Andretookasketch—bookfromhispocket,andproceededtomakeadrawingofthereef。Scarcelyhadhecompletedtheoutlinewhenhisfatherexclaimed:
\"Why,Andre,youhavedrawnaham!\"
\"Somethinguncommonlylikeit,Iconfess,\"repliedAndre。\"IthinkwehadbetteraskCaptainCurtistoletuscallourislandHamRock。\"
\"Good,\"saidI;\"thoughsailorswillneedtokeepitatarespectfuldistance,fortheywillscarcelyfindthattheirteetharestrongenoughtotackleit。\"
M。Letourneurwasquitecorrect;theoutlineofthereefasitstoodclearlydefinedagainstthedeepgreenwaterresemblednothingsomuchasafineYorkham,ofwhichthelittlecreek,wheretheChancellorhadbeenstranded,correspondedtothehollowplaceabovetheknuckle。Thetideatthistimewaslow,andtheshipnowlayheeledoververymuchtothestarboardside,thefewpointsofrockthatemergedintheextremesouthofthereefplainlymarkingthenarrowpassagethroughwhichshehadbeenforcedbeforeshefinallyranaground。
AssoonasAndrehadfinishedhissketchwedescendedbyaslopeasgradualasthatbywhichwehadcomeup,andmadeourwaytowardthewest。Wehadnotgoneveryfarwhenabeautifulgrotto,perfectasanarchitecturalstruc—
ture,arrestedourattention。M。LetourneurandAndre,whohavevisitedtheHebrides,pronouncedittobeaFingal’scaveinminiature;aGothicchapelthatmightformafitvestibuleforthecathedralcaveofStaffa。Thebasalticrockshadcooleddownintothesameregularconcentricprisms;therewasthesamedarkcanopiedroofwithitsin—
tersticesfilledupwithitsyellowlutings;thesameprecisionofoutlineintheprismaticangles,sharpasthoughchiseledbyasculptor’shand;thesamesonorousvibrationoftheairacrossthebasalticrocks,ofwhichtheGaelicpoetshavefeignedthattheharpsoftheFingalminstrelsyweremade。
ButwhereasatStaffathefloorofthecaveisalwayscoveredwithasheetofwater,herethegrottowasbeyondthereachofallbutthehighestwaves,whiletheprismaticshaftsthem—
selvesformedquiteasolidpavement。
Afterremainingnearlyanhourinournewly—discoveredgrottowereturnedtotheChancellor,andcommunicatedtheresultofourexplorationstoCurtis,whoenteredtheislanduponhischart,bythenameAndreLetourneurhadpro—
posed。
SinceitsdiscoverywehavenotpermittedadaytopasswithoutspendingsometimeinourHamRockgrotto。
Curtishastakenanopportunityofvisitingit,butheistoopreoccupiedwithothermatterstohavemuchinteresttospareforthewondersofnature。Falsten,too,cameonceandexaminedthecharacteroftherocks,knockingandchippingthemaboutwithallthemercilessnessofageologist。
Mr。Kearwouldnottroublehimselftoleavetheship;andalthoughIaskedhiswifetojoinusinoneofourexcursionsshedeclined,uponthepleathatthefatigue,aswellastheinconvenienceofembarkingintheboat,wouldbemorethanshecouldbear。
MissHerbey,onlytothankfultoescapeevenforanhourfromhercapriciousmistress,eagerlyacceptedM。Letour—
neur’sinvitationtopayavisittothereef,buttohergreatdisappointmentMrs。Kearatfirstrefusedpoint—blanktoallowhertoleavetheship。Ifeltintenselyannoyed,andre—
solvedtointercedeinMissHerbey’sfavor;andasIhadalreadyrenderedthatself—indulgentladysundryserviceswhichshethoughshemightprobablybegladagaintoac—
cept,Igainedmypoint,andMissHerbeyhasseveraltimesbeenpermittedtoaccompanyusacrosstherocks,wheretheyounggirl’sdelightatherfreedomhasbeenapleasuretobehold。
Sometimeswefishalongtheshore,andthenenjoyaluncheoninthegrotto,whilethebasaltcolumnsvibratelikeharpstothebreeze。Thisaridreef,littleasitis,comparedwiththecrampedlimitsoftheChancellor’sdeckislikesomevastdomain;soontherewillbescarcelyastonewithwhichwearenotfamiliar,scarcelyaportionofitssurfacewhichwehavenottrodden,andIamsurethatwhenthehourofdeparturearrivesweshallleaveitwithregret。
Inthecourseofconversation,AndreLetourneuronedayhappenedtosaythathebelievedtheislandofStaffabe—
longedtotheMacdonaldfamily,wholetitforthesmallsumofL。12ayear。
\"Isupposethen,\"saidMissHerbey,\"thatweshouldhardlygetmorethanhalf—a—crownayearforourpetlittleisland。\"
\"Idon’tthinkyouwouldgetapennyforit。MissHerbey;
butareyouthinkingoftakingalease?\"Isaidlaughing。
\"Notatpresent,\"shesaid;thenadded,withahalf—sup—
pressedsigh,\"andyetitisaplacewhereIhaveseemedtoknowwhatitistobereallyhappy。\"
Andremurmuredsomeexpressionofassent,andweallfeltthattherewassomethingtouchinginthewordsoftheorphaned,friendlessgirlwhohadfoundherlong—lostsenseofhappinessonalonelyrockintheAtlantic。
CHAPTERXIX
THECARGOUNLOADED
NOVEMBER6toNovember15。——ForthefirstfivedaysaftertheChancellorhadrunaground,therewasadenseblacksmokecontinuallyrisingfromthehold;butitgrad—
uallydiminisheduntilthe6thofNovember,whenwemightconsiderthatthefirewasextinguished。Curtis,neverthe—
less,deemeditprudenttopersevereinworkingthepumps,whichhediduntiltheentirehulloftheship,rightuptothedeck,hadbeencompletelyinundated。
Therapidity,however,withwhichthewater,ateveryre—
treatofthetide,drainedofftothelevelofthesea,wasanindicationthattheleakmustbeofconsiderablemagnitude;
andsuch,oninvestigation,provedtobethecase。Oneofthesailors,namedFlaypole,divedonedayatlowwatertoex—
aminetheextentofthedamage,andfoundthattheholewasnotmuchlessthanfourfeetsquare,andwassituatedthirtyfeetforeofthehelm,andtwofeetabovetheriderofthekeel;threeplankshadbeenstoveinbyasharppointofrockanditwasonlyawonderthattheviolencewithwhichtheheavily—ladenvesselhadbeenthrownashoredidnotresultinthesmashinginofmanypartsbeside。
