Adrift in a Boat

by William Henry Giles Kingston

  CHAPTER TWO.

  ON THE ROCKS--A BRAVE LAD--SAVED--TRISTRAM'S FATE--STILL IN A BOAT.

  "David, you must try to swim on shore, and save yourself," exclaimedHarry Merryweather, looking at the foaming seas, which now began, with adeafening noise, to dash furiously round the rock on which he and hisfriend stood. "If you don't go soon, you will not be able to get thereat all. Leave me, I beg you. There is no reason why both should belost."

  "No indeed, that I will not," answered David, stoutly. "If I thoughtthat I could get help by trying to swim on shore I would go, but I donot think there is a place near where I could find a boat."

  Harry did not speak for a minute or two.

  At last he put his hand on David's shoulder, and said, "I ask you againto swim on shore by yourself. I will pray for you as you are swimming,and you shall pray for me when you reach the beach. My dear mothertaught me to pray when I was a child, and she has ever shown to me thatGod hears all faithful prayers, and in His good time grants them; sothat I have always prayed since I went to sea, both when I was turninginto my hammock, and when I was turning out; and I knew that my motherwas praying for me too, for she is always praying for me; and I knowthat God hears those prayers, so you see that makes me very brave. I amsure that I can trust Him."

  "I am so glad to hear you say that," answered David. "My father wasteaching us just the same thing after reading the Bible at prayers theother night. It's true--it's true, I know."

  "Then trust to Him, and do as I ask you," said Harry, earnestly. "Takeoff your jacket and shoes at all events--you will be back in time tosave them and me also."

  "I don't like leaving you at all, but I will do as you wish," exclaimedDavid, after a moment's further thought, taking off his jacket. As hedid so he turned his head round seaward. "Hillo!--why, there is aboat," he exclaimed. "She is under sail, standing this way."

  The boys together sprang back to the highest part of the rock, and Davidstill holding his jacket waved it vehemently. It was a smallfishing-boat, beating up from the westward. She was then standing infor the land, and Harry, whose nautical knowledge was not as yetby-the-bye very great, was doubtful where she would go about againbefore she got near enough for those on board to see them. All theycould do was to wave and wave, and to shout--though their shouting,shrill as it was, would have been of no use.

  David, who really knew more about boat-sailing than his naval friend,expressed his opinion that she was beating up for the littleboat-harbour of Penmore, about two miles to the eastward. How anxiouslythey watched her, as the tide sweeping her along she drew nearer andnearer! The wind, having--as the expression is--backed into thesouth-east, enabled her to lay up well along shore, or their hope ofbeing seen would have been small indeed. For some minutes longer shestood on almost directly for them; then at length she went about--hightime, too, for she was getting near the breakers. Now was the momentfor them to shout and wave, for if they were now neither seen nor heardthey must abandon their hope of help from her, as by the next tack shewould be a long way to the eastward. How eagerly they watched her!Again and again they waved and shouted.

  "Yes, see--she is about," cried Harry, joyfully. He was right--the boatwas evidently standing towards them. Harry, forgetting all pastdangers, shouted and danced for joy. Life was very sweet to him. Hethought nothing of the ordinary risk of losing it which he was every dayrunning--but this was out of the way, and he had almost made up his mindthat he should not escape. There were two people in the boat--an oldman and a boy. The sail was lowered, and getting out their oars theyapproached the rock cautiously. It would have been excessivelydangerous to get close, as a heavier sea than usual might have driventhe boat against the rock and dashed her to pieces. This Harry andDavid saw. The old man stood up in the boat, and beckoned to them. Hewas shouting also, but the thundering noise of the sea against the rockprevented them from hearing him.

  "He wants us to swim out to the boats," said David. "I am sure that Icould do it, and I will bring in a rope for you."

  "Oh, I do not think that you could," answered Harry. "The sea rolls inso heavily that you would be driven back. They might let the end of arope, made fast to a cork or a float of some sort, drift in, and haul usoff." The plan was clearly a good one, and they made signals to the oldman to carry it out; but either he did not understand them, or had not arope long enough.

