asked Devereux.
"Well, to be sure, I didn"t think about that," answered O"Grady. "But I"ll volunteer to go and search for them, and probably others will come and help me."
"I will, sir," exclaimed Paul, who overheard the conversation.
"And so will I," said Reuben Cole; "and what is more, even if the ship does not go down, we shall starve if we don"t, for there isn"t a sc.r.a.p of food among any of us."
Alphonse also expressed his readiness to go on the expedition, but O"Grady begged that he would remain and take care of Devereux. No time was to be lost. As soon as there was sufficient light for them to see, securing themselves by ropes, they slipped through a port and disappeared. Devereux, who was unfit for any exertion, remained in the chains. Some minutes pa.s.sed. He became at last very anxious about his companions. He shouted to them, but no one replied. It appeared to him that the ship was turning over more, and settling deeper than before in the water.
"They have only gone a short time before me," he thought. "It matters but little, yet how unfit I am to die. But I must not yield without a struggle. People in our circ.u.mstances have formed rafts and escaped; why should not we? Though without food, or water, or compa.s.s, or chart, we shall be badly off." He proposed his plan to Alphonse and the people near him. All promised to obey his directions. They were on the point of climbing along the masts to get at the lighter spars, when Paul poked his head through a port, flourishing above it an axe.
"We"ve found them, we"ve found them," he shouted; "but there"s no time to be lost, for the water is already making its way through the hatches."
The rest of the party appearing, corroborated this statement. Devereux roused up his energies and distributed his crew, some at the masts, and the rest at the shrouds.
"Cut off all, and cut together!" he shouted. In a minute every shroud and stay and mast was cut through. The effect was instantaneous. The ship rolled up on an even keel so rapidly, that Devereux and those with him could with difficulty climb over the bulwarks to regain the deck.
Their condition was but little improved, for so much water had got down below, that it seemed improbable the ship could swim long, and there she lay a dismasted wreck in the middle of the wide Atlantic. The young commander"s first wish was to endeavour to clear the ship of water, but the pumps were choked, and long before the water could be bailed out, another gale might spring up and the ship go down, even supposing there was no leak. It was probable, however, that from the quant.i.ty of water in her she had already sprung a serious leak. Every boat on board had been washed away or destroyed when the ship went over. Blank dismay was visible on the countenances of even some of the boldest of the crew.
The masts and spars were, however, still hanging by the lee rigging alongside.
"We could make a stout raft anyhow," observed Reuben.
The idea was taken up by the rest. There was a chance of life.
Devereux gave orders that a raft should be formed.
"But we"ll be starving entirely, if we don"t get up some provisions,"
observed O"Grady.
"May I go and collect them?" asked Paul. "Stronger people than I can be working at the raft."
"And I will go too," said Alphonse, when Paul had obtained the permission asked.
They found, however, that most of the casks and jars in the officers"
cabins had been upset and their contents washed away, while there was already so much water in the hold, that they could not get up anything from it. A cheese, some bottles of spirits, and a small cask of wet biscuit, were all they could collect. While groping about in the hold, it appeared to them that the water was rising; if so, the ship must have sprung a serious leak. With the scanty supply of provisions they had obtained, they hurried on deck to report what they had remarked.
Considerable progress had been made with the raft, but without food and water it could only tend to prolong their misery. Reuben, with three other men, were therefore ordered below, to get up any more provisions which they could find. They very soon returned with the only things they could reach,--a small cask of pork, another of biscuit, and a keg of b.u.t.ter. Water was, however, most required, and it was not to be obtained. It was evident, too, that the ship was settling down more and more, and that no time must be lost in getting the raft finished. All hands now worked with the knowledge that their lives depended on their exertions, rapidly pa.s.sing the numerous lashings in a way of which sailors alone are capable. Even before it was completed, the small amount of provisions which had been collected were placed on it, for all knew that at any moment it might prove their only ark of safety.
Devereux had no occasion to urge his men to increased exertion. A sail and spars for a mast, and yards and rudder were got ready. At length all the preparations were concluded.