Asitwouldbeacoupleofdaysormorebeforetheholdwouldbeinaconditionforthebalesofcottontoberemovedforthecarpentertoexaminethedamagefromtheinterioroftheship,Curtisemployedtheintervalinhavingthebrokenmizzen—mastrepaired。Dowlasthecarpenter,withcon—
siderableskill,contrivedtomortiseitintoitsformerstump。
andmadethejunctionthoroughlysecurebystrongiron—
beltsandbolts。Theshrouds,thestaysandbackstays,werethencarefullyrefitted,someofthesailswerechanged,andthewholeoftherunningriggingwasrenewed。Injury,tosomeextent,hadbeendonetothepoopandtothecrew’slockersinthefront;buttimeandlaborwereallthatwerewantedtomakethemgood;andwithsuchawilldidevery—
bodysettoworkthatitwasnotlongbeforeallthecabinswereagainavailableforuse。
Onthe8ththeunladingoftheshipcommenced。Pulleysandtacklingwereputoverthehatches,andpassengersandcrewtogetherproceededtohauluptheheavybaleswhichhadbeendelugedsofrequentlybywaterthatthecottonwasallbutspoiled。Onebyonethesoddenbaleswereplacedintheboattobetransportedtothereef。Afterthefirstlayerofcottonhadbeenremoveditbecamenecessarytodrainoffpartofthewaterthatfilledthehold。Forthispurposetheleakinthesidehadsomehoworothertobestopped,andthiswasanoperationwhichwascleverlyaccomplishedbyDowlasandFlaypole,whocontrivedtodiveatlowtideandnailasheetofcopperovertheentirehole。This,how—
ever,ofitselfwouldhavebeenutterlyinadequatetosustainthepressurethatwouldarisefromtheactionofthepumps;
soCurtisorderedthatanumberofthebalesshouldbepiledupinsideagainstthebrokenplanks。Theschemesucceededverywell,andasthewatergotlowerandlowerintheholdthemenwereenabledtor俿um?theirtaskofunlading。
Curtisthinksitquiteprobablethattheleaksmaybemendedfromtheinterior。Byfarthebestwayofrepairingthedamagewouldbetocareentheship,andtoshifttheplanking,buttheappliancesarewantingforsuchanun—
dertaking;moreover,anybadweatherwhichmightoccurwhiletheshipwasonherflankwouldonlytoocertainlybefataltoheraltogether。Butthecaptainhasverylittledoubtthatbysomedeviceorotherheshallmanagetopatchuptheholeinsuchawayaswillinsureourreachinglandinsafety。
Aftertwodays’toilthewaterwasentirelyreduced,andwithoutfurtherdifficultytheunladingwascompleted。Allofus,includingevenAndreLetourneur,havebeentakingourturnatthepumps,fortheworkissoextremelyfatiguingthatthecrewrequiresomeoccasionalrespite;armsandbacksoonbecomestrainedandwearywiththeincessantswingofthehandles,andIcanwellunderstandthedislikewhichsailorsalwaysexpresstothelabor。
Onethingthereiswhichismuchinourfavor;theshipliesonafirmandsolidbottom,andwehavethesatisfactionofknowingthatwearenotcontendingwithafloodthatencroachesfasterthanitcanberesisted。Heavengrantthatwemaynotbecalledtomakelikeefforts,andtomakethemhopelessly,forafounderingship!
CHAPTERXX
EXAMINATIONOFTHEHOLD
NOVEMBER15to20。——Theexaminationoftheholdhasatlastbeenmade。Amongthefirstthingsthatwerefoundwasthecaseofpicrate,perfectlyintact,havingneitherbeeninjuredbythewater,norofcoursereachedbytheflames。
WhyitwasnotatoncepitchedintotheseaIcannotsay;
butitwasmerelyconveyedtotheextremityoftheisland,andthereitremains。
Whiletheywerebelow,CurtisandDowlasmadethem—
selvesacquaintedwiththefullextentofthemischiefthathadbeendonebytheconflagration。Theyfoundthatthedeckandthecross—beamsthatsupportedithadbeenmuchlessinjuredthantheyexpected,andthethick,heavyplankshadonlybeenscorchedverysuperficially。Buttheactionofthefireontheflanksoftheshiphadbeenofamuchmoreseriouscharacter;alongportionoftheinsideboardinghadbeenburnedaway,andtheveryribsofthevesselwerecon—
siderablydamaged;theoakumcaulkingshadallstartedawayfromthebutt—endsandseams;somuchsothatitwaslittleshortofamiraclethatthewholeshiphadnotlongsincegapedcompletelyopen。
Thecaptainandthecarpenterreturnedtothedeckwithanxiousfaces。Curtislostnotimeinassemblingpas—
sengersandcrew,andannouncingtothemthefactsofthecase。
\"Myfriends,\"hesaid,\"IamheretotellyouthattheChancellorhassustainedfargreaterinjuriesthanwesus—
pected,andthatherhullisveryseriouslydamaged。Ifwehadbeenstrandedanywhereelsethanonabarrenreef,thatmayatanytimebeoverwhelmedbyatempestuoussea,I
shouldnothavehesitatedtotaketheshiptopieces,andcon—
structasmallervesselthatmighthavecarriedussafelytoland;butIdarenotruntheriskofremaininghere。Wearenow800milesfromthecoastofParamaribo,thenearestportionofDutchGuiana,andintenortwelvedays,iftheweathershouldbefavorable,Ibelievewecouldreachtheshore。WhatInowproposetodoistostoptheleakbythebestmeanswecancommand,andmakeatonceforthenearestport。\"
Asnobetterplanseemedtosuggestitself,Curtis’sproposalwasunanimouslyaccepted。Dowlasandhisassistantsim—
mediatelysettoworktorepairthecharredframe—workoftheribs,andtostoptheleak;theytookcarethoroughlytocalkfromtheoutsidealltheseamsthatwereabovelowwatermark;lowerthanthattheywereunabletowork,andhadtocontentthemselveswithsuchrepairsastheycouldeffectintheinterior。ButafterallthepainsthereisnodoubttheChancellorisnotfitforalongvoyage,andwouldbecondemnedasunseaworthyatanyportatwhichwemightputin。
To—daythe20th,Curtishavingdoneallthathumanpowercoulddotorepairhisship,determinedtoputhertosea。
EversincetheChancellorhadbeenrelievedofhercargo,andofthewaterinherhold,shehadbeenabletofloatinthelittlenaturalbasinintowhichshehadbeendriven。Thebasinwasenclosedoneitherhandbyrocksthatremaineduncoveredevenathighwater,butwassufficientlywidetoallowthevesseltoturnquiteroundatitsbroadestpart,andbymeansofhawsersfastenedonthereeftobebroughtwithherbowstowardsthesouth;while,topreventherbeingcarriedbackontothereef,shehasbeenanchoredforeandaft。
