Part 6 (2/2)
”Well, tell the ht to-,” said Stephen
”Me tink dey break dis nigger's head if he stop talking,” said Juht
As their arms had been released, as soon as they had had their supper, being pretty well tired with the exertions which they had ht, they lay down, and in spite of the danger they considered the shi+p was in
After so to the door of the cabin, found to his surprise that Jumbo had not locked it Anxious to kno the shi+p was steering, he went up on deck, hoping not to be perceived by either of the limpse at the co south-east, and that the wind had becoe of the deck He knew by exa currents set in towards the coast thereabouts, and should the wind shi+ft to the ard, he even fancied, as he looked over the bulwarks, that he could see the distant land He accordingly went back to Stephen, and rousing him up, asked him to come on deck
Stephen immediately hurried up with him
”If the wind shi+fts to the ard, it will not be long before we are on the shore,” said Stephen boldly to the boatswain
”Who told you?” asked the boatswain in a somewhat anxious tone
”My own sense,” answered Stephen
Scarcely had he spoken than the wind, which had dropped alan to bloith considerable force
”All hands shorten sail,” shouted the boatswain, and the crew ca up from below The mates turned out of their berths, and the first mate looked with much astonishment at the state of affairs The mate no that the shi+p's head must be put to the northward, and under diminished canvas he endeavoured to haul off shore The wind blew harder and harder Not half-an-hour had elapsed when a loud grating sound was heard
”Doith the helm!” shouted the mate It was too late; the shi+p would not come about, but drove on till she stuck hard and fast with her broadside to the sea Stephen and Roger hurried into the cabin to secure some important papers, also to see what could be done for the poor Captain, should the shi+p go to pieces They had fancied him unconscious, but he had been aroused by the sound of the shi+p striking, theof which he knew too well
”Battisob,” he said, ”help me on deck I knohat has happened, and that mate of mine has been the cause of it I h he was very weak they did as he directed them His appearance tended to restore order
”Men,” he said, in as loud a voice as he could speak, ”your lives depend upon obeying hby lower a boat, and carry a line ashore with you Take Stokes and Juet the shi+p afloat”
They did as he told the rope so as to form a communication with the shore, that should the worst co it
They had got within fifty fathoms, when a roller ca into the water Stephen, as a good swier and the rest to follow him, and in a few seconds his feet touched the sand He scra round, as his horror not to discover Roger! He saw Saazed for a moment towards where the boat had been capsized, when he saw a head and ar forward, he breasted the waves, and soon caught hold of the person he had seen It was Roger, who, on being hauled on shore, quickly caed to rescue the seamen, but the boat was knocked to pieces, and the end of the rope lost They could now neither return nor help those on board to reach the shore
The as increasing, clouds covered the sky, and they lost sight of the vessel in the thick spray and darkness Roger proposed lighting a fire as a signal to those on board, but no driftwood could be discovered, and the fierce gale would soon have scattered the ashes had they made the attempt They shouted at the top of their voices
”It is no use in exhausting your strength,” observed old Sam ”In the teeth of this hurricane our voices cannot travel half the distance to the wreck”
Finding at length that they could do nothing on the beach, they sought for shelter under the lee of a sandhill, where, being exhausted by their exertions, they soon fell asleep
CHAPTER FOUR
When they awoke the next e of the vessel could they see, but the beach was streith the wreck, while here and there lay the dead bodies of their shi+pmates
”Sad fate, poor fellows!” said Stephen ”We should be thankful to Heaven for being preserved, to Captain Roberts for sending us on shore; but, alack, ill becoo? It will be a heavy loss to Keht try to collect whatever is driven on shore”
”I am afraid if we did that the natives would soon come down and deprive us of our property If we can find sos cast on shore it will be more to the purpose”