Part 14 (1/2)

We were thankful to be in harbour, for we had scarcely dropped our anchors before the gale broke with fearful violence. The sun had already set, and the rain came down in torrents. We remained on board, hoping to be able to see something of the old town and its ruins the following morning, before sailing.

All night long we could hear the wind howling and whistling, and the sea das.h.i.+ng against the rocks outside the harbour. When morning broke, the storm was raging as fiercely as ever; but as the rain had ceased, as soon as we had had breakfast we went on sh.o.r.e and walked down to the beach.

We met several people, who looked eager and excited, and inquiring of them the cause, they pointed seaward to the north-west, where, amid the spray, we made out a large vessel on sh.o.r.e.

Presently we saw a carriage dragged by four horses, coming along at a great rate, and as it came up we discovered that it contained the lifeboat. Reaching the sh.o.r.e, it was turned round, with the back of the carriage, on which the bow of the lifeboat rested, towards the sea. The horses were now made to back it nearer and nearer the water. I felt so eager to witness the proceedings that I would have given anything to go off with the gallant crew.

”Now, lads! on board!” cried the c.o.xswain.

As he uttered the words, not only the crew but a number of other persons rushed down to the side of the boat. I found myself among them. In one instant the crew leapt on board, and, seized by a sudden impulse, I too sprang up the side, and slid down into the bottom of the boat. The c.o.xswain was standing up, watching the seas as they rolled in. That moment was a favourable one for launching the boat, and, crying out to the men on the beach to haul away on the detaching lines, the boat, ere two seconds had pa.s.sed, began to glide towards the raging billows. The crew had seized their oars, and were already giving way. Bravely the boat rolled over the first sea she encountered; and in less than a minute--before I was discovered--she was far from the beach, and pulling swiftly away out to sea. Now, for the first time, the c.o.xswain, casting his eyes down, beheld me.

”Where do you come from, my lad?” he exclaimed; ”you have no business here.”

”I was on board before I had time to think about that,” I answered. ”I beg your pardon; but now that I am here I hope that you will let me remain.”

”Provided you are not washed out of the boat,” he replied. ”Here, take one of these cork-jackets and put it on, and then sit quiet. Whatever happens, hold fast,--or, stay, lash yourself down; remember your life depends upon it.”

I did as he directed, and had now time to reflect on the folly of my proceeding--not that I feared for myself, but I knew papa and the rest of our party would be dreadfully anxious when they missed me.

The c.o.xswain took no further notice of me. He had enough to do to attend to the steerage of the boat. I confess that before many minutes were over I wished myself back safe on sh.o.r.e. Still, I kept up my spirits; my only regret was that I had got on board without papa's leave, and that he, and Oliver and Uncle Tom, and the rest, would be made unhappy on my account.

In spite of the c.o.xswain's orders, I stood up, holding the rope with my left hand, waving my handkerchief with the other, hoping that papa would see it, and at once know what I was doing.

I quickly sat down again, for I heard the c.o.xswain cry out, ”Hold fast, my lads!” and, turning my head for an instant over my shoulder, I saw a tremendous wave come rus.h.i.+ng on with a crest of foam curling over it as if about to overwhelm the boat. On the crew pulled, however; when in an instant the sea broke, a large portion coming right down into the boat, wetting us through fore and aft. But the men seemed to think nothing of it, and on they pulled. Several other seas broke over us in the same way, half filling the boat; but she was so constructed that the water ran out again, and directly afterwards she was as buoyant as ever. We were pulling away to windward, to get a sufficient offing from the land to set sail. It was a long business, for although the men pulled hard, the wind was in our teeth, and the seas seemed to be sending us back as fast as we advanced. Such, however, was not the case, for on looking towards the sh.o.r.e I saw that we were gradually increasing our distance from it.

