Part 3 (2/2)

There is every sign of the calm continuing; and perhaps in the morning, when the wind comes off the land, we may get the brig afloat. What do you say, Andrew?”

”I hope we may,” I answered, ”as she has not struck very hard.”

”Had not you and Bella better go below, Kate, with Miss Rowley, and Leo and Natty will attend on you! We men must remain on deck to do what is necessary should any fresh emergency arise.”

Kate begged to remain also, but David, and the Rowleys joining him, persuaded the young ladies at length to retire to the cabin. Timbo followed them to light the cabin lamp, and I saw them, as I looked through the skylight, seated at the table, Kate having a large book before her, which I recognised as the old captain's Bible. She was reading from it to her companions, the two boys and Bella listening with earnest looks, though Miss Rowley seemed to be too much alarmed to pay any attention. The young Irishman and the two Rowleys now exerted themselves as much as the rest of us in making preparations to defend the vessel.

”If there were boarding-nettings, we should find them useful,” said Stanley. ”Mr Kydd, have you any on board?”

”No, sir,” was the answer. ”We do not carry such things; and, for my part, I think all this preparation is useless. The blacks are not likely to come off to attack us, and if they do, we could very soon drive them back again.”

”If we are properly prepared we may,” said my cousin; and we all continued the work we had in hand.

Besides the firearms we had a few s.h.i.+p's cutla.s.ses; and at Timbo's suggestion we fastened all the knives and axes we could find to some long spars, to use them as boarding-pikes. We ran lines also along the sides between the rigging to answer in a measure the purpose of boarding-nettings; and before the morning broke, we were as well prepared as we could expect to be to resist an attack. We were looking out for the rising sun, when I felt a light wind fan my cheek. I said nothing, but again I felt it blow stronger.

”We shall have the wind off the sh.o.r.e soon,” I cried out, ”and we must be ready to trim sails to make the most of it.”

”Who is issuing orders on board this vessel?” I heard Kydd exclaim.

”Mr Crawford, I am the man to say what is to be done.”

”If you will tell us what to do, we will take good care to do it,”

Stanley said to me, in a low voice. ”There is little use in listening to that fellow.”

The breeze came stronger and stronger; and by the time the first streaks of early dawn appeared over the land, there was a strongish breeze blowing, hot, and smelling of the arid sand and damp mangrove marshes.

”Faith, there is but little of the spices of Araby,” I heard Terence O'Brien observe to one of his friends.

”Those who know how to handle ropes, come and help me to trim the sails,” exclaimed Kydd. ”Handspike, you are the only man under my orders. You go to the helm.”

We all set to work to trim the sails. Senhor Silva and his servant, who had hitherto not done much, now joined with a will. The canvas blew out, and the yards creaked and strained, but not an inch was the vessel moved. Kydd then ordered us to run fore and aft; but the light weight of a few people on board the stout brig produced no perceptible effect.

”Had we the boat, and could we carry an anchor out, we might get the brig off,” I observed to Stanley. ”But, I fear, now it is hopeless, unless, indeed, we were to build a raft. With that we may do something, though there will be no slight risk in the undertaking.”

”If you think it can be done, _we_ will do it,” said Stanley.

”Certainly,” I said, ”it is our only chance.”

”Then it shall be done,” he exclaimed. ”Mr Kydd, we wish to build a raft to carry out the anchor.”

Kydd was about to reply, but the captain's look silenced him. All hands now set to work to collect all the spare spars and planks to be found.

We got up also a number of small casks from below, in which palm-oil was to be stowed; and this a.s.sisted us greatly.

”Ma.s.sa,” said Timbo, coming up to Stanley, ”me t'ink it better to have two raft. Suppose no get de brig off, den we want dem _to get away_.

Suppose de n.i.g.g.e.rs come off, den what we do? We not stay here for eber.”

”A wise suggestion, Timbo,” said his master. ”Crawford, will you undertake to build another raft? Mr Kydd seems busy with the one forward.”

Senhor Silva and his servant had, they told us, once a.s.sisted in building a raft to escape from a wreck, and were well able to lend a hand. While the rest of the party were collecting materials, I went aloft, anxious to see what the negroes on sh.o.r.e were about. The mist which usually hangs over the land at early dawn had by this time disappeared. With my gla.s.s I could distinguish the boat on the beach, and a number of people moving about. As, however, they did not seem preparing to launch her, I hoped that we might have time, at all events, to get our rafts ready; and quickly again descended with the satisfactory intelligence. Believing that there was but little prospect of getting the vessel off, we did not scruple to use the hatches and bulkheads, and, indeed, to rip off the inner planking. It would require, we saw, two rafts of considerable size to carry so many people with any degree of safety even in smooth water. Still, what other prospect had we of saving our lives? I had not for a moment allowed my mind to dwell more than I could help on our too possible fate; indeed, it would almost have unmanned me to contemplate the hards.h.i.+ps to which the young ladies must inevitably be exposed even at the best. However, we were doing all that men could do under the circ.u.mstances, and that kept up our spirits. Kydd had become somewhat humbled by this time, and worked away like the rest of us, without taking any leading part; indeed, several of the rest of the party were far more expert in constructing the rafts than he was.

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