Part 11 (1/2)

They soon had a great beacon light sending its welcome greeting far over the sea. The pilot of the s.h.i.+p saw it and steered his s.h.i.+p nearer and nearer. Robinson was ready to shout for joy as the s.h.i.+p seemed about to make the harbor. The s.h.i.+p had her sails torn in shreds and her rudder broken. It was hard to steer her in such a gale. On rounding the point, she was blown on the rocks. With a frightful crash which could be heard above the din of the storm she struck and held fast. Robinson could hear the cries of the men and the orders of the officers. They were trying to get boats ready to put off, but such was the confusion of the storm and the enormous waves breaking over the deck that it could not be done quickly. Before the men could get a boat into the sea, and get into it, the s.h.i.+p gave a lurch to one side as though about to sink. All the men jumped for one boat. It was overburdened. The wind tossed it about. The sea soon filled it and it went down and all were lost.

Robinson and Friday remained on the sh.o.r.e all night. They watched to see if they could not help some poor sailor that might cling to a plank and be blown on sh.o.r.e. They saw no one.

At last they lay down, but they could not sleep. Many times they sprang up and ran about for fear that some poor fellow would need their help. At last morning came. The storm ceased. Robinson and Friday searched everywhere for the bodies of the sailors, but could find none. But the wind had blown the s.h.i.+p in plain view, and into shallow waters. It was lying on the bottom with more than half its bulk out of the water. The masts were gone. It was a sad sight. No human being could be seen on it.

They were now rejoiced that they had their boat ready. ”Let us take it,” said Robinson ”and go out to the s.h.i.+p. It may be some person is still on the unfortunate s.h.i.+p.” They were soon by the s.h.i.+p's side.

They rowed around it until they saw a rope hanging down from the deck.

Robinson seized this and clambered up. Friday tied the boat fast, and followed. Robinson opened the door leading from the deck into the s.h.i.+p and went down. He searched in all the cabins, and knocked at all the doors. He called, but all was still. When he was satisfied that every person on board had been drowned he wept bitterly.

Friday stood there with open and staring eyes. He looked and looked.

He was astonished at the large s.h.i.+p and at the wonderful things before him. They were in the cabin where the pa.s.sengers had been. There stood trunks under the benches and clothes hung on the hooks on the wall.

One trunk was open. In it were telescopes through which the travelers had looked at the land. Robinson saw also paper, pens, pen-holders and ink. Books were also near by. Robinson first took a thick book.

It was the Bible, out of which his mother had so often taught him.

Then they came to the sailors' cabin. There hung muskets and swords and bags of shot and cartridges. Then they went to the work-room. There were saws, hammers, spades, shovels, chisels, nails, bottles, and pails, knives and forks. And something more, over which Robinson was most glad, matches. At last they came into the store-room. There lay bags of flour and barley, teas, lentils, beans and sugar. Then Robinson embraced Friday in his great joy and said to him, ”How rich we are!”

x.x.xIX

SAVING THINGS FROM THE s.h.i.+P

After Robinson had looked through the s.h.i.+p he began to plan the way to get the tools and things he most wanted on sh.o.r.e. He and Friday first carried everything together that he wanted to take on sh.o.r.e.

When they had done this, he found he had the following things. Robinson stood everything together that he needed most.

1. A case of nails and screws.

2. Two iron axes and several hatchets.

3. A saw.

4. A small case of planes, tongs, augers, files, chisels, etc.

5. A third case with iron brackets, hooks, hinges, etc.

6. A case of matches.

7. A barrel of gunpowder.

8. Two muskets and a pistol.

9. Several swords.

10. A bag of cartridges.

11. A large sail cloth and some rope.

12. A telescope.

By means of the s.h.i.+p's ropes, Robinson let everything down into his boat. He himself took the Bible and then they rowed to the sh.o.r.e, and unloaded the boat. Everything was put into the bower where rain could not harm it. By the time they had this done, night was coming on and they decided to do no more that day, but wait until the next day.

”We must work fast,” said Robinson. ”The first storm is likely to break the s.h.i.+p in pieces and destroy everything in it.”

The next morning early they ate a hastily prepared breakfast and were off to the boat. Neither Robinson nor Friday stopped for their noonday lunch. ”A storm is brewing,” said Robinson, ”the air is calm, the sky is overcast with clouds, the heat is oppressive. We must hurry.” With the utmost diligence they rowed back and forth all day. They made nine trips. They had now on sh.o.r.e a surprising quant.i.ty of all kinds of tools, goods and weapons. They had all kinds of ware to use in the kitchen, clothes, and food. Robinson prized a little four-wheeled wagon and a whetstone.