CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.
EMILIE.
On landing on the lee side of the island, I climbed to a high point nearat hand, whence I could take a glance over the sea to the westward, butcould discover no sign of either raft or boats, and therefore concludedthat they must have been cast on the weather side; and if so, from theheavy surf which broke against it, I feared few could have scaped it.
However, with Dick and several of the men, I pushed across, carryingropes and boat-hooks and some of the oars, to try and save any who mightbe clinging to the neighbouring rocks. We had not got far when I hearda voice hailing, and we caught sight of a man on the top of a rock inthe centre of the island, waving to us. "Make haste! make haste!" heshouted, "or you will be too late." The stranger hurried down the rock,and we followed him.
In a few minutes we again caught sight of the sea on the east side ofthe island. As we were climbing over the rough ground, I saw that areef extended some distance from the mainland, with wild rocks risingout of it above the foaming waters. Midway between them and the landwas a large boat, surrounded by people, some on the reef, othersclinging to the boat; while several were at that moment being carriedaway by the sea, which, sweeping round the rocks, beat with violenceagainst the shattered boat. The men with frantic efforts wereattempting to drag her up farther on the reef, as the only hope ofsaving their lives. Now one poor fellow, now another, was washed away,as the sea swept round over the reef with ever-increasing force. Wewere hurrying down the rocks, when I saw just below us a young lady, forI could not doubt, from her appearance, that she was such. She had beengazing at the dreadful spectacle, and apparently unable to witness itlonger, she sank on the rock, pressing her hand on her eyes, to shut itout. At this moment we were joined by the stranger who had called tous.
"I caught sight of your boat coming towards the island, and was hurryingacross, to entreat you to try what you could do to assist our friends,"he said. "Help is at hand, Emilie; they may still be saved," heexclaimed, as he made his way to where the young lady was seated.
We got as close to the people as the sea would allow us.
"Hold on to the rope," cried Dick, securing the end round his waist. "Iwill swim out, and make it fast to the boat."
Fearlessly he plunged into the boiling surf, but was soon carried downfar below the boat, and we hauled him back, not without great risk ofhis being dashed against the rocks.
"I will try it again, and start higher up the shore," he exclaimed,still undaunted.
"Let me go," cried the young stranger; "they are my friends, and I oughtto run the risk."
"If I cannot manage it, you shall go the next time," answered Dick, oncemore plunging into the water.
He swam on directly across the boiling current, which swept him downtowards the boat. He had very nearly gained a footing on the rocks,when once more he was carried down, and we hauled him back, utterlyexhausted. His bravery had encouraged the rest of the men, several ofwhom begged that I would allow them to make the attempt.
"I said that I would go next," exclaimed the young stranger, fasteningthe rope round his waist, and, before I could stop him, he plunged intothe water. He buffeted the waves bravely, but his strength was notequal to the undertaking. I trusted that, notwithstanding his lightfigure and delicate appearance, he would succeed. Every moment wasprecious, for one after the other the people were being carried awaybefore our eyes, without our having the means of saving them. He hadalready got a footing on the reef. Just as some of the men were makingtheir way towards him, and he had nearly got up to the boat, a sealifted him off his feet, and he and those who were near him were sweptaway. My men and I hauled in the rope, but, unable to guide himself, hewas dashed with violence against the rocks, and when we drew him onshore, he was almost insensible.
"Oh, my poor, poor brother!" exclaimed the young lady, who knelt down byhis side. "Can nothing be done for him?"
"He will, I trust, recover," I said, "though I fear he is greatlyinjured. But we must make another attempt to help the poor people onthe rock."
"Oh, do so, brave men!" she said, looking up with an imploring glance,her thoughts being evidently divided between her brother and those hehad attempted to rescue.
Dick was preparing again to make the attempt. This time he fastened twooars under his arms, with a boat-hook lashed across them, and, supportedby this simple sort of catamaran, he at length, by great exertions,reached the rocks, and secured the rope to the bow of the boat, roundwhich the survivors were clinging. Among them were two females.Securing one of them to himself by means of a spare piece of rope, andpushing back some of the men, who were attempting to reach the shore bythe rope, he began to make his way along it, resting on the oars. Everyinstant I dreaded to see him and his burden carried away, but he landedin safety, and we placed the almost senseless lady by the side of herfriends.
