Part 16 (2/2)

”Spell, ho!” was cried more frequently than at first, as the exhausted hands at the pumps summoned their s.h.i.+pmates to relieve them, when they staggered to the stumps of the masts or the remaining stanchions and bulwarks, to which they clung to save themselves from being borne away by the wild surges as they broke on board. Thus the disastrous day wore on, to be followed by a still more fearful night. Even the most hopeful had no expectation of seeing another sunrise, as the increasing darkness told them that it had sunk into the storm-tossed ocean.

Alick Murray had endeavoured to maintain that calmness of mind, one of the characteristics for which he was noted. Thought, however, was busy.

He, like the rest, believed that ere long the fierce waves would sweep over the foundering s.h.i.+p, and his life, with the lives of all on board, would be brought to a close; for who could hope to escape with not a boat remaining uninjured, and scarcely a spar to afford support? One thought, however, afforded him consolation; the brig, with his beloved Stella on board, had long ere this got well to the southward of the lat.i.tude the hurricane was likely to reach, and she, at all events, would escape its fury. Earnestly he prayed that she might be protected from the many dangers she might have to encounter, and though he knew she would mourn his loss, that she might find comfort and he restored in time to happiness.

The rage of the hurricane was unabated--a dreadful darkness settled down over the deep; the only objects to be seen beyond the deck of the labouring s.h.i.+p being the black mountainous seas, crested with hissing foam, which rose up on either beam, threatening every instant to overwhelm her.

In the meantime the frigate, well prepared as she had been to encounter the first onslaught of the hurricane, flew before it unharmed. As she pa.s.sed the corvette, Captain Hemming, seeing her perilous condition, hailed, promising to heave-to if possible, and lay by her, but the wild uproar of the elements drowned his voice. To bring the s.h.i.+p to the wind under the full force of the hurricane was, indeed, a difficult and dangerous operation, which only the urgent necessity of the case rendered allowable. The captain of the _Plantagenet_ was not the man to desert a consort in distress, and notwithstanding the risk to be run he determined to make the attempt. Still some time elapsed before the trysails could be set, and during it the frigate had run considerably to leeward of the corvette. The ports were closed, the hatches secured, preventer stays set up; every device, indeed, which good seamans.h.i.+p could suggest, was adopted to provide for the safety of the s.h.i.+p. The boats were secured by additional las.h.i.+ngs, as was everything that could be washed away on deck. Relieving tackles were also rove, and four of the best hands were sent to the helm. The crew were at their stations, ready to carry out the intended operation. All was ready, but it was necessary to wait for an opportunity to avoid the fury of the mountain foam-crested billows, rolling in quick succession across the ocean, one of which, striking her bows as she came up to the wind, would have treated the proud frigate with little less ceremony than they would a mere c.o.c.k-boat. Even during the fiercest gale there are spots on the surface of the sea which are less agitated than elsewhere, while at times there comes a lull of the wind, often the precursor, however, of a more furious blast. For such a lull the captain waited. It came.

”Helm's a lee!” he shouted.

With a mighty struggle the frigate came to the wind, the main and mizen trysails were sheeted home, the fore-topsail was braced sharp up. Every one looked with anxiety towards the next huge sea which came roaring towards the frigate, to observe how she would behave. Most gallantly she breasted it, though its hissing crest burst over the bulwarks, and came rus.h.i.+ng furiously aft along the deck, but the lee ports being opened, the water made its way out again, without committing any serious damage. To bring the s.h.i.+p to the wind and heave-to was one thing, to beat her up to her hapless consort was another, and that it was found impossible to do without the certainty of meeting with serious disaster.

