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+Project Gutenberg's The Survivors of the Chancellor, by Jules Verne
+
+
+*******************************************************************
+THERE IS AN IMPROVED EDITION OF THIS TITLE WITH A LINKED TABLE OF
+CONTENTS WHICH MAY BE VIEWED AS EBOOK (#1652)
+at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1652
+*******************************************************************
+
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Survivors of the Chancellor
+
+Author: Jules Verne
+
+Posting Date: September 11, 2012 [EBook #1698]
+Release Date: April, 1999
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SURVIVORS OF THE CHANCELLOR ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Judy Boss
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+WORKS of JULES VERNE
+
+EDITED BY
+
+CHARLES F. HORNE
+
+
+
+
+INTRODUCTION
+
+THE SURVIVORS OF THE CHANCELLOR was issued in 1875. Shipwrecks occur in
+other of Verne's tales; but this is his only story devoted wholly to
+such a disaster. In it the author has gathered all the tragedy, the
+mystery, and the suffering possible to the sea. All the various forms
+of disaster, all the possibilities of horror, the depths of shame and
+agony, are heaped upon these unhappy voyagers. The accumulation is
+mathematically complete and emotionally unforgettable. The tale has
+well been called the "imperishable epic of shipwreck."
+
+The idea of the book is said to have originated in the celebrated
+French painting by Gericault, "the Wreck of the Medusa," now in the
+Louvre gallery. The Medusa was a French frigate wrecked off the coast
+of Africa in 1816. Some of the survivors, escaping on a raft, were
+rescued by a passing ship after many days of torture. Verne, however,
+seems also to have drawn upon the terrifying experiences of the British
+ship Sarah Sands in 1857, her story being fresh in the public mind at
+the time he wrote. The Sarah Sands caught fire off the African coast
+while on a voyage to India carrying British troops. There was gunpowder
+aboard liable to blow up at any moment. Some of it did indeed explode,
+tearing a huge hole in the vessel's side. A storm added to the terror,
+and the waters entering the breach caused by the explosion, combated
+with the fire. After ten days of desperate struggle, the charred and
+sinking vessel reached a port.
+
+The extreme length of life which Verne allows his people in their
+starving, thirsting condition is proven possible by medical science and
+recent "fasting"' experiments. The dramatic climax of the tale wherein
+the castaways find fresh water in the ocean is based upon a fact, one
+of those odd geographical facts of which the author made such frequent,
+skillful and instructive use.
+
+"Michael Strogoff" which, through its use as a stage play, has become
+one of the best known books of all the world, was first published in
+1876. Its vivid, powerful story has made it a favorite with every
+red-blooded reader. Its two well-drawn female characters, the
+courageous heroine, and the stern, endurant, yearning mother, show how
+well Verne could depict the tenderer sex when he so willed. Though
+usually the rapid movement and adventure of his stories leave women in
+subordinate parts.
+
+As to the picture drawn in "Michael Strogoff" of Russia and Siberia, it
+is at once instructive and sympathetic. The horrors are not blinked at,
+yet neither is Russian patriotism ignored. The loyalty of some of the
+Siberian exiles to their mother country is a side of life there which
+is too often ignored by writers who dwell only on the darker view.
+
+The Czar, in our author's hands, becomes the hero figure to the
+erection of which French "hero worship" is ever prone. The sarcasms
+thrown occasionally at the British newspaper correspondent of the
+story, show the changing attitude of Verne toward England, and reflect
+the French spirit of his day.
+
+
+
+
+The Survivors of the Chancellor
+
+by Jules Verne
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+THE CHANCELLOR
+
+
+CHARLESTON, September 27, 1898.--It is high tide, and three o'clock in
+the afternoon when we leave the Battery quay; the ebb carries us off
+shore, and as Captain Huntly has hoisted both main and top sails, the
+northerly breeze drives the Chancellor briskly across the bay. Fort
+Sumter ere long is doubled, the sweeping batteries of the mainland on
+our left are soon passed, and by four o'clock the rapid current of the
+ebbing tide has carried us through the harbor mouth.
+
+But as yet we have not reached the open sea we have still to thread our
+way through the narrow channels which the surge has hollowed out
+amongst the sand-banks.  The captain takes a southwest course, rounding
+the lighthouse at the corner of the fort; the sails are closely
+trimmed; the last sandy point is safely coasted, and at length, at
+seven o'clock in the evening, we are out free upon the wide Atlantic.
+
+The Chancellor is a fine square-rigged three-master, of 900 tons
+burden, and belongs to the wealthy Liverpool firm of Laird Brothers.
+She is two years old, is sheathed and secured with copper, her decks
+being of teak, and the base of all her masts, except the mizzen, with
+all their fittings, being of iron. She is registered first class, A1,
+and is now on her third voyage between Charleston and Liverpool. As she
+wended her way through the channels of Charleston harbor, it was the
+British flag that was lowered from her mast-head; but without colors at
+all, no sailor could have hesitated for a moment in telling her
+nationality,--for English she was, and nothing but English from her
+water-line upward to the truck of her masts.
+
+I must now relate how it happens that I have taken my passage on board
+the Chancellor on her return voyage to England.
+
+At present there is no direct steamship service between South Carolina
+and Great Britain, and all who wish to cross must go either northward
+to New York or southward to New Orleans. It is quite true that if I had
+chosen a start from New York I might have found plenty of vessels
+belonging to English, French, or Hamburg lines, any of which would have
+conveyed me by a rapid voyage to my destination; and it is equally true
+that if I had selected New Orleans for my embarkation I could readily
+have reached Europe by one of the vessels of the National Steam
+Navigation Company, which join the French transatlantic line of Colon
+and Aspinwall. But it was fated to be otherwise.
+
+One day, as I was loitering about the Charleston quays, my eye lighted
+on this vessel. There was something about the Chancellor that pleased
+me, and a kind of involuntary impulse took me on board, where I found
+the internal arrangements perfectly comfortable. Yielding to the idea
+that a voyage in a sailing vessel had certain charms beyond the transit
+in a steamer, and reckoning that with wind and wave in my favor there
+would be little material difference in time; considering, moreover,
+that in these low latitudes the weather in early autumn is fine and
+unbroken, I came to my decision, and proceeded forthwith to secure my
+passage by this route to Europe.
+
+Have I done right or wrong? Whether I shall have reason to regret my
+determination is a problem to be solved in the future. However, I will
+begin to record the incidents of our daily experience, dubious as I
+feel whether the lines of my chronicle will ever find a reader.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+CREW AND PASSENGERS
+
+
+SEPTEMBER 28.--John Silas Huntly, the captain of the Chancellor, has
+the reputation of being a most experienced navigator of the Atlantic.
+He is a Scotchman by birth, a native of Dundee, and is about fifty
+years of age. He is of the middle height and slight build, and has a
+small head, which he has a habit of holding a little over his left
+shoulder. I do not pretend to be much of a physiognomist, but I am
+inclined to believe that my few hours' acquaintance with our captain
+has given me considerable insight into his character. That he is a good
+seaman and thoroughly understands his duties I could not for a moment
+venture to deny; but that he is a man of resolute temperament, or that
+he possesses the amount of courage that would render him, physically or
+morally, capable of coping with any great emergency, I confess I cannot
+believe. I observed a certain heaviness and dejection about his whole
+carriage. His wavering glances, the listless motion of his hands, and
+his slow, unsteady gait, all seem to me to indicate a weak and sluggish
+disposition. He does not appear as though he could be energetic enough
+ever to be stubborn; he never frowns, sets his teeth, or clenches his
+fists. There is something enigmatical about him; however, I shall study
+him closely, and do what I can to understand the man who, as commander
+of a vessel, should be to those around him "second only to God."
+
+Unless I am greatly mistaken there is another man on board who, if
+circumstances should require it, would take the more prominent
+position--I mean the mate. I have hitherto, however, had so little
+opportunity of observing his character, that I must defer saying more
+about him at present.
+
+Besides the captain and this mate, whose name is Robert Curtis, our
+crew consists of Walter, the lieutenant, the boatswain, and fourteen
+sailors, all English or Scotch, making eighteen altogether, a number
+quite sufficient for working a vessel of 900 tons burden. Up to this
+time my sole experience of their capabilities is, that under the
+command of the mate, they brought us skillfully enough through the
+narrow channels of Charleston; and I have no reason to doubt that they
+are well up to their work.
+
+My list of the ship's officials is incomplete unless I mention Hobart
+the steward and Jynxstrop the negro cook.
+
+In addition to these, the Chancellor carries eight passengers,
+including myself. Hitherto, the bustle of embarkation, the arrangement
+of cabins, and all the variety of preparations inseparable from
+starting on a voyage for at least twenty or five-and-twenty days have
+precluded the formation of any acquaintanceships; but the monotony of
+the voyage, the close proximity into which we must be thrown, and the
+natural curiosity to know something of each other's affairs, will
+doubtless lead us in due time to an exchange of ideas. Two days have
+elapsed and I have not even seen all the passengers. Probably
+sea-sickness has prevented some of them from making an appearance at
+the common table. One thing, however, I do know; namely, that there are
+two ladies occupying the stern cabin, the windows of which are in the
+aft-board of the vessel.
+
+I have seen the ship's list, and subjoin a list of the passengers. They
+are as follows:
+
+     Mr. and Mrs. Kear, Americans, of Buffalo.
+     Miss Herbey, a young English lady, companion to Mrs. Kear.
+     M. Letourneur and his son Andre, Frenchmen, of Havre.
+     William Falsten, a Manchester engineer.
+     John Ruby, a Cardiff merchant; and myself, J. R. Kazallon, of London.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+BILL OF LADING
+
+
+SEPTEMBER 29.--Captain Huntly's bill of lading, that is to say, the
+document that describes the Chancellor's cargo and the conditions of
+transport, is couched in the following terms:
+
+Bronsfield and Co., Agents, Charleston:
+
+     I, John Silas Huntly, of Dundee, Scotland, commander
+of the ship Chancellor, of about 900 tons burden, now at Charleston, do
+purpose, by the blessing of God, at the earliest convenient season, and
+by the direct route, to sail for the port of Liverpool, where I shall
+obtain my discharge. I do hereby acknowledge that I have received from
+you, Messrs. Bronsfield and Co., Commission Agents, Charleston, and
+have placed the same under the gun-deck of the aforesaid ship,
+seventeen hundred bales of cotton, of the estimated value of 26,000 L.,
+all in good condition, marked and numbered as in the margin; which
+goods I do undertake to transport to Liverpool, and there to deliver,
+free from injury (save only such injury as shall have been caused by
+the chances of the sea), to Messrs. Laird Brothers, or to their order,
+or to their representatives, who shall on due delivery of the said
+freight pay me the sum of 2,000 L. inclusive, according to the
+charter-party, and damages in addition, according to the usages and
+customs of the sea.
+
+And for the fulfillment of the above covenant, I have pledged and do
+pledge my person, my property, and my interest in the vessel aforesaid,
+with all its appurtenances. In witness whereof, I have signed three
+agreements all of the same purport, on the condition that when the
+terms of one are accomplished, the other two shall be absolutely null
+and void.
+
+     Given at Charleston, September 13th, 1869.
+
+                         J. S. HUNTLY.
+
+From the foregoing document it will be understood that the Chancellor
+is conveying 1,700 bales of cotton to Liverpool; that the shippers are
+Bronsfield, of Charleston, and the consignees are Laird Brothers of
+Liverpool. The ship was constructed with the especial design of
+carrying cotton, and the entire hold, with the exception of a very
+limited space reserved for passenger's luggage, is closely packed with
+the bales. The lading was performed with the utmost care, each bale
+being pressed into its proper place by the aid of screw-jacks, so that
+the whole freight forms one solid and compact mass; not an inch of
+space is wasted, and the vessel is thus made capable of carrying her
+full complement of cargo.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+SOMETHING ABOUT MY FELLOW PASSENGERS
+
+
+SEPTEMBER 30 to October 6.--The Chancellor is a rapid sailer, and more
+than a match for many a vessel of the same dimensions. She scuds along
+merrily in the freshening breeze, leaving in her wake, far as the eye
+can reach, a long white line of foam as well defined as a delicate
+strip of lace stretched upon an azure ground.
+
+The Atlantic is not visited by many gales, and I have every reason to
+believe that the rolling and pitching of the vessel no longer incommode
+any of the passengers, who are all more or less accustomed to the sea.
+A vacant seat at our table is now very rare; we are beginning to know
+something about each other, and our daily life, in consequence, is
+becoming somewhat less monotonous.
+
+M. Letourneur, our French fellow-passenger, often has a chat with me.
+He is a fine tall man, about fifty years of age, with white hair and a
+grizzly beard. To say the truth, he looks older than he really is: his
+drooping head, his dejected manner, and his eye, ever and again
+suffused with tears, indicate that he is haunted by some deep and
+abiding sorrow. He never laughs; he rarely even smiles, and then only
+on his son; his countenance ordinarily bearing a look of bitterness
+tempered by affection, while his general expression is one of caressing
+tenderness. It excites an involuntary commiseration to learn that M.
+Letourneur is consuming himself by exaggerated reproaches on account of
+the infirmity of an afflicted son.
+
+Andre Letourneur is about twenty years of age, with a gentle,
+interesting countenance, but, to the irrepressible grief of his father,
+is a hopeless cripple. His left leg is miserably deformed, and he is
+quite unable to walk without the assistance of a stick. It is obvious
+that the father's life is bound up with that of his son; his devotion
+is unceasing; every thought, every glance is for Andre; he seems to
+anticipate his most trifling wish, watches his slightest movement, and
+his arm is ever ready to support or otherwise assist the child whose
+sufferings he more than shares.
+
+M. Letourneur seems to have taken a peculiar fancy to myself, and
+constantly talks about Andre. This morning, in the course of
+conversation, I said:
+
+"You have a good son, M. Letourneur.   I have just been talking to him.
+He is a most intelligent young man."
+
+"Yes, Mr. Kazallon," replied M. Letourneur, brightening up into a
+smile, "his afflicted frame contains a noble mind. He is like his
+mother, who died at his birth."
+
+"He is full of reverence and love for you, sir," I remarked.
+
+"Dear boy!" muttered the father half to himself. "Ah, Mr. Kazallon," he
+continued, "you do not know what it is to a father to have a son a
+cripple, beyond hope of cure."
+
+"M. Letourneur," I answered, "you take more than your share of the
+affliction which has fallen upon you and your son. That M. Andre is
+entitled to the very greatest commiseration no one can deny; but you
+should remember, that after all a physical infirmity is not so hard to
+bear as mental grief. Now, I have watched your son pretty closely, and
+unless I am much mistaken there is nothing that troubles him so much as
+the sight of your own sorrow."
+
+"But I never let him see it," he broke in hastily. "My sole thought is
+how to divert him. I have discovered that, in spite of his physical
+weakness, he delights in traveling; so for the last few years we have
+been constantly on the move. We first went all over Europe, and are now
+returning from visiting the principal places in the United States. I
+never allowed my son to go to college, but instructed him entirely
+myself, and these travels, I hope, will serve to complete his
+education. He is very intelligent, and has a lively imagination, and I
+am sometimes tempted to hope that in contemplating the wonders of
+nature he forgets his own infirmity."
+
+"Yes, sir, of course he does," I assented.
+
+"But," continued M. Letourneur, taking my hand, "although, perhaps, HE
+may forget, I can never forget. Ah, sir, do you suppose that Andre can
+ever forgive his parents for bringing him into the world a cripple?"
+
+The remorse of the unhappy father was very distressing, and I was about
+to say a few kind words of sympathy when Andre himself made his
+appearance. M. Letourneur hastened toward him and assisted him up the
+few steep steps that led to the poop.
+
+As soon as Andre was comfortably seated on one of the benches, and his
+father had taken his place by his side, I joined them, and we fell into
+conversation upon ordinary topics, discussing the various points of the
+Chancellor, the probable length of the passage, and the different
+details of our life on board. I find that M. Letourneur's estimate of
+Captain Huntly's character very much coincides with my own, and that,
+like me, he is impressed with the man's undecided manner and sluggish
+appearance. Like me, too, he has formed a very favorable opinion of
+Robert Curtis, the mate, a man of about thirty years of age, of great
+muscular power, with a frame and a will that seem ever ready for action.
+
+While we were still talking of him, Curtis himself came on deck, and as
+I watched his movements I could not help being struck with his physical
+development; his erect and easy carriage, his fearless glance and
+slightly contracted brow all betoken a man of energy, thoroughly
+endowed with the calmness and courage that are indispensable to the
+true sailor. He seems a kind-hearted fellow, too, and is always ready
+to assist and amuse young Letourneur, who evidently enjoys his company.
+After he had scanned the weather and examined the trim of the sails, he
+joined our party and proceeded to give us some information about those
+of our fellow-passengers with whom at present we have made but slight
+acquaintance.
+
+Mr. Kear, the American, who is accompanied by his wife, has made a
+large fortune in the petroleum springs in the United States. He is a
+man of about fifty, a most uninteresting companion, being overwhelmed
+with a sense of his own wealth and importance, and consequently
+supremely indifferent to all around him. His hands are always in his
+pockets, and the chink of money seems to follow him wherever he goes.
+Vain and conceited, a fool as well as an egotist, he struts about like
+a peacock showing its plumage, and to borrow the words of the
+physiognomist Gratiolet, "il se flaire, il se savoure, il se goute."
+Why he should have taken his passage on board a mere merchant vessel
+instead of enjoying the luxuries of a transatlantic steamer, I am
+altogether at a loss to explain.
+
+The wife is an insignificant, insipid woman, of about forty years of
+age. She never reads, never talks, and I believe I am not wrong in
+saying, never thinks. She seems to look without seeing, and listen
+without hearing, and her sole occupation consists in giving her orders
+to her companion, Miss Herbey, a young English girl of about twenty.
+
+Miss Herbey is extremely pretty. Her complexion is fair and her eyes
+deep blue, while her pleasing countenance is altogether free from that
+insignificance of feature which is not unfrequently alleged to be
+characteristic of English beauty. Her mouth would be charming if she
+ever smiled, but, exposed as she is to the ridiculous whims and fancies
+of a capricious mistress, her lips rarely relax from their ordinary
+grave expression. Yet, humiliating as her position must be, she never
+utters a word of open complaint, but quietly and gracefully performs
+her duties, accepting without a murmur the paltry salary which the
+bumptious petroleum-merchant condescends to allow her.
+
+The Manchester engineer, William Falsten, looks like a thorough
+Englishman. He has the management of some extensive hydraulic works in
+South Carolina, and is now on his way to Europe to obtain some improved
+apparatus, and more especially to visit the mines worked by centrifugal
+force, belonging to the firm of Messrs. Cail. He is forty-five years of
+age, with all his interests so entirely absorbed by his machinery that
+he seems to have neither a thought nor a care beyond his mechanical
+calculations. Once let him engage you in conversation, and there is no
+chance of escape; you have no help for it but to listen as patiently as
+you can until he has completed the explanation of his designs.
+
+The last of our fellow-passengers, Mr. Ruby, is the type of a vulgar
+tradesman. Without any originality or magnanimity in his composition,
+he has spent twenty years of his life in mere buying and selling, and
+as he has generally contrived to do business at a profit, he has
+realized a considerable fortune. What he is going to do with the money,
+he does not seem able to say: his ideas do not go beyond retail trade,
+his mind having been so long closed to all other impressions that it
+appears incapable of thought or reflection on any subject besides.
+Pascal says, "L'homme est visiblement fait pour penser. C'est toute sa
+dignite et tout son merite;" but to Mr. Ruby the phrase seems
+altogether inapplicable.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+AN UNUSUAL ROUTE
+
+
+OCTOBER 7.--This is the tenth day since we left Charleston, and I
+should think our progress has been very rapid. Robert Curtis, the mate,
+with whom I continue to have many a friendly chat, informed me that we
+could not be far off the Bermudas; the ship's bearings, he said, were
+lat. 32 deg. 20' N. and long. 64 deg. 50' W. so that he had every
+reason to believe that we should sight St. George's Island before night.
+
+"The Bermudas!" I exclaimed. "But how is it we are off the Bermudas? I
+should have thought that a vessel sailing from Charleston to Liverpool,
+would have kept northward, and have followed the track of the Gulf
+Stream."
+
+"Yes, indeed, sir," replied Curtis, "that is the usual course; but you
+see that this time the captain hasn't chosen to take it."
+
+"But why not?" I persisted.
+
+"That's not for me to say, sir; he ordered us eastward, and eastward we
+go."
+
+"Haven't you called his attention to it?" I inquired.
+
+Curtis acknowledged that he had already pointed out what an unusual
+route they were taking, but that the captain had said that he was quite
+aware what he was about. The mate made no further remark; but the knit
+of his brow, as he passed his hand mechanically across his forehead,
+made me fancy that he was inclined to speak out more strongly.
+
+"All very well, Curtis," I said, "but I don't know what to think about
+trying new routes. Here we are at the 7th of October, and if we are to
+reach Europe before the bad weather sets in, I should suppose there is
+not a day to be lost."
+
+"Right, sir, quite right; there is not a day to be lost."
+
+Struck by his manner, I ventured to add, "Do you mind, Curtis, giving
+me your honest opinion of Captain Huntly?"
+
+He hesitated a moment, and then replied shortly, "He is my captain,
+sir."
+
+This evasive answer of course put an end to any further interrogation
+on my part.
+
+Curtis was not mistaken. At about three o'clock the look-out man sung
+out that there was land to windward, and descried what seemed as if it
+might be a line of smoke in the northeast horizon. At six, I went on
+deck with M. Letourneur and his son, and we could then distinctly make
+out the low group of the Bermudas, encircled by their formidable chain
+of breakers.
+
+"There," said Andre Letourneur to me, as we stood gazing at the distant
+land, "there lies the enchanted archipelago, sung by your poet Moore.
+The exile Waller, too, as long ago as 1643, wrote an enthusiastic
+panegyric on the islands, and I have been told that at one time English
+ladies would wear no other bonnets than such as were made of the leaves
+of the Bermuda palm."
+
+"Yes," I replied, "the Bermudas were all the rage in the seventeenth
+century, although latterly they have fallen into comparative oblivion."
+
+"But let me tell you, M. Andre," interposed Curtis, who had as usual
+joined our party, "that although poets may rave, and be as enthusiastic
+as they like about these islands, sailors will tell a different tale.
+The hidden reefs that lie in a semicircle about two or three leagues
+from shore make the attempt to land a very dangerous piece of business.
+And another thing, I know. Let the natives boast as they will about
+their splendid climate, they are visited by the most frightful
+hurricanes. They get the fag-end of the storms that rage over the
+Antilles; and the fag-end of a storm is like the tail of a whale; it's
+just the strongest bit of it. I don't think you'll find a sailor
+listening much to your poets--your Moores, and your Wallers."
+
+"No doubt you are right, Mr. Curtis," said Andre, smiling, "but poets
+are like proverbs; you can always find one to contradict another.
+Although Waller and Moore have chosen to sing the praises of the
+Bermudas, it has been supposed that Shakspeare was depicting them in
+the terrible scenes that are found in 'The Tempest.'"
+
+I may mention that there was not another of our fellow-passengers who
+took the trouble to come on deck and give a glance at this strange
+cluster of islands. Miss Herbey, it is true, was making an attempt to
+join us, but she had barely reached the poop, when Mrs. Kear's languid
+voice was heard recalling her for some trifling service to her side.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+THE SARGASSO SEA
+
+
+OCTOBER 8 to October 13.--The wind is blowing hard from the northeast,
+and the Chancellor, under low-reefed top-sail and fore-sail, and
+laboring against a heavy sea, has been obliged to be brought ahull. The
+joists and girders all creak again until one's teeth are set on edge. I
+am the only passenger not remaining below; but I prefer being on deck
+notwithstanding the driving rain, fine as dust, which penetrates to the
+very skin. We have been driven along in this fashion for the best part
+of two days; the "stiffish breeze" has gradually freshened into "a
+gale"; the topgallants have been lowered, and, as I write, the wind is
+blowing with a velocity of fifty or sixty miles an hour. Although the
+Chancellor has many good points, her drift is considerable, and we have
+been carried far to the south; we can only guess at our precise
+position, as the cloudy atmosphere entirely precludes us from taking
+the sun's altitude.
+
+All along, throughout this period, my fellow-passengers are totally
+ignorant of the extraordinary course that we are taking. England lies
+to the northeast, yet we are sailing directly southeast, and Robert
+Curtis owns that he is quite bewildered; he cannot comprehend why the
+captain, ever since this northeasterly gale has been blowing, should
+persist in allowing the ship to drive to the south, instead of tacking
+to the northwest until she gets into better quarters.
+
+I was alone with Robert Curtis to-day upon the poop, and could not help
+saying to him, "Curtis, is your captain mad?"
+
+"Perhaps, sir, I might be allowed to ask what YOU think upon that
+matter," was his cautious reply.
+
+"Well, to say the truth," I answered. "I can hardly tell; but I confess
+there is every now and then a wandering in his eye, and an odd look on
+his face that I do not like. Have you ever sailed with him before?"
+
+"No; this is our first voyage together. Again last night I spoke to him
+about the route we were taking, but he only said he knew all about it,
+and that it was all right."
+
+"What do Lieutenant Walter and your boatswain think of it all?" I
+inquired.
+
+"Think; why, they think just the same as I do," replied the mate; "but
+if the captain chooses to take the ship to China we should obey his
+orders."
+
+"But surely," I exclaimed, "there must be some limit to your obedience!
+Suppose the man is actually mad, what then?"
+
+"If he should be mad enough, Mr. Kazallon, to bring the vessel into any
+real danger, I shall know what to do."
+
+With this assurance I am forced to be content. Matters, however, have
+taken a different turn to what I bargained for when I took my passage
+on board the Chancellor. The weather has become worse and worse. As I
+have already said, the ship under her large low-reefed top-sail and
+fore stay-sail has been brought ahull, that is to say, she copes
+directly with the wind, by presenting her broad bows to the sea; and so
+we go on still drift, drift, continually to the south.
+
+How southerly our course has been is very apparent; for upon the night
+of the 11th we fairly entered upon that portion of the Atlantic which
+is known as the Sargasso Sea. An extensive tract of water is this,
+inclosed by the warm current of the Gulf Stream, and thickly covered
+with the wrack, called by the Spaniards "sargasso," the abundance of
+which so seriously impeded the progress of Columbus's vessel on his
+first voyage.
+
+Each morning at daybreak the Atlantic has presented an aspect so
+remarkable, that at my solicitation, M. Letourneur and his son have
+ventured upon deck to witness the unusual spectacle. The squally gusts
+make the metal shrouds vibrate like harp-strings; and unless we were on
+our guard to keep our clothes wrapped tightly to us, they would have
+been torn off our backs in shreds. The scene presented to our eyes is
+one of strangest interest. The sea, carpeted thickly with masses of
+prolific fucus, is a vast unbroken plain of vegetation, through which
+the vessel makes her way as a plow. Long strips of seaweed caught up by
+the wind become entangled in the rigging, and hang between the masts in
+festoons of verdure; while others, varying from two to three hundred
+feet in length, twine themselves up to the very mast-head, from whence
+they float like streaming pennants. For many hours now, the Chancellor
+has been contending with this formidable accumulation of algae; her
+masts are circled with hydrophytes; her rigging is wreathed everywhere
+with creepers, fantastic as the untrammeled tendrils of a vine, and as
+she works her arduous course, there are times when I can only compare
+her to an animated grove of verdure making its mysterious way over some
+illimitable prairie.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+VOICES IN THE NIGHT
+
+
+OCTOBER 14.--At last we are free from the sea of vegetation, the
+boisterous gale has moderated into a steady breeze, the sun is shining
+brightly, the weather is warm and genial, and thus, two reefs in her
+top-sails, briskly and merrily sails the Chancellor.
+
+Under conditions so favorable, we have been able to take the ship's
+bearings: our latitude, we find, is 21 deg. 33' N., our longitude, 50
+deg. 17' W.
+
+Incomprehensible altogether is the conduct of Captain Huntly. Here we
+are, already more than ten degrees south of the point from which we
+started, and yet still we are persistently following a southeasterly
+course! I cannot bring myself to the conclusion that the man is mad. I
+have had various conversations with him: he has always spoken
+rationally and sensibly. He shows no tokens of insanity. Perhaps his
+case is one of those in which insanity is partial, and where the mania
+is of a character which extends only to the matters connected with his
+profession. Yet it is unaccountable.
+
+I can get nothing out of Curtis; he listens coldly whenever I allude to
+the subject, and only repeats what he has said before, that nothing
+short of an overt act of madness on the part of the captain could
+induce him to supersede the captain's authority, and that the imminent
+peril of the ship could alone justify him in taking so decided a
+measure.
+
+Last evening I went to my cabin about eight o'clock, and after an
+hour's reading by the light of my cabin-lamp, I retired to my berth and
+was soon asleep. Some hours later I was aroused by an unaccustomed
+noise on deck. There were heavy footsteps hurrying to and fro, and the
+voices of the men were loud and eager, as if the crew were agitated by
+some strange disturbance. My first impression was, that some tacking
+had been ordered which rendered it needful to fathom the yards; but the
+vessel continuing to lie to starboard convinced me that this was not
+the origin of the commotion. I was curious to know the truth, and made
+all haste I could to go on deck; but before I was ready, the noise had
+ceased. I heard Captain Huntly return to his cabin, and accordingly I
+retired again to my own berth. Whatever may have been the meaning of
+the maneuver, I cannot tell; it did not seem to result in any
+improvement in the ship's pace; still it must be owned there was not
+much wind to speed us along.
+
+At six o'clock this morning I mounted the poop and made as keen a
+scrutiny as I could of everything on board. Everything appeared as
+usual. The Chancellor was running on the larboard tack, and carried
+low-sails, top-sails, and gallant-sails. Well braced she was; and under
+a fresh, but not uneasy breeze, was making no less than eleven knots an
+hour.
+
+Shortly afterward M. Letourneur and Andre came on deck. The young man
+enjoyed the early morning air, laden with its briny fragrance, and I
+assisted him to mount the poop. In answer to my inquiry as to whether
+they had been disturbed by any bustle in the night, Andre replied that
+he did not wake at all, and had heard nothing.
+
+"I am glad, my boy," said the father, "that you have slept so soundly.
+I heard the noise of which Mr. Kazallon speaks. It must have been about
+three o'clock this morning, and it seemed to me as though they were
+shouting. I thought I heard them say; 'Here, quick, look to the
+hatches!' but as nobody was called up, I presumed that nothing serious
+was the matter."
+
+As he spoke I cast my eye at the panel-slides, which fore and aft of
+the main-mast open into the hold. They seemed to be all close as usual,
+but I now observed for the first time that they were covered with heavy
+tarpauling. Wondering in my own mind what could be the reason for these
+extra precautions I did not say anything to M. Letourneur, but
+determined to wait until the mate should come on watch, when he would
+doubtless give me, I thought, an explanation of the mystery.
+
+The sun rose gloriously, with every promise of a fine dry day. The
+waning moon was yet above the western horizon, for as it still wants
+three days to her last quarter she does not set until 10:57 A. M. On
+consulting my almanac, I find that there will be a new moon on the
+24th, and that on that day, little as it may affect us here in
+mid-ocean, the phenomenon of the high syzygian tides will take place on
+the shores of every continent and island.
+
+At the breakfast hour M. Letourneur and Andre went below for a cup of
+tea, and I remained on the poop alone. As I expected, Curtis appeared,
+that he might relieve Lieutenant Walter of the watch. I advanced to
+meet him, but before he even wished me good morning, I saw him cast a
+quick and searching glance upon the deck, and then, with a slightly
+contracted brow, proceed to examine the state of the weather and the
+trim of the sails.
