Part 11 (2/2)

Jack pumped and pumped away till he could pump no longer; he then went and roused up old Grim, who grumbled fearfully.

”Come, Grimshaw,” he said, ”just you take a spell at the pump. If we cannot manage to stop the leak, or to get the vessel clear, there's not much chance of our getting into Port Royal harbour, that I can see.”

Old Grim, although he grumbled, pumped away as l.u.s.tily as Jack; and then Tommy jumped up and took a spell, and when he was tired he called Bill, and took his place at the helm; and thus they went on till daylight, when Grim declared the water was considerably lessened in the hold.

This gave them encouragement. Poor Mr Collinson felt very much vexed that he could not help. The men would not hear of it.

”No, sir, you just lie quiet there. Our lives depend upon your holding on, as much as your life depends on our exertions; for if you were to leave us, how should we ever find our way into port again?”

Jack insisted that the two boys should lie down again, and get some rest, while he and Grimshaw took it by turns at the pump. At length they agreed that by labouring at the pump every alternate hour, they might keep the leak under. They now again turned to, to get up jury-masts. A sufficient supply of rope was found for the standing rigging, and by night they had a very respectable foremast stepped and well secured with a short jib-boom, on which a fore-staysail was set.

The night was spent much as the former had been, though all hands began to feel very weary with their exertions. Their only comfort was that Mr Collinson appeared to be gaining strength. Although the caboose had been carried away, there was a stove in the cabin, and in this they were able to cook their provisions. Some good tea was found, and other luxuries, which tended much to restore the lieutenant's health. The following day they got up a mainmast, and besides this they rigged a small mizzen-mast, on which they were able to set a sail to a.s.sist in steering the vessel. It was rigged just in time, for the wind began to draw somewhat round to the north-west, making the coast of Cuba, which at length appeared in sight, a lee sh.o.r.e. They hauled up, therefore; but not without some anxiety weathered the Colorados, which they saw not a couple of miles to leeward of them.

In a short time, Mr Collinson was well enough to take the helm for several hours each day, giving more time to his small crew to work the pump and obtain necessary rest. At length Cape Saint Antonio appeared in sight; and, weathering it, the course was altered to south-east.

Once more they were out of sight of land. Mr Collinson had showed all of them the chart, that they might the better understand where they were going, and that the progress they had made might keep up their spirits.

They had still a pa.s.sage of some four or five hundred miles before them; but though their vessel was somewhat leaky, and even with a good breeze they could not make more than three or four knots an hour, still, as Bill observed, ”it must some day or other come to an end.”

The brig was now about mid-way between the main land of Central America and Cuba, when the wind, which had been for some time light, dropped altogether. In vain old Grim growled; in vain Jack whistled for a breeze. The water they had brought on board, as well as that in the cask, was almost exhausted.

”It will be pretty well time to be getting this cask filled again,”

observed old Grim, as he drew out a tin cupful of water. ”I will just go down below, and see about getting up another.”

He was a considerable time absent, hunting about with a lantern in his hand. At length he came up again, with a look of dismay on his countenance.

”Jack,” he said, ”do you know I have been hunting from stem to stern, and not a cask, which looks as if it had water in it, can I find?”

Mr Collinson, who was steering at the time, guessed from the looks of the men that something was wrong.

”We ought to have economised it more,” he observed; ”it was wrong in me not to warn you. However, we must make the most of what we have got; and perhaps in another search we may be more fortunate.”

”I will have a look,” said Jack; ”and here, Bill, you come with me.”

Jack and Bill hunted about as old Grim had done. At length, he appeared under the hatchway, and shouted out--

”Here's a cask of some sort, at all events: it contains liquor, if it does not contain water.”

The cask was got up.

”You must promise me, lads, if that cask contains spirits, not to drink it. Let's broach it, however, and see.”

On a hole being bored, wine spouted out.

”We should be thankful for this,” said Mr Collinson, ”it is light claret, and a small quant.i.ty will probably do us all good.”

It was arranged that a pint of wine only should be taken by each of them every day. This would save the consumption of water.

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