Part 3 (1/2)

”I don't know what we can do,” said Morton, ”except to pull ash.o.r.e, and stand the chance of being taken off by some vessel, before we starve.”

”Here is something better,” cried Max eagerly, pointing out to sea; and, looking in the direction indicated, we saw a large s.h.i.+p, with all her sails set, steering directly for us, or so nearly so, as to make it apparent that if she held on her present course, she must pa.s.s very near to us. Had we not been entirely engrossed by what was taking place immediately around us, we could not have failed to have seen her sooner, as she must have been in sight a considerable time.

”They have already seen her on board,” said Morton, ”and that accounts for their great hurry in getting up anchor; they don't feel like being neighbourly just now, with strange vessels.”

In fact, there was every indication on board of our own s.h.i.+p, of haste, and eagerness to be gone. While some of the men were at the capstan, getting up the anchor, others were busy in the rigging, and sail after sail was rapidly spread to the breeze, so that by the time the anchor was at the bows, the s.h.i.+p began to move slowly through the water.

”They don't seem to consider us of much account anyway,” said Max, ”they are going without so much as saying good-bye.”

”They may know more of the stranger than we do,” said Arthur, ”they have gla.s.ses on board; if she should be an American man-of-war, their hurry is easily explained.”

”I can't help believing that they see or suspect more, in regard to her, than appears to us,” said Morton, ”or they would not fail to make an attempt to recover the yawl.”

”It is rapidly getting dark,” said Arthur, ”and I think we had better put up the sail, and steer for the stranger.”

”Right,” said Morton, ”for she may possibly tack before she sees us.”

Morton and myself proceeded to step the mast, and rig the sail; meantime, Arthur got Browne's coat off, and examined and bandaged the wound on his arm, which had been bleeding all the while profusely; he p.r.o.nounced it to be but a trifling hurt. A breeze from the south-east had sprung up at sunset, and we now had a free wind to fill our sail, as we steered directly out to sea to meet the stranger, which was still at too great a distance to make it probable that we had been seen by her people.

It was with a feeling of anxiety and uneasiness, that I saw the faint twilight fading away, with the suddenness usual in those lat.i.tudes, and the darkness gathering rapidly round us. Already the east was wrapped in gloom, and only a faint streak of light along the western horizon marked the spot where the sun had so recently disappeared.

”How suddenly the night has come upon us,” said Arthur, who had been peering through the dusk toward the approaching vessel, in anxious silence; ”O, for twenty minutes more of daylight! I fear that she is about tacking.”

This announcement filled us all with dismay, and every eye was strained towards her with intense and painful interest.

Meantime, the breeze had freshened somewhat and we now had rather more of it than we desired, as our little boat was but poorly fitted to navigate the open ocean in rough weather. Johnny began to manifest some alarm, as we were tossed like a chip from wave to wave, and occasionally deluged with spray, by a sea bursting with a rude shock over our bow. I had not even in the violent storm of the preceding week, experienced such a sense of insecurity, such a feeling of helplessness, as now, when the actual danger was comparatively slight. The waves seemed tenfold larger and more threatening than when viewed from the deck of a large vessel. As we sunk into the trough of the sea, our horizon was contracted to the breadth of half-a-dozen yards, and we entirely lost sight of the land, and of both s.h.i.+ps.

But it was evident that we were moving through the water with considerable velocity, and there was encouragement in that, for we felt confident that if the stranger should hold on her present course but a little longer, we should be on board of her before our safety would be seriously endangered by the increasing breeze.

If, however, she were really tacking, our situation would indeed be critical. A very few moments put a period to our suspense by confirming Arthur's opinion, and our worst fears; the stranger had altered her course, her yards were braced round, and she was standing further out to sea. Still, however, there would have been a possibility of reaching her, but for the failure of light, for she had not so far changed her course, but that she would have to pa.s.s a point, which we could probably gain before her. But now, it was with difficulty, and only by means of the cloud of canva.s.s she carried, that we could distinguish her through the momently deepening gloom; and with sinking hearts we relinquished the last hopes connected with her. Soon she entirely vanished from our sight, and when we gazed anxiously around the narrow horizon that now bounded our vision, sky and water alone met our view.

CHAPTER FOUR.

AT SEA.

A NIGHT OF GLOOM--MORTON'S NARRATIVE--VISIONARY TERRORS--AN ALARMING DISCOVERY.

”O'er the deep! o'er the deep!

Where the whale, and the shark, and the sword-fish sleep.”

Even in open day, the distance of a few miles would be sufficient to sink the low sh.o.r.es of the island; and now that night had so suddenly overtaken us, it might be quite near, without our being able to distinguish it.

We were even uncertain, and divided in opinion, as to the direction in which it lay--so completely were we bewildered. The night was one of deep and utter gloom. There was no moon; and not a single star shed its feeble light over the wilderness of agitated waters, upon which our little boat was tossing. Heavy, low-hanging clouds, covered the sky; but soon, even these could no longer be distinguished; a cold, damp mist, dense, and almost palpable to the touch, crept over the ocean, and enveloped us so closely, that it was impossible to see clearly from one end of the yawl to the other.

The wind, however, instead of freshening, as we had feared, died gradually away. For this, we had reason to be thankful; for though our situation that night seemed dismal enough, yet how much more fearful would it have been, if the rage of the elements, and danger of immediate destruction, had been added to the other circ.u.mstances of terror by which we were surrounded?

As it was, however, the sea having gone down, we supposed ourselves to be in no great or pressing peril. Though miserably uncomfortable, and somewhat agitated and anxious, we yet confidently expected that the light of morning would show us the land again.

The terrible and exciting scenes through which we had so recently pa.s.sed, had completely exhausted us, and we were too much overwhelmed by the suddenness of our calamity, and the novel situation in which we now found ourselves, to be greatly disposed to talk. Johnny sobbed himself asleep in Arthur's arms; and even Max's usual spirits seemed now to have quite forsaken him. After the mast had been unstepped, and such preparations as our circ.u.mstances permitted were made, for pa.s.sing the night comfortably, Morton related all that he knew of what had taken place on sh.o.r.e, previous to the alarm which he had given.

I repeat the narrative as nearly as possible in his own words, not perhaps altogether as he related it on that night, for the circ.u.mstances were not then favourable to a full and orderly account, but partly as I afterwards, in various conversations, gathered the particulars from him.