+
+"Where is Captain Huntly?" he said to Walter.
+
+"I have seen nothing of him," answered the lieutenant; "is there
+anything fresh up?"
+
+"Nothing whatever," was the curt reply.
+
+They then conversed for a few moments in an undertone, and I could see
+that Walter by his gesture gave a negative answer to some question
+which the mate had asked him. "Send me the boatswain, Walter," said
+Curtis aloud as the lieutenant moved away.
+
+The boatswain immediately appeared, and another conversation was
+carried on in whispers. The man repeatedly shook his head as he replied
+to Curtis's inquiries, and then, in obedience to orders, called the men
+who were on watch, and made them plentifully water the tarpauling that
+covered the great hatchway.
+
+Curious to fathom the mystery I went up to Curtis and began to talk
+with him upon ordinary topics, hoping that he would himself introduce
+the subject that was uppermost in my mind; finding, however, that he
+did not allude to it, I asked him point blank:
+
+"What was the matter in the night, Curtis?"
+
+He looked at me steadily, but made no reply.
+
+"What was it?" I repeated. "M. Letourneur and myself were both of us
+disturbed by a very unusual commotion overhead."
+
+"Oh, a mere nothing," he said at length; "the man at the helm had made
+a false move, and we had to pipe hands to brace the ship a bit; but it
+was soon all put to rights. It was nothing, nothing at all."
+
+I said no more; but I can not resist the impression that Robert Curtis
+has not acted with me in his usual straight-forward manner.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+FIRE ON BOARD
+
+
+OCTOBER 15 to October 18.--The wind is still in the northeast. There is
+no change in the Chancellor's course, and to an unprejudiced eye all
+would appear to be going on as usual. But I have an uneasy
+consciousness that something is not quite right. Why should the
+hatchways be so hermetically closed as though a mutinous crew was
+imprisoned between decks? I can not help thinking too that there is
+something in the sailors so constantly standing in groups and breaking
+off their talk so suddenly whenever we approach; and several times I
+have caught the word "hatches" which arrested M. Letourneur's attention
+on the night of the disturbance.
+
+On the 15th, while I was walking on the forecastle, I overheard one of
+the sailors, a man named Owen, say to his mates:
+
+"Now I just give you all warning that I am not going to wait until the
+last minute. Everyone for himself, say I."
+
+"Why, what do you mean to do?" asked Jynxstrop, the cook.
+
+"Pshaw!" said Owen, "do you suppose that longboats were only made for
+porpoises?"
+
+Something at that moment occurred to interrupt the conversation, and I
+heard no more. It occurred to me whether there was not some conspiracy
+among the crew, of which probably Curtis had already detected the
+symptoms. I am quite aware that some sailors are most rebelliously
+disposed, and required to be ruled with a rod of iron.
+
+Yesterday and to-day I have observed Curtis remonstrating somewhat
+vehemently with Captain Huntly, but there is no obvious result arising
+from their interviews; the captain apparently being bent upon some
+purpose, of which it is only too manifest that the mate decidedly
+disapproves.
+
+Captain Huntly is undoubtedly laboring under strong nervous excitement;
+and M. Letourneur has more than once remarked how silent he has become
+at meal-times; for although Curtis continually endeavors to start some
+subject of general interest, yet neither Mr. Falsten, Mr. Kear, nor Mr.
+Ruby are the men to take it up, and consequently the conversation flags
+hopelessly, and soon drops. The passengers too are now, with good
+cause, beginning to murmur at the length of the voyage, and Mr. Kear,
+who considers that the very elements ought to yield to his convenience,
+lets the captain know by his consequential and haughty manner that he
+holds him responsible for the delay.
+
+During the course of yesterday the mate gave repeated orders for the
+deck to be watered again and again, and although as a general rule this
+is a business which is done, once for all, in the early morning, the
+crew did not utter a word of complaint at the additional work thus
+imposed upon them. The tarpaulins on the hatches have thus been kept
+continually wet, so that their close and heavy texture is rendered
+quite impervious to the air. The Chancellor's pumps afford a copious
+supply of water, so that I should not suppose that even the daintiest
+and most luxurious craft belonging to an aristocratic yacht club was
+ever subject to a more thorough scouring. I tried to reconcile myself
+to the belief that it was the high temperature of the tropical regions
+upon which we are entering, that rendered such extra sousings a
+necessity, and recalled to my recollection how, during the night of the
+13th, I had found the atmosphere below deck so stifling, that in spite
+of the heavy swell I was obliged to open the porthole of my cabin, on
+the starboard side, to get a breath of air.
+
+This morning at daybreak I went on deck. The sun had scarcely risen,
+and the air was fresh and cool, in strange contrast to the heat which
+below the poop had been quite oppressive. The sailors as usual were
+washing the deck. A great sheet of water, supplied continuously by the
+pumps, was rolling in tiny wavelets, and escaping now to starboard, now
+to larboard through the scupper-holes. After watching the men for a
+while as they ran about bare-footed, I could not resist the desire to
+join them, so taking off my shoes and stockings, I proceeded to dabble
+in the flowing water.
+
+Great was my amazement to find the deck perfectly hot to my feet!
+Curtis heard my exclamation of surprise, and before I could put my
+thoughts into words, said:
+
+"Yes! there is fire on board!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+CURTIS EXPLAINS THE SITUATION
+
+
+OCTOBER 19.--Everything, then, is clear. The uneasiness of the crew,
+their frequent conferences, Owen's mysterious words, the constant
+scourings of the deck and the oppressive heat of the cabins which had
+been noticed even by my fellow-passengers, all are explained.
+
+After his grave communication, Curtis remained silent. I shivered with
+a thrill of horror; a calamity the most terrible that can befall a
+voyager stared me in the face, and it was some seconds before I could
+recover sufficient composure to inquire when the fire was first
+discovered.
+
+"Six days ago," replied the mate.
+
+"Six days ago!" I exclaimed; "why, then, it was that night."
+
+"Yes," he said, interrupting me; "it was the night you heard the
+disturbance upon deck. The men on watch noticed a slight smoke issuing
+from the large hatchway and immediately called Captain Huntly and
+myself. We found beyond all doubt, that the cargo was on fire, and what
+was worse, that there was no possibility of getting at the seat of the
+combustion. What could we do? Why, we took the only precaution that was
+practicable under the circumstances, and resolved most carefully to
+exclude every breath of air from penetrating into the hold. For some
+time I hoped that we had been successful. I thought that the fire was
+stifled; but during the last three days there is every reason to make
+us know that it has been gaining strength. Do what we will, the deck
+gets hotter and hotter, and unless it were kept constantly wet, it
+would be unbearable to the feet. But I am glad, Mr. Kazallon," he
+added; "that you have made the discovery. It is better that you should
+know it." I listened in silence. I was now fully aroused to the gravity
+of the situation and thoroughly comprehended how we were in the very
+face of a calamity which it seemed that no human power could avert.
+
+"Do you know what has caused the fire?" I presently inquired.
+
+"It probably arose," he answered, "from the spontaneous combustion of
+the cotton. The case is rare, but it is far from unknown. Unless the
+cotton is perfectly dry when it is shipped, its confinement in a damp
+or ill-ventilated hold will sometimes cause it to ignite; and I have no
+doubt it is this that has brought about our misfortune."
+
+"But after all," I said, "the cause matters very little. Is there no
+remedy? Is there nothing to be done?"
+
+"Nothing, Mr. Kazallon," he said. "As I told you before, we have
+adopted the only possible measure within our power to check the fire.
+At one time I thought of knocking a hole in the ship's timbers just on
+her water-line, and letting in just as much water as the pumps could
+afterward get rid of again; but we found the combustion was right in
+the middle of the cargo and that we should be obliged to flood the
+entire hold before we could get at the right place. That scheme
+consequently was no good. During the night, I had the deck bored in
+various places and water poured down through the holes; but that again
+seemed of no use. There is only one thing that can be done; we must
+persevere in excluding most carefully every breath of outer air, so
+that perhaps the conflagration, deprived of oxygen, may smoulder itself
+out. That is our only hope."
+
+"But, you say the fire is increasing?"
+
+"Yes; and that shows that in spite of all our care there is some
+aperture which we have not been able to discover, by which, somehow or
+other, air gets into the hold."
+
+"Have you ever heard of a vessel surviving such circumstances?" I asked.
+
+"Yes, Mr. Kazallon," said Curtis; "it is not at all an unusual thing
+for ships laden with cotton to arrive at Liverpool or Havre with a
+portion of their cargo consumed; and I have myself known more than one
+captain run into port with his deck scorching his very feet, and who,
+to save his vessel and the remainder of his freight has been compelled
+to unload with the utmost expedition. But, in such cases, of course the
+fire has been more or less under control throughout the voyage; with
+us, it is increasing day by day, and I tell you I am convinced there is
+an aperture somewhere which has escaped our notice."
+
+"But would it not be advisable for us to retrace our course, and make
+for the nearest land?"
+
+"Perhaps it would," he answered. "Walter and I, and the boatswain, are
+going to talk the matter over seriously with the captain to-day. But,
+between ourselves, I have taken the responsibility upon myself; I have
+already changed the tack to the southwest; we are now straight before
+the wind, and consequently we are sailing toward the coast."
+
+"I need hardly ask," I added; "whether any of the other passengers are
+at all aware of the imminent danger in which we are placed."
+
+"None of them," he said; "not in the least; and I hope you will not
+enlighten them.  We don't want terrified women and cowardly men to add
+to our embarrassment; the crew are under orders to keep a strict
+silence on the subject. Silence is indispensable."
+
+I promised to keep the matter a profound secret, as I fully entered
+into Curtis's views as to the absolute necessity for concealment.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+
+PICRATE OF POTASH ON BOARD
+
+
+OCTOBER 20 and 21.--The Chancellor is now crowded with all the canvas
+she can carry, and at times her topmasts threaten to snap with the
+pressure. But Curtis is ever on the alert; he never leaves his post
+beside the man at the helm, and without compromising the safety of the
+vessel, he contrives, by tacking to the breeze, to urge her on at her
+utmost speed.
+
+All day long on the 20th the passengers were assembled on the poop.
+Evidently they found the heat of the cabins painfully oppressive, and
+most of them lay stretched upon benches and quietly enjoyed the gentle
+rolling of the vessel. The increasing heat of the deck did not reveal
+itself to their well-shod feet, and the constant scouring of the boards
+did not excite any suspicion in their torpid minds. M. Letourneur, it
+is true, did express his surprise that the crew of an ordinary merchant
+vessel should be distinguished by such extraordinary cleanliness; but
+as I replied to him in a very casual tone, he passed no further remark.
+I could not help regretting that I had given Curtis my pledge of
+silence, and longed intensely to communicate the melancholy secret to
+the energetic Frenchman; for at times when I reflect upon the
+eight-and-twenty victims who may probably, only too soon, be a prey to
+the relentless flames, my heart seems ready to burst.
+
+The important consultation between captain, mate, lieutenant and
+boatswain has taken place. Curtis has confided the result to me. He
+says that Huntly, the captain, is completely demoralized; he has lost
+all power and energy; and practically leaves the command of the ship to
+him. It is now certain the fire is beyond control, and that sooner or
+later it will burst out in full violence. The temperature of the crew's
+quarters has already become almost unbearable. One solitary hope
+remains; it is that we may reach the shore before the final catastrophe
+occurs. The Lesser Antilles are the nearest land; and although they are
+some five or six hundred miles away, if the wind remains northeast
+there is yet a chance of reaching them in time.
+
+Carrying royals and studding-sails, the Chancellor during the last
+four-and-twenty hours has held a steady course. M. Letourneur is the
+only one of all the passengers who has remarked the change of tack;
+Curtis, however, has set all speculation on his part at rest by telling
+him that he wanted to get ahead of the wind, and that he was tacking to
+the west to catch a favorable current.
+
+To-day, the 21st, all has gone on as usual; and as far as the
+observation of the passengers has reached, the ordinary routine has
+been undisturbed. Curtis indulges the hope even yet that by excluding
+the air the fire may be stifled before it ignites the general cargo; he
+has hermetically closed every accessible aperture, and has even taken
+the precaution of plugging the orifices of the pumps, under the
+impression that their suction-tubes, running as they do to the bottom
+of the hold, may possibly be channels for conveying some molecules of
+air. Altogether, he considers it a good sign that the combustion has
+not betrayed itself by some external issue of smoke.
+
+The day would have passed without any incident worth recording, if I
+had not chanced to overhear a fragment of a conversation which
+demonstrated that our situation, hitherto precarious enough, had now
+become most appalling.
+
+As I was sitting on the poop, two of my fellow-passengers, Falsten, the
+engineer, and Ruby, the merchant, whom I had observed to be often in
+company, were engaged in conversation almost close to me. What they
+said was evidently not intended for my hearing, but my attention was
+directed toward them by some very emphatic gestures of dissatisfaction
+on the part of Falsten, and I could not forbear listening to what
+followed.
+
+"Preposterous! shameful!" exclaimed Falsten; "nothing could be more
+imprudent."
+
+"Pooh! pooh!" replied Ruby, "it's all right; it is not the first time I
+have done it."
+
+"But don't you know that any shock at any time might cause an
+explosion?"
+
+"Oh, it's all properly secured," said Ruby, "tight enough; I have no
+fears on that score, Mr. Falsten."
+
+"But why," asked Falsten, "did you not inform the captain?"
+
+"Just because if I had informed him, he would not have taken the case
+on board."
+
+The wind dropped for a few seconds; and for a brief interval I could
+not catch what passed; but I could see that Falsten continued to
+remonstrate, while Ruby answered by shrugging his shoulders. At length
+I heard Falsten say.
+
+"Well, at any rate, the captain must be informed of this, and the
+package shall be thrown overboard. I don't want to be blown up."
+
+I started. To what could the engineer be alluding? Evidently he had not
+the remotest suspicion that the cargo was already on fire. In another
+moment the words "picrate of potash" brought me to my feet, and with an
+involuntary impulse I rushed up to Ruby, and seized him by the shoulder.
+
+"Is there picrate of potash on board?" I almost shrieked.
+
+"Yes," said Falsten, "a case containing thirty pounds."
+
+"Where is it?" I cried.
+
+"Down in the hold, with the cargo."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+THE PASSENGERS DISCOVER THEIR DANGER
+
+
+WHAT my feelings were I cannot describe; but it was hardly in terror so
+much as with a kind of resignation that I made my way to Curtis on the
+forecastle, and made him aware that the alarming character of our
+situation was now complete, as there was enough explosive matter on
+board to blow up a mountain. Curtis received the information as coolly
+as it was delivered, and after I had made him acquainted with all the
+particulars said, "Not a word of this must be mentioned to anyone else,
+Mr. Kazallon. Where is Ruby, now?"
+
+"On the poop," I said.
+
+"Will you then come with me, sir?"
+
+Ruby and Falsten were sitting just as I had left them. Curtis walked
+straight up to Ruby, and asked him whether what he had been told was
+true.
+
+"Yes, quite true," said Ruby, complacently, thinking that the worst
+that could befall him would be that he might be convicted of a little
+smuggling.
+
+I observed that Curtis was obliged for a moment or two to clasp his
+hands tightly together behind his back to prevent himself from seizing
+the unfortunate passenger by the throat; but suppressing his
+indignation, he proceeded quietly, though sternly, to interrogate him
+about the facts of the case. Ruby only confirmed what I had already
+told him. With characteristic Anglo-Saxon incautiousness he had brought
+on board, with the rest of his baggage, a case containing no less than
+thirty pounds of picrate, and had allowed the explosive matter to be
+stowed in the hold with as little compunction as a Frenchman would feel
+in smuggling a single bottle of wine. He had not informed the captain
+of the dangerous nature of the contents of the package, because he was
+perfectly aware that he would have been refused permission to bring the
+package on board.
+
+"Anyway," he said, with a shrug of his shoulders, "you can't hang me
+for it; and if the package gives you so much concern, you are quite at
+liberty to throw it into the sea. My luggage is insured."
+
+I was beside myself with fury; and not being endowed with Curtis's
+reticence and self-control, before he could interfere to stop me, I
+cried out:
+
+"You fool! don't you know that there is fire on board?"
+
+In an instant I regretted my words. Most earnestly I wished them
+unuttered. But it was too late--their effect upon Ruby was electrical.
+He was paralyzed with terror; his limbs stiffened convulsively; his eye
+was dilated; he gasped for breath, and was speechless. All of a sudden
+he threw up his arms, and, as though he momentarily expected an
+explosion, he darted down from the poop, and paced frantically up and
+down the deck, gesticulating like a madman, and shouting:
+
+"Fire on board! Fire! Fire!"
+
+On hearing the outcry, all the crew, supposing that the fire had now in
+reality broken out, rushed on deck; the rest of the passengers soon
+joined them, and the scene that ensued was one of the utmost confusion.
+Mrs. Kear fell down senseless on the deck, and her husband, occupied in
+looking after himself, left her to the tender mercies of Miss Herbey.
+Curtis endeavored to silence Ruby's ravings, whilst I, in as few words
+as I could, made M. Letourneur aware of the extent to which the cargo
+was on fire. The father's first thought was for Andre, but the young
+man preserved an admirable composure, and begged his father not to be
+alarmed, as the danger was not immediate. Meanwhile the sailors had
+loosened all the tacklings of the long-boat, and were preparing to
+launch it, when Curtis's voice was heard peremptorily bidding them to
+desist; he assured them that the fire had made no further progress;
+that Mr. Ruby had been unduly excited and not conscious of what he had
+said; and he pledged his word that when the right moment should arrive
+he would allow them all to leave the ship; but that moment, he said,
+had not yet come.
+
+At the sound of a voice which they had learned to honor and respect,
+the crew paused in their operations, and the long-boat remained
+suspended in its place. Fortunately, even Ruby himself in the midst of
+his ravings, had not dropped a word about the picrate that had been
+deposited in the hold; for although the mate had a power over the
+sailors that Captain Huntly had never possessed, I feel certain that if
+the true state of the case had been known, nothing on earth would have
+prevented some of them, in their consternation, from effecting an
+escape. As it was, only Curtis, Falsten, and myself were cognizant of
+the terrible secret.
+
+As soon as order was restored, the mate and I joined Falsten on the
+poop, where he had remained throughout the panic, and where we found
+him with folded arms, deep in thought, as it might be, solving some
+hard mechanical problem. He promised, at my request, that he would
+reveal nothing of the new danger to which we were exposed through
+Ruby's imprudence. Curtis himself took the responsibility of informing
+Captain Huntly of our critical situation.
+
+In order to insure complete secrecy, it was necessary to secure the
+person of the unhappy Ruby, who, quite beside himself, continued to
+rave up and down the deck with the incessant cry of "Fire! fire!"
+Accordingly Curtis gave orders to some of his men to seize him and gag
+him; and before he could make any resistance the miserable man was
+captured and safely lodged in confinement in his own cabin.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII
+
+CURTIS BECOMES CAPTAIN
+
+
+OCTOBER 22.--Curtis has told the captain everything; for he persists in
+ostensibly recognizing him as his superior officer, and refuses to
+conceal from him our true situation. Captain Huntly received the
+communication in perfect silence, and merely passing his hand across
+his forehead as though to banish some distressing thought, re-entered
+his cabin without a word.
+
+Curtis, Lieutenant Walter, Falsten, and myself have been discussing the
+chances of our safety, and I am surprised to find with how much
+composure we can all survey our anxious predicament.
+
+"There is no doubt," said Curtis, "that we must abandon all hope of
+arresting the fire; the heat toward the bow has already become
+well-nigh unbearable, and the time must come when the flames will find
+a vent through the deck. If the sea is calm enough for us to make use
+of the boats, well and good; we shall of course get quit of the ship as
+quietly as we can; if, on the other hand the weather should be adverse,
+or the wind be boisterous, we must stick to our place, and contend with
+the flames to the very last; perhaps, after all, we shall fare far
+better with the fire as a declared enemy than as a hidden one."
+
+Falsten and I agreed with what he said, and I pointed out to him that
+he had quite overlooked the fact of there being thirty pounds of
+explosive matter in the hold.
+
+"No," he gravely replied, "I have not forgotten it, but it is a
+circumstance of which I do not trust myself to think. I dare not run
+the risk of admitting air into the hold by going down to search for the
+powder, and yet I know not at what moment it may explode. No; it is a
+matter that I cannot take at all into my reckoning; it must remain in
+higher hands than mine."
+
+We bowed our heads in a silence which was solemn. In the present state
+of the weather, immediate flight was, we knew, impossible.
+
+After considerable pause, Mr. Falsten, as calmly as though he were
+delivering some philosophic dogma, quietly observed:
+
+"The explosion, if I may use the formula of science, is not necessary,
+but contingent."
+
+"But tell me, Mr. Falsten," I asked, "is it possible for picrate of
+potash to ignite without concussion?"
+
+"Certainly it is," replied the engineer. "Under ordinary circumstances,
+picrate of potash although not MORE inflammable than common powder, yet
+possesses the SAME degree of inflammability."
+
+We now prepared to go on deck. As we left the saloon, in which we had
+been sitting, Curtis seized my hand.
+
+"Oh, Mr. Kazallon," he exclaimed, "if you only knew the bitterness of
+the agony I feel at seeing this fine vessel doomed to be devoured by
+flames, and at being so powerless to save her." Then quickly recovering
+himself, he continued: "But I am forgetting myself; you, if no other,
+must know what I am suffering. It is all over now," he said more
+cheerfully.
+
+"Is our condition quite desperate?" I asked.
+
+"It is just this," he answered deliberately, "we are over a mine, and
+already the match has been applied to the train. How long that train
+may be, 'tis not for me to say."
+
+And with these words he left me.
+
+The other passengers, in common with the crew, are still in entire
+ignorance of the extremity of peril to which we are exposed, although
+they are all aware that there is fire in the hold. As soon as the fact
+was announced, Mr. Kear, after communicating to Curtis his instructions
+that he thought he should have the fire immediately extinguished, and
+intimating that he held him responsible for all contingencies that
+might happen, retired to his cabin, where he has remained ever since,
+fully occupied in collecting and packing together the more cherished
+articles of his property and without the semblance of a care or a
+thought for his unfortunate wife, whose condition, in spite of her
+ludicrous complaints, was truly pitiable. Miss Herbey, however, is
+unrelaxing in her attentions, and the unremitted diligence with which
+she fulfills her offices of duty, commands my highest admiration.
+
+OCTOBER 23.--This morning, Captain Huntly sent for Curtis into his
+cabin, and the mate has since made me acquainted with what passed
+between them.
+
+"Curtis," began the captain, his haggard eye betraying only too plainly
+some mental derangement, "I am a sailor, am I not?"
+
+"Certainly, captain," was the prompt acquiescence of the mate.
+
+"I do not know how it is," continued the captain, "but I seem
+bewildered; I can not recollect anything. Are we not bound for
+Liverpool? Ah! yes! of course. And have we kept a northeasterly
+direction since we left?"
+
+"No, sir, according to your orders we have been sailing southeast, and
+here we are in the tropics."
+
+"And what is the name of the ship?"
+
+"The Chancellor, sir."
+
+"Yes, yes, the Chancellor, so it is. Well, Curtis, I really can't take
+her back to the north. I hate the sea, the very sight of it makes me
+ill, I would much rather not leave my cabin."
+
+Curtis went on to tell me how he had tried to persuade him that with a
+little time and care he would soon recover his indisposition, and feel
+himself again; but the captain had interrupted him by saying:
+
+"Well, well; we shall see by-and-by; but for the present you must take
+this for my positive order; you must, from this time, at once take the
+command of the ship, and act just as if I were not on board. Under
+present circumstances, I can do nothing. My brain is all in a whirl,
+you can not tell what I am suffering;" and the unfortunate man pressed
+both his hands convulsively against his forehead.
+
+"I weighed the matter carefully for a moment," added Curtis, "and
+seeing what his condition too truly was, I acquiesced in all that he
+required and withdrew, promising him that all his orders should be
+obeyed."
+
+After hearing these particulars, I could not help remarking how
+fortunate it was that the captain had resigned of his own accord, for
+although he might not be actually insane, it was very evident that his
+brain was in a very morbid condition.
+
+"I succeeded him at a very critical moment," said Curtis thoughtfully;
+"but I shall endeavor to do my duty."
+
+A short time afterward he sent for his boatswain and ordered him to
+assemble the crew at the foot of the main-mast. As soon as the men were
+together, he addressed them very calmly, but very firmly.
+
+"My men," he said, "I have to tell you that Captain Huntly, on account
+of the dangerous situation in which circumstances have placed us, and
+for other reasons known to myself, has thought right to resign his
+command to me. From this time forward, I am captain of this vessel."
+
+Thus quietly and simply was the change effected, and we have the
+satisfaction of knowing that the Chancellor is now under the command of
+a conscientious, energetic man, who will shirk nothing that he believes
+to be for our common good. M. Letourneur, Andre, Mr. Falsten, and
+myself immediately offered him our best wishes, in which Lieutenant
+Walter and the boatswain most cordially joined.
+
+The ship still holds her course southwest, and Curtis crowds on all
+sail and makes as speedily as possible for the nearest of the Lesser
+Antilles.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII
+
+BETWEEN FIRE AND WATER
+
+
+OCTOBER 24 to 29.--For the last five days the sea has been very heavy,
+and although the Chancellor sails with wind and wave in her favor, yet
+her progress is considerably impeded. Here on board this veritable
+fire-ship I cannot help contemplating with a longing eye this vast
+ocean that surrounds us. The water supply should be all we need.
+
+"Why not bore the deck?" I said to Curtis. "Why not admit the water by
+tons into the hold? What could be the harm? The fire would be quenched;
+and what would be easier than to pump the water out again?"
+
+"I have already told you, Mr. Kazallon," said Curtis, "that the very
+moment we admit the air, the flames will rush forth to the very top of
+the masts. No; we must have courage and patience; we must wait. There
+is nothing whatever to be done, except to close every aperture."
+
+The fire continued to progress even more rapidly than we had hitherto
+suspected. The heat gradually drove the passengers nearly all on deck,
+and the two stern cabins, lighted, as I said, by their windows in the
+aft-board were the only quarters below that were inhabitable. Of these
+Mrs. Kear occupied one, and Curtis reserved the other for Ruby, who, a
+raving maniac, had to be kept rigidly under restraint. I went down
+occasionally to see him, but invariably found him in a state of abject
+terror, uttering horrible shrieks, as though possessed with the idea
+that he was being scorched by the most excruciating heat.
+
+Once or twice, too, I looked in upon the ex-captain. He was always calm
+and spoke quite rationally on any subject except his own profession;
+but in connection with that he prated away the merest nonsense. He
+suffered greatly, but steadily declined all my offers of attention, and
+pertinaciously refused to leave his cabin.
+
+To-day, an acrid, nauseating smoke made its way through the panelings
+that partition off the quarters of the crew. At once Curtis ordered the
+partition to be enveloped in wet tarpaulin, but the fumes penetrated
+even this, and filled the whole neighborhood of the ship's bows with a
+reeking vapor that was positively stifling. As we listened, too, we
+could hear a dull rumbling sound, but we were as mystified as ever to
+comprehend where the air could have entered that was evidently fanning
+the flames. Only too certainly, it was now becoming a question not of
+days nor even of hours before we must be prepared for the final
+catastrophe. The sea was still running high, and escape by the boats
+was plainly impossible. Fortunately, as I have said, the mainmast and
+the mizzen are of iron; otherwise the great heat at their base would
+long ago have brought them down and our chances of safety would have
+been very much imperiled; but by crowding on sail the Chancellor in the
+full northeast wind continued to make her way with undiminished speed.
+
+It is now a fortnight since the fire was first discovered, and the
+proper working of the ship has gradually become a more and more
+difficult matter. Even with thick shoes any attempt to walk upon deck
+up to the forecastle was soon impracticable, and the poop, simply
+because its floor is elevated somewhat above the level of the hold, is
+now the only available standing-place. Water began to lose its effect
+upon the scorched and shriveling planks; the resin oozed out from the
+knots in the wood, the seams burst open, and the tar, melted by the
+heat, followed the rollings of the vessel, and formed fantastic
+patterns about the deck.
+
+Then to complete our perplexity, the wind shifted suddenly round to the
+northwest, whence it blew a perfect hurricane. To no purpose did Curtis
+do everything in his power to bring the ship ahull; every effort was in
+vain; the Chancellor could not bear her trysail, so there was nothing
+to be done but to let her go with the wind, and drift further and
+further from the land for which we are longing so eagerly.
+
+To-day, the 29th, the tempest seemed to reach its height; the waves
+appeared to us mountains high, and dashed the spray most violently
+across the deck. A boat could not live a moment in such a sea.
+
+Our situation is terrible. We all wait in silence, some few on the
+forecastle, the great proportion of us on the poop. As for the picrate,
+for the time we have quite forgotten its existence; indeed it might
+almost seem as though its explosion would come as a relief, for no
+catastrophe, however terrible, could far exceed the torture of our
+suspense.
+
+While he had still the remaining chance, Curtis rescued from the
+store-room such few provisions as the heat of the compartment allowed
+him to obtain; and a lot of cases of salt meat and biscuits, a cask of
+brandy, some barrels of fresh water, together with some sails and
+wraps, a compass and other instruments are now lying packed in a mass
+all ready for prompt removal to the boats whenever we shall be obliged
+to leave the ship.
+
+About eight o'clock in the evening, a noise is heard, distinct even
+above the raging of the hurricane. The panels of the deck are upheaved,
+and volumes of black smoke issue upward as if from a safety-valve. A
+universal consternation seizes one and all; we must leave the volcano
+which is about to burst beneath our feet. The crew run to Curtis for
+orders. He hesitates; looks first at the huge and threatening waves;
+looks then at the boats. The long-boat is there, suspended right along
+the center of the deck; but it is impossible to approach it now; the
+yawl, however, hoisted on the starboard side, and the whale-boat
+suspended aft, are still available. The sailors make frantically for
+the yawl.
+
+"Stop, stop," shouts Curtis; "do you mean to cut off our last and only
+chance of safety? Would you launch a boat in such a sea as this?"
+
+A few of them, with Owen at their head, give no heed to what he says.
+Rushing to the poop, and seizing a cutlass, Curtis shouts again:
+
+"Touch the tackling of the davit, one of you; only touch it, and I'll
+cleave your skull."
+
+Awed by his determined manner, the men retire, some clambering into the
+shrouds, while others mount to the very top of the masts.
+
+At eleven o'clock, several loud reports are heard, caused by the
+bursting asunder of the partitions of the hold. Clouds of smoke issue
+from the front, followed by a long tongue of lambent flame that seems
+to encircle the mizzen-mast. The fire now reaches to the cabin of Mrs.
+Kear, who, shrieking wildly, is brought on deck by Miss Herbey. A
+moment more, and Silas Huntly makes his appearance, his face all
+blackened with the grimy smoke; he bows to Curtis, as he passes, and
+then proceeds in the calmest manner to mount the aft-shrouds, and
+installs himself at the very top of the mizzen.
+
+The sight of Huntly recalls to my recollection the prisoner still
+below, and my first impulse is to rush to the staircase and do what I
+can to set him free. But the maniac has already eluded his confinement,
+and with singed hair and his clothes already alight, rushes upon deck.
+Like a salamander he passes across the burning deck with unscathed
+feet, and glides through the stifling smoke with unchoked breath. Not a
+sound escapes his lips.
+
+Another loud report; the long-boat is shivered into fragments; the
+middle panel bursts the tarpaulin that covered it, and a stream of
+fire, free at length from the restraint that had held it, rises
+half-mast high.
