Part 13 (1/2)
Its force was too great for her, she stopped, and tre headlong into it, the watery hill ca boat and spare spars, hencoops, caboose, and water casks, and, h the lee-bulwarks, washed them overboard Had not the hatches been well secured the _Zodiac_, with all in her, ain Cries of terror were heard, and many a bold seaman turned pale; but none of the creere injured, and the shi+p again flew buoyantly onward
”That's e may call our drop too ht to take so known each other, and you know I'm no coward; but I tell you that my conviction is, that there will be no child's play with that fellow astern if he coside us Heaven only knoho'll couns as we have, if not er pieces, depend on it, and, probably, five times as many hands These are fearful odds, and I don't think any man can say it's cowardly to shrink from them I know, too, the sort of fellows those are on board yonder craft, and sooner than fall into their power, I would run the brig, and all in her, under water Till she made sail in chase, I had my doubts about her; I now have none You see I don't risk the loss of ourlife-lines along the lee-bulwarks, and secure them as you best can”
The mate made no answer, except a hurried acquiescence in his chief's reasons; and then calling three seamen to him, he worked his way forward to the forecastle, to search for the requisite cordage for passing fore and aft along the sides of the vessel
Colonel Gauntlett had gone below to explain the state of affairs to poor Ada, and to endeavour to tranquillise her alar daunted the old veteran hireat duke's school, he was accustomed to hardshi+ps and vicissitudes of all sorts Brave as his sword, and delighting in the exciteer, his spirits rose in proportion to its imminence, and all the sour testiness of his terown on him since the return of peace caused him to sheath his sword, and te an idle life Married, and with a family, he would have had them to interest him; but, as it was, he had only to think of his own aches and ills, and, perhaps, past follies; and to brood over what he called the neglects he had experienced frorateful country No man on board, perhaps, was so anxious as he was to have a skirmish with the rover, but he was not aware of the dreadful odds which would be opposed to him, and of the too probable fate which would await all hands, should victory side with the ene his niece's fears; but not those of poor little Marianna, who, pale and weeping, sat at the feet of her e the captain and her uncle to return to Malta
Ada, in her turn, had to act the part of comforter, and she promised her uncle that she would constantly remain below till they had escaped from the pirate, and the storm was over Her uncle had not attereatness of the threatening danger--yet hope rose triuh the storot accustorees to the noise and commotion, and she could not persuade herself that a British vessel, ainst a pirate, of whatever nation she ht which found its way into her cabin, she was able to read; and that book was in her hand from which the truest source of comfort can be drawn, and which she, in her turn, i co the subject to Marianna, and, at ti the footstool of her Maker in prayer, Ada passed many hours, which would otherwise have becoh anxiety and fear, and thus employed, we must leave her, to return on deck
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The longer a sensible man lives (for a fool may live and not learn), thea fir, whether it be a constitution to live under, or a house to live in, an education for his children, a coat for his back, shoes for his feet, or a shi+p to convey hilobe to the other He learns that it is wisest and cheapest to have all the materials of the best, to ees It is the fashi+on, nowadays, to get everything at a price, to which is given the name of cheap--no matter at what cost or ruin to the consumer as well as the producer, for both are equally losers--the one fro a bad article On every side, one ears the cries of cheap govern; and the people are always found ready to offer to supply theeneration are seamen They know, from experience, that cheap clothes and cheap shi+ps do not answer; that both are apt to fail at the very ood officer, therefore, spares no expense or trouble in seeing that everything is good and sound on board his shi+p, from keelson to truck, below and aloft Such aof the _Zodiac_ did full justice to those who selected the first, and fitted the latter Not a spar was sprung--not a strand parted with the tremendous strain put on them It was almost toothe wear of years out of her in a day--as a wild debauch, or any violent exertion, will injure the huh the masts stood, the shi+p, it was very evident, h the water, and
”That is what I call tearing the marrow out of a body's bones,” said Bill Bullock ”Well, bless the old barkie; there's few could stand it as she does I never seed any one carry on so as our skipper does, this blessed day--no, neither now, nor since the time I first went afloat”
