Part 34 (1/2)
”You would uselessly risk your life, Adair!” exclaimed the captain.
”Lower that gig; be sharp about it: you may go in her.”
Several men with Adair had instantly flown to the boat nearest them, and, under the direction of the captain, were lowering her, when the after-fall gave way, and up she hung by the bows, most of her gear falling into the water, as did one of the two men in her. He was a good swimmer, and struck out boldly to keep up alongside the s.h.i.+p, but the current was too strong for him, and before a rope could be heaved to him, he gradually dropped astern. The fall had been injured by one of the enemy's shot. Another boat was now lowered, but in consequence of the darkness, and the disarrangement incidental to the work in which the men had been engaged, more delay than usual occurred. At last the boat was lowered and manned, and Adair and Mr Cherry jumping into her, away they pulled to pick up, in the first place, the poor fellow who had just fallen into the water. They shouted out his name: a faint cry reached their ears. He had already got a long way from the s.h.i.+p; it took some time before they could find him. He must have sunk once, and they caught him just as he came up again; he was insensible when they hauled him into the boat. Adair wanted to go on, but Mr Cherry said that he feared the man would die if they did, and that it was his duty to carry him on board.
”I fear, too, that there is but little chance of our picking up the other two poor fellows,” he observed. ”They must have drifted a long way by this time, and can scarcely have kept afloat.”
”You don't know, sir, what a superb swimmer Jack Rogers is,” exclaimed Adair: ”he will keep up for an hour or more; I have no fear on that score. Let us get this man on board, and we will soon find him.”
Terence had never in his life felt so deeply anxious as he now did. The boat rapidly returned to the s.h.i.+p, the nearly drowned man was hoisted on deck, and then once more they shoved off, and fast as the men could bend to their oars, they pulled in the direction it was supposed Murray and Jack must have drifted.
The fire-s.h.i.+ps were still blazing away as the boat approached them. ”I think that they cannot be far from here,” said Mr Cherry. ”Steady now, lads; paddle gently; keep a look out on either side, all of you.”
Terence however thought that they might have drifted farther on.
”Rogers, ahoy!” he stood up and shouted; ”Jack Rogers, where are you?”
Just then, one of the fire-s.h.i.+ps which had been burning most furiously, and concealed everything on the other side of her, blew up with a loud explosion, scattering her burning fragments far and wide around her.
Several pieces of blazing timber fell into the boat among the men. One or two were much hurt, and they had enough to do to heave the bits overboard to prevent the boat herself catching fire.
Terence was in an agony of fear for the sake of his friends. A single fragment of the burning s.h.i.+p falling on them would have sent them to the bottom. Still he would not give up all hope, but continued searching.
Mr Cherry now agreed that, if they still were on the surface, they must have drifted farther on; so on they pulled slowly, looking out as before. They had gone a little way, when the man in the bows said he saw a boat in the distance.
Mr Cherry made her out also: ”Perhaps they may have reached her,” he observed. This was very little consolation to Terence, because he did not think it probable, if, as there was little doubt, she was a pirate's boat, her crew would let them live. Still he was eager to go in chase.
Mr Cherry, who was more calm, thought that it would be wiser to look about on every side, to ascertain if Jack was still floating near.
Again and again they called to him, but there was no answer.
”Either they have been picked up or are drowned,” said the lieutenant.
Terence's heart sank within him. Mr Cherry now agreed to go in chase of the Chinamen's boat. Away they dashed; their shouts of course had given notice of their approach, and the boat was evidently pulling on rapidly before them. Bright sparkles of light fell from the blades of their oars, and in their wake appeared a long fiery line, as the boat glided over the dark smooth water.
Two of the fire-s.h.i.+ps were still burning, and their position, with the distant signal-lights of the frigate, enabled them to keep in the direction they believed the two mids.h.i.+pmen had drifted. The Chinamen's boat pulled fast, and they appeared to be very slightly gaining on her.
Adair believed that the only chance of saving his old companions' lives was to overtake her. Mr Cherry already gave them up as lost, still he was determined, if possible, to overhaul the boat. The crew bent manfully to their oars.
It did not occur to any one for some time that they had left the s.h.i.+p unarmed; except that two of the men had pistols in their belts, and one had still his cutla.s.s, while Mr Cherry had jumped into the boat without unbuckling his sword.
”Never mind; the boat's stretchers must serve those who haven't better weapons. Very likely the Chinamen in the boats are no better off,”
exclaimed Terence, in his eagerness. The lieutenant agreeing with him, on they went.
”We shall have her at last,” cried Adair; ”we are gaining on her, I am certain of it. But hillo! what are those lights there, ahead of us?” he added after some time. The question was soon answered, for looming through the darkness appeared a long line of large war-junks, behind which the boat of which they were in pursuit rapidly glided. They must have been seen from the junks, for directly afterwards they were saluted by a thick shower of jingall bullets, while several round shot came whizzing past them. Terence, in the impulse of the moment, was for das.h.i.+ng on and attacking the nearest junks, but, as Mr Cherry had discretion as well as valour, he ordered the men to pull round their starboard oars, and to get out of the range of the shot as fast as they could. It was rather too much for even six British seamen and two officers to do, to attack a whole fleet of war-junks. Terence was of the same opinion. With heavy hearts they pulled back against the current to the frigate, fully believing that Rogers and Murray were lost to them for ever. As soon as they made their report, Captain Grant expressed his wish to make an attempt, at all events, to ascertain the fate of the two mids.h.i.+pmen. If the frigate was got under weigh with the strong current which was then making, she would most certainly be drifted on to the reefs. A boat expedition was the only means left for doing anything. Immediately all the boats of the s.h.i.+p were manned, with guns in their bows, and this time the crews went well-armed. Away they pulled, resolving, if they did not find the two young officers, to make the pirates pay dearly for their loss. The rest of the fire-s.h.i.+ps had burnt out, so it was now quite dark. The men were in their usual spirits when fighting was to be done, and were highly pleased at the thoughts of getting alongside the villains with whom they had hitherto been playing at long bowls--a game to which Jack had a great dislike.
Terence had Needham in his boat. They had pulled for a considerable distance, and Adair thought that they ought to be up with the enemy.
”Can you manage to make out the junks, d.i.c.k?” he sang out.
”No, sir, I can see nothing ahead whatever,” was the unsatisfactory answer.
So they pulled on yet farther. Still no junks were to be seen. On proceeded the flotilla, till they had considerably pa.s.sed the spot where Mr Cherry and Adair had fallen in with the enemy. Mr Cherry considered that it was not prudent to separate, so kept the boats together. After again pulling some way to the east, they first took a northerly course, and then swept round again towards the south, but not a trace of a boat or vessel of any sort could they discover. Just before dawn, very considerably disappointed, the expedition returned to the frigate. As the sun rose, a breeze sprang up, and once more the anchor was weighed, the sails were let fall, and the frigate stood out of her perilous position. A steady hand in each of the main chains kept the lead going, while the master, with anxious countenance, stood on the bowsprit issuing his orders as to how the s.h.i.+p was to be steered.
”Starboard!” he cried.