+
+"The picrate! the picrate!" shrieks the madman; "we shall all be blown
+up! the picrate will blow us all up."
+
+And in an instant, before we can get near him, he has buried himself,
+through the open hatchway, down into the fiery furnace below.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV
+
+BREAKERS TO STARBOARD!
+
+
+OCTOBER 20.--Night.--The scene, as night came on, was terrible indeed.
+Notwithstanding the desperateness of our situation, however, there was
+not one of us so paralyzed by fear, but that we fully realized the
+horror of it all.
+
+Poor Ruby, indeed, is lost and gone, but his last words were productive
+of serious consequences. The sailors caught his cry of "Picrate,
+picrate!" and being thus for the first time made aware of the true
+nature of their peril, they resolved at every hazard to accomplish
+their escape. Beside themselves with terror, they either did not, or
+would not, see that no boat could brave the tremendous waves that were
+raging around, and accordingly they made a frantic rush toward the
+yawl. Curtis again made a vigorous endeavor to prevent them, but this
+time all in vain; Owen urged them on, and already the tackling was
+loosened, so that the boat was swung over to the ship's side. For a
+moment it hung suspended in mid-air, and then, with a final effort from
+the sailors, it was quickly lowered into the sea. But scarcely had it
+touched the water, when it was caught by an enormous wave which,
+recoiling with resistless violence, dashed it to atoms against the
+Chancellor's side.
+
+The men stood aghast; they were dumbfounded. Longboat and yawl both
+gone, there was nothing now remaining to us but a small whale-boat. Not
+a word was spoken; not a sound was heard but the hoarse whistling of
+the wind, and the mournful roaring of the flames. From the center of
+the ship, which was hollowed out like a furnace, there issued a column
+of sooty vapor that ascended to the sky. All the passengers, and
+several of the crew, took refuge in the aft-quarters of the poop. Mrs.
+Kear was lying senseless on one of the hen-coops, with Miss Herbey
+sitting passively at her side; M. Letourneur held his son tightly
+clasped to his bosom. I saw Falsten calmly consult his watch, and note
+down the time in his memorandum-book, but I was far from sharing his
+composure, for I was overcome by a nervous agitation that I could not
+suppress.
+
+As far as we knew, Lieutenant Walter, the boatswain, and such of the
+crew as were not with us, were safe in the bow; but it was impossible
+to tell how they were faring, because the sheet of fire intervened like
+a curtain, and cut off all communication between stem and stern.
+
+I broke the dismal silence, saying, "All over now Curtis."
+
+"No, sir, not yet," he replied, "now that the panel is open we will set
+to work, and pour water with all our might down into the furnace, and
+may be, we shall put it out, even yet."
+
+"But how can you work your pumps while the deck is burning? and how can
+you get at your men beyond that sheet of flame?"
+
+He made no answer to my impetuous questions, and finding he had nothing
+more to say, I repeated that it was all over now.
+
+After a pause, he said, "As long as a plank of the ship remains to
+stand on, Mr. Kazallon, I shall not give up my hope."
+
+But the conflagration raged with redoubled fury, the sea around us was
+lighted with a crimson glow, and the clouds above shone with a lurid
+glare. Long jets of fire darted across the hatchways, and we were
+forced to take refuge on the taffrail at the extreme end of the poop.
+Mrs. Kear was laid in the whale-boat that hung from the stern. Miss
+Herbey persisting to the last in retaining her post by her side.
+
+No pen could adequately portray the horrors of this fearful night. The
+Chancellor under bare poles, was driven, like a gigantic fire-ship with
+frightful velocity across the raging ocean; her very speed as it were,
+making common cause with the hurricane to fan the fire that was
+consuming her. Soon there could be no alternative between throwing
+ourselves into the sea, or perishing in the flames.
+
+But where, all this time, was the picrate? Perhaps, after all, Ruby had
+deceived us and there was no volcano, such as we dreaded, below our
+feet.
+
+At half-past eleven, when the tempest seems at its very height, there
+is heard a peculiar roar distinguishable even above the crash of the
+elements. The sailors in an instant recognize its import.
+
+"Breakers to starboard!" is the cry.
+
+Curtis leaps on to the netting, casts a rapid glance at the snow-white
+billows, and turning to the helmsman shouts with all his might,
+"Starboard the helm!"
+
+But it is too late. There is a sudden shock; the ship is caught up by
+an enormous wave; she rises upon her beam ends; several times she
+strikes the ground; the mizzen-mast snaps short off level with the
+deck, falls into the sea, and the Chancellor is motionless.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV
+
+SHIPWRECKED
+
+
+THE night of the 29th continued.--It was not yet midnight; the darkness
+was most profound, and we could see nothing. But was it probable that
+we had stranded on the coast of America?
+
+Very shortly after the ship had thus come to a stand-still a clanking
+of chains was heard proceeding from her bows.
+
+"That is well," said Curtis; "Walter and the boatswain have cast both
+the anchors. Let us hope they will hold."
+
+Then, clinging to the netting, he clambered along the starboard side,
+on which the ship had heeled, as far as the flames would allow him. He
+clung to the holdfasts of the shrouds, and in spite of the heavy seas
+that dashed against the vessel he maintained his position for a
+considerable time, evidently listening to some sound that had caught
+his ear in the midst of the tempest. In about a quarter of an hour he
+returned to the poop.
+
+"Heaven be praised!" he said, "the water is coming in, and perhaps may
+get the better of the fire."
+
+"True," said I, "but what then?"
+
+"That," he replied, "is a question for bye-and-bye. We can think now
+only of the present."
+
+Already I fancied that the violence of the flames was somewhat abated,
+and that the two opposing elements were in fierce contention. Some
+plank in the ship's side was evidently stove in, admitting free passage
+for the waves. But how, when the water had mastered the fire, should we
+be able to master the water? Our natural course would be to use the
+pumps, but these, in the very midst of the conflagration, were quite
+unavailable.
+
+For three long hours, in anxious suspense, we watched, and waited.
+Where we were we could not tell. One thing alone was certain; the tide
+was ebbing beneath us, and the waves were relaxing in their violence.
+Once let the fire be extinguished, and then, perhaps, there would be
+room to hope that the next high tide would set us afloat.
+
+Toward half-past four in the morning the curtain of fire and smoke,
+which had shut off communication between the two extremities of the
+ship, became less dense, and we could faintly distinguish that party of
+the crew who had taken refuge in the forecastle; and before long,
+although it was impracticable to step upon the deck, the lieutenant and
+the boatswain contrived to clamber over the gunwale, along the rails,
+and joined Curtis on the poop.
+
+Here they held a consultation, to which I was admitted. They were all
+of opinion that nothing could be done until daylight should give us
+something of an idea of our actual position. If we then found that we
+were near the shore, we would, weather permitting, endeavor to land,
+either in the boat or upon a raft. If, on the other hand, no land were
+in sight, and the Chancellor were ascertained to be stranded on some
+isolated reef, all we could do would be to get her afloat, and put her
+into condition for reaching the nearest coast. Curtis told us that it
+was long since he had been able to take any observation of latitude,
+but there was no doubt the northwest wind had driven us far to the
+south; and he thought, as he was ignorant of the existence of any reef
+in this part of the Atlantic, that it was just possible that we had
+been driven on to the coast of some portion of South America.
+
+I reminded him that we were in momentary expectation of an explosion,
+and suggested that it would be advisable to abandon the ship and take
+refuge on the reef. But he would not hear of such a proceeding, said
+that the reef would probably be covered at high tide, and persisted in
+the original resolution, that no decided action could be taken before
+the daylight appeared.
+
+I immediately reported this decision of the captain to my
+fellow-passengers. None of them seemed to realize the new danger to
+which the Chancellor may be exposed by being cast upon an unknown reef,
+hundreds of miles it may be from land. All are for the time possessed
+with one idea, one hope; and that is, that the fire may now be quenched
+and the explosion averted.
+
+And certainly their hopes seem in a fair way of being fulfilled.
+Already the raging flames that poured forth from the hatches have given
+place to dense black smoke, and although occasionally some fiery
+streaks dart across the dusky fumes, yet they are instantly
+extinguished. The waves are doing what pumps and buckets could never
+have effected; by their inundation they are steadily stifling the fire
+which was as steadily spreading to the whole bulk of the 1,700 bales of
+cotton.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI
+
+SILAS HUNTLY RESCUED FROM THE WAVES
+
+
+OCTOBER 30.--At the first gleam of daylight we eagerly scanned the
+southern and western horizons, but the morning mists limited our view.
+Land was nowhere to be seen. The tide was now almost at its lowest ebb,
+and the color of the few peaks of rock that jutted up around us showed
+that the reef on which we had stranded was of basaltic formation. There
+were now only about six feet of water around the Chancellor, though
+with a full freight she draws about fifteen. It was remarkable how far
+she had been carried on to the shelf of rock, but the number of times
+that she had touched the bottom before she finally ran aground left us
+no doubt that she had been lifted up and borne along on the top of an
+enormous wave. She now lies with her stern considerably higher than her
+bows, a position which renders walking upon the deck anything but an
+easy matter, moreover as the tide receded she heeled over so much to
+larboard that at one time Curtis feared she would altogether capsize;
+that fear, however, since the tide has reached its lowest mark, has
+happily proved groundless.
+
+At six o'clock some violent blows were felt against the ship's side,
+and at the same time a voice was distinguished, shouting loudly,
+"Curtis! Curtis!" Following the direction of the cries we saw that the
+broken mizzen-mast was being washed against the vessel, and in the
+dusky morning twilight we could make out the figure of a man clinging
+to the rigging. Curtis, at the peril of his life, hastened to bring the
+man on board. It proved to be none other than Silas Huntly, who, after
+being carried overboard with the mast, had thus, almost by a miracle,
+escaped a watery grave. Without a word of thanks to his deliverer, the
+ex-captain, passive, like an automaton, passed on and took his seat in
+the most secluded corner of the poop. The broken mizzen may, perhaps,
+be of service to us at some future time, and with that idea it has been
+rescued from the waves and lashed securely to the stern.
+
+By this time it was light enough to see for a distance of three miles
+round; but as yet nothing could be discerned to make us think that we
+were near a coast. The line of breakers ran for about a mile from
+southwest to northeast, and two hundred fathoms to the north of the
+ship an irregular mass of rocks formed a small islet. This islet rose
+about fifty feet above the sea, and was consequently above the level of
+the highest tides; while a sort of causeway, available at low water,
+would enable us to reach the island, if necessity required. But there
+the reef ended; beyond it the sea again resumed its somber hue,
+betokening deep water. In all probability, then, this was a solitary
+shoal, unattached to a shore, and the gloom of a bitter disappointment
+began to weigh upon our spirits.
+
+In another hour the mists had totally disappeared, and it was broad
+daylight. I and M. Letourneur stood watching Curtis as he continued
+eagerly to scan the western horizon. Astonishment was written on his
+countenance; to him it appeared perfectly incredible that, after our
+course for so long had been due south from the Bermudas, no land should
+be in sight. But not a speck, however minute, broke the clearly-defined
+line that joined sea and sky. After a time Curtis made his way along
+the netting to the shrouds, and swung himself quickly up to the top of
+the mainmast. For several minutes he remained there examining the open
+space around, then seizing one of the backstays he glided down and
+rejoined us on the poop.
+
+"No land in sight," he said, in answer to our eager looks.
+
+At this point Mr. Kear interposed, and in a gruff, ill-tempered tone,
+asked Curtis where we were. Curtis replied that he did not know.
+
+"You don't know, sir? Then all I can say is that you ought to know!"
+exclaimed the petroleum merchant.
+
+"That may be, sir; but at present I am as ignorant of our whereabouts
+as you are yourself," said Curtis.
+
+"Well," said Mr. Kear, "just please to know that I don't want to stay
+forever on your everlasting ship, so I beg you will make haste and
+start off again."
+
+Curtis condescended to make no other reply than a shrug of the
+shoulders, and turning away he informed M. Letourneur and myself that
+if the sun came out he intended to take its altitude and find out to
+what part of the ocean we had been driven.
+
+His next care was to distribute preserved meat and biscuit among the
+passengers and crew already half fainting with hunger and fatigue, and
+then he set to work to devise measures for setting the ship afloat.
+
+The conflagration was greatly abated; no flames now appeared, and
+although some black smoke still issued from the interior, yet its
+volume was far less than before. The first step was to discover how
+much water had entered the hold. The deck was still too hot to walk
+upon; but after two hours' irrigation the boards became sufficiently
+cool for the boatswain to proceed to take some soundings, and he
+shortly afterward announced that there were five feet of water below.
+This the captain determined should not be pumped out at present, as he
+wanted it thoroughly to do its duty before he got rid of it.
+
+The next subject for consideration was whether it would be advisable to
+abandon the vessel, and to take refuge on the reef. Curtis thought not;
+and the lieutenant and the boatswain agreed with him. The chances of an
+explosion were greatly diminished, as it had been ascertained that the
+water had reached that part of the hold in which Ruby's luggage had
+been deposited; while, on the other hand, in the event of rough
+weather, our position even upon the most elevated points of rock might
+be very critical. It was accordingly resolved that both passengers and
+crew were safest on board.
+
+Acting upon this decision we proceeded to make a kind of encampment on
+the poop, and a few mattresses that were rescued uninjured have been
+given up for the use of the two ladies. Such of the crew as had saved
+their hammocks have been told to place them under the forecastle where
+they would have to stow themselves as best they could, their ordinary
+quarters being absolutely uninhabitable.
+
+Fortunately, although the store-room has been considerably exposed to
+the heat, its contents are not very seriously damaged, and all the
+barrels of water and the greater part of the provisions are quite
+intact. The stock of spare sails, which had been packed away in front,
+is also free from injury. The wind has dropped considerably since the
+early morning, and the swell in the sea is far less heavy. On the whole
+our spirits are reviving and we begin to think we may yet find a way
+out of our troubles.
+
+M. Letourneur, his son, and I, have just had a long conversation about
+the ship's officers. We consider their conduct, under the late trying
+circumstances, to have been most exemplary, and their courage, energy,
+and endurance to have been beyond all praise. Lieutenant Walter, the
+boatswain, and Dowlas the carpenter have all alike distinguished
+themselves, and made us feel that they are men to be relied on. As for
+Curtis, words can scarcely be found to express our admiration of his
+character; he is the same as he has ever been, the very life of his
+crew, cheering them on by word or gesture; finding an expedient for
+every difficulty, and always foremost in every action.
+
+The tide turned at seven this morning, and by eleven all the rocks were
+submerged, none of them being visible except the cluster of those which
+formed the rim of a small and almost circular basin from 230 to 300
+feet in diameter, in the north angle of which the ship is lying. As the
+tide rose the white breakers disappeared, and the sea, fortunately for
+the Chancellor, was pretty calm; otherwise the dashing of the waves
+against her sides, as she lies motionless, might have been attended by
+serious consequences.
+
+As might be supposed, the height of the water in the hold increased
+with the tide from five feet to nine; but this was rather a matter of
+congratulation, inasmuch as it sufficed to inundate another layer of
+cotton.
+
+At half-past eleven the sun, which had been behind the clouds since ten
+o'clock, broke forth brightly. The captain, who had already in the
+morning been able to calculate an horary angle, now prepared to take
+the meridian altitude, and succeeded at midday in making his
+observation most satisfactorily. After retiring for a short time to
+calculate the result, he returned to the poop and announced that we are
+in lat. 18 deg. 5' N. and long. 45 deg. 53' W., but that the reef on
+which we are aground is not marked on the charts. The only explanation
+that can be given for the omission is that the islet must be of recent
+formation, and has been caused by some subterranean volcanic
+disturbance. But whatever may be the solution of the mystery, here we
+are 800 miles from land; for such, on consulting the map, we find to be
+the actual distance to the coast of Guiana, which is the nearest shore.
+Such is the position to which we have been brought, in the first place,
+by Huntly's senseless obstinacy, and, secondly, by the furious
+northwest gale.
+
+Yet, after all, the captain's communication does not dishearten us. As
+I said before, our spirits are reviving. We have escaped the peril of
+fire; the fear of explosion is past and gone: and oblivious of the fact
+that the ship with a hold full of water is only too likely to founder
+when she puts out to sea, we feel a confidence in the future that
+forbids us to despond.
+
+Meanwhile Curtis prepares to do all that common sense demands. He
+proposes, when the fire is quite extinguished, to throw overboard the
+whole, or the greater portion of the cargo, including, of course, the
+picrate; he will next plug up the leak, and then, with a lightened
+ship, he will take advantage of the first high tide to quit the reef as
+speedily as possible.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII
+
+M. LETOURNEUR IS PESSIMISTIC
+
+
+OCTOBER 30.--Once again I talked to M. Letourneur about our situation,
+and endeavored to animate him with the hope that we should not be
+detained for long in our present predicament; but he could not be
+brought to take a very sanguine view of our prospects.
+
+"But surely," I protested, "it will not be difficult to throw overboard
+a few hundred bales of cotton; two or three days at most will suffice
+for that."
+
+"Likely enough," he replied, "when the business is once begun; but you
+must remember, Mr. Kazallon, that the very heart of the cargo is still
+smoldering, and that it will still be several days before anyone will
+be able to venture into the hold. Then the leak, too, that has to be
+caulked; and, unless it is stopped up very effectually, we shall only
+be doomed most certainly to perish at sea. Don't then, be deceiving
+yourself; it must be three weeks at least before you can expect to put
+out to sea. I can only hope meanwhile that the weather will continue
+propitious; it wouldn't take many storms to knock the Chancellor,
+shattered as she is, completely into pieces."
+
+Here, then, was the suggestion of a new danger to which we were to be
+exposed; the fire might be extinguished, the water might be got rid of
+by the pumps, but, after all, we must be at the mercy of the wind and
+waves; and, although the rocky island might afford a temporary refuge
+from the tempest, what was to become of passengers and crew if the
+vessel should be reduced to a total wreck? I made no remonstrance,
+however, to this view of our case, but merely asked M. Letourneur if he
+had confidence in Robert Curtis?
+
+"Perfect confidence," he answered; "and I acknowledge it most
+gratefully, as a providential circumstance, that Captain Huntly had
+given him the command in time. Whatever man can do I know that Curtis
+will not leave undone to extricate us from our dilemma."
+
+Prompted by this conversation with M. Letourneur I took the first
+opportunity of trying to ascertain from Curtis himself how long he
+reckoned we should be obliged to remain upon the reef; but he merely
+replied, that it must depend upon circumstances, and that he hoped the
+weather would continue favorable. Fortunately the barometer is rising
+steadily, and there is every sign of a prolonged calm.
+
+Meantime Curtis is taking active measures for totally extinguishing the
+fire. He is at no great pains to spare the cargo, and as the bales that
+lie just above the level of the water are still a-light he has resorted
+to the expedient of thoroughly saturating the upper layers of the
+cotton, in order that the combustion may be stifled between the
+moisture descending from above and that ascending from below. This
+scheme has brought the pumps once more into requisition. At present the
+crew are adequate to the task of working them, but I and some of our
+fellow-passengers are ready to offer our assistance whenever it shall
+be necessary.
+
+With no immediate demand upon our labor, we are thrown upon our own
+resources for passing our time. M. Letourneur, Andre, and myself, have
+frequent conversations; I also devote an hour or two to my diary.
+Falsten holds little communication with any of us, but remains absorbed
+in his calculations, and amuses himself by tracing mechanical diagrams
+with ground-plan, section, elevation, all complete. It would be a happy
+inspiration if he could invent some mighty engine that could set us all
+afloat again. Mr. and Mrs. Kear, too, hold themselves aloof from their
+fellow-passengers, and we are not sorry to be relieved from the
+necessity of listening to their incessant grumbling; unfortunately,
+however, they carry off Miss Herbey with them, so that we enjoy little
+or nothing of the young lady's society. As for Silas Huntly, he has
+become a complete nonentity; he exists, it is true, but merely, it
+would seem, to vegetate.
+
+Hobart, the steward, an obsequious, sly sort of fellow, goes through
+his routine of duties just as though the vessel were pursuing her
+ordinary course; and, as usual, is continually falling out with
+Jynxstrop, the cook, an impudent, ill-favored negro, who interferes
+with the other sailors in a manner which, I think, ought not to be
+allowed.
+
+Since it appears likely that we shall have abundance of time on our
+hands, I have proposed to M. Letourneur and his son that we shall
+together explore the reef on which we are stranded. It is not very
+probable that we shall be able to discover much about the origin of
+this strange accumulation of rocks, yet the attempt will at least
+occupy us for some hours, and will relieve us from the monotony of our
+confinement on board. Besides, as the reef is not marked in any of the
+maps, I could not but believe that it would be rendering a service to
+hydrography if we were to take an accurate plan of the rocks, of which
+Curtis could afterward verify the true position by a second observation
+made with a closer precision than the one he has already taken.
+
+M. Letourneur agrees to my proposal, Curtis has promised to let us have
+the boat and some sounding-lines, and to allow one of the sailors to
+accompany us; so to-morrow morning, we hope to make our little voyage
+of investigation.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII
+
+WE EXPLORE THE REEF
+
+
+OCTOBER 31 to November 5.--Our first proceeding on the morning of the
+31st was to make the proposed tour of the reef, which is about a
+quarter of a mile long. With the aid of our sounding-lines we found
+that the water was deep, right up to the very rocks, and that no
+shelving shores prevented us coasting along them. There was not a
+shadow of doubt as to the rock being of purely volcanic origin,
+up-heaved by some mighty subterranean convulsion.   It is formed of
+blocks of basalt, arranged in perfect order, of which the regular
+prisms give the whole mass the effect of being one gigantic crystal;
+and the remarkable transparency of the sea enabled us plainly to
+observe the curious shafts of the prismatic columns that support the
+marvelous substructure.
+
+"This is indeed a singular island," said M. Letourneur; "evidently it
+is of quite recent origin."
+
+"Yes, father," said Andre, "and I should think it has been caused by a
+phenomenon similar to those which produced the Julia Island, off the
+coast of Sicily, or the group of the Santorini, in the Grecian
+Archipelago. One could almost fancy that it had been created expressly
+for the Chancellor to strand upon."
+
+"It is very certain," I observed, "that some upheaving has lately taken
+place. This is by no means an unfrequented part of the Atlantic, so
+that it is not at all likely that it could have escaped the notice of
+sailors if it had been always in existence; yet it is not marked even
+in the most modern charts. We must try and explore it thoroughly and
+give future navigators the benefit of our observations."
+
+"But, perhaps, it will disappear as it came," said Andre. "You are no
+doubt aware, Mr. Kazallon, that these volcanic islands sometimes have a
+very transitory existence. Not impossibly, by the time it gets marked
+upon the maps it may no longer be here."
+
+"Never mind, my boy," answered his father, "it is better to give
+warning of a danger that does not exist than overlook one that does. I
+dare say the sailors will not grumble much, if they don't find a reef
+where we have marked one."
+
+"No, I dare say not, father," said Andre, "and after all this island is
+very likely as firm as a continent. However, if it is to disappear, I
+expect Captain Curtis would be glad to see it take its departure as
+soon as possible after he has finished his repairs; it would save him a
+world of trouble in getting his ship afloat."
+
+"Why, what a fellow you are, Andre!" I said, laughing; "I believe you
+would like to rule Nature with a magic wand, first of all, you would
+call up a reef from the depth of the ocean to give the Chancellor time
+to extinguish her flames, and then you would make it disappear just
+that the ship might be free again."
+
+Andre smiled; then, in a more serious tone, he expressed his gratitude
+for the timely help that had been vouchsafed us in our hour of need.
+
+The more we examined the rocks that formed the base of the little
+island, the more we became convinced that its formation was quite
+recent. Not a mollusk, not a tuft of seaweed was found clinging to the
+sides of the rocks; not a germ had the wind carried to its surface, not
+a bird had taken refuge amid the crags upon its summits. To a lover of
+natural history, the spot did not yield a single point of interest; the
+geologist alone would find subject of study in the basaltic mass.
+
+When we reached the southern point of the island I proposed that we
+should disembark. My companions readily assented, young Letourneur
+jocosely observing that if the little island was destined to vanish, it
+was quite right that it should first be visited by human beings. The
+boat was accordingly brought alongside, and we set foot upon the reef,
+and began to ascend the gradual slope that leads to its highest
+elevation.
+
+The walking was not very rough, and as Andre could get along tolerably
+well without the assistance of an arm, he led the way, his father and I
+following close behind. A quarter of an hour sufficed to bring us to
+the loftiest point in the islet, when we seated ourselves on the
+basaltic prism that crowned its summit.
+
+Andre took a sketch-book from his pocket, and proceeded to make a
+drawing of the reef. Scarcely had he completed the outline when his
+father exclaimed:
+
+"Why, Andre, you have drawn a ham!"
+
+"Something uncommonly like it, I confess," replied Andre. "I think we
+had better ask Captain Curtis to let us call our island Ham Rock."
+
+"Good," said I; "though sailors will need to keep it at a respectful
+distance, for they will scarcely find that their teeth are strong
+enough to tackle it."
+
+M. Letourneur was quite correct; the outline of the reef as it stood
+clearly defined against the deep green water resembled nothing so much
+as a fine York ham, of which the little creek, where the Chancellor had
+been stranded, corresponded to the hollow place above the knuckle. The
+tide at this time was low, and the ship now lay heeled over very much
+to the starboard side, the few points of rock that emerged in the
+extreme south of the reef plainly marking the narrow passage through
+which she had been forced before she finally ran aground.
+
+As soon as Andre had finished his sketch we descended by a slope as
+gradual as that by which we had come up, and made our way toward the
+west. We had not gone very far when a beautiful grotto, perfect as an
+architectural structure, arrested our attention. M. Letourneur and
+Andre, who have visited the Hebrides, pronounced it to be a Fingal's
+cave in miniature; a Gothic chapel that might form a fit vestibule for
+the cathedral cave of Staffa. The basaltic rocks had cooled down into
+the same regular concentric prisms; there was the same dark canopied
+roof with its interstices filled up with its yellow lutings; the same
+precision of outline in the prismatic angles, sharp as though chiseled
+by a sculptor's hand; the same sonorous vibration of the air across the
+basaltic rocks, of which the Gaelic poets have feigned that the harps
+of the Fingal minstrelsy were made. But whereas at Staffa the floor of
+the cave is always covered with a sheet of water, here the grotto was
+beyond the reach of all but the highest waves, while the prismatic
+shafts themselves formed quite a solid pavement.
+
+After remaining nearly an hour in our newly-discovered grotto we
+returned to the Chancellor, and communicated the result of our
+explorations to Curtis, who entered the island upon his chart, by the
+name Andre Letourneur had proposed.
+
+Since its discovery we have not permitted a day to pass without
+spending some time in our Ham Rock grotto. Curtis has taken an
+opportunity of visiting it, but he is too preoccupied with other
+matters to have much interest to spare for the wonders of nature.
+Falsten, too, came once and examined the character of the rocks,
+knocking and chipping them about with all the mercilessness of a
+geologist. Mr. Kear would not trouble himself to leave the ship; and
+although I asked his wife to join us in one of our excursions she
+declined, upon the plea that the fatigue, as well as the inconvenience
+of embarking in the boat, would be more than she could bear.
+
+Miss Herbey, only to thankful to escape even for an hour from her
+capricious mistress, eagerly accepted M. Letourneur's invitation to pay
+a visit to the reef, but to her great disappointment Mrs. Kear at first
+refused point-blank to allow her to leave the ship. I felt intensely
+annoyed, and resolved to intercede in Miss Herbey's favor; and as I had
+already rendered that self-indulgent lady sundry services which she
+though she might probably be glad again to accept, I gained my point,
+and Miss Herbey has several times been permitted to accompany us across
+the rocks, where the young girl's delight at her freedom has been a
+pleasure to behold.
+
+Sometimes we fish along the shore, and then enjoy a luncheon in the
+grotto, while the basalt columns vibrate like harps to the breeze. This
+arid reef, little as it is, compared with the cramped limits of the
+Chancellor's deck is like some vast domain; soon there will be scarcely
+a stone with which we are not familiar, scarcely a portion of its
+surface which we have not trodden, and I am sure that when the hour of
+departure arrives we shall leave it with regret.
+
+In the course of conversation, Andre Letourneur one day happened to say
+that he believed the island of Staffa belonged to the Macdonald family,
+who let it for the small sum of L.12 a year.
+
+"I suppose then," said Miss Herbey, "that we should hardly get more
+than half-a-crown a year for our pet little island."
+
+"I don't think you would get a penny for it. Miss Herbey; but are you
+thinking of taking a lease?" I said laughing.
+
+"Not at present," she said; then added, with a half-suppressed sigh,
+"and yet it is a place where I have seemed to know what it is to be
+really happy."
+
+Andre murmured some expression of assent, and we all felt that there
+was something touching in the words of the orphaned, friendless girl
+who had found her long-lost sense of happiness on a lonely rock in the
+Atlantic.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX
+
+THE CARGO UNLOADED
+
+
+NOVEMBER 6 to November 15.--For the first five days after the
+Chancellor had run aground, there was a dense black smoke continually
+rising from the hold; but it gradually diminished until the 6th of
+November, when we might consider that the fire was extinguished.
+Curtis, nevertheless, deemed it prudent to persevere in working the
+pumps, which he did until the entire hull of the ship, right up to the
+deck, had been completely inundated.
+
+The rapidity, however, with which the water, at every retreat of the
+tide, drained off to the level of the sea, was an indication that the
+leak must be of considerable magnitude; and such, on investigation,
+proved to be the case. One of the sailors, named Flaypole, dived one
+day at low water to examine the extent of the damage, and found that
+the hole was not much less than four feet square, and was situated
+thirty feet fore of the helm, and two feet above the rider of the keel;
+three planks had been stove in by a sharp point of rock and it was only
+a wonder that the violence with which the heavily-laden vessel had been
+thrown ashore did not result in the smashing in of many parts beside.
+
+As it would be a couple of days or more before the hold would be in a
+condition for the bales of cotton to be removed for the carpenter to
+examine the damage from the interior of the ship, Curtis employed the
+interval in having the broken mizzen-mast repaired. Dowlas the
+carpenter, with considerable skill, contrived to mortise it into its
+former stump, and made the junction thoroughly secure by strong
+iron-belts and bolts. The shrouds, the stays and backstays, were then
+carefully refitted, some of the sails were changed, and the whole of
+the running rigging was renewed. Injury, to some extent, had been done
+to the poop and to the crew's lockers in the front; but time and labor
+were all that were wanted to make them good; and with such a will did
+everybody set to work that it was not long before all the cabins were
+again available for use.
+
+On the 8th the unlading of the ship commenced. Pulleys and tackling
+were put over the hatches, and passengers and crew together proceeded
+to haul up the heavy bales which had been deluged so frequently by
+water that the cotton was all but spoiled. One by one the sodden bales
+were placed in the boat to be transported to the reef. After the first
+layer of cotton had been removed it became necessary to drain off part
+of the water that filled the hold. For this purpose the leak in the
+side had somehow or other to be stopped, and this was an operation
+which was cleverly accomplished by Dowlas and Flaypole, who contrived
+to dive at low tide and nail a sheet of copper over the entire hole.
+This, however, of itself would have been utterly inadequate to sustain
+the pressure that would arise from the action of the pumps; so Curtis
+ordered that a number of the bales should be piled up inside against
+the broken planks. The scheme succeeded very well, and as the water got
+lower and lower in the hold the men were enabled to resume their task
+of unlading.
