Day after day the shark had followed the boat, and while his hideous snout was seen, or that triangular fin of his, it would have been useless to put over a fishing-line, as it would certainly have been carried off. When, however, the fresh provisions ran short, Gerald and Tom determined to try and get rid of their fearful foe. The three men and Billy, who, though fat and short, pulled a very good oar, were rowing as men do who have been at the task many hours, in a sort of mechanical fashion, when Tom exclaimed--
"Load the muskets, Desmond, and if we cannot kill that brute astern, and get a few slices out of his carcase, we will, at all events, drive him away."
The muskets had been kept clean and ready for use. They were soon loaded, when the midshipmen, bringing the weapons to their shoulders, took, as they thought, a steady aim and fired. The shark instantly sank out of sight. Whether they had hit him or not, they could not tell, but it was possible that the bullets, being deflected by the water, had glanced clear of his head. They at once reloaded, expecting that he would return; but though they looked down into the clear water astern and on either side, the monster was nowhere to be seen.
"He won"t trouble us again," said Desmond. "I feel pretty sure my bullet went into him."
"And I think mine did," said Tom; "but neither could have killed him, or he would have floated up."
"Then the sooner we get out the lines and try and catch some fish for supper the better," exclaimed Billy.
Taking off the heavy leads, two of the lines were baited with pieces of rancid pork and allowed to tow astern. The lines had been out for some time, but not a bite had been obtained.
"Perhaps the lines are not deep enough, or the bait is not as good as it should be," observed Desmond, beginning to haul in upon his line. He had got it in a third of the length, when he felt it torn from his grasp, and he caught sight of a monster running off with it. The next instant, as Desmond had the line round the thwart, it snapped short off.
Away went hook and line. Directly after, Tom"s line, hanging over the other quarter, without any warning was snapped off.
"It"s that brute of a shark come back again," cried Tom. "Get the muskets, Desmond, and if we can entice him near, we will settle him this time."
"He"s too knowing for that, sir," observed Jerry. "You may fire away every shot you"ve got--he"d see them coming, and be out of the way before they reach him."
Tom, not believing this, determined to try once more. He got out another piece of pork, and fastened it to the end of one of the broken lines.
"The hooks will puzzle his inside," said Desmond, "when he begins to feel them. He"ll think twice before he has another bite."
The muskets were loaded, and the midshipmen standing up, kept their eyes closely watching the bait, which floated on the surface, two or three fathoms astern.
"There he comes," cried Desmond. And as the shark, turning on his back, exposed the white of his belly, they both fired. The brute disappeared, and so did the bait, sinking like a rocket until lost to sight.
"We have finished him this time, at all events," cried Desmond. "He"ll not take any more of our hooks."
"Yes, but we have lost the slices out of his back," cried Billy; "and, unless we can now catch some fish, we shall be on short commons for supper."
Hoping that they should not be again troubled by the shark, fresh lines were got out. No fish, however, took the bait; either none came near, or it was not suited to their tastes. Supper consequently consisted only of biscuits and tea; but the warm tea was a great comfort after the heat of the day. The watch kept the lines down all night, but still without success. Two more days went by with little variation. Now and then their hopes were raised seeing a ripple far away on the surface; but, if caused by wind, it died away before it reached them. They were now on a short allowance of water; that in the skins had either evaporated or leaked out, the store in the cocoa-nuts had soon been exhausted, and they had only the boat"s breaker, on which they had already commenced. A few biscuits and a portion of the salt beef, which was at the best scarcely eatable, and possessed but slightly nutritive qualities, alone remained. Still they had enough to keep them alive for three or four days, perhaps for longer; but before that time, should a breeze spring up, they might at all events reach Faralon de Pajaros, the most northern of the Ladrones. There were other small islands marked down to the westward, one of which they might sight; and, if so, Tom determined to land, and try to obtain water and any food they might be able to find. They would most likely be able to get sh.e.l.lfish from the rocks, which would be an improvement on the junk. It was night.
Desmond had the watch, and Tom was lying down fast asleep. He was aroused by hearing Desmond sing out, "A breeze! a breeze! All hands make sail!" Tom in a moment was on his feet. He looked around him and up at the stars.
"From which quarter does it come?" he asked.
The binnacle lamp had not been lighted. A light was soon struck. Tom examined the compa.s.s. "It is dead against us," he exclaimed, with almost a groan.
"It is coming on very strong too, sir," observed Jerry. "It would be better not to set the mainsail, until we see what happens."
As Jerry had feared, the wind became stronger, and they presently had as much as the boat could stagger under, with only her mizzen and foresail set. The sea, however, was not as heavy as might have been expected.
Tom kept the boat"s head close to it, and she rode easily over the fast-rising billows. The hatch, which had hitherto been of no use, was shipped, and kept out the seas which occasionally broke on board. The boat was much lighter than when she had started; indeed, as Jerry observed, "she would have been the better for a few more sand-bags in her bottom." Tom was delighted at her behaviour.
"She rides beautifully over the seas," he exclaimed. "I should have been sorry not to have given her a trial. The wind will very likely change before long, and we shall have a quick run to Faralon. I wish that I knew more about it, but if we can get water and cocoa-nuts and sh.e.l.lfish there, we must not complain. We can afterwards make our way without difficulty to Guam, having plenty of islands to stop at in our course."