  "I must go," cried David, throwing off his coat and shoes. "Pray forme, remember." He had been watching his opportunity: a heavy sea hadjust passed, and, before Harry could even say another word, slippingdown to the edge of the rock, he glided in, giving himself all theimpetus he could with his feet, and almost the next instant wasbreasting a sea at some distance from the rock. Harry watched himanxiously, not forgetting to pray. Now he seemed almost driven back,and now a foam-crested sea rolling in looked as if it would inevitablyoverwhelm him. Alas! yes--he disappeared.

  "He is lost--he is lost!" cried Harry. But no. Directly after he wasagain seen on the surface, working his way up another advancing sea.

  Harry was now guided chiefly by the gesticulations of the people in theboat,--that is to say, by the way the old man waved a hand, or lookedout, for they had to keep their oars moving with all their might andmain to avoid being driven dangerously near the rock. At length Harry,with thankfulness, saw David close to the boat but she seemed to begoing from him--then the old man stood up--stretched out his arm, andDavid, well-nigh exhausted, was dragged into the boat. Harry saw thathe was talking to the old man.

  "What will he do? I hope that he will not attempt to swim back to therock," thought Harry; yet he felt very sure that he should never reachthe boat by himself. As the boat rose on the top of a wave, Harry sawthat David was employed in fastening several ropes together. The taskwhich the old man and the boy could not perform, as they were obliged tocontinue rowing, he was able to do. Harry saw him very busy in thebottom of the boat, and now he lifted a water-cask into the sea, andveered away the rope over the stern. For some time Harry did not regainsight of the cask; at last he saw it on the top of a sea, but still along way from the rock. He watched it anxiously; but still he doubtedwhether he should be able to get hold of it. It might, even if itreached the rock, be dashed to pieces. He got down as close to thewater as he dared go, for the seas were dashing so high up the rock thathe might easily be carried away by them--indeed, he was already wetthrough and through with the spray, which was flying in dense sheetsover the rock, and in a few minutes more it seemed to him that it wouldbe completely overwhelmed--indeed, any moment a sea might sweep over it.Harry had a brave heart, and as long as he had life was not likely tolose courage. He showed his coolness, indeed, for believing that thecask would soon reach him, he deliberately tied David's jacket and shoesround his waist, that he might have the pleasure of restoring them tohim. He had observed how David slipped into the water. There came thecask, nearer and nearer. Before it had time to touch the rock, he sliddown into the sea, and struck out boldly for it, and throwing his armsover it caught the rope to which it was made fast, and drew himself uptill his chest rested on it.

  He then shouted at the top of his voice, "Haul in--all right." David,however, could not hear him: but having watched him with intenseeagerness, now began slowly to haul in the rope, while the old man andboy pulled the boat further off the rock. Harry held firmly on, thoughhe almost lost his breath by the waters, which dashed in his face. Hekept his senses, however, and had the wisdom to strike out with all hismight with his feet, which greatly helped him on, and took off the dragfrom his arms which they would otherwise have felt.

  As he rose to the top of a sea he again shouted out every now and then,"All right--haul away." He was, however, not much inclined to shout bythe time he got up to the stern of the boat. David, with the help ofthe old man, then quickly hauled him on board.

  "And you have brought me my jacket and shoes," exclaimed David, gladlyputting them on, for he felt very cold directly the e
xertions he hadjust gone through ceased. The boys sincerely thanked God in theirhearts that they were saved--though but a very few audible words ofthanksgiving were uttered. No time, indeed, was to be lost in gettingaway from the rock.

  The old man told David to go to the helm. "And you other young mastertake my oar and pull with all your might, while I sets the sails," headded. A sprit-mainsail, much the worse for wear, and a little rag of aforesail were soon set. It was as much sail as the boat in the risinggale could carry, and away she flew seaward. The old man took the helm,and the boy, who had not spoken, laid in his oar, and facing forward,put his hand on the foresheet to be ready to go about when the word wasgiven. The boat was somewhat old and battered, like its master,--therigging especially seemed in a bad condition.