+
+Curtis thinks it quite probable that the leaks may be mended from the
+interior. By far the best way of repairing the damage would be to
+careen the ship, and to shift the planking, but the appliances are
+wanting for such an undertaking; moreover, any bad weather which might
+occur while the ship was on her flank would only too certainly be fatal
+to her altogether. But the captain has very little doubt that by some
+device or other he shall manage to patch up the hole in such a way as
+will insure our reaching land in safety.
+
+After two days' toil the water was entirely reduced, and without
+further difficulty the unlading was completed. All of us, including
+even Andre Letourneur, have been taking our turn at the pumps, for the
+work is so extremely fatiguing that the crew require some occasional
+respite; arms and back soon become strained and weary with the
+incessant swing of the handles, and I can well understand the dislike
+which sailors always express to the labor.
+
+One thing there is which is much in our favor; the ship lies on a firm
+and solid bottom, and we have the satisfaction of knowing that we are
+not contending with a flood that encroaches faster than it can be
+resisted. Heaven grant that we may not be called to make like efforts,
+and to make them hopelessly, for a foundering ship!
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX
+
+EXAMINATION OF THE HOLD
+
+
+NOVEMBER 15 to 20.--The examination of the hold has at last been made.
+Among the first things that were found was the case of picrate,
+perfectly intact, having neither been injured by the water, nor of
+course reached by the flames. Why it was not at once pitched into the
+sea I cannot say; but it was merely conveyed to the extremity of the
+island, and there it remains.
+
+While they were below, Curtis and Dowlas made themselves acquainted
+with the full extent of the mischief that had been done by the
+conflagration. They found that the deck and the cross-beams that
+supported it had been much less injured than they expected, and the
+thick, heavy planks had only been scorched very superficially. But the
+action of the fire on the flanks of the ship had been of a much more
+serious character; a long portion of the inside boarding had been
+burned away, and the very ribs of the vessel were considerably damaged;
+the oakum caulkings had all started away from the butt-ends and seams;
+so much so that it was little short of a miracle that the whole ship
+had not long since gaped completely open.
+
+The captain and the carpenter returned to the deck with anxious faces.
+Curtis lost no time in assembling passengers and crew, and announcing
+to them the facts of the case.
+
+"My friends," he said, "I am here to tell you that the Chancellor has
+sustained far greater injuries than we suspected, and that her hull is
+very seriously damaged. If we had been stranded anywhere else than on a
+barren reef, that may at any time be overwhelmed by a tempestuous sea,
+I should not have hesitated to take the ship to pieces, and construct a
+smaller vessel that might have carried us safely to land; but I dare
+not run the risk of remaining here. We are now 800 miles from the coast
+of Paramaribo, the nearest portion of Dutch Guiana, and in ten or
+twelve days, if the weather should be favorable, I believe we could
+reach the shore. What I now propose to do is to stop the leak by the
+best means we can command, and make at once for the nearest port."
+
+As no better plan seemed to suggest itself, Curtis's proposal was
+unanimously accepted. Dowlas and his assistants immediately set to work
+to repair the charred frame-work of the ribs, and to stop the leak;
+they took care thoroughly to calk from the outside all the seams that
+were above low water mark; lower than that they were unable to work,
+and had to content themselves with such repairs as they could effect in
+the interior. But after all the pains there is no doubt the Chancellor
+is not fit for a long voyage, and would be condemned as unseaworthy at
+any port at which we might put in.
+
+To-day the 20th, Curtis having done all that human power could do to
+repair his ship, determined to put her to sea.
+
+Ever since the Chancellor had been relieved of her cargo, and of the
+water in her hold, she had been able to float in the little natural
+basin into which she had been driven. The basin was enclosed on either
+hand by rocks that remained uncovered even at high water, but was
+sufficiently wide to allow the vessel to turn quite round at its
+broadest part, and by means of hawsers fastened on the reef to be
+brought with her bows towards the south; while, to prevent her being
+carried back on to the reef, she has been anchored fore and aft.
+
+To all appearance, then, it seemed as though it would be an easy matter
+to put the Chancellor to sea; if the wind were favorable the sails
+would be hoisted; if otherwise, she would have to be towed through the
+narrow passage. All seemed simple. But unlooked-for difficulties had
+yet to be surmounted.
+
+The mouth of the passage is guarded by a kind of ridge of basalt, which
+at high tide we knew was barely covered with sufficient water to float
+the Chancellor, even when entirely unfreighted. To be sure she had been
+carried over the obstacle once before, but then, as I have already
+said, she had been caught up by an enormous wave, and might have been
+said to be LIFTED over the barrier into her present position. Besides,
+on that ever memorable night, there had not only been the ordinary
+spring-tide, but an equinoctial tide, such a one as could not be
+expected to occur again for many months. Waiting was out of the
+question; so Curtis determined to run the risk, and to take advantage
+of the spring-tide, which would occur to-day, to make an attempt to get
+the ship, lightened as she was, over the bar; after which, he might
+ballast her sufficiently to sail.
+
+The wind was blowing from the northwest, and consequently right in the
+direction of the passage. The captain, however, after a consultation,
+preferred to tow the ship over the ridge, as he considered it was
+scarcely safe to allow a vessel of doubtful stability at full sail to
+charge an obstacle that would probably bring her to a dead lock. Before
+the operation was commenced, Curtis took the precaution of having an
+anchor ready in the stern, for, in the event of the attempt being
+unsuccessful, it would be necessary to bring the ship back to her
+present moorings. Two more anchors were next carried outside the
+passage, which was not more than two hundred feet in length. The chains
+were attached to the windlass, the sailors worked at the hand-spikes,
+and at four o'clock in the afternoon the Chancellor was in motion.
+
+High tide would be at twenty minutes past four, and at ten minutes
+before that time the ship had been hauled as far as her sea-range would
+allow; her keel grazed the ridge, and her progress was arrested. When
+the lowest part of her stern, however, just cleared the obstruction,
+Curtis deemed that there was no longer any reason why the mechanical
+action of the wind should not be brought to bear and contribute its
+assistance. Without delay, all sails were unfurled and trimmed to the
+wind. The tide was exactly at its height, passengers and crew together
+were at the windlass, M. Letourneur, Andre, Falsten, and myself being
+at the starboard bar. Curtis stood upon the poop, giving his chief
+attention to the sails; the lieutenant was on the forecastle; the
+boatswain by the helm. The sea seemed propitiously calm and; as it
+swelled gently to and fro, lifted the ship several times.
+
+"Now, my boys," said Curtis, in his calm clear voice, "all together!
+Off!"
+
+Round went the windlass; click, click, clanked the chains as link by
+link they were forced through the hawse-holes.
+
+The breeze freshened, and the masts gave to the pressure of the sails,
+but round and round we went, keeping time in regular monotony to the
+sing-song tune hummed by one of the sailors.
+
+We had gained about twenty feet, and were redoubling our efforts when
+the ship grounded again.
+
+And now no effort would avail; all was in vain; the tide began to turn:
+and the Chancellor would not advance an inch. Was there time to go
+back? She would inevitably go to pieces if left balanced upon the
+ridge. In an instant the captain has ordered the sails to be furled,
+and the anchor dropped from the stern.
+
+One moment of terrible anxiety, and all is well.
+
+The Chancellor tacks to stern, and glides back into the basin, which is
+once more her prison.
+
+"Well, captain," says the boatswain, "what's to be done now?"
+
+"I don't know," said Curtis, "but we shall get across somehow."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXI
+
+THE "CHANCELLOR" RELEASED FROM HER PRISON
+
+
+NOVEMBER 21 TO 24.--There was assuredly no time to be lost before we
+ought to leave Ham Rock reef. The barometer had been falling ever since
+the morning, the sea was getting rougher, and there was every symptom
+that the weather, hitherto so favorable, was on the point of breaking;
+and in the event of a gale the Chancellor must inevitably be dashed to
+pieces on the rocks.
+
+In the evening, when the tide was quite low, and the rocks uncovered,
+Curtis, the boatswain, and Dowlas went to examine the ridge which had
+proved so serious an obstruction. Falsten and I accompanied them. We
+came to the conclusion that the only way of effecting a passage was by
+cutting away the rocks with pikes over a surface measuring ten feet by
+six. An extra depth of nine or ten inches would give a sufficient
+gauge, and the channel might be accurately marked out by buoys; in this
+way it was conjectured the ship might be got over the ridge and so
+reach the deep water beyond.
+
+"But this basalt is as hard as granite," said the boatswain; "besides,
+we can only get at it at low water, and consequently could only work at
+it for two hours out of the twenty-four."
+
+"All the more reason why we should begin at once, boatswain," said
+Curtis.
+
+"But if it is to take us a month, captain, perhaps by that time the
+ship may be knocked to atoms. Couldn't we manage to blow up the rock?
+we have got some powder aboard."
+
+"Not enough for that," said the boatswain.
+
+"You have something better than powder," said Falsten.
+
+"What's that?" asked the captain.
+
+"Picrate of potash," was the reply.
+
+And so the explosive substance with which poor Ruby had so grievously
+imperiled the vessel was now to serve her in good stead, and I now saw
+what a lucky thing it was that the case had been deposited safely on
+the reef, instead of being thrown into the sea.
+
+The sailors went off at once for their pikes, and Dowlas and his
+assistants, under the direction of Falsten, who, as an engineer,
+understood such matters, proceeded to hollow out a mine wherein to
+deposit the powder. At first we hoped that everything would be ready
+for the blasting to take place on the following morning, but when
+daylight appeared we found that the men, although they had labored with
+a will, had only been able to work for an hour at low water and that
+four tides must ebb before the mine had been sunk to the required depth.
+
+Not until eight o'clock on the morning of the 23d was the work
+complete. The hole was bored obliquely in the rock, and was large
+enough to contain about ten pounds of explosive matter. Just as the
+picrate was being introduced into the aperture, Falsten interposed:
+
+"Stop," he said, "I think it will be best to mix the picrate with
+common powder, as that will allow us to fire the mine with a match
+instead of the gun-priming which would be necessary to produce a shock.
+Besides, it is an understood thing that the addition of gunpowder
+renders picrate far more effective in blasting such rocks as this, as
+then the violence of the picrate prepares the way for the powder which,
+slower in its action, will complete the disseverment of the basalt."
+
+Falsten is not a great talker, but what he does say is always very much
+to the point. His good advice was immediately followed; the two
+substances were mixed together, and after a match had been introduced
+the compound was rammed closely into the hole.
+
+Notwithstanding that the Chancellor was at a distance from the rocks
+that insured her from any danger of being injured by the explosion, it
+was thought advisable that the passengers and crew should take refuge
+in the grotto at the extremity of the reef, and even Mr. Kear, in spite
+of his many objections, was forced to leave the ship. Falsten, as soon
+as he had set fire to the match, joined us in our retreat.
+
+The train was to burn for ten minutes, and at the end of that time the
+explosion took place; the report, on account of the depth of the mine,
+being muffled, and much less noisy than we had expected. But the
+operation had been perfectly successful. Before we reached the ridge we
+could see that the basalt had been literally reduced to powder, and
+that a little channel, already being filled by the rising tide, had
+been cut right through the obstacle. A loud hurrah rang through the
+air; our prison-doors were opened, and we were prisoners no more.
+
+At high tide the Chancellor weighed anchor and floated out into the
+sea, but she was not in a condition to sail until she had been
+ballasted; and for the next twenty-four hours the crew were busily
+employed in taking up blocks of stone, and such of the bales of cotton
+as had sustained the least amount of injury.
+
+In the course of the day, M. Letourneur, Andre, Miss Herbey, and I took
+a farewell walk round the reef, and Andre, with artistic skill, carved
+on the wall of the grotto the word Chancellor--the designation of Ham
+Rock, which we had given to the reef--and the date of our running
+aground. Then we bade adieu to the scene of our three weeks' sojourn,
+where we had passed days that to some at least of our party will be
+reckoned as far from being the least happy of their lives.
+
+At high tide this morning, the 24th, with low, top, and gallant sails
+all set, the Chancellor started on her onward way, and two hours later
+the last peak of Ham Rock had vanished below the horizon.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXII
+
+A NEW DANGER
+
+
+NOVEMBER 24 to December 1.--Here we were then once more at sea, and
+although on board a ship of which the stability was very questionable,
+we had hopes, if the wind continued favorable, of reaching the coast of
+Guiana in the course of a few days.
+
+Our way was southwest and consequently with the wind, and although
+Curtis would not crowd on all sail lest the extra speed should have a
+tendency to spring the leak afresh, the Chancellor made a progress that
+was quite satisfactory. Life on board began to fall back into its
+former routine; the feeling of insecurity and the consciousness that we
+were merely retracing our path doing much, however, to destroy the
+animated intercourse that would otherwise go on between passenger and
+passenger.
+
+The first few days passed without any incident worth recording, then on
+the 29th, the wind shifted to the north, and it became necessary to
+brace the yards, trim the sails, and take a starboard tack. This made
+the ship lurch very much on one side, and as Curtis felt that she was
+laboring far too heavily, he clewed up the top-gallants, prudently
+reckoning that, under the circumstances, caution was far more important
+than speed.
+
+The night came on dark and foggy. The breeze freshened considerably,
+and, unfortunately for us, hailed from the northwest. Although we
+carried no topsails at all, the ship seemed to heel over more than
+ever. Most of the passengers had retired to their cabins, but all the
+crew remained on deck, while Curtis never quitted his post upon the
+poop.
+
+Toward two o'clock in the morning I was myself preparing to go to my
+cabin, when Burke, one of the sailors who had been down into the hold,
+came on deck with the cry:
+
+"Two feet of water below."
+
+In an instant Curtis and the boatswain had descended the ladder. The
+startling news was only too true; the sea-water was entering the hold,
+but whether the leak had sprung afresh, or whether the caulking in some
+of the seams was insufficient, it was then impossible to determine; all
+that could be done was to let the ship go with the wind, and wait for
+day.
+
+At daybreak they sounded again--"Three feet of water!" was the report.
+I glanced at Curtis--his lips were white, but he had not lost his
+self-possession. He quietly informed such of the passengers as were
+already on deck of the new danger that threatened us; it was better
+that they should know the worst, and the fact could not be long
+concealed. I told M. Letourneur that I could not help hoping that there
+might yet be time to reach the land before the last crisis came.
+Falsten was about to give vent to an expression of despair, but he was
+soon silenced by Miss Herbey asserting her confidence that all would
+yet be well.
+
+Curtis at once divided the crew into two sets, and made them work
+incessantly, turn and turn about, at the pumps. The men applied
+themselves to their task with resignation rather than with ardor; the
+labor was hard and scarcely repaid them; the pumps were constantly
+getting out of order, the valves being choked up by the ashes and bits
+of cotton that were floating about in the hold, while every moment that
+was spent in cleaning or repairing them was so much time lost.
+
+Slowly but surely the water continued to rise, and on the following
+morning the soundings gave five feet for its depth. I noticed that
+Curtis's brow contracted each time that the boatswain or the lieutenant
+brought him their report. There was no doubt it was only a question of
+time, and not for an instant must the efforts for keeping down the
+level be relaxed. Already the ship had sunk a foot lower in the water,
+and as her weight increased she no longer rose buoyantly with the
+waves, but pitched and rolled considerably.
+
+All yesterday and last night the pumping continued, but still the sea
+gained upon us. The crew are weary and discouraged, but the second
+officer and the boatswain set them a fine example of endurance, and the
+passengers have now begun to take their turn at the pumps.
+
+But all are conscious of toiling almost against hope; we are no longer
+secured firmly to the solid soil of the Ham Rock reef, but we are
+floating over an abyss which daily, nay hourly, threatens to swallow us
+into its depths.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIII
+
+AN ATTEMPT AT MUTINY
+
+
+DECEMBER 2 and 3.--For four hours we have succeeded in keeping the
+water in the hold to one level; now, however, it is very evident that
+the time cannot be far distant when the pumps will be quite unequal to
+their task.
+
+Yesterday Curtis, who does not allow himself a minute's rest, made a
+personal inspection of the hold. I, with the boatswain and carpenter,
+accompanied him. After dislodging some of the bales of cotton we could
+hear a splashing, or rather gurgling sound; but whether the water was
+entering at the original aperture, or whether it found its way in
+through a general dislocation of the seams, we were unable to discover.
+But, whichever might be the case, Curtis determined to try a plan
+which, by cutting off communication between the interior and exterior
+of the vessel, might, if only for a few hours, render her hull more
+water-tight. For this purpose he had some strong, well tarred sails
+drawn upward by ropes from below the keel, as high as the previous
+leaking place, and then fastened closely and securely to the side of
+the hull. The scheme was dubious, and the operation difficult, but for
+a time it was effectual, and at the close of the day the level of the
+water had actually been reduced by several inches. The diminution was
+small enough, but the consciousness that more water was escaping
+through the scupper-holes than was finding its way into the hold gave
+us fresh courage to persevere with our work.
+
+The night was dark, but the captain carried all the sail he could,
+eager to take every possible advantage of the wind, which was
+freshening considerably. If he could have sighted a ship he would have
+made signals of distress, and would not have hesitated to transfer the
+passengers, and even have allowed the crew to follow, if they were
+ready to forsake him; for himself his mind was made up--he should
+remain on board the Chancellor until she foundered beneath his feet. No
+sail, however, hove in sight; consequently escape by such means was out
+of our power.
+
+During the night the canvas covering yielded to the pressure of the
+waves, and this morning, after taking the sounding, the boatswain could
+not suppress an oath when he announced, "Six feet of water in the hold!"
+
+The ship, then, was filling once again, and already had sunk
+considerably below her previous water-line. With aching arms and
+bleeding hands we worked harder than ever at the pumps, and Curtis
+makes those who are not pumping form a line and pass buckets, with all
+the speed they can, from hand to hand.
+
+But all in vain! At half-past eight more water is reported in the hold,
+and some of the sailors, overcome by despair, refuse to work one minute
+longer.
+
+The first to abandon his post was Owen, a man whom I have mentioned
+before as exhibiting something of a mutinous spirit. He is about forty
+years of age, and altogether unprepossessing in appearance; his face is
+bare, with the exception of a reddish beard, which terminates in a
+point; his forehead is furrowed with sinister looking wrinkles, his
+lips curl inward, and his ears protrude, while his bleared and
+bloodshot eyes are encircled with thick red rings.
+
+Among the five or six other men who had struck work I noticed
+Jynxstrop, the cook, who evidently shared all Owen's ill-feelings.
+
+Twice did Curtis order the men back to the pumps, and twice did Owen,
+acting as spokesman for the rest, refuse; and when Curtis made a step
+forward as though to approach him, he said savagely:
+
+"I advise you not to touch me," and walked away to the forecastle.
+
+Curtis descended to his cabin, and almost immediately returned with a
+loaded revolver in his hand.
+
+For a moment Owen surveyed the captain with a frown of defiance; but at
+a sign from Jynxstrop he seemed to recollect himself, and, with the
+remainder of the men, he returned to his work.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIV
+
+CURTIS RESOLVES TO ABANDON THE SHIP
+
+
+DECEMBER 4.--The first attempt at mutiny being thus happily suppressed,
+it is to be hoped that Curtis will succeed as well in future. An
+insubordinate crew would render us powerless indeed.
+
+Throughout the night the pumps were kept, without respite, steadily at
+work, but without producing the least sensible benefit. The ship became
+so water-logged and heavy that she hardly rose at all to the waves,
+which consequently often washed over the deck and contributed their
+part toward aggravating our case. Our situation was rapidly becoming as
+terrible as it had been when the fire was raging in the midst of us;
+and the prospect of being swallowed by the devouring billows was no
+less formidable than that of perishing in the flames.
+
+Curtis kept the men up to the mark, and, willing or unwilling, they had
+no alternative but to work on as best they might; but in spite of all
+their efforts, the water perpetually rose, till, at length, the men in
+the hold who were passing the buckets found themselves immersed up to
+their waists, and were obliged to come on deck.
+
+This morning, after a somewhat protracted consultation with Walter and
+the boatswain, Curtis resolved to abandon the ship. The only remaining
+boat was far too small to hold us all, and it would therefore be
+necessary to construct a raft that should carry those who could not
+find room in her. Dowlas, the carpenter, Mr. Falsten, and ten sailors
+were told off to put the raft in hand, the rest of the crew being
+ordered to continue their work assiduously at the pumps, until the time
+came and everything was ready for embarkation.
+
+Hatchet or saw in hand, the carpenter and his assistants made a
+beginning without delay, by cutting and trimming the spare yards and
+extra spars to a proper length. These were then lowered into the
+sea--which was propitiously calm--so as to favor the operation (which
+otherwise would have been very difficult) of lashing them together into
+a firm framework, about forty feet long and twenty-five feet wide, upon
+which the platform was to be supported.
+
+I kept my own place steadily at the pumps, and Andre Letourneur worked
+at my side. I often noticed his father glance at him sorrowfully, as
+though he wondered what would become of him if he had to struggle with
+waves to which even the strongest man could hardly fail to succumb. But
+come what may, his father will never forsake him, and I myself shall
+not be wanting in rendering him whatever assistance I can.
+
+Mrs. Kear, who had been for some time in a state of drowsy
+unconsciousness, was not informed of the immediate danger; but when
+Miss Herbey, looking somewhat pale with fatigue, paid one of her flying
+visits to the deck, I warned her to take every precaution for herself,
+and to be ready for any emergency.
+
+"Thank you, doctor, I am always ready," she cheerfully replied, and
+returned to her duties below. I saw Andre follow the young girl with
+his eyes, and a look of melancholy interest passed over his countenance.
+
+Toward eight o'clock in the evening the framework for the raft was
+almost complete, and the men were lowering empty barrels, which had
+first been securely bunged, and were lashing them to the woodwork to
+insure its floating.
+
+Two hours later and suddenly there arose the startling cry, "We are
+sinking! we are sinking!"
+
+Up to the poop rushed Mr. Kear, followed immediately by Falsten and
+Miss Herbey, who were bearing the inanimate form of Mrs. Kear. Curtis
+ran to his cabin, instantly returning with a chart, a sextant, and a
+compass in his hand.
+
+The scene that followed will ever be engraven in my memory; the cries
+of distress, the general confusion, the frantic rush of the sailors
+toward the raft that was not yet ready to support them, can never be
+forgotten. The whole period of my life seemed to be concentrated into
+that terrible moment when the planks bent below my feet and the ocean
+yawned beneath me.
+
+Some of the sailors had taken their delusive refuge in the shrouds, and
+I was preparing to follow them when a hand was laid upon my shoulder..
+Turning round I beheld M. Letourneur, with tears in his eyes, pointing
+toward his son. "Yes, my friend," I said, pressing his hand, "we will
+save him, if possible."
+
+But Curtis had already caught hold of the young man, and was hurrying
+him to the main-mast shrouds, when the Chancellor, which had been
+scudding along rapidly with the wind, stopped suddenly, with a violent
+shock, and began to settle. The sea rose over my ankles, and almost
+instinctively I clutched at the nearest rope. All at once, when it
+seemed all over, the ship ceased to sink, and hung motionless in
+mid-ocean.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXV
+
+WHILE THERE'S LIFE THERE'S HOPE
+
+
+NIGHT of December 4.--Curtis caught young Letourneur again in his arms,
+and, running with him across the flooded deck, deposited him safely in
+the starboard shrouds, whither his father and I climbed up beside him.
+
+I now had time to look about me. The night was not very dark, and I
+could see that Curtis had returned to his post upon the poop; while in
+the extreme aft near the taffrail, which was still above water, I could
+distinguish the forms of Mr. and Mrs. Kear, Miss Herbey, and Mr.
+Falsten. The lieutenant and the boatswain were on the far end of the
+forecastle; the remainder of the crew in the shrouds and top-masts.
+
+By the assistance of his father, who carefully guided his feet up the
+rigging, Andre was hoisted into the main-top. Mrs. Kear could not be
+induced to join him in his elevated position, in spite of being told
+that if the wind were to freshen she would inevitably be washed
+overboard by the waves; nothing could induce her to listen to
+remonstrances, and she insisted upon remaining on the poop--Miss
+Herbey, of course, staying by her side.
+
+As soon as the captain saw the Chancellor was no longer sinking, he set
+to work to take down all the sails--yards and all--and the
+top-gallants, in the hope that by removing everything that could
+compromise the equilibrium of the ship he might diminish the chance of
+her capsizing altogether.
+
+"But may she not founder at any moment?" I said to Curtis, when I had
+joined him for a while upon the poop.
+
+"Everything depends upon the weather," he replied, in his calmest
+manner; "that, of course, may change at any hour. One thing, however,
+is certain, the Chancellor preserves her equilibrium for the present."
+
+"But do you mean to say," I further asked, "that she can sail with two
+feet of water over her deck?"
+
+"No, Mr. Kazallon, she can't sail, but she can drift with the wind; and
+if the wind remains in its present quarter, in the course of a few days
+we might possibly sight the coast. Besides, we shall have our raft as a
+last resource; in a few hours it will be ready, and at daybreak we can
+embark."
+
+"You have not, then," I added, "abandoned all hope even yet?" I
+marveled at his composure.
+
+"While there's life there's hope, you know, Mr. Kazallon; out of a
+hundred chances, ninety-nine may be against us, but perhaps the odd one
+may be in our favor. Besides, I believe that our case is not without
+precedent. In the year 1795, a three-master, the Juno, was precisely in
+the same half-sunk, water-logged condition as ourselves; and yet, with
+her passengers and crew clinging to her top-masts, she drifted for
+twenty days, until she came in sight of land, when those who had
+survived the deprivation and fatigue were saved. So let us not despair;
+let us hold on to the hope that the survivors of the Chancellor may be
+equally fortunate."
+
+I was only too conscious that there was not much to be said in support
+of Curtis's sanguine view of things, and that the force of reason
+pointed all the other way; but I said nothing, deriving what comfort I
+could from the fact that the captain did not yet despond of an ultimate
+rescue.
+
+As it was necessary to be prepared to abandon the ship almost at a
+moment's notice, Dowlas was making every exertion to hurry on the
+construction of the raft. A little before midnight he was on the point
+of conveying some planks for this purpose, when, to his astonishment
+and horror, he found that the framework had totally disappeared. The
+ropes that had attached it to the vessel had snapped as she became
+vertically displaced, and probably it had been adrift for more than an
+hour.
+
+The crew were frantic at this new misfortune, and shouting "Overboard
+with the masts!" they began to cut down the rigging preparatory to
+taking possession of the masts for a new raft.
+
+But here Curtis interposed:
+
+"Back to your places, my men; back to your places. The ship will not
+sink yet, so don't touch a rope until I give you leave."
+
+The firmness of the captain's voice brought the men to their senses,
+and although some of them could ill disguise their reluctance, all
+returned to their posts.
+
+When daylight had sufficiently advanced Curtis mounted the mast, and
+looked around for the missing raft; but it was nowhere to be seen. The
+sea was far too rough for the men to venture to take out the whale-boat
+in search of it, and there was no choice but to set to work and to
+construct a new raft immediately.
+
+Since the sea has become so much rougher, Mrs. Kear has been induced to
+leave the poop, and has managed to join M. Letourneur and his son on
+the main-top, where she lies in a state of complete prostration. I need
+hardly add that Miss Herbey continues in her unwearied attendance. The
+space to which these four people are limited is necessarily very small,
+nowhere measuring twelve feet across: to prevent them losing their
+balance some spars have been lashed from shroud to shroud, and for the
+convenience of the two ladies Curtis has contrived to make a temporary
+awning of a sail. Mr. Kear has installed himself with Silas Huntly on
+the foretop.
+
+A few cases of preserved meat and biscuit and some barrels of water,
+that floated between the masts after the submersion of the deck, have
+been hoisted to the top-mast and fastened firmly to the stays. These
+are now our only provisions.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVI
+
+MR. KEAR MAKES A BUSINESS DEAL
+
+
+DECEMBER 5.--The day was very hot. December in latitude 16 deg. N. is a
+summer month, and unless a breeze should rise to temper the burning
+sun, we might expect to suffer from an oppressive heat.
+
+The sea still remained very rough, and as the heavy waves broke over
+the ship as though she were a reef, the foam flew up to the very
+top-masts, and our clothes were perpetually drenched by the spray.
+
+The Chancellor's hull is three-fourths immerged; besides the three
+masts and the bowsprit, to which the whale-boat was suspended, the poop
+and the forecastle are the only portions that now are visible; and as
+the intervening section of the deck is quite below the water, these
+appear to be connected only by the framework of the netting that runs
+along the vessel's sides. Communication between the top-masts is
+extremely difficult, and would be absolutely precluded, were it not
+that the sailors, with practiced dexterity, manage to hoist themselves
+about by means of the stays. For the passengers, cowering on their
+narrow and unstable platform, the spectacle of the raging sea below was
+truly terrific; every wave that dashed over the ship shook the masts
+till they trembled again, and one could venture scarcely to look or to
+think lest he should be tempted to cast himself into the vast abyss.
+
+Meanwhile, the crew worked away with all their remaining vigor at the
+second raft, for which the top-gallants and yards were all obliged to
+be employed; the planks, too, which were continually being loosened and
+broken away by the violence of the waves from the partitions of the
+ship, were rescued before they had drifted out of reach, and were
+brought into use. The symptoms of the ship foundering did not appear to
+be immediate; so that Curtis insisted upon the raft being made with
+proper care to insure its strength; we were still several hundred miles
+from the coast of Guiana, and for so long a voyage it was indispensable
+to have a structure of considerable solidity. The reasonableness of
+this was self-apparent, and as the crew had recovered their assurance
+they spared no pains to accomplish their work effectually.
+
+Of all the number, there was but one, an Irishman, named O'Ready, who
+seemed to question the utility of all their toil. He shook his head
+with an oracular gravity. He is an oldish man, not less than sixty,
+with his hair and beard bleached with the storms of many travels. As I
+was making my way toward the poop, he came up to me and began talking.
+
+"And why, bedad, I'd like to know, why is it that they'll all be afther
+lavin' the ship?"
+
+He turned his quid with the most serene composure, and continued:
+
+"And isn't it me myself that's been wrecked nine times already? and
+sure, poor fools are they that ever have put their trust in rafts or
+boats; sure and they found a wathery grave. Nay, nay; while the ould
+ship lasts, let's stick to her, says I."
+
+Having thus unburdened his mind he relapsed into silence, and soon went
+away.
+
+About three o'clock I noticed that Mr. Kear and Silas Huntly were
+holding an animated conversation in the foretop. The petroleum merchant
+had evidently some difficulty in bringing the ex-captain round to his
+opinion, for I saw him several times shake his head as he gave long and
+scrutinizing looks at the sea and sky. In less than an hour afterward I
+saw Huntly let himself down by the forestays and clamber along to the
+fore-castle, where he joined the group of sailors, and I lost sight of
+him.
+
+I attached little importance to the incident, and shortly afterward
+joined the party in the main-top, where we continued talking for some
+hours. The heat was intense, and if it had not been for the shelter
+afforded by the sail-tent, would have been unbearable. At five o'clock
+we took as refreshment some dried meat and biscuit, each individual
+being also allowed half a glass of water. Mrs. Kear prostrate with
+fever, could not touch a mouthful; and nothing could be done by Miss
+Herbey to relieve her, beyond occasionally moistening her parched lips.
+The unfortunate lady suffers greatly, and sometimes I am inclined to
+think that she will succumb to the exposure and privation. Not once had
+her husband troubled himself about her; but when shortly afterward I
+heard him hail some of the sailors on the fore-castle and ask them to
+help him down from the foretop, I began to think that the selfish
+fellow was coming to join his wife.
