The South Sea Whaler

by William Henry Giles Kingston

  CHAPTER SIX.

  WALTER AND THE MATE'S VOYAGE ON THE RAFT CONTINUED--FLYING-FISH CAUGHT--A THUNDER STORM--MEETING OF ALICE AND WALTER--THE RAFT INCREASED--IS ITAN ISLAND!--REACH AN ENORMOUS DEAD WHALE OF A NEW SPECIES.

  The raft glided on over the smooth surface of the ocean. The old matewas standing up steering, while Walter, already feeling the pangs ofhunger, was lying stretched at his length in the shade cast by the sail;for the intense heat of the sun, which was striking down from an almostcloudless sky, was almost insupportable. Mr Shobbrok constantly lookedaround on every side.

  "Any vessel in sight?" asked Walter, sitting up. A shake of the headwas the answer he received; and lying down again, he closed his eyes.Once more he sat up, and seeing the mate casting an eager glance around,he asked him what he saw.

  "Dolphins or bonitoes playing about. If we had a harpoon, we mightchance to get hold of one."

  "Could we manage to manufacture something that would answer thepurpose?" asked Walter.

  "Nothing that would be of use, I am afraid," said the mate. "But see,Walter, see! there comes what I have been praying for."

  Walter looked in the direction the mate was pointing out, and saw alarge covey of flying-fish darting towards them. First a couple, thenthree, then four more, fell directly on to the raft. Walter and themate quickly secured them. As most of them appeared to be directingtheir course some way ahead, the mate allowed the raft to glide on, bythat means being able to knock down four more, which would otherwisehave flown over it--the remainder quickly disappearing beneath thesurface. The two voyagers collected the fish which lay on the raft.

  "I wish we could keep them alive," said Walter.

  "That's more than we can do. We must be thankful that we have gotthese; and He who sent them to us may send us more when we require them.And now, my lad, the sooner we get some of them down our throats thebetter, for you want food, and so, I confess, do I."

  "What! eat them raw?" exclaimed Walter.

  "Ay, lad; and for my part I could almost eat them alive. But I will tryhow I can make them more fit for you to swallow. Hand me that bit ofboard and the axe. Now, just get out some biscuit and the oil."

  Walter gave the articles to the mate, who, kneeling down, cut off theheads and tails of the fish, and separated the flesh from the bones. Hethen mashed it up with some biscuit, moistening it with some oil till hehad made a thick paste.

  "Now, try this. But first let us thank God for sending us the food; andmay He feed our souls as well as He feeds our bodies." Saying this, heput a large lump into his own mouth, and quickly swallowed it, addinganother portion in like haste, for he was in truth famishing. Walterfound the mixture far more tolerable than he had expected, for he hadgot accustomed to the taste of the oil. The meal was soon finished, andwas washed down with some wine and water. Both the mate and Walterfound themselves much stronger after the meal, and did not fail again toreturn thanks to God for sending it to them. They then collected therest of the fish, which they cut open, and, at the mate's suggestion,hung up in the sun to dry; reserving two to eat fresh at their nextmeal. The heat of the sun and the nature of their food made them verythirsty, and Walter especially was much inclined to drink freely fromthe water-barrel.

  "Remember, my lad," said the mate, "that won't last for ever, and wemust take care to economise it. Just take a little now and then whenyou feel overcome with thirst. To my mind, under our circumstances itwould be as wrong to keep drinking away at our water-barrel as it is fora man to spend his fortune without thinking of the future. That's ourchief wealth just now."

  Walter, after this, followed the mate's example, and only took amouthful at a time, when he felt his throat unusually dry.

  Onward they sailed, not always in a straight course; for they wereobliged to keep before the wind, which occasionally shifted a few pointsof the compass. They were several times tantalised by seeing othercoveys of flying-fish rising out of the water, and darting fifty feet,and sometimes even one hundred feet, over the surface; but none camenear them. They saw also dolphins and bonitoes swimming near them, andoccasionally caught sight of a large shark, with its black fin justabove the water. Now and then a bonito came so near to the raft, thathad they possessed a harpoon they could easily have caught it. Themate, indeed, could not resist the temptation of giving one of them ablow on the head with his oar, hoping to stun it; but the creature,notwithstanding the heavy thump it had received, darted off, and waslost to sight. "If I had been wise, I should have had a running bowlineready, and we would have caught the fellow," said the mate. "I willhave one for the next, and if we are quick about it we may get him onboard." The rope was prepared, and Walter kept eagerly on the watch;but the wished-for opportunity, as is often the case when once a chancehas been lost, did not return. Two or three big fish came swimming bythem, however, but too far off to be caught--apparently to have a lookat the strangers passing across their domain.

  The end of another day was approaching, and the weather, hitherto calmand fine, gave indications of a change.

