CHAPTER NINE.
"WHEN THE RAGING SEAS DO ROAR."
Jack Meadows started up in his berth with a great fear upon him, and hestarted down again with the great fear turned for the moment into agreat pain, caused by his having struck his forehead sharply, for aboutthe tenth time, against the top of his berth.
"Am I never going to recollect what a miserable, narrow, boxed-up placeit is," he said to himself angrily.
Then the fear came back, and he rolled out feeling confused andhorrified.
He had turned in over-night without undressing, further than taking offjacket, waistcoat, and boots, so that he was almost dressed, for he hadlain down in terror to rest himself so as to be quite ready if an alarmwas given that the yacht was sinking; and he knew now that he must havebeen asleep, for it was early morning by the pale grey light which stolein through the glass. The weather seemed to be worse, the yachtpitching and tossing, and there was a dull, creaking, horrible soundwhich kept on, but was smothered out at intervals by a tremendous bump,which was always followed by a sound as if the vessel had sailed up therapids of Niagara river and then beneath the falls.
The confusion increased with the noise, and, holding on with one hand,Jack pressed the other to his forehead as he stared straight before himat a big tin box which appeared to his sleep-muddled brain to be walkingabout the saloon table, when he opened the tiny state-room door.
Yes, there was no mistake about it; that box was alive, just asfrightened as he was by the fearful storm, and was trying to escape, forall of a sudden, after edging its way to the end of the table, it made abound, leaped to the floor, and began to creep and jump toward the doorat the foot of the cabin stairs.
"What did it all mean?" thought Jack, and he tried hard to collecthimself. Yes, they came on board three or four days before, he was notsure which. He remembered that. He had been frightfully ill, and oh,so sick. He remembered that too. Then he recalled about preparing forthe worst last night, when the storm increased, and thinking as he laydown in his berth, weak as a baby, that it was very grand to be able toact as his father and Doctor Instow did, for they were perfectlyresigned, and he had seen them sitting down playing a game of chess witha board full of holes into which the chess-men stuck like pegs.
Then in full force his brain seemed to assert itself. The worst hadcome, and it was his duty to awaken his father and Doctor Instow, sothat they might all save themselves by taking to one of the boats or araft.
_Boomp! Splash. U-r-r-r-r_!
A wave striking the yacht's bows--the water deluging the deck.
A spasm of fear shot through him, and he made a dash to catch up hisyachting cap and pea-jacket with gilt anchor buttons which he had had onthe previous night; but as soon as he quitted his hold, he was literallyat sea, and the floor of his little state-room rising up, he seemed tobe pitched head-first into his berth as if diving, but he managed tosave himself from injury, and dropped on to the floor, crawled to hisjacket, slipped it on, and then out into the saloon, to see that the tinbox--one which the doctor had had brought on board full of necessariesfor their fishing and collecting trips--had reached the saloon door, butcould get no further.
But what was a box to a man? Jack crept to his father's door, beat uponit, and then dragged it open to find the berth empty.
"Gone and left me," groaned the lad in his misery and despair. "Howhorrible! No; he is making a raft, and will come and fetch me soon.--Oh!"
He clutched at the door to save himself, for the yacht suddenly made adive, and he felt that they were going down into the vast depths of thesea; but he did not save himself, for the door played him false andhelped to shoot him right across the saloon, and he was brought up bythe door of the doctor's tiny room.
Recovering himself he desperately clutched at the handle, dragged thedoor open, and as the yacht prepared for another dive, he shot inagainst the berth, punching its occupant heavily in the ribs, andsnatching at the clothes as he held on.
The doctor uttered a deep grunt, but did not stir. "Doctor! doctor!"panted Jack. "Wake up! Quick! We're sinking."
"Eh? All right!" came in a deep muffled voice. "Oh, wake up, wake up!"cried Jack. "I can't leave him to drown. Doctor! doctor!"
"All right!" came fiercely, as Jack seized the sleeper by the shoulders."Tell 'em--only jus' come abed."
"Doctor! doctor!"
"Tell 'em--give--warm bath--mustard."
"But we're sinking," cried Jack wildly. "Eh? Whose baby is it? What'smatter--Jack? Taken ill?"
"No, no. Quick! Come on deck."
"Just won't," growled the doctor; and he turned his back and uttered adeep snore.
Jack stared in horror, and then dropped on all fours to crawl to thefoot of the cabin stairs, and fetch help to drag the drowning man ondeck, being fully imbued with the idea that Doctor Instow had taken somedrug in his despair, so that he might be unconscious when the yacht wentdown.
In passing he saw that the captain's and the mate's berths were bothempty, and, how he knew not, he crawled up the cabin stairs, looked ondeck, and saw that his father was standing by the weather bulwark, andthe captain close by.
There was the man at the wheel, and a couple more forward in shinyyellow tarpaulins; and as he gazed at them wildly, there was a thud anda beautiful curve over of a wave which deluged the deck and splashed thetwo men, but they did not stir.