Toallappearance,then,itseemedasthoughitwouldbeaneasymattertoputtheChancellortosea;ifthewindwerefavorablethesailswouldbehoisted;ifotherwise,shewouldhavetobetowedthroughthenarrowpassage。Allseemedsimple。Butunlooked—fordifficultieshadyettobesurmounted。
Themouthofthepassageisguardedbyakindofridgeofbasalt,whichathightideweknewwasbarelycoveredwithsufficientwatertofloattheChancellor,evenwhenen—
tirelyunfreighted。Tobesureshehadbeencarriedovertheobstacleoncebefore,butthen,asIhavealreadysaid,shehadbeencaughtupbyanenormouswave,andmighthavebeensaidtobeLIFTEDoverthebarrierintoherpres—
entposition。Besides,onthatevermemorablenight,therehadnotonlybeentheordinaryspring—tide,butanequinoctialtide,suchaoneascouldnotbeexpectedtooccuragainformanymonths。Waitingwasoutofthequestion;soCurtisdeterminedtoruntherisk,andtotakeadvantageofthespring—tide,whichwouldoccurto—day,tomakeanattempttogettheship,lightenedasshewas,overthebar;afterwhich,hemightballasthersufficientlytosail。
Thewindwasblowingfromthenorthwest,andconse—
quentlyrightinthedirectionofthepassage。Thecaptain,however,afteraconsultation,preferredtotowtheshipovertheridge,asheconsidereditwasscarcelysafetoallowavesselofdoubtfulstabilityatfullsailtochargeanobstaclethatwouldprobablybringhertoadeadlock。Beforetheoperationwascommenced,Curtistooktheprecautionofhavingananchorreadyinthestern,for,intheeventoftheattemptbeingunsuccessful,itwouldbenecessarytobringtheshipbacktoherpresentmoorings。Twomoreanchorswerenextcarriedoutsidethepassage,whichwasnotmorethantwohundredfeetinlength。Thechainswereattachedtothewindlass,thesailorsworkedatthehand—spikes,andatfouro’clockintheafternoontheChancellorwasinmo—
tion。
Hightidewouldbeattwentyminutespastfour,andattenminutesbeforethattimetheshiphadbeenhauledasfarashersea—rangewouldallow;herkeelgrazedtheridge,andherprogresswasarrested。Whenthelowestpartofherstern,however,justclearedtheobstruction,Curtisdeemedthattherewasnolongeranyreasonwhythemechanicalac—
tionofthewindshouldnotbebroughttobearandcon—
tributeitsassistance。Withoutdelay,allsailswereunfurledandtrimmedtothewind。Thetidewasexactlyatitsheight,passengersandcrewtogetherwereatthewindlass,M。
Letourneur,Andre,Falsten,andmyselfbeingatthestar—
boardbar。Curtisstooduponthepoop,givinghischiefattentiontothesails;thelieutenantwasontheforecastle;
theboatswainbythehelm。Theseaseemedpropitiouslycalmand;asitswelledgentlytoandfro,liftedtheshipseveraltimes。
\"Now,myboys,\"saidCurtis,inhiscalmclearvoice,\"alltogether!Off!\"
Roundwentthewindlass;click,click,clankedthechainsaslinkbylinktheywereforcedthroughthehawse—holes。
Thebreezefreshened,andthemastsgavetothepressureofthesails,butroundandroundwewent,keepingtimeinregularmonotonytothesing—songtunehummedbyoneofthesailors。
Wehadgainedabouttwentyfeet,andwereredoublingoureffortswhentheshipgroundedagain。
Andnownoeffortwouldavail;allwasinvain;thetidebegantoturn:andtheChancellorwouldnotadvanceaninch。
Wastheretimetogoback?Shewouldinevitablygotopiecesifleftbalancedupontheridge。Inaninstantthecap—
tainhasorderedthesailstobefurled,andtheanchordroppedfromthestern。
Onemomentofterribleanxiety,andalliswell。
TheChancellortackstostern,andglidesbackintothebasin,whichisoncemoreherprison。
\"Well,captain,\"saystheboatswain,\"what’stobedonenow?\"
\"Idon’tknow,\"saidCurtis,\"butweshallgetacrosssomehow。\"
CHAPTERXXI
THE\"CHANCELLOR\"RELEASEDFROMHERPRISON
NOVEMBER21TO24。——TherewasassuredlynotimetobelostbeforeweoughttoleaveHamRockreef。Thebarom—
eterhadbeenfallingeversincethemorning,theseawasgettingrougher,andtherewaseverysymptomthattheweather,hithertosofavorable,wasonthepointofbreaking;
andintheeventofagaletheChancellormustinevitablybedashedtopiecesontherocks。
Intheevening,whenthetidewasquitelow,andtherocksuncovered,Curtis,theboatswain,andDowlaswenttoexam—
inetheridgewhichhadprovedsoseriousanobstruction。
FalstenandIaccompaniedthem。Wecametotheconclu—
sionthattheonlywayofeffectingapassagewasbycuttingawaytherockswithpikesoverasurfacemeasuringtenfeetbysix。Anextradepthofnineortenincheswouldgiveasufficientgauge,andthechannelmightbeaccuratelymarkedoutbybuoys;inthiswayitwasconjecturedtheshipmightbegotovertheridgeandsoreachthedeepwaterbeyond。
\"Butthisbasaltisashardasgranite,\"saidtheboatswain;
\"besides,wecanonlygetatitatlowwater,andconse—
quentlycouldonlyworkatitfortwohoursoutofthetwenty—four。\"
\"Allthemorereasonwhyweshouldbeginatonce,boat—
swain,\"saidCurtis。
\"Butifitistotakeusamonth,captain,perhapsbythattimetheshipmaybeknockedtoatoms。Couldn’tweman—
agetoblowuptherock?wehavegotsomepowderaboard。\"
\"Notenoughforthat,\"saidtheboatswain。
\"Youhavesomethingbetterthanpowder,\"saidFalsten。
\"What’sthat?\"askedthecaptain。
\"Picrateofpotash,\"wasthereply。
AndsotheexplosivesubstancewithwhichpoorRubyhadsogrievouslyimperiledthevesselwasnowtoserveheringoodstead,andInowsawwhataluckythingitwasthatthecasehadbeendepositedsafelyonthereef,insteadofbe—
ingthrownintothesea。
