Part 17 (2/2)

But now the darkness deepened, if such were possible. No star shone through the funereal gloom; while the enormous rollers, impelled by the increasing force of the wind, swept in quickest succession through the narrow pa.s.sage. The three s.h.i.+ps rolled heavily.

”Harry!” called out the Captain to the oldest trader, ”take your boats and land as many of the people as you can. The sea is getting up fast--in half-an-hour it will be breaking aboard the brig.”

The traders' boats were made fast to the s.h.i.+p's stern, except two on deck.

These were now hauled alongside, and old Harry, with his four stalwart sons--splendid fellows they were physically--manned one, and taking about fifty of their followers, who sprang over the side and were hauled into the boat, the sons gave a wild shout and disappeared into the darkness.

The other boat was equally lucky in not being stove in. Pleasant Island Bill was in charge, and in a lull of the wind I heard him call out to those on deck to throw the women overboard and he would pick them up.

Five or six of them leaped overboard and, swimming like otters, gained the boat; many others naturally held back. Standing on the deck clinging to the Captain's knees were the two children, Toby and Kitty. Seizing Kitty in his arms the Captain tossed her into the black waters close to the boat, where one of the crew caught her by the hair and pulled her in. Toby gave a yell of alarm and tried to dart below, but I caught him and slung him over after Kitty. Bill nearly missed catching him as he rose to the surface, but he was taken in. Then the boat headed for the sh.o.r.e, now only discernible by the white line of foam breaking; into the mangroves.

And now our troubles recommenced. The waters of the harbour, generally placid as a mill-pond, were now running mountains high, so quickly had the sea got up. The Captain, who was standing at the stern sounding, and apparently as cool as if he were trout fis.h.i.+ng, beckoned me to him, and placing his mouth to my ear, shouted--

”Four fathoms under our stern--little enough if the sea gets worse. But if the wind hauls another point we'll touch that big coral mushroom on the port quarter, and then it's good-bye to the _Leonora_!”

The words had hardly left his lips when a strange and awful lull of the wind occurred, rendering more intense the enshrouding darkness, more dread and distinct the seething wash and roar of the seas that broke on the weather reef.

The Captain sprang into the main rigging and held up his hand to feel if the wind was coming from a new quarter. For some minutes the brig rolled so madly that it was all he could do to hold on.

Then his strong, fearless voice sounded out: ”Men! who will man a boat to take a line to the _Europa_? If I can get a hawser to the whaler to keep the brig's stern from this boulder under our port quarter, it may save the s.h.i.+p. If not, we must strike. There's a lull now, and a boat could get away.”

After a momentary hesitation, Antonio the Portuguese, Johnny Tilton, and two natives volunteered.

”Good lads!” cried the Captain; ”stand by, men, to lower away the whaleboat.” In a few minutes she was in the water, and a whale-line made fast to a stout hawser was coiled away in the bow, as with an encouraging cheer from those on deck, the men gave way, and pa.s.sing under our stern made for the _Europa_.

After twenty minutes of anxiety, for we could see nothing, nor tell whether the boat had reached the _Europa_ safely or been stove in alongside, we saw her dart past the stern again, and Antonio called out, ”All right, Captain, heave away on the hawser, the end's fast to the _Europa_.”

”Well done, lads!” cried the Captain; ”but stay where you are, and I'll get some more women on sh.o.r.e.”

The strange lull still continued, but a lurid glare showed me the gla.s.s still falling steadily; when I told the Captain this he sighed, for he knew that our best chance of safety was gone. But he was a man of action.

”Go below, Hilary!” he said quietly, ”and get all the papers, letters, and articles of value together--I'll send them on sh.o.r.e with the women.”

In the cabin were eight or ten women; they gazed at me with terror-stricken faces. ”On deck, Mary!” I said. ”On deck all of you!

there's a boat alongside, and some of you can get ash.o.r.e.”

Five of them, with old Mary, at once left the cabin, and I heard their wild cries and screams of alarm as they were seized by the Captain and crew, and thrown overboard to be picked up by the boat.

Lalia and the others remained in the cabin, clinging to each other and sobbing with fear.

I picked up a heavy trade chest, and laying mats and rugs along the bottom and sides, stowed into it the chronometers, a couple of s.e.xtants, charts, and what gold and silver coin was in the Captain's secretary; also as many Winchester carbines and cartridges as it would hold.

”Here, girls! help me carry this on deck,” I said in Samoan to Lalia, who understood the language. We dragged the heavy box on deck, and, by wonderful good luck, it was lowered into the boat, which was now under the s.h.i.+p's quarter, and in imminent danger of being stove in.

The Captain desired me to go ash.o.r.e in the longboat and take charge of the boat. I was just about to jump when the brig gave a fearful plunge, and before she could recover, a heavy roller crashed over the waist and nearly smothered me. By clinging to the iron boat davits near me, I managed to save myself from being carried overboard with the debris of spars and timber that swept aft. When I regained my breath I could see nothing of the boat. She had, however, been swept ash.o.r.e, and all in her landed safely except Bill, who was knocked overboard, but washed up into the mangroves.

I felt the Captain's hand on my shoulder, as he asked me if I thought the boat had gone under.

”I think not, or we should have heard some of them calling out; they can all swim.”

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