The breeze freshened. By nightfall the _Bellona_ was out of sight of land, and Jack felt much more easy than he had done for several days.
Although the rough seas had greatly delayed the engineer, he was at length able to report that the machinery was again in order. The wind also had fallen considerably, and the sea having much gone down, Jack hoped that he might at length get rid of his guests. Both officers and men had behaved admirably, and had a.s.sisted on all occasions in making sail, or when pulling and hauling was required on deck. The ship was, at this time, about forty miles from the port of debarkation. After many anxious hours of watching, Jack turned in, leaving Tom, as officer of the watch, on deck.
Young Alick Murray had been placed in Tom"s watch, and besides him there was a mate and another midshipman. The night was tolerably clear, the stars shining, but a mist hung above the surface of the sea, so that no object could be seen until tolerably near. Tom constantly hailed the look-outs forward to ascertain that they were keeping their eyes open, and young Alick paid frequent visits to the forecastle, sent by Tom for the same purpose. The engines were working, though not in so satisfactory a manner as was desirable. Alick was forward, when his sharp eyes discovered an object almost ahead, though slightly on the starboard bow.
"What"s that?" he asked, pointing it out to Tim Nolan, who was on the watch. "A boat, a raft, or a sunken vessel?"
"It looks to me like a raft, and we must starboard the helm if we don"t want to run into it," said Tim.
"A raft on the starboard bow!" shouted Alick, in his clear voice.
"Starboard the helm!"
"Starboard it is," was the answer, and presently what looked like a hen-coop and a grating with a few spars lashed together, came in sight, and an object, evidently a human being, lying on it, but whether alive or dead could not at once be ascertained. Presently, however, as the ship was abreast of the raft, a man rose on his knees and waved his hand, while he shouted out, "Ship, ahoy!" His voice sounded hollow and shrill; he apparently supposed that he had not been seen. Tom immediately ordered the engines to be stopped, and a boat to be lowered, but before this was done she had got a considerable distance from the raft. Another cry escaped the forlorn occupant of the raft, as if he fancied he was to be left to his fate. Tom hailed him, telling him that a.s.sistance would be sent. In a few minutes a boat was pulling as fast as the crew, with st.u.r.dy strokes--eager to rescue a fellow-creature-- could drive her through the water. Alick had jumped into the boat, which he steered carefully up to the raft. No voice was heard as they approached. The poor man, overcome with the thought that he had been deserted, had apparently fainted or sunk down again from weakness. At first Alick thought that he was not there, but his form was seen stretched out at full length on the frail raft.
"Look out not to capsize it!" sang out Alick to his men, two of whom were about to spring on the raft. "Let one at a time get on it, and lift the man carefully into the boat."
His orders were obeyed, the man was got on board and pa.s.sed along to the stern sheets, where he was laid with his head on a flag, which happened to be in the boat. Alick pulled back as hard as possible, that the stranger might be placed under charge of the doctor. The poor man breathed, and that was all. Alick was afraid that he might go off unless speedily attended to, for the boat had come away without brandy or any other restorative.
The rescued man was handed on deck with all the tenderness with which sailors are wont to treat the sick and wounded, or women and children.
The doctor was immediately roused up to do what he considered necessary.
The stranger seemed by his dress to be an officer, although, whether officer or man, he would have been looked after with the same care. Tom had him at once carried to his cabin, where the doctor undressed him.
The various remedies which his case required having been applied, the stranger soon gave signs of returning animation.
"His pulse is improving," observed the doctor, "and he will do well enough after a time. No one must talk to him, however, when he comes to his senses, or try to learn how he got into the situation in which he was found."
Tom"s watch being over, and having given up his cabin he was about to roll himself up in his cloak in a corner of the ward room, when the fearful cry of "Fire! fire!" was raised. He hurried on deck, where Jack and all the officers and crew quickly a.s.sembled. The drum beat to quarters. The men flew to their stations. The soldiers, who well knew the meaning of the tattoo, hastened on deck and fell in, according to their officers" orders, on either side.
During that moment of awful suspense, strict discipline prevailed. The last persons to appear were the major and Mrs Bubsby and their two tall daughters. The former, with a blanket thrown over his head, making him look very much like a young polar bear, and the lady in her nightcap, with a bonnet secured by a red woollen shawl fastened under her chin, while the costume of the young ladies showed also that they had hurriedly dressed themselves, and in a way they would not have wished to have appeared in, under ordinary circ.u.mstances, one having her papa"s military cloak tied round her waist, while the other had a railway rug, of large size, covering her shoulders and hanging down behind.
"What"s the matter? what"s the matter?" asked the major, in a tone of agitation.
"The ship is on fire, and we, with the aid of your men, have to put it out," said Jack.
"Fire!" exclaimed Mrs Bubsby. "Oh, dear! oh, dear! what will become of us. I thought such a thing was impossible on board of a well-regulated man-of-war."
Jack had no time to reply to the lady. That the ship was on fire was too certain, as they could perceive a strong smell of burning, and although the smoke could not be seen through the darkness, its suffocating effects were felt as it ascended through the after hatch-way. Jack at once ordered the first lieutenant and boatswain with a party of men to go below and ascertain the cause and extent of the fire, while the soldiers stood ready with buckets full of water in their hands, as did a party of the crew, with wet blankets and sails, to extinguish it. No sooner was the hatch taken off, however, than not only smoke but bright flames ascended. On this the soldiers, who were standing on the lower deck, were ordered to advance and heave the contents of their buckets over the spot. At first it appeared to produce but little effect. The steam pump was set to work and the hose carried aft, but scarcely had it begun to work, than the machinery by some accident gave way, and it was of no service.
The major, seeing the serious aspect of affairs, at length rushed up to Jack.