Thesailorswentoffatoncefortheirpikes,andDowlasandhisassistants,underthedirectionofFalsten,who,asanengineer,understoodsuchmatters,proceededtohollowoutaminewhereintodepositthepowder。Atfirstwehopedthateverythingwouldbereadyfortheblastingtotakeplaceonthefollowingmorning,butwhendaylightappearedwefoundthatthemen,althoughtheyhadlaboredwithawill,hadonlybeenabletoworkforanhouratlowwaterandthatfourtidesmustebbbeforetheminehadbeensunktotherequireddepth。
Notuntileighto’clockonthemorningofthe23dwastheworkcomplete。Theholewasboredobliquelyintherock,andwaslargeenoughtocontainabouttenpoundsofexplosivematter。Justasthepicratewasbeingintroducedintotheaperture,Falsteninterposed:
\"Stop,\"hesaid,\"Ithinkitwillbebesttomixthepicratewithcommonpowder,asthatwillallowustofiretheminewithamatchinsteadofthegun—primingwhichwouldbenecessarytoproduceashock。Besides,itisanunderstoodthingthattheadditionofgunpowderrenderspicratefarmoreeffectiveinblastingsuchrocksasthis,asthentheviolenceofthepicratepreparesthewayforthepowderwhich,slowerinitsaction,willcompletethedissevermentofthebasalt。\"
Falstenisnotagreattalker,butwhathedoessayisal—
waysverymuchtothepoint。Hisgoodadvicewasimme—
diatelyfollowed;thetwosubstancesweremixedtogether,andafteramatchhadbeenintroducedthecompoundwasrammedcloselyintothehole。
NotwithstandingthattheChancellorwasatadistancefromtherocksthatinsuredherfromanydangerofbeinginjuredbytheexplosion,itwasthoughtadvisablethatthepassengersandcrewshouldtakerefugeinthegrottoattheextremityofthereef,andevenMr。Kear,inspiteofhismanyobjections,wasforcedtoleavetheship。Falsten,assoonashehadsetfiretothematch,joinedusinourretreat。
Thetrainwastoburnfortenminutes,andattheendofthattimetheexplosiontookplace;thereport,onaccountofthedepthofthemine,beingmuffled,andmuchlessnoisythanwehadexpected。Buttheoperationhadbeenperfectlysuccessful。Beforewereachedtheridgewecouldseethatthebasalthadbeenliterallyreducedtopowder,andthatalittlechannel,alreadybeingfilledbytherisingtide,hadbeencutrightthroughtheobstacle。Aloudhurrahrangthroughtheair;ourprison—doorswereopened,andwewereprison—
ersnomore。
AthightidetheChancellorweighedanchorandfloatedoutintothesea,butshewasnotinaconditiontosailuntilshehadbeenballasted;andforthenexttwenty—fourhoursthecrewwerebusilyemployedintakingupblocksofstone,andsuchofthebalesofcottonashadsustainedtheleastamountofinjury。
Inthecourseoftheday,M。Letourneur,Andre,MissHerbey,andItookafarewellwalkroundthereef,andAndre,withartisticskill,carvedonthewallofthegrottothewordChancellor——thedesignationofHamRock,whichwehadgiventothereef——andthedateofourrunningaground。Thenwebadeadieutothesceneofourthreeweeks’sojourn,wherewehadpasseddaysthattosomeatleastofourpartywillbereckonedasfarfrombeingtheleasthappyoftheirlives。
Athightidethismorning,the24th,withlow,top,andgallantsailsallset,theChancellorstartedonheronwardway,andtwohourslaterthelastpeakofHamRockhadvanishedbelowthehorizon。
CHAPTERXXII
ANEWDANGER
NOVEMBER24toDecember1。——Herewewerethenoncemoreatsea,andalthoughonboardashipofwhichthestabilitywasveryquestionable,wehadhopes,ifthewindcontinuedfavorable,ofreachingthecoastofGuianainthecourseofafewdays。
Ourwaywassouthwestandconsequentlywiththewind,andalthoughCurtiswouldnotcrowdonallsaillesttheextraspeedshouldhaveatendencytospringtheleakafresh,theChancellormadeaprogressthatwasquitesatisfactory。
Lifeonboardbegantofallbackintoitsformerroutine;thefeelingofinsecurityandtheconsciousnessthatweweremerelyretracingourpathdoingmuch,however,todestroytheanimatedintercoursethatwouldotherwisegoonbe—
tweenpassengerandpassenger。
Thefirstfewdayspassedwithoutanyincidentworthre—
cording,thenonthe29th,thewindshiftedtothenorth,anditbecamenecessarytobracetheyards,trimthesails,andtakeastarboardtack。Thismadetheshiplurchverymuchononeside,andasCurtisfeltthatshewaslaboringfartooheavily,heclewedupthetop—gallants,prudentlyreckoningthat,underthecircumstances,cautionwasfarmoreimpor—
tantthanspeed。
Thenightcameondarkandfoggy。Thebreezefresh—
enedconsiderably,and,unfortunatelyforus,hailedfromthenorthwest。Althoughwecarriednotopsailsatall,theshipseemedtoheelovermorethanever。Mostofthepassengershadretiredtotheircabins,butallthecrewremainedondeck,whileCurtisneverquittedhispostuponthepoop。
Towardtwoo’clockinthemorningIwasmyselfprepar—
ingtogotomycabin,whenBurke,oneofthesailorswhohadbeendownintothehold,cameondeckwiththecry:
\"Twofeetofwaterbelow。\"
InaninstantCurtisandtheboatswainhaddescendedtheladder。Thestartlingnewswasonlytootrue;thesea—waterwasenteringthehold,butwhethertheleakhadsprungafresh,orwhetherthecaulkinginsomeoftheseamswasinsufficient,itwasthenimpossibletodetermine;allthatcouldbedonewastolettheshipgowiththewind,andwaitforday。
Atdaybreaktheysoundedagain——\"Threefeetofwater!\"wasthereport。IglancedatCurtis——hislipswerewhite,buthehadnotlosthisself—possession。Hequietlyin—
formedsuchofthepassengersaswerealreadyondeckofthenewdangerthatthreatenedus;itwasbetterthattheyshouldknowtheworst,andthefactcouldnotbelongcon—
cealed。ItoldM。LetourneurthatIcouldnothelphopingthattheremightyetbetimetoreachthelandbeforethelastcrisiscame。Falstenwasabouttogiveventtoanexpres—
sionofdespair,buthewassoonsilencedbyMissHerbeyassertingherconfidencethatallwouldyetbewell。
Curtisatoncedividedthecrewintotwosets,andmadethemworkincessantly,turnandturnabout,atthepumps。
Themenappliedthemselvestotheirtaskwithresignationratherthanwithardor;thelaborwashardandscarcelyre—
