DISASTER, STARVATION, AND DEATH.
The least observant of mortals must have frequently been impressed with the fact that events and incidents of an apparently trifling description often lead to momentous--sometimes tremendous--results.
Soon after the occurrence of the incidents referred to in the last chapter, a colony of busy workers in the Pacific Ocean were drawing towards the completion of a building on which they had been engaged for a long time. Like some lighthouses this building had its foundations on a rock at the bottom of the sea. Steadily, perseveringly, and with little cessation, the workers had toiled for years. They were small insignificant creatures, each being bent on simply performing the little bit of work which he, she, or it had been created to do probably without knowing or caring what the result might be, and then ending his, her, or its modest labours with life. It was when this marine building had risen to within eight or ten feet of the surface of the sea that the _Walrus_ chanced to draw near to it, but no one on board was aware of the existence of that coral-reef, for up to the period we write of it had failed to attract the attention of chart-makers.
The vessel was bowling along at a moderate rate over a calm sea, for the light breeze overhead that failed to ruffle the water filled her topsails. Had the wind been stormy a line of breakers would have indicated the dangerous reef. As it was there was nothing to tell that the good ship was rushing on her doom till she struck with a violent shock and remained fast.
Of course Captain Stride was equal to the emergency. By the quiet decision with which he went about and gave his orders he calmed the fears of such of his crew as were apt to "lose their heads" in the midst of sudden catastrophe.
"Lower away the boats, lads. We"ll get her off right a way," he said, in a quick but quiet tone.
Charlie Brooke, being a strong believer in strict discipline, at once ran to obey the order, accompanied by the most active among the men, while others ran to slack off the sheets and lower the topsails.
In a few minutes nearly all the men were in the boats, with hawsers fixed to the stern of the vessel, doing their uttermost to pull her off.
Charlie had been ordered to remain on deck when the crew took to the boats.
"Come here, Mr Brooke, I want you," said the Captain, leading his young friend to the taffrail. "It"s pretty clear to me that the poor old _Walrus_ is done for--"
"I sincerely hope not sir," said Charlie, with anxious looks.
"A short time will settle the question," returned the Captain, with unwonted gravity. "If she don"t move in a few minutes, I"ll try what heaving out some o" the cargo will do. As supercargo, you know where it"s all stowed, so, if you"ll pint out to me which is the least valooable, an" at the same time heaviest part of it, I"ll send the mate and four men to git it on deck. But to tell you the truth even if we do git her off I don"t think she"ll float. She"s an oldish craft, not fit to have her bottom rasped on coral rocks. But we"ll soon see."
Charlie could not help observing that there was something peculiarly sad in the tone of the old man"s voice. Whether it was that the poor captain knew the case to be utterly hopeless, or that he was overwhelmed by this calamity coming upon him so soon after the wreck of his last ship, Charlie could not tell, but he had no time to think, for after he had pointed out to the mate the bales that could be most easily spared he was again summoned aft.
"She don"t move," said the captain, gloomily. "We must git the boats ready, for if it comes on to blow only a little harder we"ll have to take to "em. So do you and the stooard putt your heads together an" git up as much provisions as you think the boats will safely carry. Only necessaries, of course, an" take plenty o" water. I"ll see to it that charts, compa.s.ses, canvas, and other odds and ends are ready."
Again young Brooke went off, without saying a word, to carry out his instructions. Meanwhile one of the boats was recalled, and her crew set to lighten the ship by heaving part of the cargo overboard. Still the _Walrus_ remained immovable on the reef, for the force with which she struck had sent her high upon it.
"If we have to take to the boats, sir," said Charlie, when he was disengaged, "it may be well to put some medicines on board, for poor Samson will--"
"Ay, ay, do so, lad," said the captain, interrupting; "I"ve been thinkin" o" that, an" you may as well rig up some sort o" couch for the poor fellow in the long-boat, for I mean to take him along wi" myself."
"Are you so sure, then, that there is no chance of our getting her off?"
"Quite sure. Look there." He pointed, as he spoke, to the horizon to windward, where a line of cloud rested on the sea. "That"ll not be long o" comin" here. It won"t blow very hard, but it"ll be hard enough to smash the old _Walrus_ to bits. If you"ve got any valooables aboard that you"d rather not lose, you"d better stuff "em in your pockets now.
When things come to the wust mind your helm, an" look out as I used to say to my missus--"
He stopped abruptly and turned away. Evidently the thought of the "missus" was too much for him just then.