"To the raft! to the raft!" was the cry, for the ship had sunk so low that the water was already running through the scuppers. Gradually she went down; the raft was slightly agitated by the vortex formed as the waters closed over her, and then it floated calmly on the wide ocean.
The crew looked at each other for some time without speaking. Devereux was very young to be placed in so trying a position, still he saw that he must maintain discipline among those under his command, and prevent them from sinking into a state of despondency. There was much to be done; the mast to be rigged, the sail to be fitted, and a rudder formed.
It was necessary also to secure the articles on the raft, and all being done, he steered a course for the west, hoping to reach one of the West India Islands.
Paul had often when at home pictured such a scene as that in which he was now taking a part, but how far short did the scene he had drawn come of the reality! Scarcely had the ship disappeared than the wind fell and the sea became like gla.s.s, while the sun shone with intense heat on the unprotected heads of the seamen.
"Reuben, can I ask for a mug of water, do you think? I am dreadfully thirsty," said Paul.
Reuben looked at him with compa.s.sion. "Every drop of water we"ve got is worth its weight in gold and many times more," he answered. "It will be served out to us in thimblefuls, and each officer and man will share alike. It will be well for us if it even thus lasts till we make the land or get picked up."
Not a mouthful of food had been eaten since the previous evening.
"It"s mighty like starving we are," observed O"Grady; "we had better begin to eat a little, or we shall grow so ravenous, that it will be no small allowance will satisfy us."
"You are right, Paddy," said Devereux, rousing himself up. "Ascertain what quant.i.ty we have, and calculate how long it will last."
O"Grady commenced the examination as directed. He soon reported that there was enough food to support life for eight, or perhaps, ten days.
"And water?" asked Devereux.
"Not for eight," was the answer.
"Heaven preserve us!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Devereux. "It will take us double that time to reach the land!"
The provisions were served out with the greatest care and in equal portions. The people on the raft suffered more from heat than from any other cause. The sea remained perfectly calm, the sun sank down, and darkness reigned over the ocean. It was their first night on the raft.
Who could say how many more they might have to spend on it? Devereux did his best to keep up the courage of his men, but in spite of all he could say, the spirits of many sank low. He encouraged them to tell stories, to narrate their adventures, to sing songs, and he himself took every opportunity of talking of the future, and spoke confidently of what he would do when they should reach the sh.o.r.e. Paul felt very unhappy. He was hungry and thirsty, and that alone lowers the spirits.
The men were grouped round their officers in the centre of the raft.
Paul was sitting near Reuben.
"I don"t think that I shall ever live through this," he said, taking his friend"s hand. "You are strong, Reuben, and you may weather it out. If you do, you"ll go and tell my poor mother and sisters how it all happened and what became of me. Tell them that if I had lived I might, perhaps, have been placed on the quarter-deck and become a captain or an admiral; but that dream is all over now."
"As to that being a dream, a dream it is, Paul," said Reuben; "but as to your living and turning out a good seaman, I"ve no fear about that, my boy," he added cheerfully. "You see, there"s One above cares for us, and if we pray to Him He"ll send us help."
The night pa.s.sed on, the stars shone brightly down from the pure sky, the waters flashed with phosph.o.r.escence, the inhabitants of the deep came up to the surface to breathe, while not a breath of air ruffled the face of the ocean. Except two appointed to keep watch, all on the raft soon sank into a deep sleep. They were awoke by the hot sun beating down on their heads; then they again wished for night. As the rays of the sun came down with fiercer force their thirst increased, but no one asked for more than his small share of water. Those only who have endured thirst know the intensity of the suffering it causes. Devereux had no more able supporter than Alphonse, who had saved his well-beloved violin. The moment the young Frenchman saw that the spirits of the people were sinking, he pulled it from its case, and putting it to his chin, began sc.r.a.ping away with right good will; now a merry, now a pathetic air. The excitable state of the nerves of the seamen was shown by the effect he produced. On hearing the merry tunes they burst into shouts of laughter; with the pathetic, even the roughest melted into tears. Alphonse played on till his arm ached, and scarcely was he rested before they begged him to go on again. Before the day closed, however, several of the party appeared to be sinking into a state of apathy, scarcely knowing where they were, or what they were saying.