"Captain Rogers, what is to become of my wife and daughters?" he asked, in an agitated tone.
"We will lower one of the boats, and put them into it," said the captain, "with the senior mate and a midshipman."
Jack at once issued the order for the cutter to be lowered and manned.
Her own crew went in her with the officers Jack had appointed.
"Murray, you go too," he said. "We will take you on board again as soon as the fire is put out."
Alick touched his cap, but was evidently very unwilling to go, though he said nothing.
"The boat is ready, major, for your wife and daughters," shouted Jack.
The accommodation ladder was lowered to enable them to descend.
"Now, my precious ones," cried the major. "Your lives shall be saved at all events, though it"s my belief that the ship will burn to the water"s edge and go down."
Billy was too busy attending to his duty below to a.s.sist his fair friends; indeed, he would not have been sorry to keep out of their way had he known what was taking place.
Mrs Bubsby was the first to descend, helped by two of the crew, who could for a moment be spared to a.s.sist her. The eldest daughter went next, when the major descended, supporting Angelica, who, overcome by her feelings, appeared to have fainted. When the crew offered to a.s.sist her into the boat, he exclaimed--
"No, no, hands off, I must place her in her mother"s arms," and stepped in, not without a risk of pitching over into the stern sheets.
Jack, who just then looked over the side, observing that no one else remained to get into the boat, ordered her to shove off.
"But the major is in her, sir," answered Alick.
"He must not go back to the dreadful ship!" cried Mrs Bubsby, her words being echoed by her daughters, while Angelica, throwing her arms round his neck, held him down. In vain the major struggled, or appeared to struggle, to regain the accommodation ladder, but each time that he made an attempt to get on board, his wife and daughters pulled him back.
While this was going forward, the boat was veered astern by a long warp, and now and then the major attempted to shout, but his wife placed her hand over his mouth, so that his demands to be taken on board were unheeded.
At length, appearing reconciled to his fate, he subsided down and remained quietly with his wife and family, without any further effort to return to the ship.
"It can"t be helped, sir," said young Alick. "They"ll do very well without you, as there are quite men enough to put out the fire. I wish, though, that I was on board to help."
"Do you think there is any chance of the ship blowing up?" said Mrs Bubsby. "If it does I"m afraid we shall lose all our things."
"You may be very sure, madam, that if the ship does blow up you will lose everything, but I can"t help thinking that the lives of the officers and crew, not to speak of the poor soldiers, are of more consequence than your traps," answered Alick.
"Oh dear! oh dear! will the ship blow up, do you suppose?" inquired Angelica. "And poor Lieutenant Blewitt, what will become of him?"
"I suppose that Billy must share the fate of others," answered Alick.
"But I can a.s.sure you that I have no fear that she will blow up. Her crew are well-disciplined, and the soldiers appear to be equally so, judging by the way they were behaving when we left the ship, and it was only as a matter of precaution, in case of accident, that Captain Rogers had you put into the boat, and it is probable that we shall be on board again in an hour or so, or in less time."
"Do you venture to call Lieutenant Blewitt "Billy?"" exclaimed Angelica, in whose tender besom the full amount of affection she had ever felt had returned for our friend, on supposing that he was in peril and might be lost to her for ever.
"I beg your pardon, Miss Angelica. I forgot when I spoke that you and he were spooney on each other," answered Alick, with perfect gravity.
"I confess that we always call him "Billy" in the berth, but on duty we address him with due respect as "Lieutenant Blewitt"; the other lieutenants, however, always speak of him as "Billy Blueblazes," and he likes the name, he has got so accustomed to it."
Meantime, as far as could be ascertained by those in the boat, the fire continued burning on board the ship. Sparks were seen occasionally rising above the deck, and Alick now began to entertain serious apprehensions that the ship would be destroyed. Some of her crew might escape in the boats, but he was very sure that the officers would be the last to leave her, and that it would be impossible to construct rafts to convey them all. He had been ready up to this time to joke and even to laugh. He now became very serious. The fire might reach to the magazine, though he felt sure that Captain Rogers would order it to be drowned or the powder to be thrown overboard, if such could be done.
Meantime Jack and those under his command were making every effort which men could make to extinguish the fire. It was discovered to have originated in the after bunkers, and that the flames had got hold of some of the wood-work. By persevering efforts they having been extinguished, Tom, covering up his head with a piece of wet blanket, followed by Jerry Bird and a gallant party of seamen similarly protected, made their way, buckets in hand, to the very seat of the fire.
Again and again they were driven back, and Jerry, stout-hearted as he was, was hoisted senseless on deck, overcome by the smoke; two others suffering in the same manner, Tom and the rest persevering. He was ready to perish rather than allow Jack"s ship to be destroyed. More volunteers were called for. At length, by their united efforts, as one party being overcome, another taking their place, the fire was got under, when the bunk being cooled by water, the coals were sc.r.a.ped out.
By this time the sun was just rising above the horizon, casting a bright glare on the ship, as she slowly moved over the calm water. Jack and all the naval and military officers were still on deck, many of them with their faces and hands blackened, as well as their clothing, by the smoke, while the ship herself presented far from her usual trim appearance. The boat was hauled alongside. The first to appear was the major, still wearing his blanket, which he had forgotten to throw aside, and not recollecting the curious figure he cut. His own officers turned from him, disgusted at what they supposed his pusillanimity and his desertion of them and his men; while the naval officers only laughed at his unusual and somewhat absurd costume. He was followed by his two daughters, Mrs Major Bubsby bringing up the rear, though it might have been wiser in her to have led the van. Her curious appearance did not lessen the merriment of those who had not before seen her, and those of the crew who were standing near in no way attempted to restrain their laughter.