Charlie Brooke hurried off to visit the sick man, and prepare him for the sad change in his position that had now become unavoidable. But another visitor had been to see the invalid before him. Entering the berth softly, and with a quiet look, so as not to agitate the patient needlessly, he found to his regret, though not surprise, that poor Fred Samson was dead. There was a smile on the pale face, which was turned towards the port window, as if the dying man had been taking a last look of the sea and sky when Death laid a hand gently on his brow and smoothed away the wrinkles of suffering and care. A letter from his mother, held tightly in one hand and pressed upon his breast told eloquently what was the subject of his last thoughts.
Charlie cut a lock of hair from the sailor"s brow with his clasp-knife, and, taking the letter gently from the dead hand, wrapped it therein.
"There"s no time to bury him now. His berth must be the poor fellow"s coffin," said Captain Stride, when the death was reported to him. "The swell o" the coming squall has reached us already. Look alive wi" the boats, men!"
By that time the rising swell was in truth lifting the vessel every few seconds and letting her down with a soft thud on the coral reef. It soon became evident to every one on board that the _Walrus_ had not many hours to live--perhaps not many minutes--for the squall to which the Captain had referred was rapidly bearing down, and each successive thud became more violent than the previous one. Knowing their danger full well, the men worked with a will and in a few minutes three boats, well provisioned, were floating on the sea.
The need for haste soon became apparent, for the depth of water alongside was so insufficient that the long-boat--drawing as she did considerably more water than the others--touched twice when the swells let her drop into their hollows.
It was arranged that Charlie should go in the long-boat with the captain, Raywood the pa.s.senger, and ten men of the crew. The remainder were to be divided between the other two boats which were to be in charge of the first and second officers respectively.
"Jump in, Brooke," cried the Captain, as he sat in the stern-sheets looking up at our hero, who was busily engaged a.s.sisting the first mate to complete the arrangements of his boat, "we"ve struck twice already.
I must shove off. Is Raywood ready?"
"He"s in the cabin looking for something, sir; I"ll run and fetch him."
"Stay! We"ve touched again!" shouted the Captain. "You an" Raywood can come off with one o" the other boats. I"ll take you on board when in deep water--shove off, lads."
"Jump in with me, sir," said the first mate, as he hastily descended the side.
"Come along, Raywood," shouted Charlie, as he followed. "No time to lose!"
The pa.s.senger rushed on deck, scrambled down the side, and took his seat beside Charlie, just as the long threatened squall burst upon them.
The painter was cut, and they drifted into deep water with the second mate"s boat, which had already cast off.
Fortunate was it for the whole crew that Captain Stride had provided for every emergency, and that, among other safeguards, he had put several tarpaulins into each boat, for with these they were enabled to form a covering which turned off the waves and prevented their being swamped.
The squall turned out to be a very severe one, and in the midst of it the three boats were so far separated that the prospect of their being able to draw together again until evening was very remote. Indeed the waves soon ran so high that it required the utmost attention of each steersman to keep his craft afloat, and when at last the light began to fade the boats were almost out of sight of each other.
"No chance, I fear, of our ever meeting again," remarked the mate, as he cast a wistful look at the southern horizon where the sail of the long-boat could be barely seen like the wing of a sea-gull. "Your lot has been cast with us, Mr Brooke, so you"ll have to make the best of it."
"I always try to make the best of things," replied Charlie. "My chief regret at present is that Raywood and I, being two extra hands, will help to consume your provisions too fast."
"Luckily my appet.i.te is a poor one," said Raywood, with a faint smile; "and it"s not likely to improve in the circ.u.mstances."
"I"m not so sure o" that sir," returned the mate, with an air that was meant to be rea.s.suring; "fresh air and exposure have effected wonders before now in the matter of health--so they say. Another pull on the halyards, d.i.c.k; that looks like a fresh squall. Mind your sheets, Will Ward."
A prompt "Ay, ay, sir" from d.i.c.k Darvall and the cabin-boy showed that each was alive to the importance of the duty required of him, while the other men--of whom there were six--busied themselves in making the tarpaulin coverings more secure, or in baling out the water which, in spite of them, had found its way into the boat.
Charlie rose and seated himself on the thwart beside the fine-looking seaman d.i.c.k Darvall, so as to have a clearer view ahead under the sail.
"Long-boat nowhere to be seen now," he murmured half to himself after a long look.
"No, sir--nor the other boat either," said Darvall in a quiet voice.
"We shall never see "em no more."
"I hope you are wrong," returned Charlie; "indeed I feel sure that the weather will clear during the night, and that we shall find both boats becalmed not far off."
"Maybe so, sir," rejoined the sailor, in the tone of one willing to be, but not yet, convinced.
Our hero was right as to the first, but not as to the second, point.
The weather did clear during the night, but when the sun arose next morning on a comparatively calm sea neither of the other boats was to be seen. In fact every object that could arrest the eye had vanished from the scene, leaving only a great circular shield of blue, of which their tiny craft formed the centre.
CHAPTER SEVEN.