+
+At first the sailors took no notice of his request, but on his
+repeating it with the promise of paying them handsomely for their
+services, two of them, Burke and Sandon, swung themselves along the
+netting into the shrouds, and were soon at his side.
+
+A long discussion ensued. The men evidently were asking more than Mr.
+Kear was inclined to give, and at one time it seemed as though the
+negotiation would fall through altogether. But at length the bargain
+was struck, and I saw Mr. Kear take a bundle of paper dollars from his
+waistcoat pocket, and hand a number of them over to one of the men. The
+man counted them carefully, and from the time it took him, I should
+think that he could not have pocketed anything less than a hundred
+dollars.
+
+The next business was to get Mr. Kear down from the foretop, and Burke
+and Sandon proceeded to tie a rope round his waist, which they
+afterward fastened to the forestay; then, in a way which provoked
+shouts of laughter from their mates, they gave the unfortunate man a
+shove, and sent him rolling down like a bundle of dirty clothes on to
+the forecastle.
+
+I was quite mistaken as to his object. Mr. Kear had no intention of
+looking after his wife, but remained by the side of Silas Huntly until
+the gathering darkness hid them both from view.
+
+As night drew on, the wind grew calmer, but the sea remained very
+rough. The moon had been up ever since four in the afternoon, though
+she only appeared at rare intervals between the clouds. Some long lines
+of vapor on the horizon were tinged with a rosy glare that foreboded a
+strong breeze for the morrow, and all felt anxious to know from which
+quarter the breeze would come, for any but a northeaster would bear the
+frail raft on which we were to embark far away from land.
+
+About eight o'clock in the evening, Curtis mounted to the main-top, but
+he seemed preoccupied and anxious, and did not speak to anyone. He
+remained for a quarter of an hour, then after silently pressing my
+hand, he returned to his old post.
+
+I laid myself down in the narrow space at my disposal, and tried to
+sleep; but my mind was filled with strange forebodings, and sleep was
+impossible. The very calmness of the atmosphere was oppressive;
+scarcely a breath of air vibrated through the metal rigging, and yet
+the sea rose with a heavy swell as though it felt the warnings of a
+coming tempest.
+
+All at once, at about eleven o'clock, the moon burst brightly forth
+through a rift in the clouds, and the waves sparkled again as if
+illuminated by a submarine glimmer. I start up and look around me. Is
+it merely imagination? or do I really see a black speck floating, on
+the dazzling whiteness of the waters, a speck that cannot be a rock,
+because it rises and falls with the heaving motion of the billows? But
+the moon once again becomes overclouded; the sea is darkened, and I
+return to my uneasy couch close to the larboard shrouds.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVII
+
+THE WHALE-BOAT MISSING
+
+
+DECEMBER 6.--I must have fallen asleep for a few hours, when, at four
+o'clock in the morning, I was rudely aroused by the roaring of the
+wind, and could distinguish Curtis's voice as he shouted in the brief
+intervals between the heavy gusts.
+
+I got up, and holding tightly to the purlin--for the waves made the
+masts tremble with their violence--I tried to look around and below me.
+The sea was literally raging beneath, and great masses of livid-looking
+foam were dashing between the masts, which were oscillating
+terrifically. It was still dark, and I could only faintly distinguish
+two figures in the stern, whom, by the sound of their voices, that I
+caught occasionally above the tumult, I made out to be Curtis and the
+boatswain.
+
+Just at that moment a sailor, who had mounted to the main-top to do
+something to the rigging, passed close behind me.
+
+"What's the matter?" I asked.
+
+"The wind has changed," he answered, adding something which I could not
+hear distinctly, but which sounded like "dead against us."
+
+Dead against us! then, thought I, the wind had shifted to the
+southwest, and my last night's forebodings had been correct.
+
+When daylight at length appeared, I found the wind, although not
+blowing actually from the southwest, had veered round to the northwest,
+a change which was equally disastrous to us, inasmuch as it was
+carrying us away from land. Moreover, the ship had sunk considerably
+during the night, and there were now five feet of water above deck; the
+side netting had completely disappeared, and the forecastle and the
+poop were now all but on a level with the sea, which washed over them
+incessantly. With all possible expedition Curtis and his crew were
+laboring away at their raft, but the violence of the swell materially
+impeded their operations, and it became a matter of doubt as to whether
+the woodwork would not fall asunder before it could be properly
+fastened together.
+
+As I watched the men at their work, M. Letourneur, with one arm
+supporting his son, came out and stood by my side.
+
+"Don't you think this main-top will soon give way?" he said, as the
+narrow platform on which we stood creaked and groaned with the swaying
+of the masts.
+
+Miss Herbey heard his words and pointing toward Mrs. Kear, who was
+lying prostrate at her feet, asked what we thought ought to be done.
+
+"We can do nothing but stay where we are," I replied.
+
+"No," said Andre, "this is our best refuge; I hope you are not afraid."
+
+"Not for myself," said the young girl quietly, "only for those to whom
+life is precious."
+
+At a quarter to eight we heard the boatswain calling to the sailors in
+the bows.
+
+"Ay, ay, sir," said one of the men--O'Ready, I think.
+
+"Where's the whale-boat?" shouted the boatswain in a loud voice.
+
+"I don't know, sir. Not with us," was the reply.
+
+"She's gone adrift, then!"
+
+And sure enough the whale-boat was no longer hanging from the bowsprit;
+and in a moment the discovery was made that Mr. Kear, Silas Huntly, and
+three sailors,--a Scotchman and two Englishmen,--were missing. Afraid
+that the Chancellor would founder before the completion of the raft,
+Kear and Huntly had plotted together to effect their escape, and had
+bribed the three sailors to seize the only remaining boat.
+
+This, then, was the black speck that I had seen during the night. The
+miserable husband had deserted his wife, the faithless captain had
+abandoned the ship that had once been under his command.
+
+"There are five saved, then," said the boatswain.
+
+"Faith, an it's five lost ye'll be maning," said O'Ready; and the state
+of the sea fully justified his opinion.
+
+The crew were furious when they heard of the surreptitious flight, and
+loaded the fugitives with all the invectives they could lay their
+tongues to. So enraged were they at the dastardly trick of which they
+had been made the dupes, that if chance should bring the deserters
+again on board I should be sorry to answer for the consequences.
+
+In accordance with my advice, Mrs. Kear has not been informed of her
+husband's disappearance. The unhappy lady is wasting away with a fever
+for which we are powerless to supply a remedy, for the medicine-chest
+was lost when the ship began to sink. Nevertheless, I do not think we
+have anything to regret on that score, feeling, as I do, that in a case
+like Mrs. Kear's, drugs would be of no avail.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVIII
+
+MRS. KEAR SUCCUMBS TO FEVER
+
+
+DECEMBER 6 continued.--The Chancellor no longer maintained her
+equilibrium; we felt that she was gradually going down, and her hull
+was probably breaking up. The maintop was already only ten feet above
+water, while the bowsprit, with the exception of the extreme end, that
+rose obliquely from the waves, was entirely covered.
+
+The Chancellor's last day, we felt, had come.
+
+Fortunately the raft was all but finished, and unless Curtis preferred
+to wait till morning, we should be able to embark in the evening.
+
+The raft is a very solid structure. The spars that form the framework
+are crossed one above another and lashed together with stout ropes, so
+that the whole pile rises a couple of feet above the water. The upper
+platform is constructed from the planks that were broken from the
+ship's sides by the violence of the waves, and which had not drifted
+away. The afternoon has been employed in charging the raft with such
+provisions, sails, tools, and instruments as we have been able to save.
+
+And how can I attempt to give any idea of the feelings with which, one
+and all, we now contemplated the fate before us? For my own part, I was
+possessed rather by a benumbed indifference than by any sense of
+genuine resignation. M. Letourneur was entirely absorbed in his son,
+who, in his turn, thought only of his father, at the same time
+exhibiting a Christian fortitude, which was shown by no one else of the
+party except Miss Herbey, who faced her danger with the same brave
+composure. Incredible as it may seem, Falsten remained the same as
+ever, occupying himself with writing down figures and memoranda in his
+pocketbook. Mrs. Kear, in spite of all that Miss Herbey could do for
+her, was evidently dying.
+
+With regard to the sailors, two or three of them were calm enough, but
+the rest had well-nigh lost their wits. Some of the more ill-disposed
+among them seemed inclined to run into excesses; and their conduct,
+under the bad influence of Owen and Jynxstrop, made it doubtful whether
+they would submit to control when once we were limited to the narrow
+dimensions of the raft. Lieutenant Walter, although his courage never
+failed him, was worn out with bodily fatigue, and obliged to give up
+all active labor; but Curtis and the boatswain were resolute, energetic
+and firm as ever. To borrow an expression from the language of
+metallurgic art, they were men "at the highest degree of hardness."
+
+At five o'clock one of our companions in misfortune was released from
+her sufferings. Mrs. Kear, after a most distressing illness, through
+which her young companion tended her with the most devoted care, has
+breathed her last. A few deep sighs and all was over, and I doubt
+whether the sufferer was ever conscious of the peril of her situation.
+
+The night passed on without further incident. Toward morning I touched
+the dead woman's hand, and it was cold and stiff. The corpse could not
+remain any longer on the main-top, and after Miss Herbey and I had
+carefully wrapped the garments about it, with a few short prayers the
+body of the first victim of our miseries was committed to the deep.
+
+As the sea closed over the body I heard one of the men in the shrouds
+say:
+
+"There goes a carcass that we shall be sorry we have thrown away!"
+
+I looked round sharply. It was Owen who had spoken. But horrible as
+were his words, the conviction was forced upon my mind that the day
+could not be far distant when we must want for food.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIX
+
+WE EMBARK ON THE RAFT
+
+
+DECEMBER 7.--The ship was sinking rapidly; the water had risen to the
+fore-top; the poop and forecastle were completely submerged; the top of
+the bowsprit had disappeared, and only the three mast-tops projected
+from the waves.
+
+But all was ready on the raft; an erection had been made on the fore to
+hold a mast, which was supported by shrouds fastened to the sides of
+the platform; this mast carried a large royal.
+
+Perhaps, after all, these few frail planks will carry us to the shore
+which the Chancellor has failed to reach; at any rate, we cannot yet
+resign all hope.
+
+We were just on the point of embarking at 7 A. M. when the Chancellor
+all at once began to sink so rapidly that the carpenter and men who
+were on the raft were obliged with all speed to cut the ropes that
+secured it to the vessel, to prevent it from being swallowed up in the
+eddying waters.
+
+Anxiety, the most intense, took possession of us all. At the very
+moment when the ship was descending into the fathomless abyss, the
+raft, our only hope of safety, was drifting off before our eyes. Two of
+the sailors and an apprentice, beside themselves with terror, threw
+themselves headlong into the sea; but it was evident from the very
+first they were quite powerless to combat the winds and waves. Escape
+was impossible; they could neither reach the raft nor return to the
+ship. Curtis tied a rope round his waist and tried to swim to their
+assistance; but long before he could reach them, the unfortunate men,
+after a vain struggle for life, sank below the waves and were seen no
+more. Curtis, bruised and beaten with the surf that raged about the
+mast-heads, was hauled back to the ship.
+
+Meantime, Dowlas and his men, by means of some spars which they used as
+oars, were exerting themselves to bring back the raft, which had
+drifted about two cables'-lengths away; but, in spite of all their
+efforts, it was fully an hour--an hour which seemed to us, waiting as
+we were with the water up to the level of the top masts, like an
+eternity--before they succeeded in bringing the raft alongside, and
+lashing it once again to the Chancellor's main-mast.
+
+Not a moment was then to be lost. The waves were eddying like a
+whirlpool around the submerged vessel, and numbers of enormous
+air-bubbles were rising to the surface of the water.
+
+The time was come. At Curtis's word, "Embark!" we all hurried to the
+raft. Andre, who insisted upon seeing Miss Herbey go first, was helped
+safely on to the platform, where his father immediately joined him. In
+a very few minutes all except Curtis and old O'Ready had left the
+Chancellor.
+
+Curtis remained standing on the main-top, deeming it not only his duty,
+but his right, to be the last to leave the vessel he had loved so well,
+and the loss of which he so much deplored.
+
+"Now then, old fellow, off of this!" cried the captain to the old
+Irishman, who did not move.
+
+"And is it quite sure ye are that she's sinkin'?" he said.
+
+"Ay, ay! sure enough, my man; and you'd better look sharp."
+
+"Faith, then, and I think I will;" and not a moment too soon (for the
+water was up to his waist) he jumped on to the raft.
+
+Having cast one last, lingering look around him, Curtis then left the
+ship; the rope was cut, and we went slowly adrift.
+
+All eyes were fixed upon the spot where the Chancellor lay foundering.
+The top of the mizzen was the first to disappear, then followed the
+main-top; and soon, of what had been a noble vessel, not a vestige was
+to be seen.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXX
+
+OUR SITUATION CRITICAL
+
+
+WILL this frail boat, forty feet by twenty, bear us in safety? Sink it
+cannot; the material of which it is composed is of a kind that must
+surmount the waves. But it is questionable whether it will hold
+together. The cords that bind it will have a tremendous strain to bear
+in resisting the violence of the sea. The most sanguine among us
+trembles to face the future; the most confident dares to think only of
+the present. After the manifold perils of the last seventy-two days'
+voyage all are too agitated to look forward without dismay to what in
+all human probability must be a time of the direst distress.
+
+Vain as the task may seem, I will not pause in my work of registering
+the events of our drama, as scene after scene they are unfolded before
+our eyes.
+
+Of the twenty-eight persons who left Charleston in the Chancellor, only
+eighteen are left to huddle together upon this narrow raft; this number
+includes the five passengers, namely, M. Letourneur, Andre, Miss
+Herbey, Falsten, and myself; the ship's officers, Captain Curtis,
+Lieutenant Walter, the boatswain, Hobart the steward, Jynxstrop the
+cook, and Dowlas the carpenter; and seven sailors, Austin, Owen,
+Wilson, O'Ready, Burke, Sandon, and Flaypole.
+
+Such are the passengers on the raft; it is but a brief task to
+enumerate their resources.
+
+The greater part of the provisions in the store-room were destroyed at
+the time when the ship's deck was submerged, and the small quantity
+that Curtis has been able to save will be very inadequate to supply the
+wants of eighteen people, who too probably have many days to wait ere
+they sight either land or a passing vessel. One cask of biscuit,
+another of preserved meat, a small keg of brandy, and two barrels of
+water complete our store, so that the utmost frugality in the
+distribution of our daily rations becomes absolutely necessary.
+
+Of spare clothes we have positively none; a few sails will serve for
+shelter by day, and covering by night. Dowlas has his carpenter's
+tools, we have each a pocket-knife, and O'Ready an old tin pot, of
+which he takes the most tender care; in addition to these, we are in
+possession of a sextant, a compass, a chart, and a metal tea-kettle,
+everything else that was placed on deck in readiness for the first raft
+having been lost in the partial submersion of the vessel.
+
+Such then is our situation; critical indeed, but after all perhaps not
+desperate. We have one great fear; some there are among us whose
+courage, moral as well as physical, may give way, and over failing
+spirits such as these we may have no control.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXI
+
+FIRST DAY ON THE RAFT
+
+
+DECEMBER 7 continued.--Our first day on the raft has passed without any
+special incident. At eight o'clock this morning Curtis asked our
+attention for a moment.
+
+"My friends," he said, "listen to me. Here on this raft, just as when
+we were on board the Chancellor, I consider myself your captain; and as
+your captain, I expect that all of you will strictly obey my orders.
+Let me beg of you, one and all, to think solely of our common welfare;
+let us work with one heart and with one soul, and may Heaven protect
+us!"
+
+After delivering these few words with an emotion that evidenced their
+earnestness, the captain consulted his compass, and found that the
+freshening breeze was blowing from the north. This was fortunate for
+us, and no time was to be lost in taking advantage of it to speed us on
+our dubious way. Dowlas was occupied in fixing the mast into the socket
+that had already been prepared for its reception, and in order to
+support it more firmly he placed spurs of wood, forming arched
+buttresses, on either side. While he was thus employed the boatswain
+and the other seamen were stretching the large royal sail on the yard
+that had been reserved for that purpose.
+
+By half-past nine the mast was hoisted, and held firmly in its place by
+some shrouds attached securely to the sides of the raft; then the sail
+was run up and trimmed to the wind, and the raft began to make a
+perceptible progress under the brisk breeze.
+
+As soon as we had once started, the carpenter set to work to contrive
+some sort of a rudder, that would enable us to maintain our desired
+direction. Curtis and Falsten assisted him with some serviceable
+suggestions, and in a couple of hours' time he had made and fixed to
+the back of the raft a kind of paddle, very similar to those used by
+the Malays.
+
+At noon, after the necessary preliminary observations, Curtis took the
+altitude of the sun. The result gave lat. 15 deg. 7' N. by long. 49
+deg. 35' W. as our position, which, on consulting the chart, proved to
+be about 650 miles northeast of the coast of Paramaribo in Dutch Guiana.
+
+Now even under the most favorable circumstances, with trade-winds and
+weather always in our favor, we can not by any chance hope to make more
+than ten or twelve miles a day, so that the voyage cannot possibly be
+performed under a period of two months. To be sure there is the hope to
+be indulged that we may fall in with a passing vessel, but as the part
+of the Atlantic into which we have been driven is intermediate between
+the tracks of the French and English transatlantic steamers either from
+the Antilles or the Brazils, we cannot reckon at all upon a contingency
+happening in our favor; while if a calm should set in, or worse still,
+if the wind were to blow from the east, not only two months, but twice,
+nay, three times that length of time will be required to accomplish the
+passage.
+
+At best, however, our provisions, even though used with the greatest
+care, will barely last three months. Curtis has called us into
+consultation, and as the working of the raft does not require such
+labor as to exhaust our physical strength, all have agreed to submit to
+a regimen which, although it will suffice to keep us alive, will
+certainly not fully satisfy the cravings of hunger and thirst.
+
+As far as we can estimate we have somewhere about 500 lbs. of meat and
+about the same quantity of biscuit. To make this last for three months
+we ought not to consume very much more than 5 lbs. a day of each,
+which, when divided among eighteen people, will make the daily ration 5
+oz. of meat and 5 oz. of biscuit for each person. Of water we have
+certainly not more than 200 gallons, but by reducing each person's
+allowance to a pint a day, we hope to eke out that, too, over the space
+of three months.
+
+It is arranged that the food shall be distributed under the boatswain's
+superintendence every morning at ten o'clock. Each person will then
+receive his allowance of meat and biscuit, which may be eaten when and
+how he pleases. The water will be given out twice a day--at ten in the
+morning and six in the evening; but as the only drinking-vessels in our
+possession are the teakettle and the old Irishman's tin pot, the water
+has to be consumed immediately on distribution. As for the brandy, of
+which there are only five gallons, it will be doled out with the
+strictest limitation, and no one will be allowed to touch it except
+with the captain's express permission.
+
+I should not forget that there are two sources from which we may hope
+to increase our store. First, any rain that may fall will add to our
+supply of water, and two empty barrels have been placed ready to
+receive it; secondly, we hope to do something in the way of fishing,
+and the sailors have already begun to prepare some lines.
+
+All have mutually agreed to abide by the rules that have been laid
+down, for all are fully aware that by nothing but the most precise
+regimen can we hope to avert the horrors of famine, and forewarned by
+the fate of many who in similar circumstances have miserably perished,
+we are determined to do all that prudence can suggest for husbanding
+our stores.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXII
+
+WE CATCH A SUPPLY OF FISH
+
+
+DECEMBER 8 to 17.--When night came we wrapped ourselves in our sails.
+For my own part, worn out with the fatigue of the long watch in the
+top-mast, I slept for several hours; M. Letourneur and Andre did the
+same, and Miss Herbey obtained sufficient rest to relieve the tired
+expression that her countenance had lately being wearing. The night
+passed quietly. As the raft was not very heavily laden the waves did
+not break over it at all, and we were consequently able to keep
+ourselves perfectly dry. To say the truth, it was far better for us
+that the sea should remain somewhat boisterous, for any diminution in
+the swell of the waves would indicate that the wind had dropped, and it
+was with a feeling of regret that when the morning came I had to note
+down "weather calm" in my journal.
+
+In these low latitudes the heat in the day-time is so intense, and the
+sun burns with such an incessant glare, that the entire atmosphere
+becomes pervaded with a glowing vapor. The wind, too, blows only in
+fitful gusts, and through long intervals of perfect calm the sails flap
+idly and uselessly against the mast. Curtis and the boatswain, however,
+are of opinion that we are not entirely dependent on the wind. Certain
+indications, which a sailor's eye alone could detect, make them almost
+sure that we are being carried along by a westerly current, that flows
+at the rate of three or four miles an hour. If they are not mistaken,
+this is a circumstance that may materially assist our progress, and at
+which we can hardly fail to rejoice, for the high temperature often
+makes our scanty allowance of water quite inadequate to allay our
+thirst.
+
+But with all our hardships I must confess that our condition is far
+preferable to what it was when we were still clinging to the
+Chancellor. Here at least we have a comparatively solid platform
+beneath our feet, and we are relieved from the incessant dread of being
+carried down with a foundering vessel. In the day time we can move
+about with a certain amount of freedom, discuss the weather, watch the
+sea, and examine our fishing-lines; while at night we can rest securely
+under the shelter of our sails.
+
+"I really think, Mr. Kazallon," said Andre Letourneur to me a few days
+after we had embarked, "that our time on board the raft passes as
+pleasantly as it did upon Ham Rock; and the raft has one advantage even
+over the reef, for it is capable of motion."
+
+"Yes, Andre," I replied, "as long as the wind continues favorable the
+raft has decidedly the advantage; but supposing the wind shifts; what
+then?"
+
+"Oh, we mustn't think about that," he said; "let us keep up our courage
+while we can."
+
+I felt that he was right, and that the dangers we had escaped should
+make us more hopeful for the future; and I think that nearly all of us
+are inclined to share his opinion.
+
+Whether the captain is equally sanguine I am unable to say. He holds
+himself very much aloof, and as he evidently feels that he has the
+great responsibility of saving other lives than his own, we are
+reluctant to disturb his silent meditations.
+
+Such of the crew as are not on watch spend the greater portion of their
+time in dozing on the fore part of the raft. The aft, by the captain's
+orders, has been reserved for the use of us passengers, and by erecting
+some uprights we have contrived to make a sort of tent, which affords
+some shelter from the sun. On the whole our bill of health is tolerably
+satisfactory. Lieutenant Walter is the only invalid, and he, in spite
+of all our careful nursing, seems to get weaker every day.
+
+Andre Letourneur is the life of our party, and I have never appreciated
+the young man so well. His originality of perception makes his
+conversation both lively and interesting, and as he talks, his wan and
+suffering countenance lights up with an intelligent animation. His
+father seems to become more devoted to him than ever, and I have seen
+him sit for an hour at a time, with his hand resting on his son's,
+listening eagerly to his every word.
+
+Miss Herbey occasionally joins in our conversation, but although we all
+do our best to make her forget that she has lost those who should have
+been her natural protectors, M. Letourneur is the only one among us to
+whom she speaks without a certain reserve. To him, whose age gives him
+something of the authority of a father, she has told the history of her
+life--a life of patience and self-denial such as not unfrequently falls
+to the lot of orphans. She had been, she said, two years with Mrs.
+Kear, and although now left alone in the world, homeless and without
+resources, hope for the future does not fail her. The young lady's
+modest deportment and energy of character command the respect of all on
+board, and I do not think that even the coarsest of the sailors has
+either by word or gesture acted toward her in a way that she could deem
+offensive.
+
+The 12th, 13th, and 14th of December passed away without any change in
+our condition. The wind continued to blow in irregular gusts, but
+always in the same direction, and the helm, or rather the paddle at the
+back of the raft, has never once required shifting; and the watch, who
+are posted on the fore, under orders to examine the sea with the most
+scrupulous attention, have had no change of any kind to report.
+
+At the end of the week we found ourselves growing accustomed to our
+limited diet, and as we had no manual exertion, and no wear and tear of
+our physical constitution, we managed very well. Our greatest
+deprivation was the short supply of water, for, as I said before, the
+unmitigated heat made our thirst at times very painful.
+
+On the 15th we held high festival. A shoal of fish, of the sparus
+tribe, swarmed round the raft, and although our tackle consisted merely
+of long cords baited with morsels of dried meat stuck upon bent nails,
+the fish were so voracious that in the course of a couple of days we
+had caught as many as weighed almost 200 lbs., some of which were
+grilled, and others boiled in sea-water over a fire made on the fore
+part of the raft. This marvelous haul was doubly welcome, inasmuch as
+it not only afforded us a change of diet, but enabled us to economize
+our stores; if only some rain had fallen at the same time we would have
+been more than satisfied.
+
+Unfortunately the shoal of fish did not remain long in our vicinity. On
+the 17th they all disappeared, and some sharks, not less than twelve or
+fifteen feet long, belonging to the species of the spotted dog-fish,
+took their place. These horrible creatures have black backs and fins,
+covered with white spots and stripes. Here, on our low raft, we seemed
+almost on a level with them, and more than once their tails have struck
+the spars with terrible violence. The sailors manage to keep them at a
+distance by means of handspikes, but I shall not be surprised if they
+persist in following us, instinctively intelligent that we are destined
+to become their prey. For myself, I confess that they give me a feeling
+of uneasiness; they seem to me like monsters of ill-omen.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXIII
+
+MUTINY ON THE RAFT
+
+
+DECEMBER 18 to 20.--On the 18th the wind freshened a little, but as it
+blew from the same favorable quarter we did not complain, and only took
+the precaution of putting an extra support to the mast, so that it
+should not snap with the tension of the sail. This done, the raft was
+carried along with something more than its ordinary speed, and left a
+long line of foam in its wake.
+
+In the afternoon the sky became slightly over-clouded, and the heat
+consequently less oppressive. The swell made it more difficult for the
+raft to keep its balance, and we shipped two or three heavy seas; but
+the carpenter managed to make with some planks a kind of wall about a
+couple of feet high, which protected us from the direct action of the
+waves. Our casks of food and water were secured to the raft with double
+ropes, for we dared not run the risk of their being carried overboard,
+an accident that would at once have reduced us to the direst distress.
+
+In the course of the day the sailors gathered some of the marine plants
+known by the name of sargassos, very similar to those we saw in such
+profusion between the Bermudas and Ham Rock. I advised my companions to
+chew the laminary tangles, which they would find contained a saccharine
+juice, affording considerable relief to their parched lips and throats.
+
+The remainder of the day passed without incident. I should not,
+however, omit to mention that the frequent conferences held among the
+sailors, especially between Owen, Burke, Flaypole, Wilson, and
+Jynxstrop, the negro, aroused some uneasy suspicions in my mind. What
+was the subject of their conversation I could not discover, for they
+became silent immediately that a passenger or one of the officers
+approached them. When I mentioned the matter to Curtis I found he had
+already noticed these secret interviews, and that they had given him
+enough concern to make him determined to keep a strict eye upon
+Jynxstrop and Owen, who, rascals as they were themselves, were
+evidently trying to disaffect their mates.
+
+On the 19th the heat was again excessive. The sky was cloudless, and as
+there was not enough wind to fill the sail the raft lay motionless upon
+the surface of the water. Some of the sailors found a transient
+alleviation for their thirst by plunging into the sea, but as we were
+fully aware that the water all around was infested with sharks, none of
+us was rash enough to follow their example, though if, as seems likely,
+we remain long becalmed, we shall probably in time overcome our fears,
+and feel constrained to indulge ourselves with a bath.
+
+The health of Lieutenant Walter continues to cause us grave anxiety,
+the young man being weakened by attacks of intermittent fever. Except
+for the loss of the medicine-chest we might have temporarily reduced
+this by quinine; but it is only too evident that the poor fellow is
+consumptive, and that that hopeless malady is making ravages upon him
+that no medicine could permanently arrest. His sharp, dry cough, his
+short breathing, his profuse perspirations, more especially in the
+morning; the pinched-in nose, the hollow cheeks, of which the general
+pallor is only relieved by a hectic flush, the contracted lips, the too
+brilliant eye and wasted form--all bear witness to a slow but sure
+decay.
+
+To-day, the 20th, the temperature is as high as ever, and the raft
+still motionless. The rays of the sun penetrate even through the
+shelter of our tent, where we sit literally gasping with the heat. The
+impatience with which we awaited the moment when the boatswain should
+dole out our meager allowance of water, and the eagerness with which
+those lukewarm drops were swallowed, can only be realized by those who
+for themselves have endured the agonies of thirst.
+
+Lieutenant Walter suffers more than any of us from the scarcity of
+water, and I noticed that Miss Herbey reserved almost the whole of her
+own share for his use. Kind and compassionate as ever, the young girl
+does all that lies in her power to relieve the poor fellow's sufferings.
+
+"Mr. Kazallon," she said to me this morning, "that young man gets
+manifestly weaker every day."
+
+"Yes, Miss Herbey," I replied, "and how sorrowful it is that we can do
+nothing for him, absolutely nothing."
+
+"Hush!" she said, with her wonted consideration, "perhaps he will hear
+what we are saying."
+
+And then she sat down near the edge of the raft, where, with her head
+resting on her hands, she remained lost in thought.
+
+An incident sufficiently unpleasant occurred to-day. For nearly an hour
+Owen, Flaypole, Burke and Jynxstrop had been engaged in close
+conversation and, although their voices were low, their gestures had
+betrayed that they were animated by some strong excitement. At the
+conclusion of the colloquy Owen got up and walked deliberately to the
+quarter of the raft that has been reserved for the use of the
+passengers.
+
+"Where are you off to now, Owen?" said the boatswain.
+
+"That's my business," said the man insolently, and pursued his course.
+
+The boatswain was about to stop him, but before he could interfere
+Curtis was standing and looking Owen steadily in the face.
+
+"Ah, captain, I've got a word from my mates to say to you," he said,
+with all the effrontery imaginable.
+
+"Say on, then," said the captain coolly.
+
+"We should like to know about that little keg of brandy. Is it being
+kept for the porpoises or the officers?"
+
+Finding that he obtained no reply, he went on:
+
+"Look here, captain, what we want is to have our grog served out every
+morning as usual."
+
+"Then you certainly will not," said the captain.
+
+"What! what!" exclaimed Owen, "don't you mean to let us have our grog?"
+
+"Once and for all, no."
+
+For a moment, with a malicious grin upon his lips, Owen stood
+confronting the captain; then, as though thinking better of himself, he
+turned round and rejoined his companions, who were still talking
+together in an undertone.
+
+When I was afterward discussing the matter with Curtis, I asked him
+whether he was sure he had done right in refusing the brandy.
+
+"Right!" he cried, "to be sure I have. Allow those men to have brandy!
+I would throw it all overboard first."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXIV
+
+A SQUALL
+
+
+DECEMBER 21.--No further disturbance has taken place among the men. For
+a few hours the fish appeared again, and we caught a great many of
+them, and stored them away in an empty barrel. This addition to our
+stock of provisions makes us hope that food, at least, will not fail us.
+
+Usually the nights in the tropics are cool, but to-day, as the evening
+drew on, the wonted freshness did not return, but the air remained
+stifling and oppressive, while heavy masses of vapor hung over the
+water.
+
+There was no moonlight; there would be a new moon at half-past one in
+the morning, but the night was singularly dark, except for dazzling
+flashes of summer lightning that from time to time illuminated the
+horizon far and wide. There was, however, no answering roll of thunder,
+and the silence of the atmosphere seemed almost awful.
