Part 16 (1/2)

Again I left the helm and bailed out; I was cold and faint, and I felt recovered with the exertion; I also tried to rouse the woman, but it was useless. I felt for her bladder of liquor, and found it in her bosom, more than half empty. I drank more freely, and my spirits and my courage revived. After that, I ate, and steered the boat, awaiting the coming daylight.

It came at last slowly--so slowly; but it did come, and I felt almost happy. There is such a horror in darkness when added to danger; I felt as if I could have wors.h.i.+pped the sun as it rose slowly, and with a watery appearance, above the horizon. I looked around me: there was something like land astern of us, such as I had seen pointed out as land by Bob Cross, when off the coast of Portugal; and so it was--it was the Isle of Wight: for the wind had changed when the rain came down, and I had altered the course of the boat so that for the last four hours I had been steering for the coast of France.

But, although I was cold and s.h.i.+vering, and worn out with watching, and tired with holding the lines by which the wherry was steered, I felt almost happy at the return of day. I looked down upon my companion in the boat; she lay sound asleep, with her head upon the basket of tobacco pipes, her bonnet wet and dripping, with its faded ribbons hanging in the water which washed to and fro at the bottom of the boat, as it rolled and rocked to the motion of the waves; her hair had fallen over her face, so as almost to conceal her features; I thought that she had died during the night, so silent and so breathless did she lie. The waves were not so rough now as they had been, for the flood tide had again made; and as the beams of the morning sun glanced on the water, the same billows which appeared so dreadful in the darkness appeared to dance merrily.

I felt hungry; I took up a red herring from one of the baskets, and tore it to pieces with my teeth. I looked around me in every quarter to see if there was any vessel in sight, but there was nothing to be seen but now and then a screaming sea-gull. I tried to rouse my companion by kicking her with my foot; I did not succeed in waking her up, but she turned round on her back, and, her hair falling from her face, discovered the features of a young and pretty person, apparently not more than nineteen or twenty years old; her figure was slight and well formed.

Young as I was, I thought it a pity that such a nice-looking person--for she still was so, although in a state of disorder, and very dirty-- should be so debased by intoxication; and as I looked at the bladder, still half full of spirits I seized it with an intention to throw it overboard, when I paused at the recollection that it had probably saved my life during the night, and might yet be required.

I did not like to alter the course of the boat, although I perceived that we were running fast from the land; for although the sea had gone down considerably, there was still too much for the boat to be put broadside to it. I cannot say that I was unhappy; I found my situation so very much improved to what it was during the darkness of the night.

The sun shone bright, and I felt its warmth. I had no idea of being lost--death did not enter my thoughts. There was plenty to eat, and some vessel would certainly pick us up. Nevertheless, I said my prayers, more devoutly than I usually did.

About noon, as near as I could guess, the tide changed again, and as the wind had lulled very much, there was little or no swell. I thought that, now that the motion was not so great, we might possibly s.h.i.+p the foremast and make some little sail upon the boat; and I tried again more earnestly to rouse up my companion; after a few not very polite attempts, I succeeded in ascertaining that she was alive.

”Be quiet, Jim,” said she, with her eyes still closed; ”it's not five bells yet.”

Another kick or two, and she turned herself round and stared wildly.

”Jim,” said she, rubbing her eyes, and then she looked about her, and at once she appeared to remember what had pa.s.sed; she shrieked, and covered her face up with her hands.

”I thought it was a dream, and was going to tell Jim all about it, at breakfast,” said she, sorrowfully, ”but it's all true--true as gospel.

What will become of me? We are lost, lost, lost!”

”We are not lost, but we should have been lost this night if I had been as drunk as you have been,” replied I; ”I've had work enough to keep the boat above water, I can tell you.”

”That's truth,” replied she, rising up and taking a seat upon the thwart of the boat. ”G.o.d, forgive me, poor wretch that I am: what will Jim think, and what will he say, when he sees my best bonnet in such a pickle?”

”Are you quite sure that you'll ever see Jim again, or that you'll ever want your best bonnet?” replied I.

”That's true. If one's body is to be tossed about by green waves, it's little matter whether there's a bonnet or shawl on. Where are we, do you know?”

”I can just see the land out there,” replied I, pointing astern. ”The sea is smooth; I think we could s.h.i.+p the foremast, and get sail upon her.”

The young woman stood up in the boat.

”Yes,” said she, ”I'm pretty steady; I think we could. Last night in the dark and the tossing sea I could do nothing, but now I can. What a blessing is daylight to cowards like me--I am only afraid in the dark.

We must put some sail upon the boat, or n.o.body will see us. What did you do with the bladder of liquor?”

”Threw it overboard,” replied I.

”Had you courage to do that?--and watching through the the night so wet and cold. Well you did right--I could not have done it. Oh! that liquor--that liquor; I wish there wasn't such a thing in the world, but it's too late now. When I first married James Pearson, and the garland was hung to the main-stay of the frigate, n.o.body could persuade me to touch it, not even James himself, whom I loved so much. Instead of quarrelling with me for not drinking it, as he used to do, he now quarrels with me for drinking the most. If you'll come forward, sir, and help me, we'll soon get up the foremast. This is it, you see, with the jib pa.s.sed round it. Jim often says that I'd make a capital sailor, if I'd only enter in man's clothes--but as I tell him, I should be put up at the gangway, for not being sober, before I'd been on board a week.”

We contrived to s.h.i.+p the mast, and set the jib and foresail. As soon as the sheets were hauled aft, my companion took the steering lines, saying, ”I know how to manage her well enough, now it's daylight, and I'm quite sober. You must be very tired, sir; so sit down on the thwart, or lie down if you please, and take a nap; all's safe enough now--see, we lie up well for the land;” and such was the case, for she had brought the boat to the wind, and we skimmed over the waves at the rate of three or four miles an hour. I had no inclination to sleep; I baled the boat out thoroughly, and put the baskets and boxes into some kind of order. I then sat down on the thwarts, first looking round for a vessel in sight; but seeing none, I entered into conversation with my companion.

”What is your name?” said I.

”Peggy Pearson; I have my marriage lines to show: they can throw nothing in my face, except that I'm fond of liquor, G.o.d forgive me.”

”And what makes you so fond of it now, since you say that, when you were married, you did not care for it?”