paidthem;thepumpswereconstantlygettingoutoforder,thevalvesbeingchokedupbytheashesandbitsofcottonthatwerefloatingaboutinthehold,whileeverymomentthatwasspentincleaningorrepairingthemwassomuchtimelost。
Slowlybutsurelythewatercontinuedtorise,andonthefollowingmorningthesoundingsgavefivefeetforitsdepth。
InoticedthatCurtis’sbrowcontractedeachtimethattheboatswainorthelieutenantbroughthimtheirreport。Therewasnodoubtitwasonlyaquestionoftime,andnotforaninstantmusttheeffortsforkeepingdownthelevelbere—
laxed。Alreadytheshiphadsunkafootlowerinthewater,andasherweightincreasedshenolongerrosebuoyantlywiththewaves,butpitchedandrolledconsiderably。
Allyesterdayandlastnightthepumpingcontinued,butstilltheseagaineduponus。Thecrewarewearyanddis—
couraged,butthesecondofficerandtheboatswainsetthemafineexampleofendurance,andthepassengershavenowbeguntotaketheirturnatthepumps。
Butallareconsciousoftoilingalmostagainsthope;wearenolongersecuredfirmlytothesolidsoiloftheHamRockreef,butwearefloatingoveranabysswhichdaily,nayhourly,threatenstoswallowusintoitsdepths。
CHAPTERXXIII
ANATTEMPTATMUTINY
DECEMBER2and3。——Forfourhourswehavesucceededinkeepingthewaterintheholdtoonelevel;now,however,itisveryevidentthatthetimecannotbefardistantwhenthepumpswillbequiteunequaltotheirtask。
YesterdayCurtis,whodoesnotallowhimselfaminute’srest,madeapersonalinspectionofthehold。I,withtheboatswainandcarpenter,accompaniedhim。Afterdislodg—
ingsomeofthebalesofcottonwecouldhearasplashing,orrathergurglingsound;butwhetherthewaterwasenter—
ingattheoriginalaperture,orwhetheritfounditswayinthroughageneraldislocationoftheseams,wewereunabletodiscover。But,whichevermightbethecase,Curtisde—
terminedtotryaplanwhich,bycuttingoffcommunicationbetweentheinteriorandexteriorofthevessel,might,ifonlyforafewhours,renderherhullmorewater—tight。Forthispurposehehadsomestrong,welltarredsailsdrawnupwardbyropesfrombelowthekeel,ashighasthepreviousleak—
ingplace,andthenfastenedcloselyandsecurelytothesideofthehull。Theschemewasdubious,andtheoperationdifficult,butforatimeitwaseffectual,andatthecloseofthedaythelevelofthewaterhadactuallybeenreducedbyseveralinches。Thediminutionwassmallenough,buttheconsciousnessthatmorewaterwasescapingthroughthescupper—holesthanwasfindingitswayintotheholdgaveusfreshcouragetoperseverewithourwork。
Thenightwasdark,butthecaptaincarriedallthesailhecould,eagertotakeeverypossibleadvantageofthewind,whichwasfresheningconsiderably。Ifhecouldhavesightedashiphewouldhavemadesignalsofdistress,andwouldnothavehesitatedtotransferthepassengers,andevenhaveallowedthecrewtofollow,iftheywerereadytoforsakehim;forhimselfhismindwasmadeup——heshouldremainonboardtheChancelloruntilshefounderedbeneathhisfeet。Nosail,however,hoveinsight;consequentlyescapebysuchmeanswasoutofourpower。
Duringthenightthecanvascoveringyieldedtothepres—
sureofthewaves,andthismorning,aftertakingthesound—
ing,theboatswaincouldnotsuppressanoathwhenhean—
nounced,\"Sixfeetofwaterinthehold!\"
Theship,then,wasfillingonceagain,andalreadyhadsunkconsiderablybelowherpreviouswater—line。Withachingarmsandbleedinghandsweworkedharderthaneveratthepumps,andCurtismakesthosewhoarenotpumpingformalineandpassbuckets,withallthespeedtheycan,fromhandtohand。
Butallinvain!Athalf—pasteightmorewaterisre—
portedinthehold,andsomeofthesailors,overcomebyde—
spair,refusetoworkoneminutelonger。
ThefirsttoabandonhispostwasOwen,amanwhomI
havementionedbeforeasexhibitingsomethingofamu—
tinousspirit。Heisaboutfortyyearsofage,andaltogetherunprepossessinginappearance;hisfaceisbare,withtheexceptionofareddishbeard,whichterminatesinapoint;
hisforeheadisfurrowedwithsinisterlookingwrinkles,hislipscurlinward,andhisearsprotrude,whilehisblearedandbloodshoteyesareencircledwiththickredrings。
AmongthefiveorsixothermenwhohadstruckworkI
noticedJynxstrop,thecook,whoevidentlysharedallOwen’sill—feelings。
TwicedidCurtisorderthemenbacktothepumps,andtwicedidOwen,actingasspokesmanfortherest,refuse;
andwhenCurtismadeastepforwardasthoughtoapproachhim,hesaidsavagely:
\"Iadviseyounottotouchme,\"andwalkedawaytotheforecastle。
Curtisdescendedtohiscabin,andalmostimmediatelyre—
turnedwithaloadedrevolverinhishand。
ForamomentOwensurveyedthecaptainwithafrownofdefiance;butatasignfromJynxstropheseemedtorecollecthimself,and,withtheremainderofthemen,hereturnedtohiswork。
CHAPTERXXIV
CURTISRESOLVESTOABANDONTHESHIP
DECEMBER4。——Thefirstattemptatmutinybeingthushappilysuppressed,itistobehopedthatCurtiswillsucceedaswellinfuture。Aninsubordinatecrewwouldrenderuspowerlessindeed。
Throughoutthenightthepumpswerekept,withoutrespite,steadilyatwork,butwithoutproducingtheleastsensiblebenefit。Theshipbecamesowater—loggedandheavythatshehardlyroseatalltothewaves,whichcon—
sequentlyoftenwashedoverthedeckandcontributedtheirparttowardaggravatingourcase。Oursituationwasrapidlybecomingasterribleasithadbeenwhenthefirewasraginginthemidstofus;andtheprospectofbeingswallowedbythedevouringbillowswasnolessformidablethanthatofperishingintheflames。
Curtiskeptthemenuptothemark,and,willingorunwill—
ing,theyhadnoalternativebuttoworkonasbesttheymight;butinspiteofalltheirefforts,thewaterperpetuallyrose,till,atlength,themenintheholdwhowerepassingthebucketsfoundthemselvesimmerseduptotheirwaists,andwereobligedtocomeondeck。
