Part 3 (1/2)

Meantime we hauled the sail in board, and then, having lashed the tiller, we managed to roll it up and get it away from the body, which lay in the small, sunk, stern-sheets, still half supported. Murry was dead! My heart thumped in my throat, and a horrible feeling of hysteria attacked me. I suddenly burst out crying, and then sn.i.g.g.e.red in shame amid sobs.

”That's how mother was took,” said Tim at length. ”Can't we carry him in to the cabin place, think ye?”

I nodded a.s.sent. With great difficulty we managed to place the fine old man upon the lockers; the rolling and jumping of the boat was excessive, and imparted a weird movement to the body of the sailor.

He lay perfectly uninjured to all appearance. There was a blue mark on his neck, and his jersey had been split. Those were the only signs of dissolution. Poor Murry! He was a fine hearty sailor, and I am sure all his mates missed him for many a day.

This terrible incident affected us both deeply. Tim said a few words only, but I could perceive that he was feeling deeply, though his training and habit did not tend to sentiment. My intention was to get back as quickly as possible, and I said so. Let us get home!

”Whatever course are you steering, Tim?” I asked. ”We're making _out_, not home.”

”We shall never get home unless by land--unless we run ash.o.r.e,” replied Tim grimly. ”She's leakin' like old boots.”

”Leaking! What do you mean?” I asked in alarm.

”I means leakin', that's plain enough, I think. She's takin' the sea in fine, and I dessay in a few hours we'll see her beached.”

”Where?” I asked quickly. ”You're keeping off sh.o.r.e now.”

”Can't land under these cliffs, anyhow. We must bail and run soon.

That's our only chance I take it, Mister Jule. 'Spose you looks and bails; there's a dipper there. See to the well. Come, we'll lash the tiller, and she'll lie up a while in the wind if the mainsel catches her astern.”

”But surely we can get ash.o.r.e well enough. There are several vessels yonder; let us run out and board one.”

”And be swamped likely. No, sir; let's weather the point and then we may get in on the eddy a bit. See here, we're driftin' now; we can't signal, the weather's thick a'ready, and likely as not a fog will come up to-night. There's bad weather about now. So let's try for the leak anyhow, and fix it.”

We made an investigation which occupied some little time. We found the vessel was leaking, not badly; and if we could set the mainsail we could sail fairly well. The wind was unfortunately rising fast, and the day had completely changed.

I was surprised to find that time had pa.s.sed so rapidly; it was three o'clock already. We were some miles out then, and still drifting out.

We determined to repair the gaff as a preliminary, so Tim set to work, and I a.s.sisted him as much as I could. That was not much, however, and all the time the day declined, the sea rose, the wind increased, and the _Osprey_ jumped so that our efforts were not quickly successful.

”I say, Tim, can't we rig up the sail on the stump, and let her drive?

We shall surely run against something bound homewards, or to London, or somewhere, and get ash.o.r.e.”

”I'm thinkin' we must chance it! The drift is das.h.i.+ng up too thick, and I'm feelin' like tea-time. Tell ye the truth, Mister Jule, I ain't the spirit for this. Think o' father there! How can we go back with that story? I'm gettin' 'down' over it.”

”Oh, I say, Tim, none of that, please! Cheer up! we mustn't say die, you know. We have had a bad time, I know that, but we can't alter the _facts_. It's Providence, you know.”

”Ye didn't say that this mornin' when you was savage about your eyesight,” retorted Tim. ”There was no 'Providence' in that. It was bad words and hanging people then.”

”I was savage then, I know, and sick of things. But 'there's worse things happen at sea,' remember; and this is the worst I ever knew.

Besides, it's a matter of self-defence and preservation, Tim. So let her drive; we'll be picked up certain. Let's do our best!”

”Very well, sir; you're master! Only, just see the weather! If we gets out yonder we'll never get back!”

”And if we lie here dipping and leaking we shall get nowhere! We can't hoist the sail, can we? No; well, then, loose the jib-sheet and drive out, there's plenty of steamers in the offing. I don't want to go home in such a hurry, and if it was not for”--

I stopped suddenly, my eyes had rested upon the outline of the poor old skipper's form, covered with the tarpaulin, amids.h.i.+ps.