  "Provided we get a good stiff breeze from the eastward, I shall bethankful," said the mate.

  "We shall the sooner reach shore or fall in with a ship; and althoughour raft will stand a good deal of sea, I would rather be in a goodwhale-boat under such circumstances," said Walter.

  "So would I, lad; but we must be contented with what we have got.That's my opinion, and it's about the best a man can have. Now, Walter,I want you to take the helm," said the mate. "I expect to have a prettylong watch at night, and a few winks of sleep will enable me to standit. Call me if it comes on to blow harder than at present--as I expectit will--or if you see anything which you cannot quite make out."

  Walter quickly went to the helm, for the food he had taken had greatlyrestored his strength, and enabled him to stand up firmly. The mate laydown, and before Walter could count thirty the old sailor was fastasleep.

  Walter steered on. Although clouds were already gathering in the sky,the wind continued moderate, and he hoped that the mate would be able totake a longer spell of sleep than he had expected to do.

  The sun went down with a fiery red appearance, and scarcely had it sankbeneath the horizon when the gloom of night came sweeping over the deep.The wind shortly afterwards began to increase; but still, as the raftdid not tumble about much, Walter considered that he was right in notcalling the mate. Presently, however, a vivid flash of lightning dartedfrom the clouds, followed almost immediately by a crashing peal. MrShobbrok started up. "Why, Walter," he said, "you should have called mewhen the weather changed."

  "The storm has only this instant burst on us," answered Walter. "Iwished you to have as much rest as possible. I do not feel myselfinclined to go to sleep."

  "I suppose not, my lad," said the mate; "but I will take the helm, atall events, and you can stand by the halliards. We must take a reef inour sail, if it comes on to blow much harder."

  The wind, however, did not greatly increase, and they stood on. Thelightning continued to flash and the thunder to roar, but the searemained calm. Frequently the whole heavens were lighted up altogether;then only in one direction, and now in another. Walter, who had neverseen such vivid lightning or heard the thunder roar so loudly, verynaturally felt somewhat alarmed.

  "Is the lightning likely to strike us?" he asked at length.

  "I think not, my lad. We have but little iron about our raft; andthough iron is said to attract it, we are so low down on the surfacethat I believe it will pass harmlessly over our heads. A large ship,with her taunt masts, would be in much greater danger than this smallraft. We must trust to Him who rules the winds and seas, and thelightning also. It won't do to be sometimes trusting Him and sometimesnot. It's as easy for Him to save us out of a great danger as out ofwhat we call a small one. Not that I think we are in any especialdanger now; nor shall we be as long as the sea remains calm."

  Walter's anxiety was greatly relieved by the mate's assuran
ces. He satdown on the raft. They had been steadily running on for some time, whena vivid flash lighted up the sky and all the ocean to the westward.

  "I saw something floating on the water, right ahead," said Walter."What it was I cannot exactly say, though it seemed to me to be like apiece of wreck, and I thought for the moment that I saw people on it."

  "Keep a bright lookout then, my lad," answered the mate. "We shallprobably have another flash presently, and then you will see clearly.Stand by to lower the sail, that I may have a look at it too."

  Walter cast off the halliards, and tried with all his might to piercethe gloom.

  "There! there!" he exclaimed, letting go the halliards as another flashdarted from the sky. "It's a raft with two people on it. We are closeupon them."

  A hail came from the raft uttered by two voices.

  "O Mr Shobbrok, that was Nub's voice, and Alice's too! I am sure ofit," exclaimed Walter, scarcely able to speak from excitement. He then,lifting up his own voice, shouted in return--"Is that you, Alice? Isthat you, Nub?"

  "Yes, yes," answered Nub; "praise Heaven, we all right! Is dat you,Massa Walter?"

  "Yes," answered Walter.

  "O Walter! O Walter! is it you?" cried Alice.

  "I am Walter, and Mr Shobbrok is with me," he shouted.

  "Here, Walter, take the helm," cried the mate, "but work away on thestarboard side; I will get a rope ready to heave to Nub."

  Walter did as directed, and their raft was soon brought up alongside theother, when Nub, having secured the rope hove to him, in his eagernessforgot the difference of their rank, and sprang forward with delight toembrace the old mate. Walter sprang on to the other raft, and quicklyhad his dear little sister in his arms. They no longer thought of thethunder roaring or the lightning flashing around them as they eagerlyrecounted to each other their adventures. It seemed for the moment,indeed, that all danger to them was over. They soon, however, inquiredof each other news of their father, and the fear that he might be lost,or might be hopelessly searching for them, soon made them feel thereality of their position. Nub in the meantime had told the mate allthat had happened on board, and his belief that a large raft had beenformed, and that the rest of the people had got away from the ship. Hetold him also that he had seen nothing of it. It was possible, however,that the captain's boat might have fallen in with it; and if so, theywould certainly have proceeded together towards the land.

