Part 22 (2/2)

”Swim arter it, then,” I says.

”No,” he says mournfully; ”I can't swim a stroke.”

”More shame for you,” I says. And then I felt so savage, that I goes up to the fat pa.s.senger as was sitting crying on the deck of course, and I says, says I, giving him a sharp kick:

”Get up,” I says, ”will you! You're always a-crying.”

”O, Mr Roberts,” he says, blubbering like a calf--”O, Mr Roberts, to come to this!”

”Go overboard, then,” I says savagely; ”for now you've pumped all that hot water out of your hold, you can't sink.”

Now all this time the fire was roaring away, and sending a glow in all directions for far enough round, while the sparks kept on dropping like a shower. It was a beautiful sight in spite of the horror; and I couldn't help looking at it a minute, till I turned round and saw Mr Ward standing quite still, looking down upon Miss Bell, who was on her knees by her brother's side. But as I was looking, she got up pale and quiet, and looked first at me, and then at Mr Ward, and then she says quickly:

”Why do you both waste time? Why do you not swim after the boat?”

”And you?” said Mr Ward in a slow husky way.

She did not answer, only turned for a moment towards where her brother lay with his head on a cus.h.i.+on, and pointed to him with a sad smile, and then, holding out her hand to me as she sank upon her knees again by her brother's side, she said:

”G.o.d bless you, Mr Roberts! Good-bye.”

I took her pretty little white hand, and kissed it, and then stood back; for she held out her hand to Mr Ward; and he took it and kissed it, and then sank on his knees by her side, holding her hand tightly; and when she said once more, ”Go!” he only smiled and kissed her hand again.

It was so still, in spite of the fluttering roar of the flames, that I could hear every word he said, as he almost whispered to her: ”Eady, darling, I'll never leave you.”

The next moment her face was down in her other hand, and I could see that she was sobbing, so, feeling all wet-eyed myself, I turned away, when if there wasn't that fat pa.s.senger blubbering away more than ever!

”Get up, will you,” I says; ”I never did see such a thundering swab in my life as you are.” But all he says was: ”O, Mr Roberts!”

All at once I heard Miss Bell give a great cry; and, turning round, I saw that Mr Bell had started up, and she was clinging to him: then he held out his hand to Mr Ward; but before he could take it, the poor fellow fell back. He was free of his trouble.

Now you know I wouldn't have cared if that there fat pa.s.senger would only have kept out of my way; but there, the more trouble one was in, and the more he was wanted out of the way, the more he piped his eye, and got just where you didn't want him. He always was a nuisance from the day he first came on board, and to make it more aggravating, he would look just as if he was made on purpose to kick.

”Why won't you get out of the way?” I says; for all this time I'd been turning over in my own mind a way to get out of the burning, if we could, and there was that great fat chap a-sitting on a hencoop that I wanted.

”O, Mr Roberts!” he whines again. And he cries: ”O, look there!”

And I did look, when, if there wasn't my two poor mates just coming up to the last boat--we could see it plainly; and if one brute didn't fire at 'em, and another stand up with the boat-hook in his hand, ready to sh.o.r.e the first one under.

”G.o.d help 'em,” I says, ”for I can't;” and then, Mr Ward helping me, we got a couple of loose spars overboard, and some rope to lash with, and a couple of hencoops; and as fast as Mr Ward, and Tomt.i.t, and the fat pa.s.senger, who seemed to have been warmed into life by the fire--as fast as they lowered the stuff down, I, who was over the side, lashed it together, to make something like a raft.

I couldn't do much; there wasn't time, for the fire gained upon us; and now there was no one at the helm, the s.h.i.+p had swung round so that the smoke and flame all came our way. I felt, too, that it was only to make life last another day or two, for there was no getting at any prog, as there wasn't a sc.r.a.p of anything in the forksel; for I went down to see when I first thought of the raft. However, I shouted to them to lower down the water-breaker by the foremast, and they did, and then Mr Tomt.i.t came over the side, and the fat pa.s.senger rolled down somehow, and I shook my head, for the raft went low on his side. And now there was only Mr Ward and Miss Bell to come, and partly by coaxing, partly by dragging, he had got the poor girl to the side, when she turned her head to take another look, as I thought, of the poor fellow lying dead there; and as Mr Ward stood there holding her, the pair showing out well in the bright light of the burning s.h.i.+p, I could not help thinking what a n.o.ble-looking couple they made, and then I shouts: ”Lower away, sir;” when, as if startled by my words, Miss Bell darted away from Mr Ward, when in a moment there came a roar as of thunder, the raft heaved and cracked under us, and beat against the side of the s.h.i.+p, while something seemed to strike me down, so that I lay half-stunned upon the grinding coops and spars.

But I contrived to get on my knees, struggling from under some heavy weight, and then, every moment getting clearer, I understood that the s.h.i.+p had blown up, and that Mr Ward must have been dashed from the gangway, and fallen on to me.

And Miss Bell?

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