Thismorning,afterasomewhatprotractedconsultationwithWalterandtheboatswain,Curtisresolvedtoabandontheship。Theonlyremainingboatwasfartoosmalltoholdusall,anditwouldthereforebenecessarytoconstructaraftthatshouldcarrythosewhocouldnotfindroominher。
Dowlas,thecarpenter,Mr。Falsten,andtensailorsweretoldofftoputtheraftinhand,therestofthecrewbeingorderedtocontinuetheirworkassiduouslyatthepumps,untilthetimecameandeverythingwasreadyforembarkation。
Hatchetorsawinhand,thecarpenterandhisassistantsmadeabeginningwithoutdelay,bycuttingandtrimmingthespareyardsandextrasparstoaproperlength。Thesewerethenloweredintothesea——whichwaspropitiouslycalm——
soastofavortheoperation(whichotherwisewouldhavebeenverydifficult)oflashingthemtogetherintoafirmframework,aboutfortyfeetlongandtwenty—fivefeetwide,uponwhichtheplatformwastobesupported。
Ikeptmyownplacesteadilyatthepumps,andAndreLe—
tourneurworkedatmyside。Ioftennoticedhisfatherglanceathimsorrowfully,asthoughhewonderedwhatwouldbecomeofhimifhehadtostrugglewithwavestowhicheventhestrongestmancouldhardlyfailtosuccumb。
Butcomewhatmay,hisfatherwillneverforsakehim,andImyselfshallnotbewantinginrenderinghimwhateverassistanceIcan。
Mrs。Kear,whohadbeenforsometimeinastateofdrowsyunconsciousness,wasnotinformedoftheimmediatedanger;butwhenMissHerbey,lookingsomewhatpalewithfatigue,paidoneofherflyingvisitstothedeck,Iwarnedhertotakeeveryprecautionforherself,andtobereadyforanyemergency。
\"Thankyou,doctor,Iamalwaysready,\"shecheerfullyreplied,andreturnedtoherdutiesbelow。IsawAndrefollowtheyounggirlwithhiseyes,andalookofmelancholyinterestpassedoverhiscountenance。
Towardeighto’clockintheeveningtheframeworkfortheraftwasalmostcomplete,andthemenwerelower—
ingemptybarrels,whichhadfirstbeensecurelybunged,andwerelashingthemtothewoodworktoinsureitsfloating。
Twohourslaterandsuddenlytherearosethestartlingcry,\"Wearesinking!wearesinking!\"
UptothepooprushedMr。Kear,followedimmediatelybyFalstenandMissHerbey,whowerebearingtheinan—
imateformofMrs。Kear。Curtisrantohiscabin,instantlyreturningwithachart,asextant,andacompassinhishand。
Thescenethatfollowedwilleverbeengraveninmymemory;thecriesofdistress,thegeneralconfusion,thefranticrushofthesailorstowardtheraftthatwasnotyetreadytosupportthem,canneverbeforgotten。Thewholeperiodofmylifeseemedtobeconcentratedintothatterriblemomentwhentheplanksbentbelowmyfeetandtheoceanyawnedbeneathme。
Someofthesailorshadtakentheirdelusiverefugeintheshrouds,andIwaspreparingtofollowthemwhenahandwaslaiduponmyshoulder……TurningroundIbeheldM。
Letourneur,withtearsinhiseyes,pointingtowardhisson。
\"Yes,myfriend,\"Isaid,pressinghishand,\"wewillsavehim,ifpossible。\"
ButCurtishadalreadycaughtholdoftheyoungman,andwashurryinghimtothemain—mastshrouds,whentheChancellor,whichhadbeenscuddingalongrapidlywiththewind,stoppedsuddenly,withaviolentshock,andbegantosettle。Thesearoseovermyankles,andalmostinstinc—
tivelyIclutchedatthenearestrope。Allatonce,whenitseemedallover,theshipceasedtosink,andhungmotionlessinmid—ocean。
CHAPTERXXV
WHILETHERE’SLIFETHERE’SHOPE
NIGHTofDecember4。——CurtiscaughtyoungLetourneuragaininhisarms,and,runningwithhimacrossthefloodeddeck,depositedhimsafelyinthestarboardshrouds,whitherhisfatherandIclimbedupbesidehim。
Inowhadtimetolookaboutme。Thenightwasnotverydark,andIcouldseethatCurtishadreturnedtohispostuponthepoop;whileintheextremeaftnearthetaff—
rail,whichwasstillabovewater,IcoulddistinguishtheformsofMr。andMrs。Kear,MissHerbey,andMr。Fal—
sten。Thelieutenantandtheboatswainwereonthefarendoftheforecastle;theremainderofthecrewintheshroudsandtop—masts。
Bytheassistanceofhisfather,whocarefullyguidedhisfeetuptherigging,Andrewashoistedintothemain—top。
Mrs。Kearcouldnotbeinducedtojoinhiminhiselevatedposition,inspiteofbeingtoldthatifthewindweretofreshenshewouldinevitablybewashedoverboardbythewaves;nothingcouldinducehertolistentoremonstrances,andsheinsisteduponremainingonthepoop——MissHerbey,ofcourse,stayingbyherside。
AssoonasthecaptainsawtheChancellorwasnolongersinking,hesettoworktotakedownallthesails——yardsandall——andthetop—gallants,inthehopethatbyremovingeverythingthatcouldcompromisetheequilibriumoftheshiphemightdiminishthechanceofhercapsizingalto—
gether。
\"Butmayshenotfounderatanymoment?\"IsaidtoCurtis,whenIhadjoinedhimforawhileuponthepoop。
\"Everythingdependsupontheweather,\"hereplied,inhiscalmestmanner;\"that,ofcourse,maychangeatanyhour。Onething,however,iscertain,theChancellorpre—
servesherequilibriumforthepresent。\"
\"Butdoyoumeantosay,\"Ifurtherasked,\"thatshecansailwithtwofeetofwateroverherdeck?\"
\"No,Mr。Kazallon,shecan’tsail,butshecandriftwiththewind;andifthewindremainsinitspresentquarter,inthecourseofafewdayswemightpossiblysightthecoast。
Besides,weshallhaveourraftasalastresource;inafewhoursitwillbeready,andatdaybreakwecanembark。\"
\"Youhavenot,then,\"Iadded,\"abandonedallhopeevenyet?\"Imarveledathiscomposure。
\"Whilethere’slifethere’shope,youknow,Mr。Kazallon;
outofahundredchances,ninety—ninemaybeagainstus,butperhapstheoddonemaybeinourfavor。Besides,I
