Part 9 (1/2)

Not a man moved from his post, but all watched the proceedings going forward as if no unusual occurrence was taking place. The sea had by this time so much gone down that the operation of lowering the women and children into the boats was less hazardous than otherwise would have been the case. Mrs Morley and her two daughters were the first to appear on deck. The colonel led them to the gangway, where the boatswain and several of the most active seamen were standing ready to lower them down, under the direction of the first-lieutenant. Whether or not they expected that Colonel Morley would accompany them, it was difficult to say. The only words heard, as Mrs Morley seemed to hesitate for a moment as she was about to be lowered down, were, ”We are all under orders. Duty must be our first consideration.”

Poor Mrs Twopenny shrieked out for her husband. ”He will follow you presently,” said the first-lieutenant, hoping to pacify her. ”Now, Mrs Rumbelow, you are to go in this boat,” he exclaimed. The sergeant's wife hesitated, casting a glance towards her husband.

”We want you to go and look after the ladies,” said the colonel. ”Come, Mrs Rumbelow, you have never acted contrary to orders, and you will not do so now, I am sure.”

Without a word she stepped to the gangway, and with very little a.s.sistance reached the boat. A young drummer, with five or six poor women, some having children, were also lowered down.

”Come, Davis, I promised the colonel that you and your medicine chest should go in the launch,” said the commander. ”I hope you will be able to give a good account of your charges. Come! come! I must be obeyed,”

he added with a melancholy smile, observing that the surgeon seemed to hesitate. ”We can do without your services on board.”

Eight hands had been ordered into the boat to serve as her crew, and w.i.l.l.y was very glad to see Paul Lizard among them. The boatswain had been ordered to take charge of the first cutter. Peter Patch went with him, and poor Ensign Holt was lowered into the same boat, looking more helpless and woebegone than any of the women.

The people, however, had not been placed in the boats without considerable difficulty and danger. As soon as the launch had received her complement, she was dropped astern. Here she hung on while the other boats were being loaded, and as those in her watched this proceeding, they dreaded every instant to see them swamped alongside.

Some of the people attempted, in their eagerness, to jump in. Several were seen to fall into the water; others were with difficulty caught, and saved from breaking their limbs. The sea, too, which, while the launch was alongside, was comparatively calm, had since then rapidly become more and more agitated, and heavy rollers were seen coming over the ocean towards the s.h.i.+p. As the people were getting into the second cutter, the sea struck her, violently das.h.i.+ng her against the s.h.i.+p's side; while some were attempting to fend her off, she was swamped and upset, the unhappy people in her being cast struggling into the foaming waters. Two seamen only managed to regain the s.h.i.+p.

”Out oars,” cried Harry Shafto; and the crew of the launch attempted to pull up, and save some of their drowning s.h.i.+pmates. Before, however, they could get up even to the s.h.i.+p's quarter, nearly all had disappeared, several poor women and children being speedily overwhelmed.

”See! see!” cried Mrs Rumbelow, ”there is a little chap striking out towards us; and I do believe he has a baby in his arms. I know him; he is young Broke, a famous swimmer. Oh, Mr Shafto, do save them if you can.”

Harry required no urging, nor did the crew. In another instant the young drummer boy was alongside; and the doctor, stooping down, lifted up the baby; but it seemed as if life was extinct. Young Broke was speedily hauled on board. All for the moment seemed to forget their own danger in their anxiety for the young infant; watching anxiously for the report of the doctor, who was seen for a short time gently pressing its stomach and breathing at the time into its mouth. ”It lives,” he said, ”and will, I trust, recover.” The little creature had no lack of nurses, for even at that moment of trial all were eager to take it.

Young Broke, though nearly exhausted when taken on board, soon recovered; he could not tell what had become of the mother, but he had some idea that she was still on board, having entrusted her child to one of the men before she herself was lowered down.

Harry again dropped the launch astern, in obedience to the orders he had received. The sea coming ahead of the s.h.i.+p, she began to pitch violently; the other boats, to avoid the accident which had happened to the second cutter, kept well clear of her. The commander was standing on the p.o.o.p, and Colonel Morley by his side.

”Is my husband not coming?” asked Mrs Morley, now appearing for the first time aware that she was to be separated from him.

”The colonel will act as duty prompts him,” said Harry.

”Yes, yes; I know he will,” said Mrs Morley, gazing towards the s.h.i.+p.

”And he considers it is his duty to remain on board,” she gasped out as she hid her face in her hands, sobs bursting from her bosom.

Harry, still hoping that, as the weather had been moderating, the s.h.i.+p might be kept afloat, determined to hold on to the last. As he looked ahead, however, he saw the heavy rollers continuing to come in from the north-west, while the sky in that direction looked dark and threatening.

Colonel Morley was observed every now and then to cast an anxious gaze at the boat which contained his wife and daughters. How must he have felt at allowing them to go away without him! It must have been a sore trial to his manly heart at all events. The commander was evidently issuing orders to those who remained with him.

”Oh, Mr Shafto, do they not fear that the s.h.i.+p will sink?” exclaimed Miss Morley. ”Surely they will not remain on board.”

”They are, I have no doubt, engaged in building rafts,” said Harry.

”The people will thus have a chance of saving their lives, for the boats could not take all on board.”

”But my father, my dear father,” exclaimed Miss Morley.

”He will, if possible, remain and try to help those on the rafts,”

answered Harry. He could say no more, for he was well aware that till every effort had been made to save his men, Colonel Morley would not desert them.

Harry's anxiety increased greatly when he saw the threatening aspect of the weather. The s.h.i.+p had been brought as close to the wind as possible, in order to allow the boats with less risk to lie alongside.

A heavy sea now struck her bows; driving her astern, and threatening to bring her down upon the launch. Not a moment was to be lost, Harry saw, or the destruction of the boat and all on board would be inevitable.

With a heavy heart he gave the order to cut the warp to which she hung.