Part 38 (2/2)

Then Dodd got an axe, and stood in the top, and threatened to brain the first man who attempted to go on the rope.

”We must make it taut first,” said he; ”bear a hand here with a tackle.”

Even while this was being done, the other rope, whose end he had fired ash.o.r.e, was seen moving to windward. The natives, it seems, had found it, half buried in sand.

Dodd unlashed the end from the bulwarks and carried it into the top, and made it fast: and soon there were two black snakes dipping shrorewards and waving in the air side by side.

The sailors scrambled for a place, and some of them were lost by their own rashness. Kenealy waited coolly, and went by himself.

Finally, Dodd was left in the s.h.i.+p with Mr. Sharpe and the women, and little Murphy, and Ramgolam, whom Robarts had liberated to show his contempt of Dodd.

He now advised Mrs. Beresford to be lashed to Sharpe and himself, and venture the pa.s.sage; but she screamed and clung to him, and said, ”I dare not! oh I dare not!”

”Then I must lash you to a spar,” said he, ”for she can't last much longer.” He ordered Sharpe ash.o.r.e. Sharpe shook hands with him, and went on the rope with tears in his eyes.

Dodd went hard to work, lashed Mrs. Beresford to a piece of broken water-b.u.t.t: filled Fred's pockets with corks and sewed them up (you never caught Dodd without a needle; only, unlike the women's, it was always kept threaded). Mrs. Beresford threw her arms round his neck and kissed him wildly: a way women have in mortal peril: it is but their homage to courage. ”All right!” said Dodd, interpreting it as appeal to his protection, and affecting cheerfulness: ”we'll get ash.o.r.e together on the p.o.o.p awning, or somehow; never you fear. I'd give a thousand pounds to know where high water is.”

At this moment, with a report like a cannon, the lower decks burst fore and aft: another still louder, and the _Agra's_ back broke. She parted amids.h.i.+ps with a fearful yawn, and the waves went toppling and curling clean through her.

At this appalling sound and sight, the few creatures left on the p.o.o.p cowered screaming and clinging at Dodd's knees, and fought for a bit of him.

Yes, as a flood brings incongruous animals together on some little isle in brotherhood of fear--creatures who never met before without one eating the other; and there they cuddle--so the thief Ramgolam clung to the man he had tried to rob; the Hindoo Ayan and the English maid hustled their mistress, the haughty Mrs. Beresford, and were hustled by her, for a bit of this human pillar; and little Murphy and Fred Beresford wriggled in at him where they could: and the poor goat crept into the quivering ma.s.s trembling like an aspen, and not a b.u.t.t left either in his head or his heart. Dodd stood in the middle of these tremblers, a rock of manhood: and when he was silent and they heard only the voice of the waves, they despaired; and whenever he spoke, they started at the astounding calmness of his voice and words, and life sounded possible.

”Come,” said he, ”this won't do any longer. All hands into the mizen-top!”

He helped them all up, and stood on the ratlines himself: and, if you will believe me, the poor goat wailed like a child below. He found in that new terror and anguish a voice goat was never heard to speak in before. But they had to leave him on deck: no help for it. Dodd advised Mrs. Beresford once more to attempt the rope: she declined. ”I dare not!

I dare not!” she cried, but she begged Dodd hard to go on it and save himself.

It was a strong temptation: he clutched the treasure in his bosom, and one sob burst from the strong man.

That sob was but the tax paid by Nature; for pride, humanity, and manhood stood staunch in spite of it. ”No, no, I can't,” said he ”I mustn't. Don't tempt me to leave you in this plight, and be a cur! Live or die, I must be the last man on her. Here's something coming out to us, the Lord in Heaven be praised!”

A bright light was seen moving down the black line that held them to the sh.o.r.e; it descended slowly within a foot of the billows, and lighting them up showed their fearful proximity to the rope in mid-pa.s.sage: they had washed off many a poor fellow at that part.

”Look at that! Thank Heaven you did not try it!” said Dodd to Mrs.

Beresford.

At tins moment a higher wave than usual swallowed up the light: there was a loud cry of dismay from the sh.o.r.e, and a wail of despair from the s.h.i.+p.

No! not lost after all! The light emerged, and mounted, and mounted towards the s.h.i.+p.

It came near, and showed the black s.h.i.+ny body of Vespasian, with very little on but a handkerchief and a lantern--the former round his waist, and the latter lashed to his back: he arrived with a ”Yah! yah!” and showed his white teeth in a grin.

Mrs. Beresford clutched his shoulder, and whimpered, ”Oh, Mr. Black!”

”Iss, Missy, dis child bring good news. Cap'n! Ma.s.sah Fullalove send you his congratulations, and the compliments of the season; and take the liberty to observe the tide am turn in twenty minutes.”

<script>