Part 43 (2/2)

”s.h.i.+p, ahoy!” shouted the first lieutenant through his trumpet, as the Young America rolled slowly along under the stern of the wreck.

”s.h.i.+p, ahoy!” replied a voice from the deck of the wreck. ”We are in a sinking condition! Will you take us off?”

”Ay, ay!” cried Haven, with right good will.

”You will heave to the s.h.i.+p, Mr. Haven,” said the captain, when she had pa.s.sed a short distance beyond the wreck.

”Man the jib and flying-jib halyards and down-hauls,” said the first lieutenant.

”All ready forward, sir,” replied the second lieutenant, on the forecastle.

”Stand by the maintop bowline! Cast off! Man the main braces!”

”Let go the jib and flying-jib halyards! Haul down!” And the jibs were taken in.

”Slack off the lee braces! Haul on the weather braces!”

The main-topsail and top-gallant were thus thrown aback, and the Young America was hove to, in order to enable her people to perform their humane mission.

”Stand by to lower the barge and gig!” continued Haven.

”Mr. Haven, you will board the wreck in the gig,” said Captain Gordon.

”Yes, sir,” replied he, touching his cap, and handing the trumpet to the second lieutenant.

”Mr. Kendall, you will take charge of the barge,” added the captain.

”The barge, sir,” answered Kendall, pa.s.sing the trumpet to Goodwin, the third lieutenant, who, during the absence of his superiors, was to discharge the duty of the executive officer.

The boats were cleared away, and every preparation made for lowering them into the water. This was a difficult and dangerous manoeuvre in the heavy sea which was running at the time. The professors' barge, which was secured at the davits on the weather side of the s.h.i.+p, was to be lowered with her crew on board, and they took their places on the thwarts, with their hands to the oars in readiness for action. The princ.i.p.al had requested Mr. Fluxion to go in the barge and Mr. Peaks in the gig, not to command the boats, but to give the officers such suggestions as the emergency of the occasion might require.

”All ready, sir,” reported Ward, the c.o.xswain of the barge, when the oarsmen were in their places.

”Stand by the after tackle, Ward,” said Haven. ”Bowman, attend to the fore tackle.”

At a favorable moment, when a great wave was sinking down by the s.h.i.+p's side, the order was given to lower away, and in an instant the barge struck the water. Ward cast off the after tackle, and the bowman did the same with the forward tackle. At the moment the order to lower was given, as the wave sank down, the s.h.i.+p rolled to windward, and the boat struck the water some eight feet from the vessel's side.

”Up oars!” said the c.o.xswain, with energy.

”Lively, Ward,” added the first lieutenant.

”Let fall!” continued the c.o.xswain, as a billow lifted the boat, so that those on board could see the s.h.i.+p's deck. ”Give way together!”

The barge, tossed like a feather on the high seas, gathered headway, and moved off towards the wreck.

The lowering of the barge had been so successful that the same method was adopted with the gig; but as she was under the lee of the s.h.i.+p, there was less difficulty in getting her off. She pulled round the s.h.i.+p's bow, and having made less stern way in starting both boats came up under the counter of the wreck at about the same time. When the barge and gig reached the s.h.i.+p, a line was thrown to each of them over the quarter, which the bowman caught, and made fast to the ring.

”Where is the captain of the s.h.i.+p?” demanded Mr. Haven.

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