+
+For a couple of hours, in the vain hope of catching a breath of air,
+Miss Herbey, Andre Letourneur, and I, sat watching the imposing
+struggle of the electric vapors. The clouds appeared like embattled
+turrets crested with flame, and the very sailors, coarse-minded men as
+they were, seemed struck with the grandeur of the spectacle, and
+regarded attentively, though with an anxious eye, the preliminary
+tokens of a coming storm. Until midnight we kept our seats upon the
+stern of the raft, while the lightning ever and again shed around us a
+livid glare similar to that produced by adding salt to lighted alcohol.
+
+"Are you afraid of a storm. Miss Herbey?" said Andre to the girl.
+
+"No, Mr. Andre, my feelings are always rather those of awe than of
+fear," she replied. "I consider a storm one of the sublimest phenomena
+that we can behold--don't you think so too?"
+
+"Yes, and especially when the thunder is pealing," he said; "that
+majestic rolling, far different to the sharp crash of artillery, rises
+and falls like the long-drawn notes of the grandest music, and I can
+safely say that the tones of the most accomplished artiste have never
+moved me like that incomparable voice of nature."
+
+"Rather a deep bass, though," I said, laughing.
+
+"That may be," he answered; "but I wish we might hear it now, for this
+silent lightning is somewhat unexpressive."
+
+"Never mind that, Andre," I said; "enjoy a storm when it comes, if you
+like, but pray don't wish for it."
+
+"And why not?" said he; "a storm will bring us wind, you know."
+
+"And water, too," added Miss Herbey, "the water of which we are so
+seriously in need."
+
+The young people evidently wished to regard the storm from their own
+point of view, and although I could have opposed plenty of common sense
+to their poetical sentiments, I said no more, but let them talk on as
+they pleased for fully an hour.
+
+Meanwhile the sky was becoming quite over-clouded, and after the
+zodiacal constellations had disappeared in the mists that hung round
+the horizon, one by one the stars above our heads were veiled in dark
+rolling masses of vapor, from which every instant there issued forth
+sheets of electricity that formed a vivid background to the dark gray
+fragments of cloud that floated beneath.
+
+Sleep, even if we wished it, would have been impossible in that
+stifling temperature.  The lightning increased in brilliancy and
+appeared from all quarters of the horizon, each flash covering large
+arcs, varying from 100 deg. to 150 deg., leaving the atmosphere
+pervaded by one incessant phosphorescent glow.
+
+The thunder became at length more and more distinct, the reports, if I
+may use the expression, being "round," rather than rolling. It seemed
+almost as though the sky were padded with heavy clouds of which the
+elasticity muffled the sound of the electric bursts.
+
+Hitherto, the sea had been calm, almost stagnant as a pond. Now,
+however, long undulations took place, which the sailors recognized, all
+too well, as being the rebound produced by a distant tempest. A ship,
+in such a case, would have been instantly brought ahull, but no
+maneuvering could be applied to our raft, which could only drift before
+the blast.
+
+At one o'clock in the morning one vivid flash, followed, after the
+interval of a few seconds, by a loud report of thunder, announced that
+the storm was rapidly approaching. Suddenly the horizon was enveloped
+in a vaporous fog, and seemed to contract until it was close around us.
+At the same instant the voice of one of the sailors was heard shouting:
+
+"A squall! a squall!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXV
+
+TWO SAILORS WASHED OVERBOARD
+
+
+DECEMBER 21, night.--The boatswain rushed to the halliards that
+supported the sail, and instantly lowered the yard; not a moment too
+soon, for with the speed of an arrow the squall was upon us, and if it
+had not been for the sailor's timely warning we must all have been
+knocked down and probably precipitated into the sea; as it was, our
+tent on the back of the raft was carried away.
+
+The raft itself, however, being so nearly level with the water, had
+little peril to encounter from the actual wind; but from the mighty
+waves now raised by the hurricane we had everything to dread. At first
+the waves had been crushed and flattened as it were by the pressure of
+the air, but now, as though strengthened by the reaction, they rose
+with the utmost fury. The raft followed the motions of the increasing
+swell, and was tossed up and down, to and fro, and from side to side
+with the most violent oscillations.
+
+"Lash yourselves tight," cried the boatswain, as he threw us some
+ropes; and in a few moments with Curtis's assistance, M. Letourneur,
+and Andre, Falsten and myself were fastened so firmly to the raft, that
+nothing but its total disruption could carry us away. Miss Herbey was
+bound by a rope passed round her waist to one of the uprights that had
+supported our tent, and by the glare of the lightning I could see that
+her countenance was as serene and composed as ever.
+
+Then the storm began to rage indeed. Flash followed flash, peal
+followed peal in quick succession. Our eyes were blinded, our ears
+deafened, with the roar and glare. The clouds above, the ocean beneath,
+seemed verily to have taken fire, and several times I saw forked
+lightnings dart upward from the crest of the waves, and mingle with
+those that radiated from the fiery vault above. A strong odor of
+sulphur pervaded the air, but though thunderbolts fell thick around us,
+not one touched our raft.
+
+By two o'clock the storm had reached its height. The hurricane had
+increased, and the heavy waves, heated to a strange heat by the general
+temperature, dashed over us until we were drenched to the skin. Curtis,
+Dowlas, the boatswain, and the sailors did what they could to
+strengthen the raft with additional ropes. M. Letourneur placed himself
+in front of Andre, to shelter him from the waves. Miss Herbey stood
+upright and motionless as a statue.
+
+Soon dense masses of lurid clouds came rolling up, and a crackling,
+like the rattle of musketry, resounded through the air. This was
+produced by a series of electrical concussions, in which volleys of
+hailstones were discharged from the cloud-batteries above. In fact, as
+the storm-sheet came in contact with a current of cold air, hail was
+formed with great rapidity, and hailstones, large as nuts, came pelting
+down, making the platform of the raft re-echo with a metallic ring.
+
+For about half an hour the meteoric shower continued to descend, and
+during that time the wind slightly abated in violence; but after having
+shifted from quarter to quarter, it once more blew with all its former
+fury.  The shrouds were broken, but happily the mast, already bending
+almost double, was removed by the men from its socket before it should
+be snapped short off.. One gust caught away the tiller, which went
+adrift beyond all power of recovery, and the same blast blew down
+several of the planks that formed the low parapet on the larboard side,
+so that the waves dashed in without hindrance through the breach.
+
+The carpenter and his mates tried to repair the damage, but, tossed
+from wave to wave, the raft was inclined to an angle of more than
+forty-five degrees, making it impossible for them to keep their
+footing, and rolling one over another, they were thrown down by the
+violent shocks. Why they were not altogether carried away, why we were
+not all hurled into the sea, was to me a mystery. Even if the cords
+that bound us should retain their hold, it seemed perfectly incredible
+that the raft itself should not be overturned, so that we should be
+carried down and stifled in the seething waters.
+
+At last, toward three in the morning, when the hurricane seemed to be
+raging more fiercely than ever, the raft, caught up on the crest of an
+enormous wave, stood literally perpendicularly on its edge. For an
+instant, by the illumination of the lightning, we beheld ourselves
+raised to an incomprehensible height above the foaming breakers. Cries
+of terror escaped our lips. All must be over now! But no; another
+moment, and the raft had resumed its horizontal position. Safe, indeed,
+we were, but the tremendous upheaval was not without its melancholy
+consequences.
+
+The cords that secured the cases of provisions had burst asunder. One
+case rolled overboard, and the side of one of the water-barrels was
+staved in, so that the water which it contained was rapidly escaping.
+Two of the sailors rushed forward to rescue the case of preserved meat;
+but one of them caught his foot between the planks of the platform,
+and, unable to disengage it, the poor fellow stood uttering cries of
+distress.
+
+I tried to go to his assistance, and had already untied the cord that
+was around me; but I was too late.
+
+Another heavy sea dashed over us, and by the light of a dazzling flash
+I saw the unhappy man, although he had managed without assistance to
+disengage his foot, washed overboard before it was in my power to get
+near him. His companion had also disappeared.
+
+The same ponderous wave laid me prostrate on the platform, and as my
+head came in collision with the corner of a spar, for a time I lost all
+consciousness.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXVI
+
+WE LOSE NEARLY ALL OUR PROVISIONS
+
+
+DECEMBER 22.--Daylight came at length, and the sun broke through and
+dispersed the clouds that the storm had left behind. The struggle of
+the elements, while it lasted, had been terrific, but the swoon into
+which I was thrown by my fall prevented me from observing the final
+incidents of the visitation. All that I know is, that shortly after we
+had shipped the heavy sea, that I have mentioned, a shower of rain had
+the effect of calming the severity of the hurricane, and tended to
+diminish the electric tension of the atmosphere.
+
+Thanks to the kind care of M. Letourneur and Miss Herbey, I recovered
+consciousness, but I believe that it is to Robert Curtis that I owe my
+real deliverance, for he it was that prevented me from being carried
+away by a second heavy wave.
+
+The tempest, fierce as it was, did not last more than a few hours; but
+even in that short space of time what an irreparable loss we have
+sustained, and what a load of misery seems stored up for us in the
+future!
+
+Of the two sailors who perished in the storm, one was Austin, a fine
+active young man of about eight-and-twenty; the other was old O'Ready,
+the survivor of so many shipwrecks. Our party is thus reduced to
+sixteen souls, leaving a total barely exceeding half the number of
+those who embarked on board the Chancellor at Charleston.
+
+Curtis's first care had been to take a strict account of the remnant of
+our provisions. Of all the torrents of rain that fell in the night we
+were unhappily unable to catch a single drop; but water will not fail
+us yet, for about fourteen gallons still remain in the bottom of the
+broken barrel, while the second barrel has not been touched. But of
+food we have next to nothing. The cases containing the dried meat, and
+the fish that we had preserved, have both been washed away, and all
+that now remains to us is about sixty pounds of biscuit. Sixty pounds
+of biscuit between sixteen persons! Eight days, with half a pound a day
+apiece, will consume it all.
+
+The day has passed away in silence. A general depression has fallen
+upon all; the specter of famine has appeared among us, and each has
+remained wrapped in his own gloomy meditations, though each has
+doubtless but one idea dominant in his mind.
+
+Once, as I passed near the group of sailors lying on the fore part of
+the raft, I heard Flaypole say with a sneer:
+
+"Those who are going to die had better make haste about it."
+
+"Yes," said Owen, "and leave their share of food to others."
+
+At the regular hour each person received his half-pound of biscuit.
+Some, I noticed, swallowed it ravenously; others reserved it for
+another time. Falsten divided his ration into several portions,
+corresponding, I believe, to the number of meals to which he was
+ordinarily accustomed. What prudence he shows! If any one survives this
+misery, I think it will be he.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXVII
+
+LIEUTENANT WALTER'S CONDITION
+
+
+DECEMBER 23 to 30.--After the storm the wind settled back into its old
+quarter, blowing pretty briskly from the northeast. As the breeze was
+all in our favor it was important to make the most of it, and after
+Dowlas had carefully readjusted the mast, the sail was once more
+hoisted, and we were carried along at the rate of two or two and a half
+knots an hour. A new rudder, formed of a spar and a good-sized plank,
+has been fitted in the place of the one we lost, but with the wind in
+its present quarter it is in little requisition. The platform of the
+raft has been repaired, the disjointed planks have been closed by means
+of ropes and wedges, and that portion of the parapet that was washed
+away has been replaced, so that we are no longer wetted by the waves.
+In fact, nothing has been left undone to insure the solidity of our
+raft, and to render it capable of resisting the wear and tear of the
+wind and waves. But the dangers of wind and waves are not those which
+we have most to dread.
+
+Together with the unclouded sky came a return of the tropical heat,
+which during the preceding days had caused us such serious
+inconvenience; fortunately on the 23d the excessive warmth was somewhat
+tempered by the breeze, and as the tent was once again put up, we were
+able to find shelter under it by turns.
+
+But the want of food was beginning to tell upon us sadly, and our
+sunken cheeks and wasted forms were visible tokens of what we were
+enduring. With most of us hunger seemed to attack the entire nervous
+system, and the constriction of the stomach produced an acute sensation
+of pain. A narcotic, such as opium or tobacco, might have availed to
+soothe, if not to cure, the gnawing agony; but of sedatives we had
+none, so the pain must be endured.
+
+One alone there was among us who did not feel the pangs of hunger.
+Lieutenant Walter seemed as it were to feed upon the fever that raged
+within him; but then he was the victim of the most torturing thirst.
+Miss Herbey, besides reserving for him a portion of her own
+insufficient allowance, obtained from the captain a small extra supply
+of water with which every quarter of an hour she moistened the parched
+lips of the young man, who, almost too weak to speak, could only
+express his thanks by a grateful smile. Poor fellow! all our care
+cannot avail to save him now; he is doomed, most surely doomed to die.
+
+On the 23d he seemed to be conscious of his condition, for he made a
+sign to me to sit down by his side, and then summoning up all his
+strength to speak, he asked me in a few broken words how long I thought
+he had to live?
+
+Slight as my hesitation was, Walter noticed it immediately.
+
+"The truth," he said; "tell me the plain truth."
+
+"My dear fellow, I am not a doctor, you know," I began, "and I can
+scarcely judge--"
+
+"Never mind," he interrupted, "tell me just what you think."
+
+I looked at him attentively for some moments, then laid my ear against
+his chest. In the last few days his malady had made fearfully rapid
+strides, and it was only too evident that one lung had already ceased
+to act, while the other was scarcely capable of performing the work of
+respiration. The young man was now suffering from the fever which is
+the sure symptom of the approaching end in all tuberculous complaints.
+
+The lieutenant kept his eye fixed upon me with a look of eager inquiry.
+I knew not what to say, and sought to evade his question.
+
+"My dear boy," I said, "in our present circumstances not one of us can
+tell how long he has to live. Not one of us knows what may happen in
+the course of the next eight days."
+
+"The next eight days," he murmured, as he looked eagerly into my face.
+
+And then, turning away his head, he seemed to fall into a sort of doze.
+
+The 24th, 25th, and 26th passed without any alteration in our
+circumstances, and strange, nay, incredible as it may sound, we began
+to get accustomed to our condition of starvation. Often, when reading
+the histories of shipwrecks, I have suspected the accounts to be
+greatly exaggerated; but now I fully realize their truth, and marvel
+when I find on how little nutriment it is possible to exist for so long
+a time. To our daily half-pound of biscuit the captain has thought to
+add a few drops of brandy, and the stimulant helps considerably to
+sustain our strength. If we had the same provisions for two months, or
+even for one, there might be room for hope; but our supplies diminish
+rapidly, and the time is fast approaching when of food and drink there
+will be none.
+
+The sea had furnished us with food once, and, difficult as the task of
+fishing had now become, at all hazards the attempt must be made again.
+Accordingly the carpenter and the boatswain set to work and made lines
+out of some untwisted hemp, to which they fixed some nails that they
+pulled out of the flooring of the raft, and bent into proper shape. The
+boatswain regarded his device with evident satisfaction.
+
+"I don't mean to say," said he to me, "that these nails are first-rate
+fish-hooks; but, one thing I do know, and that is, with proper bait
+they will act as well as the best. But this biscuit is no good at all.
+Let me but just get hold of one fish, and I shall know fast enough how
+to use it to catch some more."
+
+And the true difficulty was how to catch the first fish. It was evident
+that fish were not abundant in these waters, nevertheless the lines
+were cast. But the biscuit with which they were baited dissolved at
+once in the water, and we did not get a single bite. For two days the
+attempt was made in vain, and as it only involved what seemed a lavish
+waste of our only means of subsistence, it was given up in despair.
+
+To-day, the 30th, as a last resource, the boatswain tried what a piece
+of colored rag might do by way of attracting some voracious fish, and
+having obtained from Miss Herbey a little piece of the red shawl she
+wears, he fastened it to his hook. But still no success; for when,
+after several hours, he examined his lines, the crimson shred was still
+hanging intact as he had fixed it. The man was quite discouraged at his
+failure.
+
+"But there will be plenty of bait before long," he said to me in a
+solemn undertone.
+
+"What do you mean?" said I, struck by his significant manner.
+
+"You'll know soon enough," he answered.
+
+What did he insinuate? The words, coming from a man usually so
+reserved, have haunted me all night.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXVIII
+
+MUTINY AGAIN
+
+
+JANUARY 1 to 5.--More than three months had elapsed since we left
+Charleston in the Chancellor, and for no less than twenty days had we
+now been borne along on our raft at the mercy of the wind and waves.
+Whether we were approaching the American coast, or whether we were
+drifting farther and farther to sea, it was now impossible to
+determine, for, in addition to the other disasters caused by the
+hurricane, the captain's instruments had been hopelessly smashed, and
+Curtis had no longer any compass by which to direct his course, nor a
+sextant by which he might make an observation.
+
+Desperate, however, as our condition might be judged, hope did not
+entirely abandon our hearts, and day after day, hour after hour were
+our eyes strained toward the far horizon, and many and many a time did
+our imagination shape out the distant land. But ever and again the
+illusion vanished; a cloud, a mist, perhaps even a wave, was all that
+had deceived us; no land, no sail ever broke the gray line that united
+sea and sky, and our raft remained the center of the wide and dreary
+waste.
+
+On the 1st of January, we swallowed our last morsel of biscuit. The
+first of January! New Year's Day! What a rush of sorrowful
+recollections overwhelmed our minds! Had we not always associated the
+opening of another year with new hopes, new plans, and coming joys? And
+now, where were we? Could we dare to look at one another, and breathe a
+New Year's greeting?
+
+The boatswain approached me with a peculiar look on his countenance.
+
+"You are surely not going to wish me a happy New Year?" I said.
+
+"No indeed, sir," he replied, "I was only going to wish you well
+through the first day of it; and that is pretty good assurance on my
+part, for we have not another crumb to eat."
+
+True as it was, we scarcely realized the fact of there being actually
+nothing until on the following morning the hour came round for the
+distribution of the scanty ration, and then, indeed, the truth was
+forced upon us in a new and startling light. Toward evening I was
+seized with violent pains in the stomach, accompanied by a constant
+desire to yawn and gape that was most distressing; but in a couple of
+hours the extreme agony passed away, and on the 3d I was surprised to
+find that I did not suffer more. I felt, it is true, that there was
+some great void within myself, but the sensation was quite as much
+moral as physical. My head was so heavy that I could not hold it up; it
+was swimming with giddiness, as though I were looking over a precipice.
+
+My symptoms were not shared by all my companions, some of whom endured
+the most frightful tortures. Dowlas and the boatswain especially, who
+were naturally large eaters, uttered involuntary cries of agony, and
+were obliged to gird themselves tightly with ropes to subdue the
+excruciating pain that was gnawing their very vitals.
+
+And this was only the second day of our misery! What would we not have
+given for half, nay, for a quarter of the meager ration which a few
+days back we deemed so inadequate to supply our wants, and which now,
+eked out crumb by crumb, might, perhaps, serve for several days? In the
+streets of a besieged city, dire as the distress may be, some gutter,
+some rubbish-heap, some corner may yet be found that will furnish a dry
+bone or a scrap of refuse that may for a moment allay the pangs of
+hunger; but these bare planks, so many times washed clean by the
+relentless waves, offer nothing to our eager search, and after every
+fragment of food that the wind has carried into the interstices has
+been scraped out and devoured, our resources are literally at an end.
+
+The nights seem even longer than the days. Sleep, when it comes, brings
+no relief; it is rather a feverish stupor, broken and disturbed by
+frightful nightmares. Last night, however, overcome by fatigue, I
+managed to rest for several hours.
+
+At six o'clock this morning I was roused by the sound of angry voices,
+and, starting up, I saw Owen and Jynxstrop, with Flaypole, Wilson,
+Burke, and Sandon, standing in a threatening attitude. They had taken
+possession of the carpenter's tools, and now, armed with hatchets,
+chisels, and hammers, they were preparing to attack the captain, the
+boatswain, and Dowlas. I attached myself in a moment to Curtis's party.
+Falsten followed my example, and although our knives were the only
+weapons at our disposal, we were ready to defend ourselves to the very
+last extremity.
+
+Owen and his men advanced toward us. The miserable wretches were all
+drunk, for during the night they had knocked a hole in the
+brandy-barrel, and had recklessly swallowed its contents. What they
+wanted they scarcely seemed to know, but Owen and Jynxstrop, not quite
+so much intoxicated as the rest, seemed to be urging them on to
+massacre the captain and the officers.
+
+"Down with the captain! Overboard with Curtis! Owen shall take the
+command!" they shouted from time to time in their drunken fury; and,
+armed as they were, they appeared completely masters of the situation.
+
+"Now, then, down with your arms!" said Curtis sternly, as he advanced
+to meet them.
+
+"Overboard with the captain!" howled Owen, as by word and gesture he
+urged on his accomplices.
+
+Curtis pushed aside the excited rascals, and, walking straight up to
+Owen, asked him what he wanted.
+
+"What do we want? Why, we want no more captains; we are all equals now."
+
+Poor stupid fool! as though misery and privation had not already
+reduced us all to the same level.
+
+"Owen," said the captain once again, "down with your arms!"
+
+"Come on, all of you," shouted Owen to his companions, without giving
+the slightest heed to Curtis's words.
+
+A regular struggle ensued. Owen and Wilson attacked Curtis, who
+defended himself with a piece of spar; Burke and Flaypole rushed upon
+Falsten and the boatswain, while I was left to confront the negro
+Jynxstrop, who attempted to strike me with the hammer which he
+brandished in his hand. I endeavored to paralyze his movements by
+pinioning his arms, but the rascal was my superior in muscular
+strength. After wrestling for a few minutes, I felt that he was getting
+the mastery over me, when all of a sudden he rolled over on to the
+platform, dragging me with him. Andre Letourneur had caught hold of one
+of his legs, and thus saved my life. Jynxstrop dropped his weapon in
+his fall; I seized it instantly, and was about to cleave the fellow's
+skull, when I was myself arrested by Andre's hand upon my arm.
+
+By this time the mutineers had been driven back to the forepart of the
+raft, and Curtis, who had managed to parry the blows which had been
+aimed at him, had caught hold of a hatchet, with which he was preparing
+to strike Owen. But Owen made a sidelong movement to avoid the blow,
+and the weapon caught Wilson full in the chest. The unfortunate man
+rolled over the side of the raft and instantly disappeared.
+
+"Save him! save him!" shouted the boatswain.
+
+"It's too late; he's dead!" said Dowlas.
+
+"Ah, well! he'll do for--" began the boatswain; but he did not finish
+his sentence.
+
+Wilson's death, however, put an end to the fray. Flaypole and Burke
+were lying prostrate in a drunken stupor, and Jynxstrop was soon
+overpowered, and lashed tightly to the foot of the mast. The carpenter
+and boatswain seized hold of Owen.
+
+"Now then," said Curtis, as he raised his blood-stained hatchet, "make
+your peace with God, for you have not a moment to live."
+
+"Oh, you want to eat me, do you?" sneered Owen, with the most hardened
+effrontery.
+
+But the audacious reply saved his life; Curtis turned as pale as death,
+the hatchet dropped from his hand, and he went and seated himself
+moodily on the farthest corner of the raft.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXIX
+
+A FATHER'S LOVE
+
+
+JANUARY 5 and 6.--The whole scene made a deep impression on our minds,
+and Owen's speech coming as a sort of climax, brought before us our
+misery with a force that was well-nigh overwhelming.
+
+As soon as I recovered my composure, I did not forget to thank Andre
+Letourneur for the act of intervention that had saved my life.
+
+"Do you thank me for that, Mr. Kazallon?" he said; "it has only served
+to prolong your misery."
+
+"Never mind, M. Letourneur," said Miss Herbey; "you did your duty."
+
+Enfeebled and emaciated as the young girl is, her sense of duty never
+deserts her; and although her torn and bedraggled garments float
+dejectedly about her body, she never utters a word of complaint, and
+never loses courage.
+
+"Mr. Kazallon," she said to me, "do you think we are fated to die of
+hunger?"
+
+"Yes, Miss Herbey, I do," I replied, in a hard, cold tone.
+
+"How long do you suppose we have to live?" she asked again.
+
+"I cannot say; perhaps we shall linger on longer than we imagine."
+
+"The strongest constitutions suffer the most, do they not?" she said.
+
+"Yes; but they have one consolation--they die the soonest," I replied,
+coldly.
+
+Had every spark of humanity died out of my breast, that I thus brought
+the girl face to face with the terrible truth, without a word of hope
+or comfort? The eyes of Andre and his father, dilated with hunger, were
+fixed upon me, and I saw reproach and astonishment written in their
+faces.
+
+Afterward, when we were quite alone, Miss Herbey asked me if I would
+grant her a favor.
+
+"Certainly, Miss Herbey; anything you like to ask," I replied; and this
+time my manner was kinder and more genial.
+
+"Mr. Kazallon," she said, "I am weaker than you, and shall probably die
+first. Promise me that, if I do, you will throw me into the sea!"
+
+"Oh, Miss Herbey," I began, "it was very wrong of me to speak to you as
+I did!"
+
+"No, no," she replied, half smiling; "you were quite right. But it is a
+weakness of mine; I don't mind what they do with me as long as I am
+alive, but when I am dead--" She stopped and shuddered. "Oh, promise me
+that you will throw me into the sea!"
+
+I gave her the melancholy promise, which she acknowledged by pressing
+my hand feebly with her emaciated fingers.
+
+Another night passed away. At times my sufferings were so intense that
+cries of agony involuntarily escaped my lips; then I became calmer, and
+sank into a kind of lethargy. When I awoke, I was surprised to find my
+companions still alive.
+
+The one of our party who seems to bear his privations the best is
+Hobart the steward, a man with whom hitherto I have had very little to
+do. He is small, with a fawning expression remarkable for its
+indecision, and has a smile which is incessantly playing round his
+lips; he goes about with his eyes half closed, as though he wished to
+conceal his thoughts, and there is something altogether false and
+hypocritical about his whole demeanor. I cannot say that he bears his
+privations without a murmur, for he sighs and moans incessantly; but,
+with it all, I cannot but think that there is a want of genuineness in
+his manner, and that the privation has not really told upon him as much
+as it has upon the rest of us. I have my suspicions about the man, and
+intend to watch him carefully.
+
+To-day, the 6th, M. Letourneur drew me aside to the stern of the raft,
+saying he had a secret to communicate, but that he wished neither to be
+seen nor heard speaking to me. I withdrew with him to the larboard
+corner of the raft, and, as it was growing dusk, nobody observed what
+we were doing.
+
+"Mr. Kazallon," M. Letourneur began, in a low voice, "Andre is dying of
+hunger; he is growing weaker and weaker, and oh! I cannot, will not,
+see him die!"
+
+He spoke passionately, almost fiercely, and I fully understood his
+feelings. Taking his hand, I tried to reassure him.
+
+"We will not despair yet," I said; "perhaps some passing ship--"
+
+"Ship!" he cried, impatiently, "don't try to console me with empty
+commonplaces; you know as well as I do that there is no chance of
+falling in with a passing ship." Then, breaking off suddenly, he asked:
+"How long is it since my son and all of you have had anything to eat?"
+
+Astonished at his question, I replied that it was now four days since
+the biscuit had failed.
+
+"Four days," he repeated; "well, then, it is eight since I have tasted
+anything. I have been saving my share for my son."
+
+Tears rushed to my eyes; for a few moments I was unable to speak, and
+could only once more grasp his hand in silence.
+
+"What do you want me to do?" I asked, at length.
+
+"Hush! not so loud; someone will hear us," he said, lowering his voice;
+"I want you to offer it to Andre as though it came from yourself. He
+would not accept it from me; he would think I had been depriving myself
+for him. Let me implore you to do me this service; and for your
+trouble,"--and here he gently stroked my hand--"for your trouble you
+shall have a morsel for yourself."
+
+I trembled like a child as I listened to the poor father's words; and
+my heart was ready to burst when I felt a tiny piece of biscuit slipped
+into my hand.
+
+"Give it him," M. Letourneur went on under his breath, "give it him;
+but do not let anyone see you; the monsters would murder you if they
+knew it! This is only for to-day; I will give you some more to-morrow."
+
+The poor fellow did not trust me--and well he might not--for I had the
+greatest difficulty to withstand the temptation to carry the biscuit to
+my mouth. But I resisted the impulse, and those alone who have suffered
+like me can know what the effort was.
+
+Night came on with the rapidity peculiar to these low latitudes, and I
+glided gently up to Andre, and slipped the piece of biscuit into his
+hand as "a present from myself."
+
+The young man clutched at it eagerly.
+
+"But my father?" he said, inquiringly.
+
+I assured him that his father and I had each had our share, and that he
+must eat this now, and perhaps I should be able to bring him some more
+another time. Andre asked no more questions, and eagerly devoured the
+morsel of food.
+
+So this evening at least, notwithstanding M. Letourneur's offer, I have
+tasted nothing.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XL
+
+DEATH OF LIEUTENANT WALTER
+
+
+JANUARY 7.--During the last few days, since the wind has freshened, the
+salt water constantly dashing over the raft has terribly punished the
+feet and legs of some of the sailors. Owen, whom the boatswain ever
+since the revolt has kept bound to the mast, is in a deplorable state,
+and, at our request, has been released from his restraint. Sandon and
+Burke are also suffering from the severe smarting caused in this way,
+and it is only owing to our more sheltered position on the aft-part of
+the raft, that we have not all shared the same inconvenience.
+
+To-day the boatswain, maddened by starvation, laid hands upon
+everything that met his voracious eyes, and I could hear the grating of
+his teeth as he gnawed at fragments of sails and bits of wood,
+instinctively endeavoring to fill his stomach by putting the mucus into
+circulation. At length, by dint of an eager search, he came upon a
+piece of leather hanging to one of the spars that supported the
+platform. He snatched it off and devoured it greedily; and, as it was
+animal matter, it really seemed as though the absorption of the
+substance afforded him some temporary relief. Instantly we all followed
+his example; a leather hat, the rims of caps, in short, anything that
+contained any animal matter at all, were gnawed and sucked with the
+utmost avidity. Never shall I forget the scene. We were no longer
+human--the impulses and instincts of brute beasts seemed to actuate our
+every movement.
+
+For a moment the pangs of hunger were somewhat allayed; but some of us
+revolted against the loathsome food, and were seized either with
+violent nausea or absolute sickness. I must be pardoned for giving
+these distressing details; but how otherwise can I depict the misery,
+moral and physical, which we are enduring? And with it all, I dare not
+venture to hope that we have reached the climax of our sufferings.
+
+The conduct of Hobart, during the scene that I have just described, has
+only served to confirm my previous suspicions of him. He took no part
+in the almost fiendish energy with which we gnawed at our scraps of
+leather; and, although by his conduct of perpetual groanings, he might
+be considered to be dying of inanition, yet to me he has the appearance
+of being singularly exempt from the tortures which we are all enduring.
+But whether the hypocrite is being sustained by some secret store of
+food, I have been unable to discover.
+
+Whenever the breeze drops the heat is overpowering; but although our
+allowance of water is very meager, at present the pangs of hunger far
+exceed the pain of thirst. It has often been remarked that extreme
+thirst is far less endurable than extreme hunger. Is it possible that
+still greater agonies are in store for us? I cannot, dare not, believe
+it. Fortunately, the broken barrel still contains a few pints of water,
+and the other one has not yet been opened. But I am glad to say that
+notwithstanding our diminished numbers, and in spite of some
+opposition, the captain has thought right to reduce the daily allowance
+to half a pint for each person. As for the brandy, of which there is
+only a quart now left, it has been stowed away safely in the stern of
+the raft.
+
+This evening has ended the sufferings of another of our companions,
+making our number now only fourteen. My attentions and Miss Herbey's
+nursing could do nothing for Lieutenant Walter, and about half-past
+seven he expired in my arms.
