Part 28 (1/2)
Had I not been fir the beacon-post, I should have been carried off s and washed helplessly away I shrieked with terror as I saw another coher than the last My cries were echoed by those of the wild sea-birds passing above The foa sea broke, and as I drewbehind ot up higher and higher Now, as I looked down, I saw that I was surrounded by a tumultuous ocean, without a particle of rock on which to place the soles ofout The beacon ht I ht better have endured the horrible position in which I was placed, but at night to be thus all alone, with the hungry waves leaping up and striving to snatch me from my holdfast, was truly dreadful
I wonder ht that it was only a dream, but I then knew it to be a fearful reality With ar the rope as I had never clutched rope before, I hung on I was al rasp, and yet the cask was only a few feet above me Suddenly I recollected that on board whalers casks are placed in the same manner as that was at the ree, may in that position obtain a wide extended view in search of whales, and that they enter by a trap-door in the bottoh it and obtain shelter and rest
But again a doubt crossed my mind whether I could cliain into the sea
I looked down to see if the tide was once her and higher Some of their foam even sometiht even cover the beacon itself; and if so, no hu quiet for soth, and resolved to s and ar with my teeth to the rope could I have seized it I ithin a foot of the bottoht I could get no higher I looked down on the raging sea and then up at the only place which could afford me shelter In the darkness I could not see whether or not there was a trap, and if there were one perhaps I ht not be able to force it open, and, exhausted by the effort, ht drop into the water I dreaded the risk, but it , I slowly and carefully began to work her up My head struck the cask I put upstrength I seized the edges and drewwell on with otmyself on my chest, I felt round and discovered so a person situated as I was to draw hi froed myself up and placed my feet at the bottom I pressed down the trap I felt more secure than I had been forto after the strain ht
Several cross-pieces secured the top of the cask to the post I shoved h the waters hich I was surrounded Still I dare not quitthat if I pressed on one side of the cask or the other, it htest chance of that in reality I did not long conteone through, I sank down to the bottom of the cask, and, wet and cold as I was, fell into a troubled slumber
CHAPTER TWENTY
In the beacon--The storain seek for food--I ht--My hopes and fears--My signal--My rescue--A voice froain--On board the ”Falcon”--The good captain--Sydney harbour, and why I did not go ashore there--The hoation--My reception at Liverpool--Sad, sad news--My journey to Sandgate--I enter Mr butterfield's office, and have had no cause to regret doing so
I awoke to find the stor around ht came in from the top of the cask
I was cramped with the unco When I looked out over the edge of the cask, though the seas were tossing as wildly as before, I perceived that the rock beloas onceebbed At first I thought of descending; then I recollected that the waters ain rise to their forain -place I therefore reer and thirst I eagerly felt inthat I had consuht before I found a few cru no water to moisten my dry mouth Still, the wet state ofso much from thirst as I should otherwise have done
The storm, I kneould not last for ever Should it continue ht succu been hitherto soweary of standing, I again crouched down at the bottom of the cask I had reason to bless the persons who had placed it there As I thus sat, half asleep and half awake, it seemed to me that the wind bleith less violence than it had done before I got up to ascertain if this was the case On looking round I felt confident that it was so
It appeared toabout with less violence than they had done on the previous day If so, they ain cover the rock I ell accustomed to notice the tides on our own shore, and I re tides, they were said by the fishermen to ”take off”--that is, to rise to a less elevation every subsequent day Thus, even should the storain be covered This idea brought considerable relief to er made me resolve to descend to search for claht of obtaining sorasping the rope, slid doith perfect ease Already the rocks over which I had clambered from the boat were bare, for the tide had fallen rapidly I knew that it would fall in proportion as it had risen I went as close to the edge as I could venture without running the risk of being carried off The rocks, which ashed by the fierce seas, were slippery in the extre to theedthe top of the coral reef I observed several small pools ahead There must be creatures of sos of hunger I had gone some little distance, when I slipped, and caain to rise for soh I was not seriously hurt
The clouds, soan to break, and suddenly the sun shone forth, his warlittered brightly just for a th, I scrareat wasin the pool It attempted to escape me, but I pounced down upon it as a sea-bird would have done, and, giving it a blow on the head, quickly despatched it I was too hungry to wait even to partially prepare it by hanging it up in the sun, and, taking out my knife, quickly cut some slices from the thickest part of the body I did not stop to consider whether it holesome, but ate it raw as it was I looked about in the hope of finding another, and was successful; it was of the same species as the first I could exist noithout the cla it prudent not to run any risk in trying to obtain them, I returned to the beacon
By this tih the seas still continued rolling on with foa crests, but far less wildly than before, and were evidently decreasing in height The atuish the distant shore, which had the appearance of a blue irregular line to the ard Again and again I turnedshi+p, which h to observe ht, and another night approached The waters covered soain ran out Still I was unwilling to sleep upon the cold rock, and, takingconsuain into the tub
Having coiled myself away round the bottom, I was soon fast asleep My sluentle wind produced no sound round the cask; the roar of the surf on the rocks had ceased I slept the whole night through, and not till the sun had risen out of the ocean did I wake I at once stood up and looked round ht breeze froainst the rock The sea was otherwise perfectly calht orb of day
I looked landwards, in the expectation of seeing soht, could not be far off, but none appeared Then I gazed anxiously to the northward, and round the horizon in all directions Presently I saw a spot appear of snohiteness, glittering in the rays of the sun It rapidly increased in size ”A sail! A sail!” I shouted, though there was no one to hear e shi+p First her topgallant sails, then her topsails, rose out of the water I was so intently watching her that I forgot for a time to take my meal As may be supposed, I turnedtowardsthe coast At last her courses, and then her hull, appeared, and I fancied that I could al ht caht be the ”Emu”
If I were discovered I should be worse treated than before I had not so often seen the shi+p on which I had spent so many dreary months, to be certain about her appearance at a distance I tre in a different direction As the stranger approached, I became more and more convinced that she was not the ”E of uncertainty on the subject
Should I nal, and try to attract the attention of those on board? The beacon would certainly be observed; perhaps they were looking out for it Had I possessed a supply of water, I er; but nal I watched till the shi+p ca off h as I could, until I reached the cask I waved the shi+rt frantically In ht have known that my puny voice could not be heard For so in vain; and then, as my dismay to see the shi+p's head turned away from the shore I was deserted
Presently the sheets were let fly, the ainst the mast She hove-to I almost fell from my post with joy as I saw a boat lowered, which ca on my shi+rt--it was now perfectly dry--I descended fro the boat Again a thought occurred to ht, after all, be the ”Eht be in the clutches of old Growles and the boatswain, and my other persecutors But as I strained my eyes to discern their countenances I became aware that none of the ”Emu's” creere there
As far as I could ers The boat steered for the lee-side of the rock I hurried down to meet them
”Why, my lad, who are you, and how caers ”Has your shi+p gone to the bottom?”
”That's more than I can say,” I answered; ”I came in a boat The boat floated away, and I have been left here”
”What shi+p do you belong to?” asked the stranger
”The 'Ee this much