We had fortunately brought a second coil of lighter rope. As I saw thatDick was exhausted I determined to go myself, and, making the rope fastround my waist, I hauled myself across, as Dick had done, though, fromthe difficulty I had to hold on, I judged of the danger he had gonethrough.
As the tide was still rising, I knew that the boat and all clinging toher must shortly be washed off the rock.
The youngest female was still safe. I secured her to my back, followingDick's example, and began hauling myself across, though every moment Iexpected to be washed away. As soon as she landed, she threw herselfinto the arms of the young lady whom we had first seen, and, from theirlikeness, I judged that they were sisters. I was about to return, whenI saw one of the men making his way across by the rope, and that otherswere preparing to follow, not waiting for the assistance which the oarsmight afford them.
"Oh, my father, my father, is he not coming!" exclaimed the young lady Ihad brought on shore.
I had observed among the people on the rock a gentleman who hadcommitted the young lady to my charge.
"I will try and save him!" I exclaimed.
At that moment loud shrieks were heard, for the sea had lifted the boatand swept her and all clinging to her off the rock. The rope stillheld, and my men hauled on it with right good-will. The other rope wasstill round my waist. I plunged into the water, and swam towards theboat. I caught sight of the gentleman just at the moment that he hadbeen forced from his hold. In another instant he would have beencarried away, when, grasping him tightly, I shouted to my men to haul mein. Almost exhausted, I was drawn on shore with the person I hadrescued. Of the rest, three were thrown on the rocks, one of whom wascarried away before he could make good his footing, while the remainderwere swept out to sea. Besides the two we had first seen, only eightwere saved. The sorrow exhibited by the ladies and the old gentlemanwhen they saw how severely injured the young man had been in his effortto help them, made me suppose that they were relatives.
"Oh, Henri, Henri!" they murmured, bending over him.
Their accent and the last words they uttered showed me that they wereFrench.
The young man opened his eyes and tried to smile, as if to reassurethem.
"I am not so very much hurt," he answered, in a low voice.
Just then I was sure I knew the expression of his countenance; his eyes,too, glanced at my face.
"Are you not Frenchy?" I asked, "My old friend Henri de Villereine?"
"Yes, Charley. I thought I knew you," he answered. "Thank you, thankyou, for what you have done!"
His companions looked at me with surprise. "I am an old schoolfellow,"I said; "and I am doubly thankful that I have been the means of helpingthose belonging to him."
There was, however, no time for conversation or explanation beyond this.Having formed two rough litters with our oars and ropes, we placed myold schoolfellow on one and the elder lady on the other, while I and theother gentleman assisting the young ladies, we proceeded back to theboats. The provisions we had brought somewhat restored all the party.
The evening was approaching, and when I
looked out for the ship I couldbut just distinguish her topsails above the horizon. We had a long pullbefore us, and I feared we should not reach her before dark, and, if so,we might have to spend the night tossed about on the stormy sea. Icheered my men, and they did their utmost. Dick had taken the seamen inhis boat, and I had the passengers in mine. They were much cast down atthe loss of their companions and the horrors they had gone through.
I found that the young lady who had at first landed was Henri's sister;the other I had saved was Sophie, his cousin; and the old lady andgentleman her father and mother. Thus the whole of one family had beensaved, but several other passengers, men, and women, and children onboard, had lost their lives.
They belonged, they told me, to the island of Saint Lucia, and were ontheir way to pay a visit to England, which neither of the young ladieshad seen.
Emilie was an intelligent, interesting-looking girl, and appeared muchattached to her brother, by whose side she sat, trying to support him inas comfortable a position as could be arranged in the stern-sheets. Iwas, however, more struck by the gentle and sweet look of Sophie, whosefeatures also were decidedly prettier than those of her cousin, thoughfew girls under the circumstances could have looked attractive; and itmay seem strange that I should have thought about the matter, but I hadsaved her life, and naturally felt an interest in her. Henri, Iobserved every now and then, gazed at her when he could lift up hishead, but she turned away her eyes, as if unwilling to meet his, andthen he sank back with a sigh.