”Nor I neither, old shi+p,” answered Jem ”But for that matter, as the parson says, there's a ti as if the devil was a driver--only I do wish that that ere beggar astern was right ahead now, and that as a chasin' her, and every now and then a slappin' at her with our bow-chasers”
”Right, Jeo to look into the rights of the case, like a uns, which can sink us frouns, for the Quakers only has to do when you cohten people at a distance, then you see as how it's wiser for we to run ahile we has got legs to run with, than to try to run e are on our way to the botto the carpenter, who had just spoken, ”sound the well, and see if she's made any water”
Jobson performed his duty, and reported two feet of water in the hold
”She's an to carry on She was as dry as a cork yesterday,” he observed
”I did not expect less, though,” returned thenot to let it in faster We'll sound again in another half hour”
For the first two or three hours of the chase, it was difficult to deterained on them or not: but, by the time five had passed away, she had clearly come up very much Bowse looked at his topmasts and topsail-yards, and then at the lee-scuppers, and shook his head He wasout another reef He wished that he could divine soer to seton them without it, he was not likely to do so The lass He seemed to stand up well to his canvas, and there was but little chance of his carrying anything away On coan to consider whether it would not be more prudent to shorten sail himself, so as to be in better condition to meet the enemy when he should come up--a result which he feared must, sooner or later, occur Even should the weather reater advantage; but then again, his principle was to struggle to the last--never to yield to death or asp remains--never to let hope expire--so he deterain the as sounded The water had increased another half foot The mate shook his head Two ained on us now, Ti a hasty ue at least, sir,” answered the mate ”If she comes up at this rate, she'll be within hail before the first watch is over to-night Now, sir, as the carpenter reports the water increasing fast, and to have to keep the o for a spell, will make them unfit to meet the enemy, I venture to advise that we take the strain off the shi+p at once It's clearly nothing else that makes her leak as she does, and we shall then ht, which I tell you honestly, Captain Bowse, I for one would rather do”
Bowse listened to his mate's opinion with respect, but he doubted much whether to act upon it
”What you say has much reason in it,” he answered; ”but send the hands to the pue how they can keep the water under
If, after they've cleared the shi+p, it gains upon half the watch, we'll shorten sail; but if we can easily keep the leaks under, we'll carry on to the last”
The clank of the puale, and the loud dash of the water over the shi+p, as the crew performed that most detested portion of a seaman's duty The result atched for with anxiety by the captain, for he saw that on it depended how soon they ht into action with the pirate If he could still ive up the chase; or he ht fall in with a man-of-war, or some armed merchantman, in company hom no pirate would dare to attack theht keep her before the wind, and run for some port on the Italian coast; but there was a wide extent of sea to be crossed before he could reach it, and the pirate being probably just as fast off the wind as on it, would still overtake hiht, as he trusted to do, beat him off, he would be so much further away from his port
”Well, what does the carpenter report?” he asked, as the ained a foot upon the leaks, sir; but it's hard work to keep theht advise--”
”Please Heaven, we'll carry on, then, on the shi+p!” exclai him ”Let half a watch at a ti the weather may moderate”
The day wore on, and the pursuer and the pursued held their course with little variation The _Zodiac_ tore her way through the water, and sea succeeding sea e or flew in deluges over her decks Night caues astern The mate had before miscalculated her distance; his anxiety to shorten sail had probably somewhat blinded hi daylight, much more so was it when darkness added its own peculiar horrors Still not a sheet nor a tack would the brave ale did not further increase, to run through the night without shortening sail He himself set an example of hardihood and resolution to his crew, for scarcely athe day, or the dreary hours of the first watch As the short twilight disappeared, the stranger grew less and less distinct, till her shadowy outline could alone be traced, and even that by degrees vanished frohted, till at last she could nowhere be discerned An anxious look out was kept for her; for though shrouded by the obscurity froht, every one on deck felt that she here she had last been seen, if not nearer; and so, surrounded by a halo of unnatural light, through the darkness