  The old man saw the boys examining her, and divined their thoughts."She's not like one of your fine-painted yachts, young masters; but shehas helped to save your lives, and she'll serve my time, I'm pretty sureof that," he observed. "She'll be tried, howsomever, not a littleto-night, I'm thinking. We were late as it was coming up from `Put offshoal,' and this work with you made us still later, so that we shallhave to be thankful if we get into Penmore harbour before the tideturns."

  "She is a good boat, no doubt, and at all events we are most thankful toyou for having by her means saved our lives," said David; and Harryrepeated what he had said.

  "No, young masters, it wasn't I saved you, it was God. Don't thank me.Man can do no good thing of himself, you know, and I couldn't have savedyou if it hadn't been His will." The fishing-boat went careering onover the foaming seas, guided by the skilful hand of the old man. It issurprising how much sea a small boat with good beam will go through whenwell managed. The old man was far more loquacious than the young one,who sat quite still forward, only every now and then turning his faceaside as the spray dashed in it, and shaking the water from hissou'-wester.

  To the boys' inquiry of the old man to which place he belonged, "Littlebetter than a mile to the eastward of where I took you aboard," hereplied; "but when the wind blows as it does now, there's no place forlanding nearer than Penmore harbour. That matters nothing, as we get agood market for our fish near there, and we have a good lot to sell, yousee." He pointed to the baskets in the centre of the boat, well filledwith mackerel and several other kinds of fish. He told them that hisname was Jonathan Jefferies, that he had married a Cornish woman, andsettled in the parish, and that the lad was his grandson. "Not quiteright up there," he remarked, touching his forehead; "but he is a goodlad, and knows how to do his duty. We call him Tristram Torr, for he isour daughter's son. She is dead, poor thing, and his father was lost atsea, we suppose, for he went away and never came back."

  The old man thus continued giving scraps of his family history, till thegloom of evening gave way to the darkness of night. His chief regret atbeing out so late was that his old woman would be looking for him, as hehad told her that he expected to be home earlier than usual. The darkerit grew the less talkative, however, he became; indeed, all hisattention was taken up in steering, for with the darkness the wind andsea increased, till the boat could hardly look up to it. At last Harryand David began to suspect that though they had escaped from the rock,they were in no small danger of being swamped, and thus, after all,losing their lives. Every now and then a heavy sea broke into the boatand half filled her. Still the boy Tristram said nothing, but turninground took a bailer from under the thwart, and began energeticallybailing away. Harry and David did the same with their hats, till oldJefferies handed them a bucket, with which they more rapidly cleared theboat. They had to be quick about it, for scarcely was she free of waterthan another sea came in and again half filled her. It seemed alsopretty evident to them that instead of going to windward she was makingleeway, though, as the tide was still running to the eastward, she wasgoing in that direction. The two boys were feeling thoroughly chilledand uncomfortable; they were, of course, wet to the skin, and the windwas strong and keen, and even when they sat down, by the old man'sadvice, in the bottom of the boat, their legs were in water. Still theykept up their spirits, and when the water washed into the boat they wereglad to jump up and bail it out again. Besides that they were in dangerof being swamped, it appeared to the midshipman and his friend thatthere was a great risk of being run down. Already two or threephantom-like forms had suddenly appeared out of the darkness, andgliding by were soon lost to sight.

  The boy, however, had made no remark about them; suddenly he shouted,"Grandfather, a sail on the weather-bow."

  "About, then," cried the old man. Harry and David looked out, and saw,almost ahead of them, towering to the skies it seemed, a dark pyramid ofcanvas.

  "She is a big ship running down channel," said Harry. "She will be overus! she will be over us!" The boat was at that moment in stays, goingabout. Scarcely had he spoken, when there was a loud crack. The mastwent by the board, and as it came down struck the old man on the head.He would have fallen overboard had not Harry and David seized his coatand dragged him in.

  "Here, pull, masters," cried Tristram, trying to get out both the oars.In doing so he let one of them go overboard; both would have gone hadnot Harry, springing forward, seized the other. But poor Tristram, inendeavouring to regain the one he had lost, overbalanced himself, andmet the fate his grandfather had just escaped. Harry threw the oar overto the side on which he had fallen, but the poor lad in vain endeavouredto clutch it. There was a piercing cry; Harry thought he saw a handraised up through the darkness, and then he neither saw nor heard more.