  "Our poor, poor father! how unhappy he will be at not finding us,"ejaculated Walter and Alice together.

  "He will not give up all hopes of your being restored to him; so don'tfret too much about it, my dear Miss Alice," said the mate, anxious tocomfort her. "He will know very well that Nub would not have desertedyou; and he will have heard from the people on board that Walter wentoff with me; and very likely he will guess something like the truth.And not knowing our boat was destroyed, he will fancy that I picked youup, and that we have made our way in a well-found whale-boat towards theshore."

  "I hope he may think so," answered Alice. "I will try not to be tooanxious about him; and perhaps we shall meet each other before long."

  "That's it, Miss Alice," said the mate. "Hope for the best. `Hopestill in God,' as He Himself in the Bible tells us to do, and don't becast down."

  The night had been much further spent than those on the raft supposed.The thunder gradually rolled away to the southward, and soon afterwardsthe sun arose in the clear sky, shedding a brilliant glare across thewater. Directly the light appeared the mate exclaimed, "Now, Walter,--now, Nub, as we have doubled our numbers, we must turn to and increasethe size of our raft."

  "As you think best, Mr Shobbrok," answered Walter.

  "Anything you tell me do, I do," said Nub.

  "Well, we will pull your raft to pieces, and put the bow and stern on toours, and raise our bulwarks."

  "Ay, ay, mate," answered Nub; and they immediately set to work. It wasan operation requiring a good deal of skill, as it was necessary to lashthe fresh timbers very securely, or they would prove a source of muchdanger; for should the sea get up, and should they break loose, theywould be thrown upon the raft, and thus endanger the safety of those onit. A portion of Nub's raft was composed of spars, one of which wasfound long enough to serve as a mast, instead of the two oars which hadhitherto done duty as such; and they would now be of much use inimpelling on the raft. The mast was securely fixed between the twocross spars, fastened at either end to the raised sides, and it was thenwell stayed up, so that the whole sail bent to a yard could now behoisted up. The casks were then lashed securely to the two sides of theraft as well as to the bow and stern; and when all was finished, themate declared that he believed their craft would weather out a heavygale as well as many a ship at sea. He might have said much better thanmany, which, over-laden and leaky, go helplessly down into the depths ofthe ocean without any land in sight or help near, the hapless crewperishing miserably.

  It was nearly mid-day when all was completed. Nub had not uttered acomplaint. At last he could not help exclaiming, "Oh, Mr Shobbrok, canyou give me just one mouthful of water? I give de last to Missie Alice,and she not know I go all de time without any."

  "Of course, my lad, of course," answered the mate, filling a cup fromthe cask. "We must be careful of it; but I know what you are feeling,and there would be no use in giving you just one mouthful."

  Nub drank the water, and, heaving a sigh as he smacked his lips, heexclaimed, "Dat is delicious!"

  "Now I think of it, we have not breakfasted. Miss Alice and Walter mustbe pretty hungry, and thirsty too," said the mate.

  "I am not very thirsty, but I should like to have a few of the biscuitsNub and I brought," answered Alice.

  Nub looked downcast. There were only two remaining. He had not letAlice discover this, that she might not know how close run they were forfood. For many hours he, honest fellow, had eaten nothing. The mate,suspecting this, gave Alice the biscuits with a cup of wine and water,and then beat up some more fish, oil, and pounded biscuit, which heshared with Walter and Nub. The latter thought the food especiallygood, and would have been perfectly ready to eat twice as much of it hadit been given to him. Some more wine and water restored the strength ofall the party, but poor Nub wanted something besides food. For many along hour he had not closed his eyes. He told the mate so, and askinghis leave, threw himself down on the deck. Almost before his headreached the piece of wood Walter had placed for a pillow, he was fastasleep. Alice was very nearly as sleepy as poor Nub; and the matesaying he would steer, Walter sat down on the deck, and taking her inhis arms, she also in less than a minute closed her eyes, feeling farhappier than she had done since she had left the burning ship. Havingperfect confidence in the mate, it seemed to her that they had now onlyto sail on till they reached the shore. Happily, she little thought ofthe dangers before them, or knew that the scanty stock of provisionsthey possessed would not last long, and that before many days were overfamine must overtake them.

  The wind remained light but variable, and now coming from the southward,they could only steer a north-westerly course. The mate feared that itmight shift to the west; if so, they would have to lower the sail andtrust to their oars. Their progress in that case would be very slow, asneither Walter nor Nub had much strength for rowing. As before, hehimself intended to steer during the night; so, on the approach ofevening, telling Walter to take the helm, he lay down, making his armserve as a pillow for Alice. Before closing his eyes, he gave the usualcharge to Walter to call him should there be any alteration in the wind;which, of course, Walter faithfully promised to do. Walter stoodbravely to his post till he found his head nodding, and the stars atwhich he was gazing dancing before his eyes; and reluctantly he was onthe point of calling Mr Shobbrok, when the mate, lifting up his head,told him to take charge of Alice, while he resumed his place at thehelm.

