Part 37 (2/2)
”To see a first-cla.s.s s.h.i.+p drift to leeward in a narrow sea with a fair wind,” said Dodd bitterly.
At night it blew hard, and the sea ran high and irregular. The s.h.i.+p began to be uneasy, and Robarts very properly ordered the top-gallant and royal yards to be sent down on deck. Dodd would have had them down twelve hours ago. The mate gave the order: no one moved. The mate went forward angry. He came back pale. The men refused to go aloft: they would not risk their lives for Captain Robarts.
The officers all a.s.sembled and went forward: they promised and threatened; but all in vain. The crew stood sullen together, as if to back one another, and put forward a spokesman to say that ”there was not one of them the captain hadn't started, and stopped his grog a dozen times: he had made the s.h.i.+p h.e.l.l to them; and now her masts and yards and hull might go there along with her skipper, for them.”
Robarts received this tidings in sullen silence. ”Don't tell that Dodd, whatever you do,” said he. ”They will come round now they have had their growl: they are too near home to shy away their pay.”
Robarts had not sufficient insight into character to know that Dodd would instantly have sided with him against a mutiny.
But at this juncture the ex-captain of the _Agra_ was down in the cabin with his fellow-pa.s.sengers, preparing a general remonstrance: he had a chart before him, and a pair of compa.s.ses in his hand.
”St. Katherine's Point lay about eight miles to windward at noon; and we have been drifting south and east this twelve hours, through lying to on the starboard tack; and besides, the s.h.i.+p has been conned as slovenly as she is sailed. I've seen her allowed to break off a dozen times, and gather more leeway. Ah! here is Captain Robarts. Captain, you saw the rate we pa.s.sed the revenue cutter. That vessel was nearly stationary; so what we pa.s.sed her at was our own rate of drifting, and our least rate.
Putting all this together, we can't be many miles from the French coast, and, unless we look sharp and beat to windward, I p.r.o.nounce the s.h.i.+p in danger.”
A horselaugh greeted this conclusion.
”We are nearer Yarmouth sands than France, I promise you, and nothing under our lee nearer than Rotterdam.”
A loud cry from the deck above, ”A LIGHT ON THE LEE BOW!”
”There!” cried Robarts with an oath: ”foul of _her_ next! through me listening to your nonsense.” He ran upon deck, and shouted through his trumpet, ”All hands wear s.h.i.+p!”
The crew, who had heard the previous cry, obeyed orders in the presence of an immediate danger; and perhaps their growl had really relieved their ill-humour. Robarts with delight saw them come tumbling up, and gave his orders l.u.s.tily: ”Brail up the trysel! up with the helm! in with the weather main brace! square the after yards!”
The s.h.i.+p's bow turned from the wind, and, as soon as she got way on her, Robarts ran below again, and entered the cabin triumphant.
”That is all right: and now, Captain Dodd, a word with you. You will either retire at once to your cabin, or will cease to breed disaffection in my crew, and groundless alarm in my pa.s.sengers, by instilling your own childish, ignorant fears. The s.h.i.+p has been underlogged a hundred miles, sir; and but for my caution in lying to for clear weather we should be groping among the Fern Isl----”
CRAs.h.!.+
An unheard-of shock threw the speaker and all the rest in a ma.s.s on the floor, smashed every lamp, put out every light; and, with a fierce grating noise, the s.h.i.+p was hard and fast on the French coast, with her stern to the sea.
One awful moment of silence; then, amidst shrieks of agony, the sea struck her like a rolling rock, solid to crush, liquid to drown, and the comb of a wave smashed the cabin windows and rushed in among them as they floundered on the floor, and wetted and chilled them to the marrow.
A voice in the dark cried, ”O G.o.d! we are dead men.”
CHAPTER XIV
”ON deck for your lives!” cried Dodd, forgetting in that awful moment he was not the captain; and drove them all up, Robarts included, and caught hold of Mrs. Beresford and Freddy at their cabin door and half carried them with him. Just as they got on deck the third wave, a high one, struck the s.h.i.+p and lifted her bodily up, canted her round, and dashed her down again some yards to leeward, throwing them down on the hard and streaming deck.
At this tremendous shock the s.h.i.+p seemed a live thing, shrieking and wailing, as well as quivering with the blow.
But one voice dissented loudly from the general dismay. ”All right men,”
cried Dodd, firm and trumpet-like. ”She is broadside on now. Captain Robarts, look alive, sir; speak to the men! don't go to sleep!”
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