Part 34 (2/2)

The captain shouted out, ”Man the clew garnets, let fly tacks and sheets;” but the words were scarcely out of his mouth before the s.h.i.+p heeled over, with a suddenness which nearly took us all off our feet.

There was no need for the officers to cry out, ”Hold on for your lives.”

We struggled to windward, grasping whatever we could clutch. More and more the s.h.i.+p heeled over; then there came another loud report, the mainmast went by the board, the fore-topmast fell over the starboard bow, and the next instant the mizzenmast was carried away half up from the deck, while the sound of repeated blows which came from the after-part of the s.h.i.+p, showed us that the rudder had been wrenched from the pintles, and was battering away under the counter. All these accidents happened in such rapid succession that it was impossible to do anything to avert them. The utmost vigilance was required to save ourselves from being crushed by falling yards and blocks, while cries and shrieks arose from many of our poor fellows, some of whom had been struck down, and others carried overboard, vainly endeavouring to regain the s.h.i.+p. Suddenly she righted, with a violence which tore away the guns from their las.h.i.+ngs, and jerked the shot out of the lockers. The captain, not for a moment losing his self-possession, shouted to the crew to clear away the wreck of the masts,--himself, axe in hand, setting the example. Before, however, many strokes had been given, the sea came roaring up astern, and, bursting into the captain's cabin, swept everything before it. The doctor, purser, and several other officers who had remained below, came rus.h.i.+ng up, some only in their s.h.i.+rts and trousers, others in their s.h.i.+rts alone, believing very naturally that the s.h.i.+p was going down. Tom Pim and I, with the other mids.h.i.+pmen, were exerting ourselves to see that the men obeyed the orders received. I met Larry, axe in hand, chopping away vigorously at the shrouds.

”Ah, then, Mr Terence, things have come to a bad pa.s.s, I'm after fearing,” he exclaimed. ”Will you be letting me keep by you, if you please? If the s.h.i.+p goes down, I'd like to see how we could save ourselves on a boat, or a raft, or one of the masts, if we can't get into a boat.”

”If it comes to that, Larry, I'm afraid we shall have little chance of saving our lives,” I answered; ”at all events, however, I should like to have you near me.”

I can scarcely find words to describe the fearful condition of the s.h.i.+p.

Gun after gun broke loose, crus.h.i.+ng several of the men against whom they were cast; shot, hove out of the lockers, were rolling about between decks, injuring many others. The water from below rushed from side to side, making a clean sweep of everything it encountered, doing almost as much mischief as the seas which broke aboard on the upper deck. The officers who had last come from below were unable to return, and stood s.h.i.+vering in their scanty clothing, no one having even a coat to spare. While some of the crew were clearing away the masts, which were striking with every surge against the s.h.i.+p's side, tearing off the copper, and, as the oak.u.m washed out, increasing the leaks, others, encouraged by their officers, were labouring at the pumps, while a third party was endeavouring to bale out the water with buckets. I didn't expect to see another dawn; but the morning came notwithstanding, and a fearful sight it presented to us. Away to leeward we discovered the _Canada_, with her main-topmast and mizzenmast gone. The flag-s.h.i.+p, more to windward, seemed in no better condition. The _Glorieux_ had lost her foremast, bowsprit, and main-topmast. The _Ville de Paris_ still proudly rode the waves, as far as we could judge, uninjured, yet ere long she was to share the fate of many others, for after that day she was never again seen, and must have foundered with all her crew. Of the merchantmen several had already gone down, others had lost many of their spars, and some their masts, while out of the whole fleet not twenty remained in sight. Not far off from us lay a large s.h.i.+p on her beam-ends. Nettles.h.i.+p pointed her out to me. ”Poor fellows, they're worse off than we are,” he said. The crew were attempting to wear her.

First they cut away the mizzenmast, then shortly the mainmast went; still she lay helpless.

”See, she's hoisting the ensign, Union downwards,” said Nettles.h.i.+p.

”It's her last despairing signal for help.”

No help could any one give her. We watched her for a few minutes, when her stern rose, the sea rolled up and plunged into it; down she went, the fly of her ensign the last object visible.

She was the _Dutton_ formerly an East Indiaman, and then a stores.h.i.+p.

Her fate might soon be ours.

”Some of her poor fellows have escaped,” cried Nettles.h.i.+p.

He pointed out to me a boat under sail, not far from where the _Dutton_ had foundered. We watched the boat. Now she was hid from sight in the trough of the sea, now she rose to the summit of a billow. Still it seemed impossible that she could escape being swamped. Yet on she went, driving before the gale.

”That boat is well handled, or she would have been under water before this time,” observed my messmate. ”What she can do others can do, and some of us may have a chance for our lives if our old s.h.i.+p goes down.

Paddy, my boy, if that happens, do you try and get aboard a boat.

You're young, with a good chance of promotion. I'm old, and have none; and I should like to have you and Tom Pim save yourselves.”

”But I can't go without Larry,” I answered; ”and you too, Nettles.h.i.+p, if you have any hope of a boat living in this sea, you must try to get off.”

He shook his head.

”No, no, Paddy. I have long made up my mind for the worst, and am ready for it. I should be thankful, though, to see you and Pim escape, and your honest fellow, Larry. There are two or three boats still uninjured. It's a pity that the lives of some of us should not be saved, if we can but manage to launch them.”

While he was speaking I was watching the progress of the _Dutton's_ boat. First she steered for a s.h.i.+p some way to the eastward, but those on board at length saw that they should have to haul up to reach her, and again she kept away for a large merchantman to leeward. Presently the boat ran alongside the merchantman, from whose deck a number of ropes were hove into her, and the men, clutching them as the boat surged by, were hauled up, and, as far as we could see, none were lost, though the boat herself almost immediately rilled and disappeared. In other directions most melancholy spectacles met our sight. The whole sea was literally covered with pieces of wreck and human beings clinging to them, among whom we observed several women lashed to spars or gratings, probably by brave fellows who themselves had perished after in vain attempting to preserve those they loved. No help could be given to the unfortunate wretches; and even had we been able to haul some who came near us on board our s.h.i.+p, it would only have been to prolong their lives for a few short hours.

Our captain and officers were making all possible efforts to save our s.h.i.+p, but from the first, I suspect, they must have seen they were hopeless. Every possible weight was got rid of. The anchors were cut away; then the upper deck guns were hove overboard, though the operation in itself was a dangerous one, for, after the gun tackles were cut loose, there was the risk of the guns upsetting and crus.h.i.+ng those standing near. All this time the pumps were being worked. The captain ordered all hands not otherwise engaged to bale, and we were formed in gangs to pa.s.s the buckets up and down and along the deck.

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

THE WRECK OF THE ”CERBERUS.”

We were thus employed when the carpenter came to the captain with consternation in his countenance, and told him that the pumps would no longer work, for, the shot-lockers being destroyed, the shot as well as the ballast had got into the well, and completely choked it up.

<script>