He opened his eyes, and as the water trickled down his throat he began to revive. In a few minutes he seemed himself again and could sit up.
Their thirst satisfied, they were a.s.sailed by the pangs of hunger. As there was abundance of sh.e.l.l-fish they had no fear of starving, while the woods they hoped would afford them fruit of some sort. They soon found on some rocks on one side of the bay an ample supply of sh.e.l.l-fish. Mike at once began to eat them raw.
"Stay!" exclaimed Langton. "Let us refrain until we have cooked them, when they are less likely to do us harm."
"But how are we to get a fire?" asked Owen.
"I have a burning gla.s.s in my pocket," said Langton.
Dry sticks were soon collected, and some moss, which ignited almost immediately the gla.s.s was held over it. A bright fire was kindled. The sh.e.l.l-fish were cooked, Langton having selected those which appeared to him most likely to prove wholesome.
"We are better off here than we were on the sand-bank," observed Mike.
"We escaped from that, and we"ll be afther getting away from this before long."
While he was speaking Owen happened to turn his eyes to the southward.
"A sail! a sail!" he exclaimed.
Just rounding a point of the island which had hitherto hid her from sight appeared a large ship, the heads of her courses already rising above the horizon.
"We must make a signal or she may pa.s.s us," exclaimed Langton. "The mast and yard of our raft will serve as a flag."
Mike possessed a coloured handkerchief, which he had hitherto worn round his waist. Other handkerchiefs were produced. Nat contributed his shirt, so that a flag of good size was formed.
The fire having been first made up so as to emit a large amount of smoke, they hastened with their flagstaff to the end of the point, where it was speedily erected. As no other means of attracting the attention of those on board could be devised, they sat down, anxiously waiting the result. With some small line, which they got from the raft, they drew out the flag so as to present a broad surface to the approaching ship.
Her hull soon rose above the water.
"Thank Heaven! She is a British sloop-of-war, and is sure to keep a bright look-out," said Langton. "She will pa.s.s within a mile of the island, and cannot fail to see us."
The wind had by this time shifted to the southward. The corvette--for such she was--came on before it, under easy sail, with the lead going.
The party watched her with intense eagerness. Every moment they feared that she might haul off the sh.o.r.e, but the water was deep, and she continued on her course. Already she was abreast of the spot where the signal was flying.
"She takes no notice of us; she is standing on as before," exclaimed Owen.
"No, no; see, she is heaving to," cried Langton.
The courses were hauled up, the ship"s head was turned off sh.o.r.e, the main-topsail was backed, and she remained stationary.
"Hurrah! hurrah!" cried Mike. "We are seen." The rest echoed the cheer. A boat was lowered, and came pulling towards the point. As she approached, the party on sh.o.r.e unshipped the flagstaff and hurried with it to the bay to guide her in; she soon reached the beach. Langton explained to the officer in command in a few words what had occurred.
They were helped on board, and the boat immediately pulled back to the corvette.
She proved to be the "Kestrel," of 18 guns, Commander Holmes. Directly the commander heard of the loss of the "Sylvia," he steered for the spot where the ill-fated vessel had gone down, in the hopes of rescuing any more of her crew who might have escaped.
Mike and Nat were placed under the doctor"s charge, but Langton and Owen, though still feeling very weak, were anxious to remain on deck while the corvette was searching for their shipmates.
Owen learned, with satisfaction, that, after her cruise among the islands, she was at once to return home. He was naturally anxious to ascertain the truth of the account given him by Reginald Ashurst.
Sometimes he thought the imagination of his dying shipmate might have been excited, and that the story he had told was without foundation.
Langton, when he talked the matter over, did not give him much encouragement.
"He was always fond of romancing. Sometimes I do not think he knew himself whether he was speaking the truth or falsehood," he observed.
"He knew that he was dying, and would scarcely have invented a tale to deceive me," answered Owen; "but at the same time I am not ambitious, nor shall I be much disappointed if I find you are right."
A calm at nightfall compelled the corvette to come to an anchor just inside the island, where blue lights were burned and rockets discharged to attract the attention of any who had escaped, and might have the means of reaching her; the boats were also manned and sent off, some to visit the scene of the disaster and others to search for any rafts or floating pieces of wreck on which the people might have sought refuge.
The doctor would not allow Langton or Owen to go in the boats, anxious as they were to ascertain the fate of their shipmates.
The night pa.s.sed away; the boats had not returned. It was not until late the next day that they appeared.
