"No, no, gentlemen," he said; "it will be wiser first to collect as many oysters as we can secure before the tide comes back, for we shall not then be able to get them."
So we all set to work to collect oysters, filling our pockets and then carrying them on sh.o.r.e, and there piling them up beyond high-water mark.
We knew that we should require a large number: indeed, Boxall reminded us that we could not expect to live long upon them and keep up our strength. It was tantalising, also, to reflect that we could not carry any quant.i.ty on our intended voyage.
Boxall then proposed that we should return to our water-hole. "Though I am afraid, Charlie, we shall not find your shoes very full," he observed.
"Perhaps not; but if we take a few of the deepest of these oyster-sh.e.l.ls, we may get water more quickly," I answered. The thought that they would be of use had just struck me.
Away we went, our pockets loaded with as many oysters as we could carry.
When we got to the hole I was disappointed to find that Boxall was right, and that there was only just sufficient water in my shoes to enable Ben partly to quench his thirst. By further increasing the hole, however, and putting down our oyster-sh.e.l.ls, we found that we could obtain a much larger quant.i.ty of the precious liquid than by means of the shoes. Still there was only just enough to quench our thirst; and even had we possessed a bottle, it would have required some hours to fill it.
The tide had already begun to rise, and we agreed that no time was to be lost in crossing the channel to our raft, as we should now have the advantage of shallow water; whereas, if we waited, we should have to carry the raft a considerable distance over the rocks to launch it.
"I won"t disguise from you that I consider our expedition a dangerous one," said Boxall. "Heavy weather may come on before we reach the sh.o.r.e; or a current may sweep us either to the north or south on to another reef. And when we do gain the sh.o.r.e, we cannot tell how we shall support life, or what treatment we may receive from the inhabitants, should we fall in with any, in that desert region. We can, however, trust to One above to take care of us. Let us pray to Him for protection."
We knelt down, and Boxall offered up a heart felt, earnest prayer, in which we all joined. Then we rose from our knees, with strong hearts to encounter the dangers before us.
CHAPTER THREE.
WE QUIT THE SAND-BANK--A SAIL! A SAIL!--SAVED--DON LOPEZ"S INDIGNATION--THE SHIP STRIKES--FIRE! FIRE!--CRUELLY DESERTED--THE WRECK BLOWS UP.
We had marked the spot where we had landed on the sand-bank, and we hoped therefore without difficulty to find our raft on the top of the reef. Before starting, we swallowed as much water as we could collect, and filled our handkerchiefs and pockets with oysters--which we took out of the sh.e.l.ls, for otherwise we could have carried but few. It was not a time to be particular, but the oysters _did_ feel somewhat slimy, and did not look very nice. How much we wished for a bottle in which we could carry water!--but all our ingenuity could devise no means of securing any for the future. We had an orange apiece remaining, and that was all on which we could depend for quenching our thirst till we could reach the sh.o.r.e; and perhaps even then we might be unable to find water.
"Cheer up, cheer up!" cried Boxall. "We have thought sufficiently over the dangers before us, now let us face them bravely." Saying this, he led the way across the channel; Halliday and I followed, and Ben brought up the rear. We were able to wade the whole distance, though in the deeper part the water was up to our shoulders. We found the raft as we had left it, for the tide, even at its height, did not reach the top of the reef. At Boxall"s suggestion, we took it apart and dragged the pieces down to the edge of the water, so that when put together again it might float as the tide came in. We also lashed it together more securely and balanced it better than before, while from one of the boards we cut out two fresh paddles; thus all hands were able to urge on the raft. Judging as far as we were able--by throwing a piece of wood into the water--that the current was setting to the southward, while we wished to go round the north end of the reef, we determined to wait till the tide slackened, which it would soon do; indeed, our raft was not yet completely afloat. The water rising higher and higher, however, we at last got on the raft and sat down. And while Boxall took the boat-hook to shove off, the rest of us paddled with all our might.
"Away she goes!" cried Boxall; and we were fairly afloat.
Just at that instant Ben cried out, "A sail! a sail! away to the north-west."
We looked in the direction indicated, and clearly made out the top-gallant-sails and part of the royals of what was apparently a large ship, standing almost directly towards us. Our hearts leaped with joy.
Instead of the weary paddling towards the arid coast, parched with thirst and suffering from hunger, we might soon be safe on board ship, with the prospect of returning to our friends and country.
"We shall easily cut her off, if we steer to the westward and make good way," cried Ben. "But there is no time to lose, in case she should alter her course."
"I cannot understand why she is standing in this direction," observed Boxall. "Her commander can scarcely be aware of the existence of this reef, or he would be giving it a wider berth."
The wind was against us, and the send of the sea drove us back almost as much as we went ahead; so that we made but slow progress. The ship, however, approached nearer and nearer, till we could see nearly to the foot of her courses. When at length her hull came in sight, both Boxall and Ben were of opinion that she was foreign,--either French or Spanish.
Boxall thought that she was the latter; and indeed we soon clearly made out the Spanish ensign flying from her peak.