+
+Before he died, in a few broken words, he thanked Miss Herbey and
+myself for the kindness we had shown him. A crumpled letter fell from
+his hand, and in a voice that was scarcely audible from weakness, he
+said:
+
+"It is my mother's letter; the last I had from her--she was expecting
+me home; but she will never see me more. Oh, put it to my lips--let me
+kiss it before I die. Mother! mother! Oh, my God!"
+
+I placed the letter in his cold hand, and raised it to his lips; his
+eye lighted for a moment; we heard the faint sound of a kiss; and all
+was over!
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XLI
+
+HUMAN FLESH FOR BAIT
+
+
+JANUARY 8.--All night I remained by the side of the poor fellow's
+corpse, and several times Miss Herbey joined me in my mournful watch.
+
+Before daylight dawned, the body was quite cold, and as I knew there
+must be no delay in throwing it overboard, I asked Curtis to assist me
+in the sad office. The body was frightfully emaciated, and I had every
+hope that it would not float.
+
+As soon as it was quite light, taking every precaution that no one
+should see what we were about, Curtis and I proceeded to our melancholy
+task. We took a few articles from the lieutenant's pockets, which we
+purposed, if either of us should survive, to remit to his mother. But
+as we wrapped him in his tattered garments that would have to suffice
+for his winding sheet, I started back with a thrill of horror. The
+right foot had gone, leaving the leg a bleeding stump.
+
+No doubt that, overcome by fatigue, I must have fallen asleep for an
+interval during the night, and some one had taken advantage of my
+slumber to mutilate the corpse. But who could have been guilty of so
+foul a deed? Curtis looked around with anger flashing in his eye; but
+all seemed as usual, and the silence was only broken by a few groans of
+agony.
+
+But there was no time to be lost; perhaps we were already observed, and
+more horrible scenes might be likely to occur. Curtis said a few short
+prayers, and we cast the body into the sea. It sank immediately.
+
+"They are feeding the sharks well, and no mistake," said a voice behind
+me.
+
+I turned round quickly, and found that it was Jynxstrop who had spoken.
+
+As the boatswain now approached, I asked him whether he thought it
+possible that any of the wretched men could have taken the dead man's
+foot.
+
+"Oh, yes, I dare say," he replied in a significant tone, "and perhaps
+they thought they were right."
+
+"Right! what do you mean?" I exclaimed.
+
+"Well, sir," he said coldly, "isn't it better to eat a dead man than a
+living one?"
+
+I was at a loss to comprehend him, and, turning away, laid myself down
+at the end of the raft.
+
+Toward eleven o'clock a most suspicious incident occurred. The
+boatswain, who had cast his lines early in the morning, caught three
+large cod, each more than thirty inches long, of the species which,
+when dried, is known by the name of stock-fish. Scarcely had he hauled
+them on board when the sailors made a dash at them, and it was with the
+utmost difficulty that Curtis, Falsten and myself could restore order,
+so that we might divide the fish into equal portions. Three cod were
+not much among fourteen starving persons, but, small as the quantity
+was, it was allotted in strictly equal shares. Most of us devoured the
+food raw, almost I might say, alive; only Curtis, Andre, and Miss
+Herbey having the patience to wait until their allowance had been
+boiled at a fire which they made with a few scraps of wood. For myself,
+I confess that I swallowed my portion of fish as it was--raw and
+bleeding. M. Letourneur followed my example; the poor man devoured his
+food like a famished wolf, and it is only a wonder to me how, after his
+lengthened fast, he came to be alive at all.
+
+The boatswain's delight at his success was excessive, and amounted
+almost to delirium. I went up to him, and encouraged him to repeat his
+attempt.
+
+"Oh, yes," he said; "I'll try again. I'll try again."
+
+"And why not try at once?" I asked.
+
+"Not now," he said evasively; "the night is the best time for catching
+large fish. Besides, I must manage to get some bait, for we have been
+improvident enough not to save a single scrap."
+
+"But you have succeeded once without bait; why may you not succeed
+again?"
+
+"Oh, I had some very good bait last night," he said.
+
+I stared at him in amazement. He steadily returned my gaze, but said
+nothing.
+
+"Have you none left?" at last I asked.
+
+"Yes!" he almost whispered, and left me without another word.
+
+Our meal, meager as it had been, served to rally our shattered
+energies; our hopes were slightly raised; there was no reason why the
+boatswain should not have the same good luck again.
+
+One evidence of the degree to which our spirits were revived was that
+our minds were no longer fixed upon the miserable present and hopeless
+future, but we began to recall and discuss the past; and M. Letourneur,
+Andre, Mr. Falsten and I, held a long conversation with the captain
+about the various incidents of our eventful voyage, speaking of our
+lost companions, of the fire, or the stranding of the ship, of our
+sojourn on Ham Rock, of the springing of the leak, of our terrible
+voyage in the top-masts, of the construction of the raft, and of the
+storm. All these things seemed to have happened so long ago, and yet we
+were living still. Living, did I say? Ay, if such an existence as ours
+could be called a life, fourteen of us were living still. Who would be
+the next to go? We should then be thirteen.
+
+"An unlucky number!" said Andre, with a mournful smile.
+
+During the night the boatswain cast his lines from the stern of the
+raft, and, unwilling to trust them to anyone else, remained watching
+them himself. In the morning I went to ascertain what success had
+attended his patience. It was scarcely light, and with eager eyes he
+was peering down into the water. He had neither seen nor heard me
+coming.
+
+"Well, boatswain!" I said, touching him on the shoulder.
+
+He turned round quickly.
+
+"Those villainous sharks have eaten every morsel of my bait," he said,
+in a desponding voice.
+
+"And you have no more left?" I asked.
+
+"No more," he said. Then grasping my arm, he added, "and that only
+shows me that it is no good doing things by halves."
+
+The truth flashed upon me at once, and I laid my hand upon his mouth.
+Poor Walter!
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XLII
+
+OXIDE OF COPPER POISONING
+
+
+JANUARY 9 and 10.--On the 9th the wind dropped, and there was a dead
+calm; not a ripple disturbed the surface of the long undulations as
+they rose and fell beneath us; and if it were not for the slight
+current which is carrying us we know not whither, the raft would be
+absolutely stationary.
+
+The heat was intolerable; our thirst more intolerable still; and now it
+was that for the first time I fully realized how the insufficiency of
+drink could cause torture more unendurable than the pangs of hunger.
+Mouth, throat, pharynx, all alike were parched and dry, every gland
+becoming hard as horn under the action of the hot air we breathed. At
+my urgent solicitation, the captain was for once induced to double our
+allowance of water; and this relaxation of the ordinary rule enabled us
+to attempt to slake our thirst four times in the day, instead of only
+twice. I use the word "attempt" advisedly; for the water at the bottom
+of the barrel though kept covered by a sail, became so warm that it was
+perfectly flat and unrefreshing.
+
+It was a most trying day, and the sailors relapsed into a condition of
+deep despondency. The moon was nearly full, but when she rose the
+breeze did not return. Continuance of high temperature in daytime is a
+sure proof that we have been carried far to the south, and here, on
+this illimitable ocean, we have long ceased even to look for land; it
+might almost seem as though this globe of ours had veritably become a
+liquid sphere!
+
+To-day we are still becalmed, and the temperature is as high as ever.
+The air is heated like a furnace, and the sun scorches like fire. The
+torments of famine are all forgotten; our thoughts are concentrated
+with fevered expectation upon the longed-for moment when Curtis shall
+dole out the scanty measure of lukewarm water that makes up our ration.
+Oh for one good draught, even if it should exhaust the whole supply! At
+least, it seems as if we then could die in peace!
+
+About noon we were startled by sharp cries of agony, and looking round,
+I saw Owen writhing in the most horrible convulsions. I went toward
+him, for, detestable as his conduct had been, common humanity prompted
+me to see whether I could afford him any relief. But before I reached
+him, a shout from Flaypole arrested my attention. The man was up in the
+mast, and with great excitement pointing to the east.
+
+"A ship! A ship!" he cried.
+
+In an instant all were on their feet. Even Owen stopped his cries and
+stood erect. It was quite true that in the direction indicated by
+Flaypole there was a white speck visible upon the horizon. But did it
+move? Would the sailors with their keen vision pronounce it to be a
+sail? A silence the most profound fell upon us all. I glanced at Curtis
+as he stood with folded arms intently gazing at the distant point. His
+brow was furrowed, and he contracted every feature, as with half-closed
+eyes he concentrated his power of vision upon that one faint spot in
+the far off horizon.
+
+But at length he dropped his arms and shook his head. I looked again,
+but the spot was no longer there. If it were a ship, that ship had
+disappeared; but probably it had been a mere reflection, or, more
+likely still, only the crest of some curling wave.
+
+A deep dejection followed this phantom ray of hope. All returned to
+their accustomed places. Curtis alone remained motionless, but his eye
+no longer scanned the distant view.
+
+Owen now began to shriek more wildly than ever. He presented truly a
+most melancholy sight; he writhed with the most hideous contortions,
+and had all the appearance of suffering from tetanus. His throat was
+contracted by repeated spasms, his tongue was parched, his body
+swollen, and his pulse, though feeble, was rapid and irregular. The
+poor wretch's symptoms were precisely such as to lead us to suspect
+that he had taken some corrosive poison. Of course it was quite out of
+our power to administer any antidote; all that we could devise was to
+make him swallow something that might act as an emetic. I asked Curtis
+for a little of the lukewarm water. As the contents of the broken
+barrel were now exhausted, the captain, in order to comply with my
+request, was about to tap the other barrel, when Owen started suddenly
+to his knees, and with a wild, unearthly shriek, exclaimed:
+
+"No! no! no! of that water I will not touch a drop."
+
+I supposed he did not understand what we were going to do, and
+endeavored to explain; but all in vain; he persisted in refusing to
+taste the water in the second barrel. I then tried to induce vomiting
+by tickling his uvula, and he brought off some bluish secretion from
+his stomach, the character of which confirmed our previous
+suspicions--that he had been poisoned by oxide of copper. We now felt
+convinced that any effort on our part to save him would be of no avail.
+The vomiting, however, had for the time relieved him, and he was able
+to speak.
+
+Curtis and I both implored him to let us know what he had taken to
+bring about consequences so serious. His reply fell upon us as a
+startling blow.
+
+The ill-fated wretch had stolen several pints of water from the barrel
+that had been untouched, and that water had poisoned him!
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XLIII
+
+OWEN'S DEATH
+
+
+JANUARY 11 to 14.--Owen's convulsions returned with increased violence,
+and in the course of the night he expired in terrible agony. His body
+was thrown overboard almost directly, it had decomposed so rapidly that
+the flesh had not even consistency enough for any fragments of it to be
+reserved for the boatswain to use to bait his lines. A plague the man
+had been to us in his life; in his death he was now of no service!
+
+And now, perhaps still more than ever, did the horror of our situation
+stare us in the face. There was no doubt that the poisoned barrel had
+at some time or other contained copperas; but what strange fatality had
+converted it into a water cask, or what fatality, stranger still, had
+caused it to be brought on board the raft, was a problem that none
+could solve. Little, however, did it matter now; the fact was
+evident--the barrel was poisoned, and of water we had not a drop.
+
+One and all, we fell into the gloomiest silence. We were too irritable
+to bear the sound of each other's voices; and it did not require a
+word--a mere look or gesture was enough--to provoke us to anger that
+was little short of madness. How it was that we did not all become
+raving maniacs, I cannot tell.
+
+Throughout the 12th no drain of moisture crossed our lips, and not a
+cloud arose to warrant the expectation of a passing shower; in the
+shade, if shade it might be called, the thermometer would have
+registered at least 100 deg., and perhaps considerably more.
+
+No change next day. The salt water began to chafe my legs, but although
+the smarting was at times severe, it was an inconvenience to which I
+gave little heed; others who had suffered from the same trouble had
+become no worse. Oh! if this water that surrounds us could be reduced
+to vapor or to ice! its particles of salt extracted, it would be
+available for drink. But no! we have no appliances, and we must suffer
+on.
+
+At the risk of being devoured by the sharks, the boatswain and two
+sailors took a morning bath, and as their plunge seemed to freshen
+them, I and three of my companions resolved to follow their example. We
+had never learned to swim, and had to be fastened to the end of a rope
+and lowered into the water, while Curtis, during the half hour of our
+bath, kept a sharp lookout to give warning of any danger from
+approaching sharks. No recommendation, however, on our part, nor any
+representation of the benefit we felt we had derived, could induce Miss
+Herbey to allay her sufferings in the same way.
+
+At about eleven o'clock, the captain came up to me, and whispered in my
+ear:
+
+"Don't say a word, Mr. Kazallon; I do not want to raise false hopes,
+but I think I see a ship."
+
+It was as well that the captain had warned me; otherwise, I should have
+raised an involuntary shout of joy; as it was I had the greatest
+difficulty in restraining my expressions of delight.
+
+"Look behind to larboard," he continued in an undertone.
+
+Affecting an indifference which I was far from feeling, I cast an
+anxious glance to that quarter of the horizon of which he spoke, and
+there, although mine was not a nautical eye, I could plainly
+distinguish the outline of a ship under sail.
+
+Almost at the same moment the boatswain who happened to be looking in
+the same direction, raised the cry, "Ship ahoy!"
+
+Whether it was that no one believed it, or whether all energies were
+exhausted, certain it is that the announcement produced none of the
+effects that might have been expected. Not a soul exhibited the
+slightest emotion, and it was only when the boatswain had several times
+sung out his tidings that all eyes turned to the horizon. There, most
+undeniably, was the ship, but the question rose at once to the minds of
+all, and to the lips of many, "Would she see us?"
+
+The sailors immediately began discussing the build of the vessel, and
+made all sorts of conjectures as to the direction she was taking.
+Curtis was far more deliberate in his judgment. After examining her
+attentively for some time, he said, "She is a brig running close upon
+the wind, on the starboard tack. If she keeps her course for a couple
+of hours, she will come right athwart our tracks."
+
+A couple of hours! The words sounded to our ears like a couple of
+centuries. The ship might change her course at any moment; closely
+trimmed as she was, it was very probable that she was only tacking
+about to catch the wind, in which case, as soon as she felt a breeze,
+she would resume her larboard tack and make away again. On the other
+hand, if she was really sailing with the wind, she would come nearer to
+us, and there would be good ground for hope.
+
+Meantime, no exertion must be spared, and no means left untried, to
+make our position known. The brig was about twelve miles to the east of
+us, so that it was out of the question to think of any cries of ours
+being overheard; but Curtis gave directions that every possible signal
+should be made. We had no firearms by which we could attract attention,
+and nothing else occurred to us beyond hoisting a flag of distress.
+Miss Herbey's red shawl, as being of a color most distinguishable
+against the background of sea and sky, was run up to the mast-head, and
+was caught by the light breeze that just then was ruffling the surface
+of the water. As a drowning man clutches at a straw, so our hearts
+bounded with hope every time that our poor flag fluttered in the wind.
+
+For an hour our feelings alternated between hope and despair. The ship
+was evidently making her way in the direction of the raft, but every
+now and then she seemed to stop, and then our hearts would almost stand
+still with agony lest she was going to put about. She carried all her
+canvas, even to her royals and stay-sails, but her hull was only
+partially visible above the horizon.
+
+How slowly she advanced! The breeze was very, very feeble, and perhaps
+soon it would drop altogether! We felt that we would give years of our
+life to know the result of the coming hour.
+
+At half past twelve the captain and the boatswain considered that the
+brig was about nine miles away; she had, therefore, gained only three
+miles in an hour and a half, and it was doubtful whether the light
+breeze that had been passing over our heads had reached her at all. I
+fancied, too, that her sails were no longer filled, but were hanging
+loose against her masts. Turning to the direction of the wind, I tried
+to make out some chance of a rising breeze; but no, the waves were calm
+and torpid, and the little puff of air that had aroused our hopes had
+died away across the sea.
+
+I stood aft with M. Letourneur, Andre and Miss Herbey, and our glances
+perpetually wandered from the distant ship to our captain's face.
+Curtis stood leaning against the mast, with the boatswain by his side;
+their eyes seemed never for a moment to cease to watch the brig, but
+their countenances clearly expressed the varying emotions that passed
+through their minds. Not a word was uttered, nor was the silence
+broken, until the carpenter exclaimed, in accents of despair:
+
+"She's putting about!"
+
+All started up--some to their knees, others to their feet. The
+boatswain dropped a frightful oath. The ship was still nine miles away,
+and at such a distance it was impossible for our signal to be seen; our
+tiny raft, a mere speck upon the waters, would be lost in the intense
+irradiation of the sunbeams. If only we could be seen, no doubt all
+would be well; no captain would have the barbarous inhumanity to leave
+us to our fate; but there had been no chance; only too well we knew
+that we had not been within range of sight.
+
+"My friends," said Curtis, "we must make a fire; it is our last and
+only chance."
+
+Some planks were quickly loosened and thrown into a heap upon the fore
+part of the raft. They were damp and troublesome to light; but the very
+dampness made the smoke more dense, and ere long a tall column of dusky
+fumes was rising straight upward in the air. If darkness should come on
+before the brig was completely out of view, the flames, we hoped might
+still be visible. But the hours passed on; the fire died out; and yet
+no signs of help.
+
+The temper of resignation now deserted me entirely; faith, hope,
+confidence--all vanished from my mind, and, like the boatswain, I swore
+long and loudly. A gentle hand was laid upon my arm, and turning round
+I saw Miss Herbey with her finger pointing to the sky. I could stand it
+no longer, but gliding underneath the tent I hid my face in my hands
+and wept aloud.
+
+Meanwhile the brig had altered her track, and was moving slowly to the
+east. Three hours later and the keenest eye could not have discerned
+her top-sails above the horizon.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XLIV
+
+THE DEPTHS OF DESPAIR
+
+
+JANUARY 15.--After this further shattering of our excited hopes, death
+alone now stares us in the face; slow and lingering as that death may
+be, sooner or later it must inevitably come.
+
+To-day some clouds that rose in the west have brought us a few puffs of
+wind; and in spite of our prostration, we appreciate the moderation,
+slight as it is, in the temperature. To my parched throat the air
+seemed a little less trying; but it is now seven days since the
+boatswain took his haul of fish, and during that period we had eaten
+nothing; even Andre Letourneur finished yesterday, the last morsel of
+the biscuit which his sorrowful and self-denying father had intrusted
+to my charge.
+
+Jynxstrop, the negro, has broken loose from his confinement, but Curtis
+has taken no measures for putting him again under restraint. It is not
+to be apprehended that the miserable fellow and his accomplices,
+weakened as they are by their protracted fast, will attempt to do us
+any mischief now.
+
+Some huge sharks made their appearance to-day, cleaving the water
+rapidly with their great black fins. The monsters came up close to the
+edge of the raft, and Flaypole, who was leaning over, narrowly escaped
+having his arm snapped off by one of them. I could not help regarding
+them as living sepulchers, which ere long might swallow up our
+miserable carcasses; yet, withal, I profess that my feelings were those
+of fascination rather than horror.
+
+The boatswain, who stood with clenched teeth and dilated eye, regarded
+these sharks from quite another point of view. He thought about
+devouring the sharks, not about the sharks devouring him; and if he
+could succeed in catching one, I doubt if one of us would reject the
+tough and untempting flesh. He determined to make the attempt, and as
+he had no whirl which he could fasten to his rope he set to work to
+find something that might serve as a substitute. Curtis and Dowlas were
+consulted, and after a short conversation, during which they kept
+throwing bits of rope and spars into the water in order to entice the
+sharks to remain by the raft, Dowlas went and fetched his carpenter's
+tool, which is at once a hatchet and a hammer. Of this he proposed to
+make the whirl of which they were in need, under the hope that either
+the sharp edge of the adze or the pointed extremity opposite would
+stick firmly into the jaws of any shark that might swallow it. The
+wooden handle of the hammer was secured to the rope, which, in its turn
+was tightly fastened to the raft.
+
+With eager, almost breathless, excitement we stood watching the
+preparations, at the same time using every means in our power to
+attract the attention of the sharks. As soon as the whirl was ready the
+boatswain began to think about bait, and, talking rapidly to himself,
+ransacked every corner of the raft, as though he expected to find some
+dead body coming opportunely to sight. But his search ended in nothing;
+and the only plan that suggested itself was again to have recourse to
+Miss Herbey's red shawl, of which a fragment was wrapped around the
+head of the hammer. After testing the strength of his line, and
+reassuring himself that it was fastened firmly both to the hammer and
+to the raft, the boatswain lowered it into the water.
+
+The sea was quite transparent, and any object was clearly visible to a
+depth of two hundred feet below the surface. Leaning over the low
+parapet of the raft we looked on in breathless silence, as the scarlet
+rag, distinct as it was against the blue mass of water, made its slow
+descent. But one by one the sharks seemed to disappear. They could not,
+however, have gone far away, and it was not likely that anything in the
+shape of bait dropped near them would long escape their keen voracity.
+
+Suddenly, without speaking, the boatswain raised his hand and pointed
+to a dark mass skimming along the surface of the water, and making
+straight in our direction. It was a shark, certainly not less than
+twelve feet long. As soon as the creature was about four fathoms from
+the raft, the boatswain gently drew in his line until the whirl was in
+such a position that the shark must cross right over it; at the same
+time he shook the line a little, that he might give the whirl the
+appearance, if he could, of being something alive and moving. As the
+creature came near, my heart beat violently; I could see its eyes
+flashing above the waves; and its gaping jaws, as it turned half over
+on its back, exhibited long rows of pointed teeth.
+
+I know not who it was, but some one at that moment uttered an
+involuntary cry of horror. The shark came to a standstill, turned
+about, and escaped quite out of sight. The boatswain was pale with
+anger.
+
+"The first man who speaks," he said, "I will kill him on the spot."
+
+Again he applied himself to his task. The whirl was again lowered, this
+time to the depth of twenty fathoms, but for half an hour or more not a
+shark could be distinguished; but as the waters far below seemed
+somehow to be troubled I could not help believing that some of the
+brutes at least were still there.
+
+All at once, with a violent jerk, the cord was wrested from the
+boatswain's hands; firmly attached, however, as it was to the raft, it
+was not lost. The bait had been seized by a shark, and the iron had
+made good its hold upon the creature's flesh.
+
+"Now, then, my lads," cried the boatswain, "haul away!"
+
+Passengers and sailors, one and all, put forth what strength they had
+to drag the rope, but so violent were the creature's struggles that it
+required all our efforts (and it is needless to say they were willing
+enough) to bring it to the surface. At length, after exertions that
+almost exhausted us, the water became agitated by the violent flappings
+of the tail and fins; and looking down I saw the huge carcass of the
+shark writhing convulsively amid waves that were stained with blood.
+
+"Steady! steady!" said the boatswain, as the head appeared above
+
+The whirl had passed right through the jaw into the middle of the
+throat, so that no struggle on the part of the animal could possibly
+release it. Dowlas seized the hatchet, ready to dispatch the brute the
+moment it should be landed on the raft. A short sharp snap was heard.
+The shark had closed its jaws, and bitten through the wooden handle of
+the hammer. Another moment and it had turned round and was completely
+gone.
+
+A howl of despair burst from all our lips. All the labor and the
+patience, all had been in vain. Dowlas made a few more unsuccessful
+attempts, but as the whirl was lost, and they had no means of replacing
+it, there was no further room for hope. They did, indeed, lower some
+cords twisted into running knots, but (as might have been expected)
+these only slipped over, without holding, the slimy bodies of the
+sharks. As a last resource the boatswain allowed his naked leg to hang
+over the side of the raft; the monsters, however, were proof even
+against this attraction.
+
+Reduced once again to a gloomy despondency, all turned to their places,
+to await the end that can not now be long deferred.
+
+Just as I moved away I heard the boatswain say to Curtis:
+
+"Captain, when shall we draw lots?"
+
+The captain made no reply.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XLV
+
+OUR THIRST RELIEVED
+
+
+JANUARY 16.--If the crew of any passing vessel had caught sight of us
+as we lay still and inanimate upon our sail-cloth, they would scarcely,
+at first sight, have hesitated to pronounce us dead.
+
+My sufferings were terrible; tongue, lips, and throat were so parched
+and swollen that if food had been at hand I question whether I could
+have swallowed it. So exasperated were the feelings of us all, however,
+that we glanced at each other with looks as savage as though we were
+about to slaughter and without delay eat up one another.
+
+The heat was aggravated by the atmosphere being somewhat stormy. Heavy
+vapors gathered on the horizon, and there was a look as if it were
+raining all around. Longing eyes and gasping mouths turned
+involuntarily toward the clouds, and M. Letourneur, on bended knee, was
+raising his hands, as it might be in supplication to the relentless
+skies.
+
+It was eleven o'clock in the morning. I listened for distant rumblings
+which might announce an approaching storm, but although the vapors had
+obstructed the sun's rays, they no longer presented the appearance of
+being charged with electricity. Thus our prognostications ended in
+disappointment; the clouds, which in the early morning had been marked
+by the distinctness of their outline, had melted one into another and
+assumed an uniform dull gray tint; in fact, we were enveloped in an
+ordinary fog. But was it not still possible that this fog might turn to
+rain?
+
+Happily this hope was destined to be realized; for in a very short
+time, Dowlas, with a shout of delight, declared that rain was actually
+coming; and sure enough, not half a mile from the raft, the dark
+parallel streaks against the sky testified that there at least rain was
+falling. I fancied I could see the drops rebounding from the surface of
+the water. The wind was fresh and bringing the cloud right on toward
+us, yet we could not suppress our trepidation lest it should exhaust
+itself before it reached us.
+
+But no; very soon large heavy drops began to fall, and the storm-cloud,
+passing over our heads, was outpouring its contents upon us. The
+shower, however, was very transient; already a bright streak of light
+along the horizon marked the limit of the cloud and warned us that we
+must be quick to make the most of what it had to give us. Curtis had
+placed the broken barrel in the position that was most exposed, and
+every sail was spread out to the fullest extent our dimensions would
+allow.
+
+We all laid ourselves down flat upon our backs and kept our mouths wide
+open. The rain splashed into my face, wetted my lips, and trickled down
+my throat. Never can I describe the ecstasy with which I imbibed that
+renovating moisture. The parched and swollen glands relaxed, I breathed
+afresh, and my whole being seemed revived with a strange and
+requickened life.
+
+The rain lasted about twenty minutes, when the cloud, only half
+exhausted, passed quite away from over us.
+
+We grasped each other's hands as we rose from the platform on which we
+had been lying, and mutual congratulations, mingled with gratitude,
+poured forth from our long silent lips. Hope, however evanescent it
+might be, for the moment had returned, and we yielded to the
+expectation that, ere long, other and more abundant clouds might come
+and replenish our store.
+
+The next consideration was how to preserve and economize what little
+had been collected by the barrel, or imbibed by the outspread sails. It
+was found that only a few pints of rain-water had fallen into the
+barrel; to this small quantity the sailors were about to add what they
+could by wringing out the saturated sails, when Curtis made them desist
+from their intention.
+
+"Stop, stop!" he said "we must wait a moment; we must see whether this
+water from the sails is drinkable."
+
+I looked at him in amazement. Why should not this be as drinkable as
+the other? He squeezed a few drops out of one of the folds of a sail
+into a tin pot, and put it to his lips. To my surprise, he rejected it
+immediately, and upon tasting it for myself I found it not merely
+brackish, but briny as the sea itself. The fact was that the canvas had
+been so long exposed to the action of the waves, that it had become
+thoroughly impregnated by salt, which of course was taken up again by
+the water that fell upon it. Disappointed we were; but with several
+pints of water in our possession, we were not only contented for the
+present, but sanguine in our prospect for the future.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XLVI
+
+MY FAST IS BROKEN
+
+
+JANUARY 17.--As a natural consequence of the alleviation of our thirst,
+the pangs of hunger returned more violently than ever. Although we had
+no bait, and even if we had we could not use it for want of a whirl, we
+could not help asking whether no possible means could be devised for
+securing one out of the many sharks that were still perpetually
+swarming about the raft. Armed with knives, like the Indians in the
+pearl fisheries, was it not practicable to attack the monsters in their
+own element? Curtis expressed his willingness personally to make the
+attempt, but so numerous were the sharks that we would not for one
+moment hear of his risking his life in a venture of which the danger
+was as great as the success was doubtful.
+
+By plunging into the sea, or by gnawing at a piece of metal, we could
+always, or at least often, do something that cheated us into believing
+that we were mitigating the pains of thirst; but with hunger it was
+different. The prospect, too, of rain seemed hopeful, while for getting
+food there appeared no chance; and, as we knew that nothing could
+compensate for the lack of nutritive matter, we were soon all cast down
+again. Shocking to confess, it would be untrue to deny that we surveyed
+each other with the eye of an eager longing; and I need hardly explain
+to what a degree of savageness the one idea that haunted us had reduced
+our feelings.
+
+Ever since the storm-cloud brought us the too transient shower the sky
+has been tolerably clear, and although at that time the wind had
+slightly freshened, it has since dropped, and the sail hangs idly
+against our mast. Except for the trifling relief it brings by modifying
+the temperature, we care little now for any breeze. Ignorant as we are
+as to what quarter of the Atlantic we have been carried by the
+currents, it matters very little to us from what direction the wind may
+blow if only it would bring, in rain or dew, the moisture of which we
+are so dreadfully in need.
+
+My brain is haunted by most horrible nightmares; not that I suppose I
+am in anyway more distressed than my companions, who are lying in their
+usual places, vainly endeavoring to forget their sufferings in sleep.
+
+After a time I fell into a restless, dreamy doze. I was neither asleep
+nor awake. How long I remained in that state of stupor I could hardly
+say, but at length a strange sensation brought me to myself. Was I
+dreaming, or was there not really some unaccustomed odor floating in
+the air? My nostrils became distended, and I could scarcely suppress a
+cry of astonishment; but some instinct kept me quiet, and I laid myself
+down again with the puzzled sensation sometimes experienced when we
+have forgotten a word or name. Only a few minutes, however, had elapsed
+before another still more savory puff induced me to take several long
+inhalations. Suddenly, the truth seemed to flash across my mind.
+"Surely," I muttered to myself, "this must be cooked meat that I can
+smell."
+
+Again and again I sniffed, and became more convinced than ever that my
+senses were not deceiving me. But from what part of the raft could the
+smell proceed? I rose to my knees, and having satisfied myself that the
+odor came from the front, I crept stealthily as a cat under the sails
+and between the spars in that direction. Following the promptings of my
+scent, rather than my vision, like a bloodhound in track of his prey. I
+searched everywhere I could, now finding, now losing, the smell
+according to my change of position, or the dropping of the wind. At
+length I got the true scent, once for all, so that I could go straight
+to the object for which I was in search.
+
+Approaching the starboard angle of the raft, I came to the conclusion
+that the smell that had thus keenly excited my cravings was the smell
+of smoked bacon; the membranes of my tongue almost bristled with the
+intenseness of my longing.
+
+Crawling along a little farther, under a thick roll of sail-cloth, I
+was not long in securing my prize. Forcing my arm below the roll, I
+felt my hand in contact with something wrapped up in paper. I clutched
+it up, and carried it off to a place where I could examine it by the
+help of the light of the moon that had now made its appearance above
+the horizon. I almost shrieked for joy. It was a piece of bacon. True,
+it did not weigh many ounces, but small as it was it would suffice to
+alleviate the pangs of hunger for one day at least. I was just on the
+point of raising it to my mouth, when a hand was laid upon my arm. It
+was only by a most determined effort that I kept myself from screaming
+out. One instant more, and I found myself face to face with Hobart.