In the attempt she would probably have missed stays, and making a stern board would have gone down into the yawning gulf which the next pa.s.sing sea would have left. As it was, though she rose buoyantly over most of the seas, ever and anon the summit of one broke on board, and all hands had to hold on fast to save themselves from being carried into the lee-scuppers, or washed overboard, while at the same time it was evident that she must be making very considerable leeway, and thus be drifting farther and farther from her consort. Jack and Adair could not help feeling very anxious about the corvette, for the sake, of course, of all on board, but more especially on account of Murray. They had last seen her through a dense ma.s.s of spray, with her masts gone, and many of her crew struggling in the waves, while the savage seas were breaking completely over her. Commander Babbicome was very naturally not spoken of, either by them or any one else, in the most complimentary manner.

”His stupid obstinacy has got his s.h.i.+p into this mess, and, as far as he is concerned, he richly deserves it,” observed Jack, trying to catch a glimpse through his gla.s.s of the wreck, as she rose, in the far distance, on the summit of a billow, quickly again to disappear. ”It's a sad fate for those poor fellows who have lost their lives, and I am very much afraid that they will not be the only ones. It's a question whether the corvette will weather out the hurricane.”

”I am very much afraid that she will not,” said Adair. ”If there was a prospect of a boat living I would volunteer to board her, and try and save some of the people.”

”The best-manned boat wouldn't live a minute in such a sea as this, so there's no use thinking about it,” answered Jack. ”I have tried to persuade myself that it might be possible, but I know it is not. All we can hope is that should she go down, poor Alick may manage to get hold of a plank or spar, or into one of the boats, and that when the gale moderates we may pick him up. There is but a poor chance of that, I own.”

”I'll hope that the corvette won't go down,” said Adair. ”She is a new s.h.i.+p, and, unless abominably managed, she ought to weather out the hurricane.”

”She ought to have been put before the wind by this time, and have followed us; and see, she has not altered her position since she was dismasted,” said Jack, with a sigh. ”Poor Alick!”

”Poor Alick! and poor Stella,” echoed Adair.

Night came on. Few of the watch below--officers or men--turned in, for every one knew that at any moment all hands might be piped on deck to save s.h.i.+p.

The hurricane continued to rage with unabated fury. Hour after hour went by without a sign of its ceasing. The vivid lightning darted around; the whole upper regions of the sky being illuminated by incessant flashes, while darts of electric fire exploded with surpa.s.sing brilliancy in every direction, threatening each instant the destruction of the s.h.i.+p. Jack and Terence were standing together, holding on to a stanchion, when the latter gave a loud cry, and some heavy object fell at their feet.

”Hillo! what's that?” exclaimed Paddy, as he put up his hand to his cap.

”Faith, I thought a round shot had taken my head off. Catch it, Jack, or it will be away.”

”What, your head, Terence?” asked Jack, unable to restrain a joke even then.

”No, but that big bird there; see it's scuttling away along the deck.”

Jack sprang forward and caught the bird, which proved to be a large sea-fowl, but he had not the heart to injure it. Presently another dropped on the deck near them, and in a short time a flash of lightning, spreading a bright glare around, showed that the launch and booms, and all the more sheltered spots, were tenanted by sea-birds, which, unable to breast the storm, could find no other resting-place for their weary wings. Some unfortunate ones were caught and carried captives below, but the men generally showed compa.s.sion to the strangers, and allowed them to enjoy such shelter as they could find undisturbed.

”Well, I do hope that the hurricane is at its height,” observed Jack, as six bells in the middle watch were struck. ”I doubt if the canvas will stand much more.”

”If it isn't it will be after blowing the s.h.i.+p herself clean out of the water,” answered Adair. ”We ought to be thankful that our sticks are sound, and the rigging well set up.”

”Yes; Cherry deserves full credit, and we should give old Scrofton his due, for, though his theories are nonsensical, he is an excellent boatswain,” observed Jack. ”I am convinced that every accident on board a s.h.i.+p occurs from the carelessness, and often from the culpable neglect, of some one concerned in fitting her out, or from bad seamans.h.i.+p.”

While they were speaking there came a sudden lull of the wind, and the lightning ceased, leaving the s.h.i.+p enveloped in a blackness which could be felt. The two lieutenants, though close together, could not even distinguish the outlines of each other's figures.

”This is awful,” exclaimed Adair.

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