He saw no more then, for the yacht careened over from the pressure onthe three great sails, and it seemed to the lad that the next momentthey would be lying flat upon the water, so he clung to the hatchwayfittings for dear life. But the next moment the _Silver Star_ rose fromthe wave in front, and literally rushed on, quivering from stem to sternlike a live creature, the waves parting and hissing to form anever-widening path of foam astern.
Jack caught the full fresh breeze in his teeth as he struggled on deck,and breathlessly staggered to the side, looking as if he were going toleap overboard; then clinging to the rail, he crept hand-over-hand towhere his father now stood with the captain.
"That you, Jack?" cried Sir John. "Good-morning. Well done! Come,this is brave."
"Splendid!" cried Captain Bradleigh. "Why you have soon come round."
Jack woke fully to the fact now that it was a false alarm, and strovehard to get rid of the scared look with which he had come on deck forhelp to drag Doctor Instow up. But still he was not quite assured, forhe started suddenly as, _plosh_! there came another rush of water overthe bows. "What's that?" he cried.
"Sea having a game with the yacht," said the captain merrily."Splashing her nose. Look how she rises and glides over that wave.Regular racer, isn't she?"
"Yes, going so fast," panted Jack breathlessly. "But--but is there nodanger--of her sinking?"
"Just about as much as there would be of a well-corked-up bottle, mylad. The more you pushed her under, the more she'd bob up again. Ohno, she won't sink."
"I'm glad you came up," said Sir John. "This breeze is glorious, and Inever saw the sea more beautiful; look how the waves glisten where themoon falls upon them on one side, and how they catch the soft pearlylight from the east on the other. It is a lovely effect."
"Yes, father, very beautiful," said the boy sadly. "Are we far fromland, Captain Bradleigh?"
"Yes, and getting farther every minute. Don't want any steam with thisbreeze. If it holds, we shall regularly race across the bay."
"Bay?" said Jack, feeling that he must say something to keep them fromseeing how nervous he was. "Mount's Bay?"
"Mount's Bay?" said the captain, smiling, "No; the Bay of Biscay. Wepassed Mount's Bay three days ago, while you were lying so poorly inyour berth. Oh, that's nothing to mind," he added quickly. "I washorribly bad for a week in smoother water than you've had; you've donewonders to get over it so soon."
"Yes, you've done well, Jack," said Sir John, who looked gratified bythe way in which his son was behaving. "Mind! keep tight hold of therail."
For just
then the yacht made a dive, rose, shook herself, and then,after seeming to hang poised on the summit of a green hillock, shestarted again with a leap.
"Yes; better hold tight till you feel more at home. One easily gets aheavy fall and bruises at first. But you'll soon find your sea-legs,and give and swing with the vessel just as if you belonged to her."
"Why didn't you bring the doctor up?" said Sir John; "he is losing aglorious sight."
"I tried hard to wake him," replied the lad, "but he was too sleepy."
"Yes; he likes his morning sleep," said Sir John.
The captain walked forward to speak to the two men of the watch, and anintense longing came over the boy to undeceive his father, who had notgrasped the true reason of his appearance on the deck. But try hard ashe would, shame kept him silent, and he began to give way again to thenervousness which oppressed him.
"Don't you think," he began; but his father checked him.
"Look--look--Jack!" he said; and he pointed to something about a quarterof a mile away.
For a few moments, as it appeared and disappeared, the lad could notcatch sight of it; but at last he did.
"A serpent--a huge serpent," he cried. "Is it coming this way?"
"It, or rather they are not coming in this direction, but going on thesame chase, my boy. No, it is not a serpent; serpents do not travel upand down in that fashion, though some people think they do, but undulatetheir bodies right and left."
"But look, father," cried Jack, forgetting his nervousness in theinterest of what he saw. "It must be a great snake, you can make outits folds as it goes along."
"No, you look--take a good long look, and don't come on deck againwithout your binocular. That is a little shoal of seven or eightporpoises. They follow one another like that, and keep on with thatrising and falling manner, coming up to breathe, and curling over asthey dive down again. They do strangely resemble a great snake."
"But breathe, father?" said Jack; "fish breathe?"
"Those are not classed as fish, my lad. They cannot exist withoutcoming up to get air. A fish finds enough in the water which passesover its gills."
"Yes, I've read that," said Jack; "but I had forgotten."
"Well, gentlemen, looking at the porpoises?" said the captain, coming upbehind them. "Nice little school of them. They always go along likethat. I used to think when I first saw them that they were like a troopof boys running along and leaping posts. They're after a shoal of fish;mackerel perhaps. Well, Sir John, how do you think the yacht runs withthis breeze?"
"Splendidly," said Sir John.
"Breeze! Splendidly!" said Jack to himself, as he tried to restrain ashudder, for the breeze had seemed to him a storm.
"Well, sir, she's good on every tack. I can do anything with her; Inever felt a boat answer the helm as she does. But I like to hear youtalk about it; I feel a sort of vanity about her, seeing she is like achild of mine, and I want to be quite convinced that you are satisfiedwith your hasty bargain."
"Once for all then, Captain Bradleigh, be satisfied on that point; for Ifeel myself most fortunate," said Sir John.
