Part 26 (1/2)
There had been no lightning; nothing, as far as we could discover, to produce blindness Still the captain refused to leave the deck, declaring that it would pass over The doctor, who had turned in, was called up, and caale compelled the mate to attend to the duties of the shi+p The doctor su the captain below I took his ar like an aspen We led him to his berth, and assisted hi, think you, doctor?” he asked, in an agitated tone
”I cannot say, Captain Hawkins I believe that this blindness has co overtaxed your physical powers In course of time, with rest and a warht”
”Oh that it may be so!” cried the captain, as he laid his head on the pillow
We had a heavier gale that night than we had before encountered The seas again and again washed over the deck It seemed wonderful that more of the gard, and so did most of the other officers and men The bulwarks on both sides had been carried away, two of the boats had been injured, and the shi+p had suffered various other daes
Still we kept at it; the wind shi+fted; Cape Horn was actually weathered, and at length a joyous cheer burst from the throats of the crew as the shi+p's head was directed to the north-west It was soe of clirearmer and warmer, for ere now fairly in the Pacific
The captain was disappointed in his expectations of recovering his sight He ca his head round in every direction, and I observed a painful expression on his countenance
”I'll tell you what, Peter, I've a notion how the captain caht,” said Horner to me in a confidential tone ”It's a punishment to him for the way he treated Esdale, and you, and Jiht to think that,” I answered; ”even if he had treated me ten times worse than he has done, I should not wish him to suffer what must be to a man of his nature so terrible a misfortune”
”Well, then, I suppose I must keep my opinion to myself,” answered Horner
In a few days we reached the island of Juan Fernandez, and hove-to off it that the boats o in close to the shore to catch soo in one of them We were provided with hooks and lines The water was so clear that we could see the fish take the bait, which they did so ravenously, that in a short time we had as many rock cod and other fish as we required We afterwards landed and brought off a quantity of wild rows in profusion over the island Wepea-coffee so long
While ere collecting thethe rocks, so down on us They were descendants of those which inhabited the island in the days of Alexander Selkirk, as taken off by Dae to the Pacific
At first we thought that there were no inhabitants, but just as ere shoving off we heard a shout, and a whiteand gesticulating furiously
They were both dressed in skins, with high fur caps, and had long sticks in their hands to help themselves as they ran
”Why, I do believe that must be Robinson Crusoe and his hed
”He got hoo, or he never could have written his history, stupid,” said the mate, ”but whoever they are we'll wait for theot his first idea out of his head He had not read much, but he had read Robinson Crusoe, and believed in it as a veracious history
The strangers soon reached the boat
”Now, I say, ain't you Robinson Crusoe?” cried Horner, as the white ot up to the boat
”No,of the chap you speak of,” answered the stranger
”I say,to the mate, ”will you take us poor fellows off? We were cast ashore soo or more, and are the only people out of our shi+p, which went down off there, who saved their lives, as far as I can tell Sam Cole here and I came ashore on a bit of a raft, and we have had a hard time of it since then”
”Why, as to that,to enter and serve aboard our shi+p, I daresay the captain will take you, but he doesn't want idlers”
”Beggars can't be choosers,” answered Miles Soper ”If you are willing to take us we shall be glad to go, and both Sam and I are able seamen”
”Well, ju at the place where you have lived so long to bring away?”