Black Bar

by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER FIVE.

  A FIGHT WITH A BOAT.

  Were you ever nearly drowned? Did you ever feel the sensation of thewaves rushing and roaring over you, as if full of triumph at havingcaptured a human being to drag down into their depths and devour?

  It is to be hoped not, and that you never will be in such jeopardy asthat in which Mark Vandean found himself as the pale, soft moonlight wassuddenly shut out from sight, and he went down into the black darkness,too much startled and confused to grasp his position and make a calm,matter-of-fact attempt to save his life. He was conscious of receivinga kick, which sent him lower, and then of rising and striking his headagainst something hard.

  This blow roused him into action, and, realising in a flash that he hadknocked his head against some portion of the boat, he struck outstrongly, and the next moment was gazing around at the agitated water,and then made out, close at hand, what looked like the glistening backof some sea monster.

  It was only the imagination of the moment. Directly after he wasswimming for it, seeing that it was the bottom of the capsized boat,about which the crew were clustering.

  Then a strong hand was stretched out to him, and he was drawn to thekeel, Tom Fillot, who had rowed stroke oar, helping him to a goodposition.

  "Hold on a bit, sir, and we'll try and right her."

  "Yes," panted Mark. "Where's Mr Russell?"

  "Here," came rather faintly from the other side of the boat, accompaniedby a fit of gasping and coughing. "All right now; I got under the boat.All here, my lads?"

  "Ay, ay, sir."

  "Then you one and all deserve a flogging," cried the second lieutenant,angrily. "What were you about to capsize the boat?"

  "Dunno, sir," said Tom Fillot, gruffly. "She went over all of her ownsen."

  "Don't be an idiot, man."

  "Where's the black?" panted Mark, who had not yet got back to hisregular breathing.

  "I have him, sir," said the coxswain, "but I don't think he's--"

  "Oh, don't say he's dead!" cried Mark.

  "Course not, sir, if you says I'm not," muttered the man; "but itstrikes me as he was dead before he reached the sea. Some one seems tohave hit him on the head."

  The lieutenant changed his position, so as to place himself alongsidethe coxswain, and then moved away again.

  "Dead?" whispered Mark, as he drew himself a little more on the bottomof the boat, and craned his neck towards his brother officer.

  Russell did not answer for the moment, but gravely bent his head.

  "The brutes!" he then said, softly; "and all this risk for nothing."

  Then aloud--"Now, my lads, quick. Swimmers. The oars."

  These words roused the little crew, which had been clinging to the keel,half lying on either side of the boat, as if there was nothing more tobe done but wait for help but now three of the men at once quitted theirhold, and began to swim about in search of the oars and other objectsfloating about in the glistening moonlight.

  "Never mind the hats, man," shouted the lieutenant. "The oars--theoars."

  This was to one of the sailors who had reached a straw hat and clappedit upon his head as he swam, but the same man recovered one of the oarsand brought it alongside.

  "Any one seen my hitcher?" shouted the coxswain from where he hung on,supporting the black.

  "No."

  "Yes," came from Mark, who pointed; "there it is, standing up like agreat quill float. See it?"

  "Yes, sir, I see it," cried a sailor; and he swam off towards thewhite-looking pole, while others sought for and recovered the whole ofthe oars, which floated a short distance away, the men having gained alittle more confidence, and freely quitting their hold of the boat, asit slowly rose and fell in the midst of the smooth, heaving sea.

  Mark had done nothing but hold on to the keel and try to direct the men,as they swam here and there, giving a longing glance, though, from timeto time at the distant _Nautilus_, whose white sails gleamed in themoonlight. Now, as the crew resumed their places, and tried to keep theoars and boathook alongside the keel, he turned to the lieutenant.

  "What are you going to do about--about that?" he whispered.

  "Get the poor creature on board--if we can," was the reply; and theyoung midshipman could not help shuddering. "It is what we were sent todo, Vandean," continued the officer, "and we must do our duty. Now, mylads," he cried, "all of you over here, and let's right the boat."

  The men opposite swam round, and, the oars being left floating, aneffort was made to drag the boat over, all hanging on the keel. But, inspite of effort after effort, she refused to right, and Mr Russell gavethe word to rest for a few minutes, and collect the floating oars, whichwere getting scattered once more.

  This being done, Mark turned to his officer, and said in a lowvoice,--"You want the coxswain to help?"

  "I do, my lad," replied the lieutenant, but he stopped short and lookedat his young companion.

  "I will not mind," said Mark. "I'll try and hold the poor fellow up,and set Joe Dance free."

  Without waiting to be ordered, Mark drew a deep breath, edged himselfright astern to where the coxswain held on to the keel with one hand andgrasped the black's wrist with the other.

  "Go and take my place," he said; and making an effort over self, hesearched for and found one of the little fenders suspended from theboat's side, took a firm hold, and then stretched out his right hand tograsp the black's wrist.

  "Mean it, sir?" said the man.

  "Yes," replied Mark, huskily. "Go and help."

  The next minute the lad hung there in the water, with his face kepttoward the boat, and his hand retaining that which he could not musterup sufficient courage to turn and gaze at, as it lay calm and stern,looking upward toward the peaceful moonlit skies.

  Then began a sturdy effort to right the boat, and Mark's position grewirksome in the extreme, for at every struggle to drag the keel downtoward them, the midshipman was drawn lower, and he felt that if hiscompanions in misfortune succeeded in righting the boat, he would haveto let go and try to keep himself afloat for a time.