believethatourcaseisnotwithoutprecedent。Intheyear1795,athree—master,theJuno,waspreciselyinthesamehalf—sunk,water—loggedconditionasourselves;andyet,withherpassengersandcrewclingingtohertop—masts,shedriftedfortwentydays,untilshecameinsightofland,whenthosewhohadsurvivedthedeprivationandfatigueweresaved。Soletusnotdespair;letusholdontothehopethatthesurvivorsoftheChancellormaybeequallyfortunate。\"
IwasonlytooconsciousthattherewasnotmuchtobesaidinsupportofCurtis’ssanguineviewofthings,andthattheforceofreasonpointedalltheotherway;butIsaidnothing,derivingwhatcomfortIcouldfromthefactthatthecaptaindidnotyetdespondofanultimaterescue。
Asitwasnecessarytobepreparedtoabandontheshipalmostatamoment’snotice,Dowlaswasmakingeveryexertiontohurryontheconstructionoftheraft。Alittlebeforemidnighthewasonthepointofconveyingsomeplanksforthispurpose,when,tohisastonishmentandhorror,hefoundthattheframeworkhadtotallydisap—
peared。Theropesthathadattachedittothevesselhadsnappedasshebecameverticallydisplaced,andprobablyithadbeenadriftformorethananhour。
Thecrewwerefranticatthisnewmisfortune,andshout—
ing\"Overboardwiththemasts!\"theybegantocutdowntheriggingpreparatorytotakingpossessionofthemastsforanewraft。
ButhereCurtisinterposed:
\"Backtoyourplaces,mymen;backtoyourplaces。Theshipwillnotsinkyet,sodon’ttoucharopeuntilIgiveyouleave。\"
Thefirmnessofthecaptain’svoicebroughtthementotheirsenses,andalthoughsomeofthemcouldilldisguisetheirreluctance,allreturnedtotheirposts。
WhendaylighthadsufficientlyadvancedCurtismountedthemast,andlookedaroundforthemissingraft;butitwasnowheretobeseen。Theseawasfartooroughforthementoventuretotakeoutthewhale—boatinsearchofit,andtherewasnochoicebuttosettoworkandtoconstructanewraftimmediately。
Sincetheseahasbecomesomuchrougher,Mrs。Kearhasbeeninducedtoleavethepoop,andhasmanagedtojoinM。
Letourneurandhissononthemain—top,wheresheliesinastateofcompleteprostration。IneedhardlyaddthatMissHerbeycontinuesinherunweariedattendance。Thespacetowhichthesefourpeoplearelimitedisnecessarilyverysmall,nowheremeasuringtwelvefeetacross:topreventthemlosingtheirbalancesomesparshavebeenlashedfromshroudtoshroud,andfortheconvenienceofthetwoladiesCurtishascontrivedtomakeatemporaryawningofasail。
Mr。KearhasinstalledhimselfwithSilasHuntlyontheforetop。
Afewcasesofpreservedmeatandbiscuitandsomebarrelsofwater,thatfloatedbetweenthemastsafterthesubmersionofthedeck,havebeenhoistedtothetop—mastandfastenedfirmlytothestays。Thesearenowouronlyprovisions。
CHAPTERXXVI
MR。KEARMAKESABUSINESSDEAL
DECEMBER5。——Thedaywasveryhot。Decemberinlati—
tude16deg。N。isasummermonth,andunlessabreezeshouldrisetotempertheburningsun,wemightexpecttosufferfromanoppressiveheat。
Theseastillremainedveryrough,andastheheavywavesbrokeovertheshipasthoughshewereareef,thefoamflewuptotheverytop—masts,andourclotheswereperpetuallydrenchedbythespray。
TheChancellor’shullisthree—fourthsimmerged;besidesthethreemastsandthebowsprit,towhichthewhale—boatwassuspended,thepoopandtheforecastlearetheonlypor—
tionsthatnowarevisible;andastheinterveningsectionofthedeckisquitebelowthewater,theseappeartobecon—
nectedonlybytheframeworkofthenettingthatrunsalongthevessel’ssides。Communicationbetweenthetop—mastsisextremelydifficult,andwouldbeabsolutelyprecluded,wereitnotthatthesailors,withpracticeddexterity,managetohoistthemselvesaboutbymeansofthestays。Forthepas—
sengers,coweringontheirnarrowandunstableplatform,thespectacleoftheragingseabelowwastrulyterrific;
everywavethatdashedovertheshipshookthemaststilltheytrembledagain,andonecouldventurescarcelytolookortothinklestheshouldbetemptedtocasthimselfintothevastabyss。
Meanwhile,thecrewworkedawaywithalltheirremain—
ingvigoratthesecondraft,forwhichthetop—gallantsandyardswereallobligedtobeemployed;theplanks,too,whichwerecontinuallybeingloosenedandbrokenawaybytheviolenceofthewavesfromthepartitionsoftheship,wererescuedbeforetheyhaddriftedoutofreach,andwerebroughtintouse。Thesymptomsoftheshipfounderingdidnotappeartobeimmediate;sothatCurtisinsistedupontheraftbeingmadewithpropercaretoinsureitsstrength;
wewerestillseveralhundredmilesfromthecoastofGuiana,andforsolongavoyageitwasindispensabletohaveastruc—
tureofconsiderablesolidity。Thereasonablenessofthiswasself—apparent,andasthecrewhadrecoveredtheiras—
surancetheysparednopainstoaccomplishtheirworkeffec—
tually。
Ofallthenumber,therewasbutone,anIrishman,namedO’Ready,whoseemedtoquestiontheutilityofalltheirtoil。
Heshookhisheadwithanoraculargravity。Heisanold—
ishman,notlessthansixty,withhishairandbeardbleachedwiththestormsofmanytravels。AsIwasmakingmywaytowardthepoop,hecameuptomeandbegantalking。
\"Andwhy,bedad,I’dliketoknow,whyisitthatthey’llallbeaftherlavin’theship?\"
Heturnedhisquidwiththemostserenecomposure,andcontinued:
\"Andisn’titmemyselfthat’sbeenwreckedninetimesalready?andsure,poorfoolsaretheythateverhaveputtheirtrustinraftsorboats;sureandtheyfoundawatherygrave。Nay,nay;whiletheouldshiplasts,let’ssticktoher,saysI。\"
Havingthusunburdenedhismindherelapsedintosi—
lence,andsoonwentaway。
Aboutthreeo’clockInoticedthatMr。KearandSilasHuntlywereholdingananimatedconversationinthefore—
top。Thepetroleummerchanthadevidentlysomedifficultyinbringingtheex—captainroundtohisopinion,forIsawhimseveraltimesshakehisheadashegavelongandscrutin—
izinglooksattheseaandsky。Inlessthananhourafter—