"I will get a signal ready," said Ben, taking off his shirt and fastening it to the end of the oar which had served as a mast. It was still too evident, however, that we were not seen.
"If that ship were to stand on an hour longer, or even less, she would run right on the reef not far to the southward of this," observed Boxall. "It will be a mercy if those on board see us, as we will be able to warn them of their danger. Let us, at all events, do our best to get up to her."
Cheering each other on, we paddled away as vigorously as we could.
"I think she will see us now. Let us hoist our signal," cried Ben; and taking up the oar which lay along the raft, he waved it, with his shirt at the end, as high as he could. Some minutes more pa.s.sed. The ship had got so far to the southward that we were directly on her beam. Ben waved the signal frantically; and uniting our voices, we shouted as loudly as we could.
"I am afraid our voices don"t reach her in the teeth of the wind,"
observed Boxall.
"But our signal is seen, though," cried Ben; and as he spoke the ship"s head was turned towards us, while we energetically paddled on to meet her.
In a short time she was up to us, and we got alongside; ropes were hove to us (one of which Ben made fast to the raft), and several men came down the side to a.s.sist us in climbing up. Among the most active were two negroes--one a tall, powerful man, but about as ugly a mortal as I ever set eyes on; the other, a young, pleasant-looking lad, though his skin was as black as jet. The two seized me by the arms and dragged me up, though I could have scrambled on deck without their help.
"Muchas gracias," (Many thanks), I said.
"I thought you English officer," said the young black.
"So I am," I answered. "How is it that you speak English?"
"I served aboard English man-of-war, and knew that you were English officer directly I saw you," he answered.
This was said almost before I placed my feet on the deck--where we were all soon standing, looking around us. The ship was apparently a man-of-war; but there were a number of soldiers and people of all ranks, evidently pa.s.sengers, walking the deck, besides the officers.
"I say, Charlie, as you speak Spanish, you had better tell the captain that he will be hard and fast on sh.o.r.e in a few minutes if he does not alter his course," said Boxall to me.
Followed by my companions, I accordingly stepped aft to an officer whom I took to be the commander, and told him that we had only just before left a reef which ran north and south, and that he would soon be upon it unless he steered more to the westward; also that, if he kept a sharp look-out, he would see the sand-bank behind it. He seemed very much astonished, and at once gave orders to port the helm and trim the sails so as to stand off from the dangerous neighbourhood. I observed that our raft was towing astern. "We will hoist it on board by-and-by," said the captain; "it will serve for firewood, of which we have not too large a supply."
I heard several people talking about the reef. One very consequential-looking gentleman declared that we had not spoken the truth, and that the reef must be much further off than we had said. I took no notice of this; indeed, I thought that I might possibly be mistaken, especially as I was not accustomed to hear Spanish spoken, although, thanks to honest Andrew, I was able to express myself with tolerable clearness on simple subjects. We convinced the captain, however, that my account was true, by showing him the oysters with which our pockets were filled, and which we were very glad to get rid of.
Being about to throw them overboard, the young negro stopped us and begged to have them, as they would be very welcome at the mess to which he belonged. "We no get too much food here," he observed; "very different to English man-of-war."
I asked the young black his name.
"They call me Pedro aboard here; but I got many names, according to the people I live among," he answered with a laugh. "The English sailors call me Black Jack; and when I once lived with the Moors, my name was Selim; and in my own country, Quasho Tumbo Popo."
"And what is the name of the big black man who helped me up the side?"
I asked.
"Him called Antonio here," answered Pedro, glancing round to ascertain that the person we were speaking of was not near. "Take care of him, ma.s.sa; him no good. Once got flogging aboard man-of-war, and no love English officers, depend on that. He pretend to be great friend to you, but you see what he do."
I thanked Pedro for his caution, feeling certain from the tone in which he spoke that he was sincere.
The captain seemed really grateful for the service we had rendered him by preventing him from running on the reef. He invited us down to his cabin, and asked us if we would like to turn in and rest while our clothes were drying.
"Will you tell him that we are dying of thirst," exclaimed Halliday, "and that we should not object to have something to eat first?"
I explained that we had had no food except oysters since the previous evening, and that we should be grateful if he would order us some supper--for the Spanish dinner-hour had long pa.s.sed.
"Of course," he observed; "I forgot that,"--and he immediately ordered some water and light wine to be placed on the table. He seemed amused at the quant.i.ty we drank; having, I suspect, had very little experience of the way men feel who have been exposed to hunger and thirst, as we had been, for so many hours. Some light food was then brought in, to which we did ample justice.
On my mentioning Ben to him, he observed,--"He will be taken good care of by the black Antonio; he understands your language."
The captain appeared to be a quiet, gentlemanly man; but it struck me at once that he was not the sort of person to keep a disorderly crew and a number of troops and pa.s.sengers in order. He again expressed himself deeply obliged to us for the service we had rendered him; and taking a small telescope in a case from the side-cabin, begged I would accept it as a mark of his grat.i.tude. "There are some aboard here who pretend to understand better than I do how the ship should be managed; and it was by their advice that I was steering the course I was doing when I fell in with you," he observed.
I told Boxall what the captain had said.