Part 56 (1/2)
”Cross!” said I.
”Here I am, Captain Keene, close under your lee.”
”The gale is broke; we shall have fair weather before the morning.”
”Yes, sir; I have thought so some time.”
”Thank G.o.d for His mercy; we must trust that He will not leave us here to perish miserably.”
”No, I hope not,” replied Cross; ”let us trust in Him, but I confess I see but little chance.”
”So have many others, yet they have been saved, Cross.”
”Very true, sir,” replied he: ”I wish it was daylight.”
We had, however, three or four hours to wait; but during that time the wind gradually subsided, and then went down to a light and fitful breeze. At dawn of day the mast rose and fell with the swell of the sea, which still heaved after the late commotion, but without any run in any particular direction, for it was now calm. I had been sitting on the mast with my back against the futtock-shrouds; I now rose up with difficulty, for I was sorely bruised, and stood upon the mast clear from the water, to look around me. About thirty yards from us was the wreck of the foremast with many men clinging to it. The mizen-mast had broken adrift. The fore part of the frigate was several feet above water, and the bowsprit steeved in the air; of the after part there were but three or four broken timbers to be seen clear of the water, so deep had it been buried in the sand.
Cross had risen on his feet, and was standing by me, when we were hailed from the wreck of the fore-mast, ”Main-mast, ahoy!”
”Halloo!” replied Cross.
”Have you got the captain on board?”
”Yes,” replied Bob; ”all alive and hearty;” a faint huzzah which was the return, affected me sensibly. That my men should think of me when in such a position was soothing to my feelings; but as I looked at them on the other mast and those around me, and calculated that there could not be more than forty men left out of such a n.o.ble s.h.i.+p's company, I could have wept. But it was time for action: ”Cross,” said I, ”now that it is calm, I think we shall be better on the fore part of the frigate than here, half in and half out of water. The forecastle is still remaining, and the weather bulwarks will shelter the men; besides if any vessels should come in sight, we should more easily be able to make signals and to attract their attention.”
”Very true, sir,” replied Cross; ”and as there are many men here who cannot hold on much longer, we must try if we cannot haul them on board.
Do you feel strong enough to swim to the wreck?”
”Yes, quite, Cross.”
”Then we'll start together, sir, and see how matters are.”
I dropped into the sea, followed by Cross; and as the distance from us was not forty yards, we soon gained the wreck of the fore part of the frigate; the lee gunnel was just above the water; we clambered over it, and found the deck still whole; the weather portion as white as snow, and quite dry: we gained the weather bulwarks, and looked in the offing in case there should be any vessel, but we could see nothing.
”Now, sir, we had better hail, and tell all those who can swim to come to us.”
We did so, and six men from the main-mast and nine from the fore-mast soon joined us.
”Now, my lads,” said I, ”we must look after those who cannot get here, and try to save them. Get all the ends of ropes from the belaying pins, bend them on one to another, and then we will return and make the men fast, and you shall haul them on board.”
This was soon done; Cross and I took the end in our hands, and swam back to the main-mast. One of the top-men, with a broken, arm was the first that was made fast, and, when the signal was given, hauled through the water to the wreck; six or seven more followed in succession. Two men swam back every time with the rope and accompanied those who were hauled on board, that they might not sink. There were many more hanging to different parts of the main-mast, but on examination they were found to be quite dead. We sent on board all that showed any symptoms of life, and then we swam to the fore-mast, and a.s.sisted those who were hanging to it. In about two hours our task was completed, and we mustered twenty-six men on the wreck.
We were glad to shelter ourselves under the bulwark, where we all lay huddled up together; before noon, most of the poor fellows had forgotten their sufferings in a sound sleep. Cross, I, and the man with the broken arm, were the only three awake; the latter was in too much pain to find repose, and, moreover, suffered from extreme thirst.
A breeze now sprang up from the southward, which cheered our spirits, as without wind there was little chance of receiving any a.s.sistance. Night again came on, and the men still slept. Cross and I laid down, and were glad to follow their example: the night was cold, and when we lay down we did not yet feel much from hunger or thirst; but when the morning dawned we woke in suffering, not from hunger, but from thirst.
Everybody cried out for water. I told the men that talking would only make them feel it more, and advised them to put their s.h.i.+rt sleeves in their mouths, and suck them; and then I climbed upon the bulwarks to see if there was anything in sight. I knew that the greatest chance was that the cutter would be looking after us; but, at the same time, it was not yet likely that she would come so near to the sands.
I had been an hour on the gunnel, when Cross came up to me. ”It's banking up, sir to the southward: I hope we are not going to have any more bad weather.”
”I have no fear of a gale, although we may have thick weather,” replied I; ”that would be almost as bad for us, as we should perish on the wreck before we are discovered.”