  But in spite of try after try, the boat remained stubbornly bottomupward, and at last, worn out by their exertions, all ceased theirefforts, and rested half on the keel which offered a tempting haltingplace for those who liked to climb upon it, and sit astride.

  Just then Dance the coxswain made his way to Mark, and without a wordseized the wrist of the black, and in a low growl bade the young officerrest.

  "Soon as you can, my lad," he whispered, "reach down and get hold of oneof the rudder-lines. I'll make him fast to that."

  "But his head--it must be kept above water," whispered back Mark in achoking voice, for he felt hysterical and strange.

  "What for, my lad?" said the coxswain. "It can do no good. Half amillion o' doctors couldn't save his life. He was done for when theypitched him in, and I should like to have my will o' them as done it.Precious little marcy they'd get out o' me."

  "Come along here, Mr Vandean," cried the lieutenant from the bow end ofthe boat; and Mark shudderingly left the coxswain making fast the wristof the dead black to one of the rudder-lines, and joined his brotherofficer, easily passing from one to the other of the men as they halflay on the bottom, resting and clinging by one hand to the keel.

  "Cheer up, my lad!" said the lieutenant. "There's nothing to mind. Thesea couldn't be smoother, and we can hold on like this for any length oftime. The captain is sure to come back soon to pick us up."

  Mark made no answer, but crept into as secure a place as he could besidehis officer, gazed away at the dimly-seen vessels, and listened to thedull report of gun after gun.

  "Well, you are very quiet," said the lieutenant after a long pause."Why don't you speak?"

  "I have only one thing to say," replied Mark, "and I did not like to saythat."

  "Why not? What is it?"

  "I wanted to know whether they would ever find us again."

  "Find us? Yes,
of course," cried the lieutenant. "They must find us.There, it's all right. Never despair. No fear of our being washed off,and we've nothing else to mind."

  "Sharks?" said Mark, involuntarily.

  "Hush!" whispered the lieutenant, fiercely. And then with his lips tothe lad's ear he said, "Never utter a word likely to damp your men'scourage at a time like this. Do your duty and hope for the best. Trustin God for the help to come, my lad. That's how a sailor should act."

  "I'll try, Mr Russell," whispered back Mark, with a curious chokingfeeling at his breast as he thought of home in far-away old England, andof the slight chance he had of ever seeing it again.

  "Of course you will try, black as it all looks. Now then, we're a bitrested, and going to have another start."

  But he gave no orders then, for with his wet hand shading his eyes, hetried to make out what was going on between the _Nautilus_ and theschooner, the firing having now ceased.

  "I'm afraid the Yankee skipper's carrying on the same manoeuvre," hesaid at last; "and perhaps we shall have to wait for morning. Now then,I want this boat righted and baled out, but we shall be colder sittingin our wet clothes than we are now. Ready, my lads?"

  "Ay, ay, sir."

  Still he did not give orders for the men to renew their efforts, buthung there watching the distant vessels, while alone in the great oceanthe capsized boat softly heaved and fell on the long smooth rollers.

  "Yes," said the lieutenant at last, "he will be obliged to let herescape."

  "Not take her?" cried Mark, rousing himself a little at this.

  "No, not take her. He must heave to and pick us up. As soon as it isday glasses will be at work in the maintop; and directly they see ourplight the _Nautilus_ will come down to us with every stitch of canvasset."

  "Hooray!" shouted the men as they heard the lieutenant's words; and whenhe gave his orders, they set to with a will to drag the keel down towardthem. Discipline, training, all was in their favour; but the boat washeavy, and seemed to fight against them. Turning their bodies intoweights, they drew it more and more over, till it was so low that thelieutenant bade one man climb up and reach over to get hold of the side.

  This was done again and again, but only for the weight to disturb theequilibrium, and send it back, the man in each case going right overwith it, to be plunged in, head-first, on the other side.

  Sailors are light-hearted fellows, and even in times of peril they soonforget their troubles, and are ready to join in a grin.

  It was so here. A roar of laughter saluted each man who went down assoon as he rose again and swam round, taking it all good-humouredlyenough, as he resumed his place to renew the struggle, till at last thelieutenant was ready to give up in despair.

  "Let me try this time," said Mark at last. "I'm lighter, and I think Icould get hold of the side with the boathook as soon as I am on thekeel."

  "Hear that, my lads?" shouted Dance, "and me to have handled a hitcherall these years, and never to have thought of it. Boat's righted,messmates, now; only, by your leave, sir, if you'd let me try, I think Icould do it easier than you."

  "Try then, my lad," said the lieutenant; and, getting hold of the hook,the coxswain moved into the centre on one side as the crew seized thekeel and dragged it down, while the man, boathook in hand, climbed up,finding good foothold on the clinker-built boat, steadying himself withhis pole as he worked. At last he stood upright on the side of thekeel, reached over and fixed his hook upon one of the rowlocks; thenholding on firmly by the pole and pressing his feet against the keel, hehung right away, his body now forming so heavy a balance-weight thatupon the men making a simultaneous effort to draw the boat over, shecame down more and more. Then with a sudden lurch the resistanceagainst them was overcome, and she came right over to an even keel,plunging Dance into the water, from which he rose spitting andsputtering, to begin swimming back amidst a hearty burst of cheers.