"Hurrah! they have a number of people on board; some of the poor fellows have escaped then!" was uttered by those on the look-out.
On the boat coming alongside, fourteen people were handed up on deck, all in a weak state, some dreadfully burned and otherwise injured by the explosion. Among them was Mr Leigh, who, though weak, was but slightly hurt. Owen was for many reasons rejoiced to see him. By his exertions a raft had been constructed, on which the survivors had reached the sh.o.r.e. They were there seized by a party of natives, who were on the point of carrying them off into captivity when the boats had arrived and they had been rescued. These, with the four already on board the corvette, had alone escaped of all the frigate"s gallant grew, several men having died on the wreck. The other incidents of the "Kestrel"s"
cruise need not be described. A loud cheer was uttered as she bade farewell to the Indian seas, and her course was shaped for the Cape on her way to England.
CHAPTER ELEVEN.
Owen did duty as a midshipman on the voyage home. He confided to Mr Leigh the strange account which Ashurst had related just before his death. Mr Leigh was more inclined to believe it than Langton had been.
"At all events, Hartley," he said, "it is a matter which must be looked into immediately on our arrival in England. I am glad you have mentioned it to no one else, and as Lord Arlingford is not aware that his brother had confessed the truth to you, he will be the less prepared to resist your claim. If you can find an honest lawyer I would advise you to put the matter into his hands Langton and your other companions on the raft can prove Ashurst"s death, and I can give evidence of the extraordinary animosity he always exhibited towards you."
"I hope that it will not be necessary to mention that subject," said Owen. "I would rather not have to refer to the poor fellow"s ill-treatment of me. In regard to a lawyer, I know of one in whom I have thorough confidence. He will by this time, I hope, have set up for himself, and I could not place the matter in better hands."
Owen had frequent conversations with Mr Leigh and Langton, but no one else on board had any idea that the apparently friendless young midshipman was the claimant to a t.i.tle and handsome estate. Owen maintained his usual demeanour, and endeavoured to think as little about the subject as possible. Should he be disappointed he would place himself under Mr Fluke again and return to the counting-house, or remain in the service, trusting to his own good conduct to make his way in it, which he hoped to do, although he had lost the promised patronage of Captain Stanhope.
The "Kestrel" met with much heavy weather. She encountered a gale off the Cape, and another in the Bay of Biscay, when she was "hove to" for several days. The voyage home thus occupied a much longer time than usual. At last, however, the white cliffs of old England were sighted, to the joy of all on board. As she had been fitted out at Portsmouth, she returned to that port, where she was immediately paid off.
Mike"s mother was living at Gosport, and he took Nat to stay with him until they should get another ship, as both had made up their minds to remain in the navy. Owen having obtained from Nat his grandmother"s address, thoughtfully wrote to tell her of her grandson"s safety, promising, as soon as he had the means, to send him down to see her.
Mike promised not to go to sea again without communicating with Owen.
Mr Leigh and Langton accompanied Owen up to town, where they intended to remain for some time. Leaving them at the lodgings they had taken, he set off to Wapping. He arrived at Messrs. Kelson, Fluke and Company"s office a short time before the usual closing hour. Owen still wore his midshipman"s uniform. During the three years he had been absent he had grown into a tall young man, his handsome countenance well bronzed by tropical suns. He stood at the entrance for some seconds without advancing. No one seemed to know him. Looking round he saw many of the old familiar faces still there.
Mr Tarwig was at his desk. Several of the clerks glanced up at him, but supposing that he was a stranger, went on with their work. He advanced to where the head clerk was sitting, and putting out his hand--
"I suspect you do not know me, sir?" he said.
"What is your business?" asked Mr Tarwig, putting the usual question to a stranger.
"I have come to see Mr Fluke, and to resume my duties in this office if he wishes it," answered Owen.
Mr Tarwig opened his eyes wider than he had ever opened them before.
Then starting up, in his eagerness kicking over his stool, and very nearly toppling down on his nose, which he would have done had not Owen caught him by the hand, he exclaimed--
"Bless my heart! Can you be Owen Hartley? We had given you up for lost long ago. But are you really yourself? Yes, I see you are, only double as big, and a naval officer to boot. Well, it will put new life into the old man, for he grieved sorely for you. Well, I am glad, that I am."
Here Mr Tarwig wrung Owen"s hand in a way very unwonted with him when greeting a fellow-mortal.
"Mr Fluke will be pleased," he continued; "but he went home to-day an hour earlier than usual. He did not feel quite well, and he wanted Kezia Crump to give him something to do him good."