Tom said this to keep up his own spirits and those of his companions.
They had not as yet begun to suffer from hunger, but he well knew that they should in a few days unless they could reach land. They had none of them calculated on the contingency which had occurred. The gale continued all day. At night the sea went down, and the wind fell considerably, but still blew from the southward. The boat was put about, as Tom and Desmond agreed that they must try and beat up to Faralon, which they might hope to sight in two or three days at the utmost. By daylight the wind had fallen sufficiently to enable them to set all sail, but they agreed that it would have been better to have had a dead calm, so that they might have pulled the boat in the direction they wished to go. At present, however, there was too much wind to enable them to do that.
Tom, who had hitherto bravely kept up his spirits, began to feel far from happy, although he did his best not to allow his companions to discover this. He could not help reflecting that in three or four days their water and provisions must come almost to an end. They had not enough now, even to keep up their strength, and it might still take two or three weeks before they could reach an island inhabited by civilised people. He, however, did his best not to communicate his feelings to his companions.
"I wish we had gone to j.a.pan," exclaimed Billy Blueblazes. "We should have been there long ago, and I don"t like these short commons--that I don"t."
"I acted for the best," answered Tom. He could not say another word: he felt more for his companions than himself.
The two Irishmen were looking very woe-begone. All Pat"s fun had left him; he had just strength enough to tend the jib sheets. Tim was stationed at the foresail, while Jerry stood by the main halyards.
Tom and Desmond, who had never played tricks with their const.i.tutions, which were remarkably good ones, suffered much less than the rest, but even they felt themselves growing weaker and weaker. They had each day taken an observation. According to the chart they were nearly up to Faralon, but no land appeared in sight. Each day Tom had lessened the allowance of food and water; he now took stock of what remained. Half a dozen yams had been discovered, and these, beaten up with some oil, were all they had to sustain life. It was nauseous at best, but they ate it greedily. Another night came on; the sea was tolerably smooth, the sky was overcast, and a thick mist arose, although it still blew very fresh.
The boat was kept under easy sail, close-hauled. Tom had the first watch with Billy and Pat. It was unusually dark, so that it was with difficulty that he could see the length of the boat. Before night came on Tom had again examined the chart.
"I am convinced that by noon--perhaps earlier--to-morrow at latest, we shall see land," he said.
"I agree with you," exclaimed Desmond. "On the strength of it, I propose that we have a gla.s.s of grog apiece."
"You"ll not be afther laughin" at us, shure, Mr Desmond?" said Tim.
"If we could but have a dhrop of the creature, it would cheer our hearts mightily."
"Indeed, I am not," said Desmond, producing the bottle from one of the after lockers. It was but a quarter full of rum, but even the small portion mixed with water which Desmond served out was sufficient to restore energy, to the almost exhausted party. The remainder he carefully put by for the next day. After this the watch below lay down and went to sleep.
Tom sat at the helm. Every now and then he told Pat to keep a bright look out.
"Arrah, sir, it will be a hard matter to do that, since I cannot see half a fathom before my nose."
"There cannot be much use in looking out," said Billy. "If we were near the land we should have seen it before dark; and as we have not fallen in with a single vessel since we left the Bonins, we are not likely to meet with one to-night."
"That"s not sound reasoning, Billy," answered Tom. "We must, until the fog lifts, make more use of our ears than our eyes. We may hear breakers ahead in time to avoid them if we listen attentively."
They were silent for some time. Tom"s chief object in speaking was to keep his companions awake.
"Billy," he said, after some time, "did you hear anything?"
"Yes; I fancied I heard a bell strike."
"More than once?"
"Yes; four times."
"So did I," said Tom; and he took out his watch, intending to look at it by the light of the binnacle lamp, when at that instant the lamp went out. The oil had been exhausted, and there was no more in the can.
Pat, he had reason to fear, had taken a pull at it unperceived.
He struck a match, and saw it was just ten o"clock. There could be no doubt, then, that the bell they heard was that on board a ship; still it was so faint that she was probably a long way off.
Tom could now only steer by the wind, which, however, he believed was holding steady. He had settled with Desmond to go about at four bells, and to keep on the starboard tack until midnight, then again to go about. He had just ordered Pat to let fly the jib sheet, and had put down the helm, when, as the boat was in stays, Pat sang out--
"A sail right ahead!" What was Tom"s horror at that instant to see a vast pyramid of sail towering above him. The next moment a crash was heard; the stranger"s stem struck the boat"s bow. At the sound Desmond and Jerry sprang to their feet. Instinctively they knew that they had been run down, and simultaneously they uttered shouts of "Help, help!"
Ropes were hove to them by the look-out men on the stranger"s forecastle. Tom put one into the hands of Billy, who was too much alarmed to know what to do, while he himself grasped another. Pat had caught hold of the dolphin striker, and was making his way up to the bowsprit. Jerry grasped another rope, and all three swarmed up until they met friendly hands to a.s.sist them. Tom supposed that Desmond and Tim were following, but, as he looked back, what was his dismay to see the boat drifting away. The crash he had heard convinced him that her side must have been stove in, and that she must sink almost immediately.
"There are two men clinging to the craft you ran down, sir. In mercy"s sake, lower a boat and pick them up," he shouted out.