Part 61 (1/2)

So much taken up had Stella been in attending her friend, that she had had no time to thank her preserver, or to speak a word on any other subject. Jack had also been too fully occupied to ask questions. Mr Bradshaw now told him that the _Carib_ had been struck suddenly by the gale, and her masts carried away. At the same time the captain and his mates, with several of the crew, had either been washed or struck overboard, or killed by the falling masts; and that the rest of the crew, left without officers, had, when they believed the s.h.i.+p to be sinking, taken the only boat which remained. As they had previously broken open the spirit-room, they were probably, before long, overwhelmed by the heavy sea. ”We would not have gone with them, had they invited us to do so, for we did not then believe that the s.h.i.+p was about to founder,” continued Mr Bradshaw. ”When we discovered the awful truth, having no means of escaping, we gave ourselves up as lost, and when you appeared we were awaiting the event which we knew must soon occur.”

Jack, of course, said how thankful he was that he had been providentially directed to the spot in time to save their lives; he then mentioned Alick Murray, and asked Stella when she had last heard from him, telling her of the letter he himself had received.

Hers was of about the same date.

”Poor fellow,” added Jack, ”he seems dreadfully out of spirits; and I trust, Miss O'Regan, that you will do your best to restore them.”

Stella said nothing, but f.a.n.n.y Bradshaw told Jack that she did not think her friend would longer be obdurate.

”I hope not,” he answered, ”I have promised to be his best man, and I wish to fulfil that engagement before I pay a visit to my old friend, Adair, at Ballymacree. You, of course, will be one of the bridesmaids?”

f.a.n.n.y said that she had little doubt about that, and changed the subject by making inquiries respecting Ballymacree. Jack, of course, gave the description he had received from Terence.

”And your friend has a number of pretty Irish sisters?” asked f.a.n.n.y.

”Irish of course they are, and as to their beauty Terence has not said much about that, except that his sister Kathleen is an attractive girl, and observed that I should be able to form an opinion myself on the matter.”

f.a.n.n.y did not ask many more questions about Ballymacree.

Jack at first feared that it might be necessary to put into Funchal, but the weather becoming fine, the leaks were kept under by dint of constant pumping, and at last the _Supplejack_ reached soundings in the chops of the Channel. The wind held fair, and she was not long in running up it.

Her leaky condition was a sufficient excuse for going at once into Portsmouth harbour, without waiting for orders.

Jack immediately went on sh.o.r.e to report his arrival to the admiral. He was again hurrying on board to escort the ladies and Mr Bradshaw to an hotel, when who should he meet but Admiral Triton, looking scarcely a day older than when he last saw him.

”Jack, my boy, I am rejoiced to see you,” exclaimed the old man, ”and the more so, as I want your a.s.sistance in consoling a heartbroken friend of yours, Alick Murray. He has just received intelligence that the s.h.i.+p in which the young lady he expected to marry was coming home was seen by a vessel just arrived, dismasted in mid-Atlantic, and as the gale continued for several days afterwards, great fears are entertained for her safety.”

”My task will be an easy one, then, admiral,” cried Jack, ”for I have all her pa.s.sengers safe on board my brig; and if you can tell me where he is to be found, the sooner I relieve his mind the better.”

”Let us jump into a hackney coach, and we shall soon be there,”

exclaimed the admiral.

Jack brought the joyful intelligence to Murray, whom he found almost prostrated. It quickly had the effect of reviving him, and accompanied by the admiral they were soon on board the _Supplejack_.

Whether or not Murray asked Stella the question on that occasion does not matter, but very shortly afterwards, f.a.n.n.y told Jack that all was settled, and that she had promised to become his, soon after their arrival in London, where her father intended to remain for some weeks.

Alick escorted the ladies and Mr Bradshaw to town the next day, after they had somewhat recovered their fatigue by a night's rest.

Jack had to remain at Portsmouth to pay off the brig, though he would rather have accompanied his friends. Admiral Triton stopped also, as he said, to look after Tom and Desmond, but in reality to hear the yarns which he made the youngsters spin about their adventures.

It did not take long to pay off the poor little _Supplejack_, which was then towed up the harbour and placed on the mud, never again to float on blue water.