While we pulled southward inside the reef, although the sea was somewhatheavy, it was much smoother than outside, and I feared that we mighthave some difficulty in getting our passengers on board. I hadfortunately brought a musket and powder-flask, with some blue lights,from the ship. The sun set before we reached the southern end of thereef, and we had barely light sufficient to steer with any degree ofsafety round it. At length, however, I judged that I might venture todo so, and we commenced our pull out to sea. The waves broke with aloud roar on the rocks close to us, and I could distinguish the surfrising up like a white wall as we made our way to the westward. I wasthankful when I saw it well over the quarter. My men exerted themselvesbravely. As soon as we had got to a sufficient distance from the reef,I fired the musket and let off a blue light. There was no answer fromthe ship. We pulled out still farther, and in half an hour made anothersignal. My relief was great when, about as I judged a mile away, a bluelight burst forth from the ship, showing clearly her rigging and sailsas she bore down towards us.
Scarcely an expression of anxiety or alarm had escaped my new friends,although to them the foaming seas, as we made our way over them thatdark night, must have appeared truly terrible.
In a short time the ship appeared like a phantom moving over the ocean.I let off another blue light, to show our position. She hove-to, and wepulled up under her lee. As we approached, I ordered a chair to beslung, to hoist our passengers on board. The operation would be adangerous one.
By the time we were alongside the chair was ready, with lanterns letdown on either side of it. The old lady was first sent up, and then hissister and cousin entreated that Henri might go. I secured him in thechair, for he had not strength to hold on. He groaned as I did so, theboat all the time rising and falling, and there was a risk that, beforehe could be hoisted clear of her, she might be lifted up and strike thechair. This risk, indeed, was run by all the party. I was anxious toget the old gentleman to take his seat next, as I knew that I could withgreater ease carry the lighter forms of the young ladies up in my arms.Henri was lifted on deck, and then, almost by main force, I placedMonsieur de Villereine in the chair. As soon as I saw him swinging wellout of the way of the boat, taking Sophie round the waist, and tellingmy coxswain to follow with her cousin, I sprang up the side. It waswell that I did so, for at that moment, a sea surging round almost stovein the boat and half filled her with water; but the men were ready, and,hooking on, the falls were let down, and the boat was hoisted up in timeto save her being completely knocked to pieces. The party in Dick'sboat took but a short time in getting on board, and she also was quicklyhoisted up.
While the ship stood off the land, I went down to the cabin to attend tomy passengers.
I fortunately had plenty of berths. The steward set to work to get themready, and the cook meantime was busy in preparing hot soup andarrowroot, and other things which he thought might conduce to thecomfort of my unexpected guests. Having served in passenger ships, Iwas at no loss what to do, and the mates and I turning out ourwardrobes, supplied clothing which might serve while that of the partywas washed in fresh water and dried.
The night was stormy, and I was obliged constantly to be on deck, butwhenever I went below, I visited poor Henri, who was suffering much. Idid all I could to relieve him, and directed my steward, who was atrustworthy man, to remain by his side during my absence.
The next day the weather moderated, and I was thankful to find the restof the party greatly recovered. They all expressed their gratitude tome for the attention I paid to their relative.
"You forget," I answered, "that he is an old schoolfellow, and that Ihave the greatest satisfaction possible in being of service to him."
"Ah, you must be the friend then of whom he has often spoken to us, whowas so kind to him at school," observed Emilie. "We have so longed tosee you, to return the kindness you showed him when he was a boy, and wehope to do so, as he said you promised to pay us a visit should you evercome to the West Indies."
I replied that I should be very glad to avail myself of the invitationhe had given me, could I manage to do go, but that I feared my dutywould not allow me to leave the ship on that voyage.
Henri appeared to get much better during the day. While I sat by him,he repeated the invitation his sister had given me, and entreated me tovisit them, saying, his father and mother, he was sure, would be mostanxious to see me.
None of the rest of the party suffered much from the exposure and alarmto which they had been subjected.
Within a week we were safely at anchor in Carlisle Bay, on the shore ofwhich, Bridgetown, the capital of the beautiful island of Barbadoes, issituated.
Charley Laurel: A Story of Adventure by Sea and Land Page 22