  How came it that the boy's cry did not rouse the grandfather? Sad tosay, he lay without moving at the bottom of the boat.

  "This is fearful," cried David, feeling the old man's face and hands; "Iam afraid that he is dead, and the poor lad gone too. What are we todo?"

  "Keep the boat's head to the sea as long as we can with one oar, andthen up helm and run before the wind," answered Harry, who knew thatsuch was the way a big ship would be managed under similarcircumstances. David sat at the helm, and Harry vigorously plied hisoar--now on one side, now on the other, and thus managed to keep theboat from getting broadside to the sea. It was very hard work, however,and he felt that, even though relieved by David, it could not be kept upall night. Several times David felt the old man's face; it was stillwarm, but there was no other sign of life. The boat was broad and deep,or she would very quickly have been turned over. This, however, madeher very heavy to pull, while from the same cause the sea continuallywashed into her. At length they agreed that she must be put before thewind. They waited for a lull, and then getting her quickly round,hoisted the jib, which had been before taken in, to the end of thespreet, which they lashed to the stump of the mast. The wind blew asstrong as ever, but the tide having turned there was less sea thanbefore, and thus away they went down channel, at a far greater rate thanthey supposed.

  "It is going to be only a summer gale," observed Harry. "When themorning comes we shall be easily able to rig a fore and aft sail, andstand in for the shore. The poor, good old man, I am very sorry forhim, and so I am for the boy; but for ourselves it does not so muchmatter, except that we shall have to breakfast on raw fish, and perhapsafter all not get home to dinner. My dear mother, too, and Jane, may befrightened, and I don't like the thought of that."

  "Yes, to be sure, I forgot that; I am afraid those at my home will befrightened too, when they hear nothing of us," said David. "One comfortis, that we did not keep away intentionally, though, to be sure, it wasthoughtless of us to be caught by the tide as we were. But don't let usthink of ourselves; better let us see what we can do for this poor oldman. I believe that he is still alive, though how to bring him round Idon't know. If we had any liquor to give him we might pour it down histhroat, but as we have nothing we must keep his head up and let him layquiet till daylight," said Harry.

  David was thoroughly accustomed to boat-sailing, so that he was wellable to keep the boat dead before the w
ind. The sea came curling upastern, but none broke over her; had even one done so it would have senther to the bottom. A very little conversation took place after this.Only Harry, fearing that he and his friend might lose heart, every nowand then said something to keep up their spirits. It was somewhatforced, it must be owned, for they both saw that their position was verycritical. The hours passed slowly by--now the one, now the other tookthe helm. Morning broke at last; they looked out, expecting to see theland aboard on the starboard hand, but not a glimpse of land wasvisible--nothing but sea and sky on every side around of a leaden greyhue--not a streak in the horizon showed where the sun was rising. Theycould only guess by the wind the points of the compass. Harry proposedhauling up for where they supposed the land to be, but David consideredthat such a proceeding would be dangerous, and that it would be safer torun on till the weather moderated and they could get sail on the boat.They neither of them sufficiently calculated the strength of the tide,which, running for six hours, had carried them many miles to theeastward. The old man was alive, but sat perfectly still at the bottomof the boat. It seemed indeed doubtful if, after remaining in thatstate so long, he would ever recover. Their anxiety prevented them fromfeeling hungry; indeed, as yet, they fancied that they could not bringthemselves to eat raw fish. They now tried various means to bring theold man to consciousness, by rubbing his hands and his feet, andoccasionally his forehead. It is difficult to say whether these meanshad any effect. At length, at all events, he slowly opened his eyes;then he closed them again, and they thought that he was dying. Thenonce more he opened them, and looked about him with a puzzled and painedexpression of countenance. Now he gazed inquiringly at David--now atHarry.

  "Where is Tristram? where is my grandson?" he asked, speaking veryslowly. "Gone! gone! oh, don't say that. What have you done with him,my young masters?"

  With sad hearts the boys told him how the accident had happened.

  "Then may God take me to my boy, my poor boy," he exclaimed hiding hisface in his hands, and sinking back once more into the bottom of theboat.