"Thank you, sir, thank you!" cried the captain warmly. "That will dothen; I will not refer to it again. By the way, Mr Jack, now you aregetting your sea-legs, you will have to begin your education."
"My education?" said the lad, staring. "Yes, sir; you must not go on atwo or three years' cruise without making a thorough sailor of yourself,so as soon as you feel yourself fit, I'm ready to teach you to box thecompass, and a little navigation."
"Oh, thank you," said Jack coldly, and the tips of his horns, that,snail-like, were beginning to show signs of coming out, disappeared.
The captain gave Sir John a meaning look, and went on.
"You gentlemen will find Bartlett a capital fellow, and very useful.He's quite at home over all kinds of sea-fishing, and you had betterbegin to give him a hint, Mr Jack, that you'll want a good deal of hishelp. Capital knowledge of sea-fish; not book knowledge, but practical.It's of no use now with the yacht going at this rate, but when we getinto calmer waters."
"Shall we soon get into calmer water?" said Jack anxiously.
"Oh yes. We're going due south now, and shan't be long first. I daresay by the time we have passed Cape Finisterre, and are running down theSpanish coast, you will find it smooth enough. Like an early cup oftea, gentlemen?"
"I? No," said Sir John, "I'll wait for breakfast. What do you say,Jack?"
Jack said nothing, but looked disgusted.
"Don't like the idea of taking anything of course, sir," said thecaptain; "but wait a little, I'm quite a doctor over these troubles, andI'll give you some good news."
"I'm sure he will be grateful for it," said Sir John, for Jack wassilent.
"Here it is then," said the captain bluffly; "and you may believe it,for I know. You've had a sharp little spell since we left port; butit's over now, and, as we say, you're quite well, thank you."
"I quite well?" cried the lad indignantly; "I feel wretchedly bad."
"And think me very unfeeling for talking to you like this," said thecaptain, smiling; "but I'm nothing of the kind. Of course you feelwretchedly ill. Faint and weak, and as if you could never touch foodagain. That's why I wanted you to let the steward bring you a cup oftea. Human nature can't go without food for three or four days withoutfeeling bad."
"Of course not," said Sir John.
"But now look here, Mr Jack, I talked about good news, and told youthat you were well now. Here's the proof. There's a nice stiff breezeon, the water's very lively, and the yacht's dancing about so that weshall have to mind how we handle our breakfast-cups; and look at you!You are holding on because you haven't learned to give and take with thesprings in your legs, but you are taking it all quite calmly. Why, theother day as soon as we began to careen over a bit, the doctor had totake you below. Now do you see the difference?"
"No," said Jack. "You cannot tell how ill I feel."
"My dear lad, I know exactly," said the captain. "Come, pluck up yourcourage; we're going to have a glorious day, and the wind will dropbefore noon. Take my advice: go below to have a good tubbing, and dressyourself again, and by breakfast-time you'll be beginning to wonder thatyou should have felt so queer; and mind this, sea-sickness isn't adisease: it's a--well, it's a--Ah, here's the doctor. Morning, DoctorInstow, you're just in time. What is sea-sickness?"
"A precious nuisance for those who are troubled with it," said thedoctor heartily. "Morning. Morning, Meadows. Why, Jack, lad, this isgrand. You've quite stolen a march on me. I say, you mean you're overyour bit of misery then. My word, what a jolly morning. Hullo! goingbelow?"
"Yes," said Jack quietly, as he began to move toward the cabin hatch.
"Take my arm, Mr Jack," said the captain kindly.
"No, thank you," said the lad. "I want to get to be able to balance."
Sir John said nothing, but stood with the others watching the lad'sunsteady steps till he disappeared.
"He'll do now, sir," said the captain.
"Do?" cried the doctor; "I should think he will. Why, Meadows, he hasgot all the right stuff in him: it only wants bringing out. Nothinglike the sea for a lad, is there, captain?"
"Nothing, sir," said that gentleman. "It makes a boy manly andself-reliant. He may turn out a bit rough, but it's rough diamond. SirJohn, pray don't you think from what I say that I'm one of thosecarneying, flattering sort of chaps who ought to be kicked all round theworld for the sneaks they are. What I say is quite honest. That's afine lad of yours: he's as nervous now as a girl, and no wonder, seeinghow weak and delicate he is, but I watched him this morning, and he'sfighting it all down like a fellow with true grit in him, at a time toowhen he's feeling downright bad. You won't hardly know him in a month."
Sir John nodded and walked away, to go and stand by himself looking outto sea.
"Whew!" whistled the captain, turning to the doctor. "I hope I haven'toffended our
chief."
"Offended him? no," said the doctor, taking his arm and walking him offin the other direction. "It's all right, captain. You spoke out thetruth, and he'll tell you before the day's out that he is obliged. Poorfellow! he is very tender-hearted about his boy. Lost the lad's mother,you see, and he worships him. But you're quite right, my plan's good,and I shall bring him back a healthy man."
"You shall, doctor, for we'll all try and help you; there!"
Jack at Sea: All Work and No Play Made Him a Dull Boy Page 9