Thus some hours were pa.s.sed; they appeared to me the longest I had ever known, and I again and again wished myself on sh.o.r.e. Had I been one of the crew, and felt that by my exertions I might have contributed to the saving of the s.h.i.+pwrecked sailors, the case would have been very different; but I had to sit quiet.

At last the c.o.xswain shouted out, ”Make sail!” The mast was stepped, and a double-reefed foresail and mizen were set. The boat could scarcely carry a smaller sail out; even with that she heeled over. Her head was now pointed towards the wreck, which seemed farther and farther off; indeed, we could only occasionally get a glimpse of her as we rose on the summits of the seas. How fearful must have been the anxiety of those on board the wreck! They might possibly have seen the boat; but if they did they might have feared that she would not reach them, or that they would not be able to get on board her before their s.h.i.+p went to pieces. At length the bank was reached which must be crossed before the wreck could be gained. The sea here was breaking tremendously; the waves leaping and clas.h.i.+ng together, gave the water the appearance of a huge boiling cauldron. The boat seemed literally struggling for life; now the water poured in on one side, now on the other, as she rolled to starboard or port.

”Hold on, hold on, my lads, for your lives!” cried the c.o.xswain; and a tremendous sea broke bodily over her, threatening to sweep every man on board away. I held on, as may be supposed, like grim death. The men, slipping from their seats, placed their b.r.e.a.s.t.s on the thwart, thrust their legs under them, and clasped them with both their arms, while the water rushed over their backs and heads, so completely burying us that I fully believed the boat was going down; indeed, it seemed as if we were gone. Suddenly regaining its buoyancy, up it sprang again, throwing out most of the water through the side, while the rest sank to the bottom of the boat, and once more she floated bravely.

The men looked round, as did I, expecting that some of their number would have been washed away; but they had all instantly regained their seats, and on she sped amid the hissing foam.

The wind, instead of lessening, appeared to increase, and the clouds came down close above our heads, seeming almost to meet the dancing crests of foam. With the ma.s.ses of spray which continually broke over her and the thick clouds above us, it was almost as dark as night; and even the c.o.xswain, with his sharp eyes, could with difficulty distinguish the wreck. At last, the sands were crossed, and the boat was once more ploughing her way through the seas, which rolled in towards the sh.o.r.e with greater regularity than those we had just pa.s.sed.

”I see her! I see her!” cried the c.o.xswain, who was standing up peering ahead. ”She is little better than half a mile to leeward.”

The direction of the boat was slightly altered, and we stood down towards the wreck. As we approached her we saw that her mainmast was gone, that her foremast and yards were still standing, with their sails fluttering wildly from them. The lifeboat crew now looked anxiously towards the wreck, to ascertain if any men were still left in the rigging or on the forepart of the hull, which alone remained above the water.

”I see one! I see _two_!” exclaimed the men, in rapid succession.

”They are waving to us.”

As we got still nearer, we could count no less than eight men in the rigging; but how to get to them was the difficulty.

”The mainmast has not been cut adrift; it will be a dangerous task,”

said the c.o.xswain. ”Lads, we shall have to board her on the weather-side, I fear.”

From the position we had gained we could now see to leeward; and there, sure enough, hung the mainmast, which the sea was tossing up and down in a way which would speedily have destroyed our boat. The c.o.xswain's resolution was taken. Running to windward, he ordered the anchor to be let go and the sails lowered. His object was to get sufficiently near the wreck to receive the people on board without actually touching her.

This was a dangerous undertaking; but it had to be performed, if any of the s.h.i.+pwrecked crew were to be saved. Six hands went to the bow, and gradually the cable was paid out, the huge rolling seas carrying us nearer and nearer the wreck. Several broke over us, and, rising against the side of the vessel, concealed her and the crew hanging on to the rigging from our sight. I remained seated, clinging on to the thwart, for I knew that I could do nothing. The brave c.o.xswain, standing up, watched for an advantageous moment to approach the wreck. It seemed to me that it would never come.