Some clamoured loudly for food, but Devereux mildly but firmly refused to allow any one to have more than his allotted share. Paul looked at him with a respect he had never before felt. He seemed so cool and collected, so different from the careless, thoughtless midshipman he had appeared on board the frigate. He had evidently risen to the difficulties of his position. He well knew, indeed, that the lives of all the party would depend in a great measure on his firmness and decision; at the same time, he knew that all he could do might avail them nothing. He also felt compa.s.sion for Paul, who was the youngest person on the raft. He had brought him away from the frigate, and it was very probable that he would be one of the first to sink under the hardships to which they were exposed. Paul was not aware that Devereux, when serving out the food, gave him a portion of his own scanty share, in the hopes that his strength might be thus better supported and his life prolonged. Another night pa.s.sed by, and when the sun rose, it shone as before on a gla.s.sy sea. There was no sign of a breeze, and without a breeze no ship could approach the raft, nor could the raft make progress towards the land. Still Devereux persevered as before in endeavouring to keep up the spirits of his men. Alphonse and his fiddle were in constant requisition, and in spite of his own suffering, as long as he could keep his bow moving, he played on with right good will.
When Alphonse grew weary, Devereux called for a tale; now for a song; now he told one of his own adventures, or some adventure he had heard.
"Come, O"Grady, you used to be one of the best singers in the berth till the Frenchman"s shot knocked you over; try what you can do now!" he exclaimed, so that all might hear. "Never mind the tune, only let it be something comic, for a change," he added in a whisper; "you and I must not let the rest know what we feel."
"I"ll do my best, though, faith, it"s heavy work to sing with an empty stomach," answered O"Grady. "However, here goes:--
""Twas on November, the second day, The Admiral he bore away, Intending for his native sh.o.r.e; The wind at south-south-west did roar, There likewise was a terrible sky, Which made the sea to run mountains high.
"The tide of ebb not being done, But quickly to the west did run, Which put us all in dreadful fear, Because there was not room to wear; The wind and weather increased sore.
Which drove ten sail of us ash.o.r.e.
"Ash.o.r.e went the _Northumberland_, The _Harwich_ and the _c.u.mberland_, The _Cloister_ and the _Lion_, too; But the _Elizabeth_, she had most to rue, She ran stem on and her _Lion_ broke, And sunk the _Cambridge_ at one stroke.
"But the worst is what I have to tell, The greatest ships had the greatest fall; The brave "_Crounation_" and all her men, Was lost and drownded every one, Except a little midshipman and eighteen more Who in the long-boat comed ash.o.r.e.
"And thus they lost their precious lives, But the greatest loss was unto their wives, Who, with their children, left ash.o.r.e, Their husbands" watery death deplore; And weep their fate with many of tears, But grief endureth not for years.
"Now you who"ve a mind to go to sea, Pray take a useful hint from me; Oh! stay at home and be content With what kind Providence has sent; For these were punish"d unto their deeds, For grumbling when they had no needs.
"Now may Heaven bless our worthy King, Likewise his ministers we sing, And may they ever steer a course, To make things better "stead of worse; And England"s flag triumphant fly, The dread of every enemy."
O"Grady"s song, though often heard before, was received with no less applause in consequence. Other songs followed, but the effort was greater than many of the seamen could make. Several attempted to tell stories or their own adventures, but the former had no ending, and they very soon lost the thread of their adventures. Then they wandered strangely; some stopped altogether; others laughed and cried alternately. Even Devereux could with difficulty keep command of his own senses. Food and a few drops of precious water were distributed among the sufferers; without it, few could have survived another night.
That night came, however, and that night pa.s.sed, though some on the raft had pa.s.sed away from life when another sun arose.
Paul more than once asked himself, "Why did I come to sea?"