-arms, one or two longer pieces streaming out like pennants from the leech at each end of the spar, and some other strips had clung to the fore- rigging as they were blown away.

The foretop-sail had been furled, and the ship was driving on with only her close-reefed main-topsail set; but preparations were being made as I got on deck for hoisting the mizzen staysail, so that we might more easily bring her head round to the wind in case of its showing any sign of shifting.

This, however, was but a last resource, which could only be adopted in the extreme peril of being taken aback. There is no more ticklish operation than that of wearing a ship in a heavy sea where there is a strong following wind; and Captain Miles, for one, I could see, intended to let the vessel drive on as long as the gale lasted, unless it should try to head us, when of course he would have no alternative left but that of laying-to.

He did not seem a bit uneasy as yet, though; for he greeted me quite cheerily when I at last managed to clamber up on the p.o.o.p and make my way aft to where he was standing, holding on to everything I could clutch to maintain my footing. The ship was rolling from side to side like a porpoise, and the wind nearly blew the hair off my head, my cap having gone away to leeward the first step I took up the ladderway on emerging from the cabin after breakfast.

"Well, Master Tom!" the captain shouted in my ear, the noise being so great that it almost required a speaking trumpet to make anyone hear at a great distance--"how do you like this weather, eh?"

"A jolly sight better than the calm," I said joyously. The wind seemed to get in my head and make me excited in a similar way as it is supposed to affect cats; for I felt inclined to sing with glee as I braced myself up against the blast and clung to the binnacle rail, surveying the wild scene around in a perfect frenzy of delight. Sea and sky were mingled together; and the ship presented a grand spectacle as she n.o.bly struggled against and overcame the combined strength of the elements trying to vanquish her efforts at escape!

"A good breeze is certainly better than a calm, Tom," observed Mr Marline in response to my jubilant remark; "but, it all depends what sort of a wind it is, for, if it blows your vessel the wrong way, the question arises whether the former state of things be not preferable."

"Belay that sea-lawyering, Marline," interposed Captain Miles. "I never saw such a fellow for taking a gloomy view of everything! Here we were rolling about in a calm for days upon days as if they would never end, while now we are bowling away before a brisk south-easter; and yet you are not happy!"

"But in what direction are we going, eh, captain?" slyly inquired Mr Marline.

"A point or two off our course, I admit," replied the other; "but still we are going, and that is the great thing. We are not lying still like a log on the ocean."

"How far have we run, sir, do you think, since last night?" I asked Captain Miles when Mr Marline made no further attempt at conversation.