Part 12 (2/2)
”Make out any one on board, Mr Herrick?” said a sharp voice behind me, and I started round, to find that my companions had gone forward, and the first lieutenant was behind me with his spygla.s.s under his arm and his face very eager and stern.
”No, sir; not a soul.”
”Nor signals?”
”None.”
”No more can I,” my lad. ”Your eyes are younger and sharper than mine.
Look again. Do the bulwarks seem shattered?”
I took a long look.
”No, sir,” I said. ”Everything seems quite right except the fore-topmast, which has snapped off, and is hanging in a tangle down to the deck.”
”But the fire?”
”That only looks, sir, as if they'd got a stove in the forecastle, and had just lit the fire with plenty of smoky coal.”
”Hah! That's all I can make out. We've come to something at last, Mr Herrick.”
”Think so, sir?” I said respectfully.
”Sure of it, my lad;” and he walked off to join the captain, while just then Ching came up softly and pointed forward.
”Big s.h.i.+p,” he said. ”Pilate; all afire.”
”Think so?”
Ching nodded.
”Hallo, Gnat, what does the first luff say?” asked Barkins, who joined us then.
”Thinks it's a vessel cast ash.o.r.e by the pirates.”
”Maybe. I should say it's one got on the reef from bad seamans.h.i.+p.”
”And want of a Tanner on board to set them right,” said Smith.
”Skipper's coming,” whispered Barkins; and we separated.
For the next hour all was eager watchfulness on board, as we approached very slowly, shortening sail, and with two men in the chains heaving the lead on account of the hidden reefs and shoals off some of the islands.
But, as we approached, nothing more could be made out till the man aloft hailed the deck, and announced that he could read the name on the stern, _Dunstaffnage, Glasgow_. Another hour pa.s.sed, during which the island, a couple of miles beyond, was swept by gla.s.s after gla.s.s, and tree and hill examined, but there was no sign of signal on tree or hill. All was bare, chilly, and repellent there, and we felt that the crew of the vessel could not have taken refuge ash.o.r.e.
At last the crew of a boat was piped away, and, as I was gazing longingly at the men getting in under the command of Mr Brooke, a quiet, gentlemanly fellow, our junior lieutenant, Mr Reardon said, as he caught my eye--
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