  All night long the old sailor stood steering the raft, allowing hisyoung charges and Nub to sleep on.
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br />   "The black deserves his rest," he said to himself; "and it's much betterthat those two dear young ones should forget their sorrow and troubles;they will have enough of them, I am afraid, before long."

  Again the sun rose--another day, which promised to be like the last.The remainder of the flying-fish was eaten in the same manner as before.Alice could not manage to get down the unsavoury compound, andcontented herself with some hard biscuits soaked in wine and water.Though they were saved from the suffering which thirst would have causedthem, hunger stared them in the face. In vain they watched the shoalsof flying-fish in the distance; none came near them. They had no hooksor lines, nor any means of replenishing their stock of provisions. Themate did not allow the rest of the party to discover how anxious hefelt; indeed, he blamed himself for feeling anxious, and continuallykept saying, "God cares for us. He will take care of us, I am sure. Hewon't let these young ones perish." Still the thought arose, "How isthat to be? It's more than I can tell, unless He sends a ship to pickus up." No sail, however, appeared in sight. Hour after hour passedaway. The mate looked round and round the horizon, in the hope that onewould appear; but again the sun went down, and the raft floated slowlyon amid the darkness of night.

  Except a little biscuit reserved for Alice and Walter, no substantialfood remained for the next day, though the oil, wine, and spirits mightassist to keep them alive for some time longer. The mate and Nubsteered on watch and watch during the night, as they agreed to let theyoung people sleep as long as they could. The mate felt perfectconfidence while Nub, who was an excellent sailor, was at the helm, andhe was thus able to take more rest than heretofore. The latter part ofthe night was darker than usual, for a thick mist rested on the calmocean. Morning was approaching, when Walter awoke, and springing to hisfeet, offered to take the helm, that his companions might have morerest.

  "No, thank you, lad; Nub and I have had sleep enough, and we wish thatyou and Miss Alice should have as much rest as possible," answered MrShobbrok.

  Alice, on hearing her name, started up, and inquired if anything hadhappened. But before the mate could reply, Nub shouted out, "Land!land!--land right ahead!"

  All the party, naturally highly excited, looked out, endeavouring topierce the gloom; but either the mist had risen for a moment, enablingNub to see the land, or his eyes, still heavy with sleep, had deceivedhim. A light breeze was still driving on the raft. They got out theoars, and endeavoured to impel it faster. They had not gone far whenNub again cried out, "There! there! There it is!"

  "Is it an island, or is it the back of an enormous whale?" exclaimedWalter. "I see a flag flying on the highest part, and people movingabout."

  "Are you sure that those are people?" asked the mate. "I see aflagstaff and flag clearly enough; but if those are human beings, theflag must be a very large one, such as no whale-boat carries."

  "Can papa be there?" exclaimed Alice, who was seated on a piece oftimber in the centre of the raft.

  "Little doubt about dat," said Nub, turning round to her. "Cheer up,Missie Alice; cheer up. We soon get dere. But whether it is land, asMassa Walter says, or one bery big whale, is more dan I can tell. Itlook to my eye like a whale; but I cannot see its head or its tail,--andwhales got both, unless dey are cut off." Nub, in fact, was greatlypuzzled at the appearance of the seeming island. He did not take intoconsideration the deceptive effect produced by the light mist whichpervaded the air, making objects seen through it magnified anddistorted, as it floated imperceptibly by.

  "I cannot quite make it out even now," observed the mate. "There's aflag, there is no doubt about that; and there are creatures of some sortmoving about--but to my eyes they look more like birds than men. Thecurious mist which hangs over the water plays strange tricks; and I haveover and over again been deceived, and so have many others; but I seethe flag as clearly as if it was not more than a cable's length fromus."

  "It seems to me that the people are stooping down or carrying hugebundles on their backs," observed Walter. "Perhaps they are digging orbuilding huts. I suspect, from their numbers, that the whole crew, whomwe supposed embarked on the big raft, are there. We are near enough forthem to hear our voices, though, as they are so busy, they have not asyet made us out." On this Walter shouted and waved his hands.

  "I thought so. There go your men, who were so busy digging andbuilding!" exclaimed the mate. As he spoke, a number of birds rose inthe air and flew shrieking away, soon being lost to sight in the cloudsof mist which hung over the ocean to the west; and revealing, scarcely aquarter of a mile off, an enormous whale, or marine monster of somesort, floating on the surface, with a small flagstaff and flag stickingin its back.