Part 12 (2/2)

Jim and Grundy each seized an oar, and, exerting their strength, they were soon clear of the wreck.

”Well,” observed Jim, wiping his brow with the sleeve of his coat, ”it's lucky it was but a light topmast and a light breeze, it can't have done us any damage worth speaking of.”

”I don't know that,” said Jones. ”There are often iron bolts and sharp points about such wreckage that don't require much force to drive 'em through a s.h.i.+p's bottom. Take a look into the hold, Jim, and see that all's right.”

Jim descended into the hold, but immediately returned, exclaiming wildly--

”Why, the sloop's sinkin'! Lend a hand here if you don't want to go down with her,” he cried, leaping towards the boat.

Stanley Hall and Grundy at once lent a hand to get out the boat, while the fish-merchant, uttering a wild oath, jumped into the hold as if to convince himself of the truth of Jim's statement. He returned quickly, exclaiming--

”She must have started a plank. It's rus.h.i.+ng in like a sluice. Look alive, lads; out with her!”

The boat was shoved outside the bulwarks, and let go by the run; the oars were flung hastily in, and all jumped into her as quickly as possible, for the deck of the Nora was already nearly on a level with the water. They were not a minute too soon. They had not pulled fifty yards from their late home when she gave a sudden lurch to port and went down stern foremost.

To say that the party looked aghast at this sudden catastrophe, would be to give but a feeble idea of the state of their minds. For some minutes they could do nothing but stare in silence at the few feet of the Nora's topmast which alone remained above water as a sort of tombstone to mark her ocean grave.

When they did at length break silence, it was in short interjectional remarks, as they resumed the oars.

Mr Jones, without making a remark of any kind, s.h.i.+pped the rudder; the other four pulled.

”Shall we make for land?” asked Jim Welton, after a time.

”Not wi' the tide running like this,” answered Jones; ”we'll make the Gull, and get 'em to take us aboard till morning. At slack tide we can go ash.o.r.e.”

In perfect silence they rowed towards the floating light, which was not more than a mile distant from the scene of the disaster. As the ebb tide was running strong, Jim hailed before they were close alongside--”Gull, ahoy! heave us a rope, will you?”

There was instant bustle on board the floating light, and as the boat came sweeping past a growl of surprise was heard to issue from the mate's throat as he shouted, ”Look out!”

A rope came whirling down on their heads, which was caught and held on to by Jim.

”All right, father,” he said, looking up.

”All wrong, I think,” replied the sire, looking down. ”Why. Jim, you always turn up like a bad s.h.i.+lling, and in bad company too. Where ever have you come from this time?”

”From the sea, father. Don't keep jawin' there, but help us aboard, and you'll hear all about it.”

By this time Jones had gained the deck, followed by Stanley Hall and Billy. These quickly gave a brief outline of the disaster, and were hospitably received on board, while Jim and Grundy made fast the tackles to their boat, and had it hoisted inboard.

”You won't require to pull ash.o.r.e to-morrow,” said the elder Mr Welton, as he shook his son's hand. ”The tender will come off to us in the morning, and no doubt the captain will take you all ash.o.r.e.”

”So much the better,” observed Stanley, ”because it seems to me that our boat is worthy of the rotten sloop to which she belonged, and might fail to reach the sh.o.r.e after all!”

”Her owner is rather fond of s.h.i.+ps and boats that have got the rot,”

said Mr Welton, senior, looking with a somewhat stern expression at Morley Jones, who was in the act of stooping to wring the water out of the legs of his trousers.

”If he is,” said Jones, with an equally stern glance at the mate, ”he is the only loser--at all events the chief one--by his fondness.”

<script>