wardIsawHuntlylethimselfdownbytheforestaysandclamberalongtothefore—castle,wherehejoinedthegroupofsailors,andIlostsightofhim。
Iattachedlittleimportancetotheincident,andshortlyafterwardjoinedthepartyinthemain—top,wherewecon—
tinuedtalkingforsomehours。Theheatwasintense,andifithadnotbeenfortheshelteraffordedbythesail—tent,wouldhavebeenunbearable。Atfiveo’clockwetookasre—
freshmentsomedriedmeatandbiscuit,eachindividualbe—
ingalsoallowedhalfaglassofwater。Mrs。Kearprostratewithfever,couldnottouchamouthful;andnothingcouldbedonebyMissHerbeytorelieveher,beyondoccasionallymoisteningherparchedlips。Theunfortunateladysuffersgreatly,andsometimesIaminclinedtothinkthatshewillsuccumbtotheexposureandprivation。Notoncehadherhusbandtroubledhimselfabouther;butwhenshortlyafter—
wardIheardhimhailsomeofthesailorsonthefore—castleandaskthemtohelphimdownfromtheforetop,Ibegantothinkthattheselfishfellowwascomingtojoinhiswife。
Atfirstthesailorstooknonoticeofhisrequest,butonhisrepeatingitwiththepromiseofpayingthemhandsomelyfortheirservices,twoofthem,BurkeandSandon,swungthemselvesalongthenettingintotheshrouds,andweresoonathisside。
Alongdiscussionensued。Themenevidentlywereask—
ingmorethanMr。Kearwasinclinedtogive,andatonetimeitseemedasthoughthenegotiationwouldfallthroughaltogether。Butatlengththebargainwasstruck,andIsawMr。Keartakeabundleofpaperdollarsfromhiswaistcoatpocket,andhandanumberofthemovertooneofthemen。
Themancountedthemcarefully,andfromthetimeittookhim,Ishouldthinkthathecouldnothavepocketedanythinglessthanahundreddollars。
ThenextbusinesswastogetMr。Keardownfromtheforetop,andBurkeandSandonproceededtotiearoperoundhiswaist,whichtheyafterwardfastenedtothefore—
stay;then,inawaywhichprovokedshoutsoflaughterfromtheirmates,theygavetheunfortunatemanashove,andsenthimrollingdownlikeabundleofdirtyclothesontotheforecastle。
Iwasquitemistakenastohisobject。Mr。Kearhadnointentionoflookingafterhiswife,butremainedbythesideofSilasHuntlyuntilthegatheringdarknesshidthembothfromview。
Asnightdrewon,thewindgrewcalmer,buttheseare—
mainedveryrough。Themoonhadbeenupeversincefourintheafternoon,thoughsheonlyappearedatrareintervalsbetweentheclouds。Somelonglinesofvaporonthehori—
zonweretingedwitharosyglarethatforebodedastrongbreezeforthemorrow,andallfeltanxioustoknowfromwhichquarterthebreezewouldcome,foranybutanorth—
easterwouldbearthefrailraftonwhichweweretoembarkfarawayfromland。
Abouteighto’clockintheevening,Curtismountedtothemain—top,butheseemedpreoccupiedandanxious,anddidnotspeaktoanyone。Heremainedforaquarterofanhour,thenaftersilentlypressingmyhand,hereturnedtohisoldpost。
Ilaidmyselfdowninthenarrowspaceatmydisposal,andtriedtosleep;butmymindwasfilledwithstrangefore—
bodings,andsleepwasimpossible。Theverycalmnessoftheatmospherewasoppressive;scarcelyabreathofairvibratedthroughthemetalrigging,andyetthesearosewithaheavyswellasthoughitfeltthewarningsofacomingtempest。
Allatonce,atabouteleveno’clock,themoonburstbrightlyforththroughariftintheclouds,andthewavessparkledagainasifilluminatedbyasubmarineglimmer。I
startupandlookaroundme。Isitmerelyimagination?ordoIreallyseeablackspeckfloating,onthedazzlingwhite—
nessofthewaters,aspeckthatcannotbearock,becauseitrisesandfallswiththeheavingmotionofthebillows?
Butthemoononceagainbecomesoverclouded;theseaisdarkened,andIreturntomyuneasycouchclosetothelar—
boardshrouds。
CHAPTERXXVII
THEWHALE—BOATMISSING
DECEMBER6。——Imusthavefallenasleepforafewhours,when,atfouro’clockinthemorning,Iwasrudelyarousedbytheroaringofthewind,andcoulddistinguishCurtis’svoiceasheshoutedinthebriefintervalsbetweentheheavygusts。
Igotup,andholdingtightlytothepurlin——forthewavesmadethemaststremblewiththeirviolence——Itriedtolookaroundandbelowme。Theseawasliterallyragingbeneath,andgreatmassesoflivid—lookingfoamweredashingbe—
tweenthemasts,whichwereoscillatingterrifically。Itwasstilldark,andIcouldonlyfaintlydistinguishtwofiguresinthestern,whom,bythesoundoftheirvoices,thatI
caughtoccasionallyabovethetumult,ImadeouttobeCurtisandtheboatswain。
Justatthatmomentasailor,whohadmountedtothemain—toptodosomethingtotherigging,passedclosebe—
hindme。
\"What’sthematter?\"Iasked。
\"Thewindhaschanged,\"heanswered,addingsomethingwhichIcouldnotheardistinctly,butwhichsoundedlike\"deadagainstus。\"
Deadagainstus!then。thoughtI,thewindhadshiftedtothesouthwest,andmylastnight’sforebodingshadbeencorrect。
Whendaylightatlengthappeared,Ifoundthewind,al—
thoughnotblowingactuallyfromthesouthwest,hadveeredroundtothenorthwest,achangewhichwasequallydis—
astroustous,inasmuchasitwascarryingusawayfromland。Moreover,theshiphadsunkconsiderablyduringthenight,andtherewerenowfivefeetofwaterabovedeck;
thesidenettinghadcompletelydisappeared,andthefore—
castleandthepoopwerenowallbutonalevelwiththesea,whichwashedoverthemincessantly。Withallpossibleex—
peditionCurtisandhiscrewwerelaboringawayattheirraft,buttheviolenceoftheswellmateriallyimpededtheiroperations,anditbecameamatterofdoubtastowhetherthewoodworkwouldnotfallasunderbeforeitcouldbeproperlyfastenedtogether。
AsIwatchedthemenattheirwork,M。Letourneur,withonearmsupportinghisson,cameoutandstoodbymyside。
\"Don’tyouthinkthismain—topwillsoongiveway?\"hesaid,asthenarrowplatformonwhichwestoodcreakedandgroanedwiththeswayingofthemasts。
MissHerbeyheardhiswordsandpointingtowardMrs。