+
+In a moment I understood all. Plainly this rascal Hobart had saved some
+provisions from the wreck, upon which he had been subsisting ever
+since. The steward had provided for himself, while all around him were
+dying of starvation. Detestable wretch! This accounts for the
+inconsistency of his well-to-do looks and his pitiable groans. Vile
+hypocrite!
+
+Yet why, it struck me, should I complain? Was not I reaping the benefit
+of that secret store that he, for himself, had saved?
+
+But Hobart had no idea of allowing me the peaceable possession of what
+he held to be his own. He made a dash at the fragment of bacon, and
+seemed determined to wrest it from my grasp. We struggled with each
+other, but although our wrestling was very violent, it was very
+noiseless.
+
+We were both of us aware that it was absolutely necessary that not one
+of those on board should know anything at all about the prize for which
+we were contending. Nor was my own determination lessened by hearing
+him groan out that it was his last, his only morsel. "His!" I thought;
+"it shall be mine now!"
+
+And still careful that no noise of commotion should arise, I threw him
+on his back, and grasping his throat so that he gurgled again, I held
+him down until, in rapid mouthfuls, I had swallowed the last scrap of
+the food for which we had fought so hard.
+
+I released my prisoner, and quietly crept back to my own quarters.
+
+And not a soul is aware that I have broken my fast!
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XLVII
+
+HOBART HANGS HIMSELF
+
+
+JANUARY 18.--After this excitement I awaited the approach of day with a
+strange anxiety. My conscience told me that Hobart had the right to
+denounce me in the presence of all my fellow-passengers; yet my alarm
+was vain. The idea of my proceedings being exposed by him was quite
+absurd; in a moment he would himself be murdered without pity by the
+crew, if it should be revealed that, unknown to them, he had been
+living on some private store which, by clandestine cunning, he had
+reserved. But, in spite of my anxiety, I had a longing for day to come.
+
+The bit of food that I had thus stolen was very small; but small as it
+was it had alleviated my hunger; and I was now tortured with remorse,
+because I had not shared the meager morsel with my fellow-sufferers.
+Miss Herbey, Andre, his father, all had been forgotten, and from the
+bottom of my heart I repented of my cruel selfishness.
+
+Meantime the moon rose high in the heavens, and the first streaks of
+dawn appeared. There is no twilight in these low latitudes, and the
+full daylight came well nigh at once. I had not closed my eyes since my
+encounter with the steward, and ever since the first blush of day I had
+labored under the impression that I could see some unusual dark mass
+half way up the mast. But although it again and again caught my eye, it
+hardly roused my curiosity, and I did not rise from the bundle of sails
+on which I was lying to ascertain what it really was. But no sooner did
+the rays of the sun fall upon it than I saw at once that it was the
+body of a man, attached to a rope, and swinging to and fro with the
+motion of the raft.
+
+A horrible presentiment carried me to the foot of the mast, and, just
+as I had guessed, Hobart had hanged himself. I could not for a moment
+doubt that it was I myself that had impelled him to the suicide. A cry
+of horror had scarcely escaped my lips, when my fellow-passengers were
+at my side, and the rope was cut. Then came the sailors. And what was
+it that made the group gather so eagerly around the body? Was it a
+humane desire to see whether any sparks of life remained? No, indeed;
+the corpse was cold, and the limbs were rigid; there was no chance that
+animation should be restored. What then was it that kept them lingering
+so close around? It was only too apparent what they were about to do.
+
+But I did not, could not, look. I refused to take part in the horrible
+repast that was proposed. Neither would Miss Herbey, Andre, nor his
+father, consent to alleviate their pangs of hunger by such revolting
+means. I know nothing for certain as to what Curtis did, and I did not
+venture to inquire; but of the others,--Falsten, Dowlas, the boatswain,
+and all the rest,--I know that, to assuage their cravings, they
+consented to reduce themselves to the level of beasts of prey; they
+were transformed from human beings into ravenous brutes.
+
+The four of us who sickened at the idea of partaking of the horrid meal
+withdrew to the seclusion of our tent; it was bad enough to hear,
+without witnessing the appalling operation. But, in truth, I had the
+greatest difficulty in the world in preventing Andre from rushing out
+upon the cannibals, and snatching the odious food from their clutches.
+I represented to him the hopelessness of his attempt, and tried to
+reconcile him by telling him that if they liked the food they had a
+right to it. Hobart had not been murdered; he had died by his own hand;
+and, after all, as the boatswain had once remarked to me, "It was
+better to eat a dead man than a live one."
+
+Do what I would, however, I could not quiet Andre's feeling of
+abhorrence; in his disgust and loathing he seemed for the time to have
+quite forgotten his own sufferings.
+
+Meanwhile, there was no concealing the truth that we were ourselves
+dying of starvation, while our eight companions would probably, by
+their loathsome diet, escape that frightful destiny. Owing to his
+secret hoard of provisions Hobart had been by far the strongest among
+us; he had been supported, so that no organic disease had affected his
+tissues, and really might be said to be in good health when his chagrin
+drove him to his desperate suicide. But what was I thinking of! whither
+were my meditations carrying me away? was it not coming to pass that
+the cannibals were rousing my envy instead of exciting my horror?
+
+Very shortly after this I heard Dowlas talking about the possibility of
+obtaining salt by evaporating seawater in the sun; "and then," he
+added, "we can salt down the rest."
+
+The boatswain assented to what the carpenter had said, and probably the
+suggestion was adopted.
+
+Silence, the most profound, now reigns upon the raft. I presume that
+nearly all have gone to sleep. One thing I do know, that they are no
+longer hungry.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XLVIII
+
+HOBART'S BODY STOLEN
+
+
+JANUARY 19.--All through the day the sky remained unclouded and the
+heat intense; and night came on without bringing much sensible
+moderation in the temperature. I was unable to get any sleep, and,
+toward morning, was disturbed by hearing an angry clamor going on
+outside the tent; it aroused M. Letourneur, Andre, and Miss Herbey, as
+much as myself, and we were anxious to ascertain the cause of the
+tumult.
+
+The boatswain, Dowlas, and all the sailors were storming at each other
+in frightful rage; and Curtis, who had come forward from the stern, was
+endeavoring to pacify them.
+
+"But who has done it? we must know who has done it," said Dowlas,
+scowling with vindictive passion on the group around him.
+
+"There's a thief," howled out the boatswain, "and he shall be found!
+Let's know who has taken it."
+
+"I haven't taken it!" "Nor I! Nor I!" cried the sailors one after
+another.
+
+And then they set to work again to ransack every quarter of the raft;
+they rolled every spar aside, they overturned everything on board, and
+only grew more and more incensed with anger as their search proved
+fruitless.
+
+"Can YOU tell us," said the boatswain, coming up to me, "who is the
+thief?"
+
+"Thief!" I replied. "I don't know what you mean."
+
+And while we were speaking the others all came up together, and told me
+that they had looked everywhere else, and that they were going now to
+search the tent.
+
+"Shame!" I said. "You ought to allow those whom you know to be dying of
+hunger at least to die in peace. There is not one of us who has left
+the tent all night. Why suspect us?"
+
+"Now just look here, Mr. Kazallon," said the boatswain, in a voice
+which he was endeavoring to calm down into moderation, "we are not
+accusing you of anything; we know well enough you, and all the rest of
+you, had a right to your shares as much as anybody; but that isn't it.
+It's all gone somewhere, every bit."
+
+"Yes," said Sandon gruffly; "it's all gone somewheres, and we are going
+to search the tent."
+
+Resistance was useless, and Miss Herbey, M. Letourneur, and Andre were
+all turned out.
+
+I confess I was very fearful. I had a strong suspicion that for the
+sake of his son, for whom he was ready to venture anything, M.
+Letourneur had committed the theft; in that case I knew that nothing
+would have prevented the infuriated men from tearing the devoted father
+to pieces. I beckoned to Curtis for protection, and he came and stood
+beside me. He said nothing, but waited with his hands in his pockets,
+and I think I am not mistaken in my belief that there was some sort of
+a weapon in each.
+
+To my great relief the search was ineffectual. There was no doubt that
+the carcass of the suicide had been thrown overboard, and the rage of
+the disappointed cannibals knew no bounds.
+
+Yet who had ventured to do the deed? I looked at M. Letourneur and Miss
+Herbey; but their countenances at once betrayed their ignorance. Andre
+turned his face away, and his eyes did not meet my own. Probably it is
+he; but, if it be, I wonder whether he has reckoned up the consequences
+of so rash an act.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XLIX
+
+THE NEGRO BECOMES INSANE
+
+
+JANUARY 20 to 22.--For the day or two after the horrible repast of the
+18th those who had partaken of it appeared to suffer comparatively
+little either from hunger or thirst; but for the four of us who had
+tasted nothing, the agony of suffering grew more and more intense. It
+was enough to make us repine over the loss of the provision that had so
+mysteriously gone; and if any one of us should die, I doubt whether the
+survivors would a second time resist the temptation to assuage their
+pangs by tasting human flesh.
+
+Before long, all the cravings of hunger began to return to the sailors,
+and I could see their eyes greedily glancing upon us, starved as they
+knew us to be, as though they were reckoning our hours, and already
+were preparing to consume us as their prey.
+
+As is always the case with shipwrecked men, we were tormented by thirst
+far more than by hunger; and if, in the height of our sufferings, we
+had been offered our choice between a few drops of water and a few
+crumbs of biscuit, I do not doubt that we should, without exception,
+have preferred to take the water.
+
+And what a mockery to our condition did it seem that all this while
+there was water, water, nothing but water, everywhere around us! Again
+and again, incapable of comprehending how powerless it was to relieve
+me, I put a few drops within my lips, but only with the invariable
+result of bringing on a most trying nausea, and rendering my thirst
+more unendurable than before.
+
+Forty-two days had passed since we quitted the sinking Chancellor.
+There could be no hope now; all of us must die, and by the most
+deplorable of deaths. I was quite conscious that a mist was gathering
+over my brain; I felt my senses sinking into a condition of torpor; I
+made an effort, but all in vain, to master the delirium that I was
+aware was taking possession of my reason. It is out of my power to
+decide for how long I lost my consciousness; but when I came to myself
+I found that Miss Herbey had folded some wet bandages around my
+forehead. I am somewhat better; but I am weakened, mind and body, and I
+am conscious that I have not long to live.
+
+A frightful fatality occurred to-day. The scene was terrible. Jynxstrop
+the negro went raving mad. Curtis and several of the men tried their
+utmost to control him, but in spite of everything he broke loose, and
+tore up and down the raft, uttering fearful yells. He had gained
+possession of a handspike, and rushed upon us all with the ferocity of
+an infuriated tiger; how we contrived to escape mischief from his
+attacks, I know not. All at once, by one of those unaccountable
+impulses of madness, his rage turned against himself. With his teeth
+and nails he gnawed and tore away at his own flesh; dashing the blood
+into our faces, he shrieked out with a demoniacal grin, "Drink, drink!"
+and flinging us gory morsels, kept saying "Eat, eat!" In the midst of
+his insane shrieks he made a sudden pause, then dashing back again from
+the stern to the front, he made a bound and disappeared beneath the
+waves.
+
+Falsten, Dowlas, and the boatswain, made a rush that at least they
+might secure the body; but it was too late; all that they could see was
+a crimson circle in the water, and some huge sharks disporting
+themselves around the spot.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER L
+
+ALL HOPE GONE
+
+
+JANUARY 23.--Only eleven of us now remain; and the probability is very
+great that every day must now carry off at least its one victim, and
+perhaps more. The end of the tragedy is rapidly approaching, and save
+for the chance, which is next to an impossibility, of our sighting
+land, or being picked up by a passing vessel, ere another week has
+elapsed not a single survivor of the Chancellor will remain.
+
+The wind freshened considerably in the night, and it is now blowing
+pretty briskly from the northeast. It has filled our sail, and the
+white foam in our wake is an indication that we are making some
+progress. The captain reckons that we must be advancing at the rate of
+about three miles an hour.
+
+Curtis and Falsten are certainly in the best condition among us, and in
+spite of their extreme emaciation they bear up wonderfully under the
+protracted hardships we have all endured. Words cannot describe the
+melancholy state to which poor Miss Herbey bodily is reduced; her whole
+being seems absorbed into her soul, but that soul is brave and resolute
+as ever, living in heaven rather than on earth. The boatswain, strong,
+energetic man that he was, has shrunk into a mere shadow of his former
+self, and I doubt whether anyone would recognize him to be the same
+man. He keeps perpetually to one corner of the raft, his head dropped
+upon his chest, and his long, bony hands lying upon knees that project
+sharply from his worn-out trowsers. Unlike Miss Herbey, his spirit
+seems to have sunk into apathy, and it is at times difficult to believe
+that he is living at all, so motionless and statue-like does he sit.
+
+Silence continues to reign upon the raft. Not a sound, not even a
+groan, escapes our lips. We do not exchange ten words in the course of
+the day, and the few syllables that our parched tongues and swollen
+lips can pronounce are almost unintelligible. Wasted and bloodless, we
+are no longer human beings; we are specters.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER LI
+
+FLAYPOLE BECOMES DELIRIOUS
+
+
+JANUARY 24.--I have inquired more than once of Curtis if he has the
+faintest idea to what quarter of the Atlantic we have drifted, and each
+time he has been unable to give me a decided answer, though from his
+general observation of the direction of the wind and currents he
+imagines that we have been carried westward, that is to say, toward the
+land.
+
+To-day the breeze has dropped entirely, but the heavy swell is still
+upon the sea, and is an unquestionable sign that a tempest has been
+raging at no great distance. The raft labors hard against the waves,
+and Curtis, Falsten, and the boatswain, employ the little energy that
+remains to them in strengthening the joints. Why do they give
+themselves such trouble? Why not let the few frail planks part asunder,
+and allow the ocean to terminate our miserable existence? Certain it
+seems that our sufferings must have reached their utmost limit, and
+nothing could exceed the torture that we are enduring. The sky pours
+down upon us a heat like that of molten lead, and the sweat that
+saturates the tattered clothes that hang about our bodies goes far to
+aggravate the agonies of our thirst. No words of mine can describe this
+dire distress; these sufferings are beyond human estimate.
+
+Even bathing, the only means of refreshment that we possessed, has now
+become impossible, for ever since Jynxstrop's death the sharks have
+hung about the raft in shoals.
+
+To-day I tried to gain a few drops of fresh water by evaporation, but
+even with the exercise of the greatest patience, it was with the utmost
+difficulty that I obtained enough to moisten a little scrap of linen;
+and the only kettle that we had was so old and battered, that it would
+not bear the fire, so that I was obliged to give up the attempt in
+despair.
+
+Falsten is now almost exhausted, and if he survives us at all, it can
+only be for a few days. Whenever I raised my head I always failed to
+see him, but he was probably lying sheltered somewhere beneath the
+sails. Curtis was the only man who remained on his feet, but with
+indomitable pluck he continued to stand on the front of the raft,
+waiting, watching, hoping. To look at him, with his unflagging energy,
+almost tempted me to imagine that he did well to hope, but I dared not
+entertain one sanguine thought, and there I lay, waiting, nay, longing
+for death.
+
+How many hours passed away thus I cannot tell, but after a time a loud
+peal of laughter burst upon my ear. Someone else, then, was going mad,
+I thought; but the idea did not rouse me in the least. The laughter was
+repeated with greater vehemence, but I never raised my head. Presently
+I caught a few incoherent words.
+
+"Fields, fields, gardens and trees! Look, there's an inn under the
+trees! Quick, quick! brandy, gin, water! a guinea a drop! I'll pay for
+it! I've lots of money! lots! lots!"
+
+Poor deluded wretch! I thought again; the wealth of a nation could not
+buy a drop of water here. There was silence for a minute, when all of a
+sudden I heard the shout of "Land! land!"
+
+The words acted upon me like an electric shock, and, with a frantic
+effort, I started to my feet. No land, indeed, was visible, but
+Flaypole, laughing, singing, and gesticulating, was raging up and down
+the raft. Sight, taste, and hearing--all were gone; but the cerebral
+derangement supplied their place, and in imagination the maniac was
+conversing with absent friends, inviting them into the George Inn at
+Cardiff, offering them gin, whiskey, and, above all, water! Stumbling
+at every step, and singing in a cracked, discordant voice, he staggered
+about among us like an intoxicated man. With the loss of his senses all
+his sufferings had vanished, and his thirst was appeased. It was hard
+not to wish to be a partaker of his hallucination.
+
+Dowlas, Falsten, and the boatswain, seemed to think that the
+unfortunate wretch would, like Jynxstrop, put an end to himself by
+leaping into the sea; but, determined this time to preserve the body,
+that it might serve a better purpose than merely feeding the sharks,
+they rose and followed the madman everywhere he went, keeping a strict
+eye upon his every movement.
+
+But the matter did not end as they expected. As though he were really
+intoxicated by the stimulants of which he had been raving, Flaypole at
+last sank down in a heap in a corner of the raft, where he lay lost in
+a heavy slumber.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER LII
+
+I DECIDE TO COMMIT SUICIDE
+
+
+JANUARY 25.--Last night was very misty, and for some unaccountable
+reason, one of the hottest that can be imagined. The atmosphere was
+really so stifling, that it seemed as if it only required a spark to
+set it alight. The raft was not only quite stationary, but did not even
+rise and fall with any motion of the waves.
+
+During the night I tried to count how many there were now on board, but
+I was utterly unable to collect my ideas sufficiently to make the
+enumeration. Sometimes I counted ten, sometimes twelve, and although I
+knew that eleven, since Jynxstrop was dead, was the correct number, I
+could never bring my reckoning right. Of one thing I felt quite sure,
+and that was that the number would very soon be ten. I was convinced
+that I could myself last but very little longer. All the events and
+associations of my life passed rapidly through my brain. My country, my
+friends, and my family all appeared as it were in a vision, and seemed
+as though they had come to bid me a last farewell.
+
+Toward morning I woke from my sleep, if the languid stupor into which I
+had fallen was worthy of that name. One fixed idea had taken possession
+of my brain--I would put an end to myself; and I felt a sort of
+pleasure as I gloated over the power that I had to terminate my
+sufferings. I told Curtis, with the utmost composure, of my intention,
+and he received the intelligence as calmly as it was delivered.
+
+"Of course you will do as you please," he said; "for my own part, I
+shall not abandon my post. It is my duty to remain here; and unless
+death comes to carry me away, I shall stay where I am to the very last."
+
+The dull gray fog still hung heavily over the ocean, but the sun was
+evidently shining above the mist, and would, in course of time, dispel
+the vapor. Toward seven o'clock I fancied I heard the cries of birds
+above my head. The sound was repeated three times, and as I went up to
+the captain to ask him about it, I heard him mutter to himself:
+
+"Birds! Why, that looks as if land were not far off."
+
+But although Curtis might still cling to the hope of reaching land, I
+knew not what it was to have one sanguine thought. For me there was
+neither continent nor island; the world was one fluid sphere, uniform,
+monotonous, as in the most primitive period of its formation.
+Nevertheless it must be owned that it was with a certain amount of
+impatience that I awaited the rising of the mist, for I was anxious to
+shake off the phantom fallacies that Curtis's words had suggested to my
+mind.
+
+Not till eleven o'clock did the fog begin to break, and as it rolled in
+heavy folds along the surface of the water, I could every now and then
+catch glimpses of a clear blue sky beyond. Fierce sunbeams pierced the
+cloud-rifts, scorching and burning our bodies like red-hot iron; but it
+was only above our heads that there was any sunlight to condense the
+vapor; the horizon was still quite invisible. There was no wind, and
+for half an hour longer the fog hung heavily round the raft, while
+Curtis, leaning against the side, strove to penetrate the obscurity. At
+length the sun burst forth in full power, and, sweeping the surface of
+the ocean, dispelled the fog and left the horizon open to our eyes.
+
+There, exactly as we had seen it for the last six weeks, was the circle
+that bounded sea and sky--unbroken, definite, distinct as ever! Curtis
+gazed with intensest scrutiny, but did not speak a word. I pitied him
+sincerely, for he alone of us all felt that he had not the right to put
+an end to his misery. For myself, I had fully determined that if I
+lived till the following day, I would die by my own hand. Whether my
+companions were still alive, I hardly cared to know; it seemed as
+though days had passed since I had seen them.
+
+Night drew on, but I could not sleep for a moment. Toward two o'clock
+in the morning my thirst was so intense that I was unable to suppress
+loud cries of agony. Was there nothing that would serve to quench the
+fire that was burning within me? What if, instead of drinking the blood
+of others, I were to drink my own? It would be all unavailing, I was
+well aware; but scarcely had the thought crossed my mind, than I
+proceeded to put it into execution. I unclasped my knife, and,
+stripping my arm, with a steady thrust I opened a small vein. The blood
+oozed out slowly, drop by drop, and as I eagerly swallowed the source
+of my very life, I felt that for a moment my torments were relieved.
+But only for a moment; all energy had failed my pulses, and almost
+immediately the blood had ceased to flow.
+
+How long it seemed before the morning dawned! and when that morning
+came it brought another fog, heavy as before, that again shut out the
+horizon. The fog was hot as the burning steam that issues from a
+boiler. It was to be my last day upon earth, and I felt that I should
+like to press the hand of a friend before I died. Curtis was standing
+near, and crawling up to him, I took his hand in my own. He seemed to
+know that I was taking my farewell, and with one last lingering hope he
+endeavored to restrain me. But all in vain; my mind was finally made up.
+
+I should have liked to speak once again to M. Letourneur, Andre, and
+Miss Herbey, but my courage failed me. I knew that the young girl would
+read my resolution in my eyes, and that she would speak to me of duty,
+and of God, and of eternity, and I dared not meet her gaze; and I would
+not run the risk of being persuaded to wait until a lingering death
+should overtake me. I returned to the back of the raft, and after
+making several efforts, I managed to get on to my feet. I cast one long
+look at the pitiless ocean and the unbroken horizon; if a sail or the
+outline of a coast had broken on my view, I believe that I should only
+have deemed myself the victim of an illusion; but nothing of the kind
+appeared, and the sea was dreary as a desert.
+
+It was ten o'clock in the morning. The pangs of hunger and the torments
+of thirst were racking me with redoubled vigor. All instinct of
+self-preservation had left me, and I felt that the hour had come when I
+must cease to suffer. Just as I was on the point of casting myself
+headlong into the sea, a voice, which I recognized as Dowlas's, broke
+upon my ear.
+
+"Captain," he said, "we are going to draw lots."
+
+Involuntarily I paused; I did not take my plunge, but returned to my
+place upon the raft.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER LIII
+
+WE DECIDE TO DRAW LOTS
+
+
+JANUARY 26.--All heard and understood the proposition; in fact it had
+been in contemplation for several days, but no one had ventured to put
+the idea into words. However, it was done now; lots were to be drawn,
+and to each would be assigned his share of the body of the one ordained
+by fate to be the victim. For my own part, I profess that I was quite
+resigned for the lot to fall upon myself. I thought I heard Andre
+Letourneur beg for an exception to be made in favor of Miss Herbey; but
+the sailors raised a murmur of dissent. As there were eleven of us on
+board, there were ten chances to one in each one's favor--a proportion
+which would be diminished if Miss Herbey were excluded; so that the
+young lady was forced to take her chance among the rest.
+
+It was then half-past ten, and the boatswain, who had been roused from
+his lethargy by what the carpenter had said, insisted that the drawing
+should take place immediately. There was no reason for delaying the
+fatal lottery. There was not one of us that clung in the least to life;
+and we knew that, at the worst, whoever should be doomed to die, would
+only precede the rest by a few days, or even hours. All that we desired
+was just once to slake our raging thirst and moderate our gnawing
+hunger.
+
+How all the names found their way to the bottom of a hat I cannot tell.
+Very likely Falsten wrote them upon a leaf torn from his
+memorandum-book. But be that as it may, the eleven names were there,
+and it was unanimously agreed that the last name drawn should be the
+victim.
+
+But who would draw the names? There was hesitation for a moment; then
+"I will," said a voice behind me. Turning round, I beheld M. Letourneur
+standing with outstretched hand, and with his long white hair falling
+over his thin livid face that was almost sublime in its calmness. I
+divined at once the reason of this voluntary offer; I knew that it was
+the father's devotion in self-sacrifice that led him to undertake the
+office.
+
+"As soon as you please," said the boatswain.
+
+M. Letourneur proceeded to draw out the folded strips of paper, one by
+one, and, after reading out loud the name upon it, handed it to its
+owner.
+
+The first name called was that of Burke, who uttered a cry of delight;
+then followed Flaypole and the boatswain. What his name really was I
+never could exactly learn. Then came Falsten, Curtis, Sandon. More than
+half had now been called, and my name had not yet been drawn. I
+calculated my remaining chance; it was still four to one in my favor.
+
+M. Letourneur continued his painful task. Since Burke's first
+exclamation of joy not a sound had escaped our lips, but all were
+listening in breathless silence. The seventh name was Miss Herbey's,
+but the young girl heard it without a start. Then came mine, yes, mine!
+and the ninth was was that of Letourneur.
+
+"Which one?" asked the boatswain.
+
+"Andre," said M. Letourneur.
+
+With one cry Andre fell back senseless. Only two names now remained in
+the hat--those of Dowlas and M. Letourneur himself.
+
+"Go on!" almost roared the carpenter, surveying his partner in peril as
+though he could devour him. M. Letourneur almost had a smile upon his
+lips, as he drew forth the last paper but one, and with a firm,
+unfaltering voice, marvelous for his age, unfolded it slowly, and read
+the name of Dowlas. The carpenter gave a yell of relief as he heard the
+word.
+
+M. Letourneur took the last bit of paper from the hat, and, without
+looking at it, tore it to pieces. But, unperceived by all but myself,
+one little fragment flew into a corner of the raft. I crawled toward it
+and picked it up. On one side of it was written Andr--; the rest of the
+word was torn away. M. Letourneur saw what I had done, and, rushing
+toward me, snatched the paper from my hands, and flung it into the sea.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER LIV
+
+MISS HERBEY PLEADS FOR ONE DAY MORE
+
+
+JANUARY 26.--I understood it all; the devoted father having nothing
+more to give, had given his life for his son.
+
+M. Letourneur was no longer a human being in the eyes of the famished
+creatures who were now yearning to see him sacrificed to their
+cravings. At the very sight of the victim thus provided, all the
+tortures of hunger returned with redoubled violence. With lips
+distended, and teeth displayed, they waited like a herd of carnivora
+until they could attack their prey with brutal voracity; it seemed
+almost doubtful whether they would not fall upon him while still alive.
+It seemed impossible that any appeal to their humanity could, at such a
+moment, have any weight; nevertheless, the appeal was made, and,
+incredible as it may seem, prevailed.
+
+Just as the boatswain was about to act the part of butcher, and Dowlas
+stood, hatchet in hand, ready to complete the barbarous work, Miss
+Herbey advanced, or rather crawled, toward them.
+
+"My friends," she pleaded, "will you not wait just one more day? If no
+land or ship is in sight to-morrow, then I suppose our poor companion
+must become your victim. But allow him one more day; in the name of
+mercy I entreat, I implore you."
+
+My heart bounded as she made her pitiful appeal. It seemed to me as
+though the noble girl had spoken with an inspiration on her lips, and I
+fancied that, perhaps, in supernatural vision she had viewed the coast
+or the ship of which she spoke; and one more day was not much to us who
+had already suffered so long, and endured so much.
+
+Curtis and Falsten agreed with me, and we all united to support Miss
+Herbey's merciful petition. The sailors did not utter a murmur, and the
+boatswain in a smothered voice said:
+
+"Very well, we will wait till daybreak to-morrow," and threw down his
+hatchet.
+
+To-morrow, then, unless land or a sail appear, the horrible sacrifice
+will be accomplished. Stifling their sufferings by a strenuous effort,
+all returned to their places. The sailors crouched beneath the sails,
+caring nothing about scanning the ocean. Food was in store for them
+to-morrow, and that was enough for them.
+
+As soon as Andre Letourneur came to his senses, his first thought was
+for his father, and I saw him count the passengers on the raft. He
+looked puzzled; when he lost consciousness there had been only two
+names left in the hat, those of his father and the carpenter; and yet
+M. Letourneur and Dowlas were both there still. Miss Herbey went up to
+him and told him quietly that the drawing of the lots had not yet been
+finished. Andre asked no further question, but took his father's hand.
+M. Letourneur's countenance was calm and serene; he seemed to be
+conscious of nothing except that the life of his son was spared, and as
+the two sat conversing in an undertone at the back of the raft, their
+whole existence seemed bound up in each other.
+
+Meantime, I could not disabuse my mind of the impression caused by Miss
+Herbey's intervention. Something told me that help was near at hand,
+and that we were approaching the termination of our suspense and
+misery; the chimeras that were floating through my brain resolved
+themselves into realities, so that nothing appeared to me more certain
+than that either land or sail, be they miles away, would be discovered
+somewhere to leeward.
+
+I imparted my convictions to M. Letourneur and his son. Andre was as
+sanguine as myself; poor boy! he little thinks what a loss there is in
+store for him to-morrow. His father listened gravely to all we said,
+and whatever he might think in his own mind, he did not give us any
+discouragement; Heaven, he said, he was sure would still spare the
+survivors of the Chancellor, and then he lavished on his son caresses
+which he deemed to be his last.
+
+Some time afterward, when I was alone with him, M. Letourneur whispered
+in my ear:
+
+"Mr. Kazallon, I commend my boy to your care, and mark you, he must
+never know--"
+
+His voice was choked with tears, and he could not finish his sentence.
+
+But I was full of hope, and, without a moment's intermission, I kept my
+eyes fixed upon the unbroken horizon. Curtis, Miss Herbey, Falsten, and
+even the boatswain, were also eagerly scanning the broad expanse of the
+sea.
+
+Night has come on; but I have still a profound conviction that through
+the darkness some ship will approach, and that at daybreak our raft
+will be observed.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER LV
+
+FRESH WATER
+
+
+JANUARY 27.--I did not close my eyes all night, and was keenly alive to
+the faintest sounds, and every ripple of the water, and every murmur of
+the waves, broke distinctly on my ear. One thing I noticed and accepted
+as a happy omen; not a single shark now lingered round the raft. The
+waning moon rose at a quarter to one, and through the feeble glimmer
+which she cast across the ocean, many and many a time I fancied I
+caught sight of the longed-for sail, lying only a few cables'-lengths
+away.
+
+But when morning came, the sun rose once again upon a desert ocean, and
+my hopes began to fade. Neither ship nor shore had appeared, and as the
+shocking hour of execution drew near, my dreams of deliverance melted
+away; I shuddered in my very soul as I was brought face to face with
+the stern reality. I dared not look upon the victim, and whenever his
+eyes, so full of calmness and resignation, met my own, I turned away my
+head. I felt choked with horror, and my brain reeled as though I were
+intoxicated.
+
+It was now six o'clock, and all hope had vanished from my breast; my
+heart beat rapidly, and a cold sweat of agony broke out all over me.
+Curtis and the boatswain stood by the mast attentively scanning the
+horizon. The boatswain's countenance was terrible to look upon; one
+could see that although he would not forestall the hour, he was
+determined not to wait a moment after it arrived. As for the captain,
+it was impossible to tell what really passed within his mind; his face
+was livid, and his whole existence seemed concentrated in the exercise
+of his power of vision. The sailors were crawling about the platform,
+with their eyes gleaming, like the wild beasts ready to pounce upon
+their devoted prey.
+
+I could no longer keep my place, and glided along to the front of the
+raft. The boatswain was still standing intent on his watch, but all of
+a sudden, in a voice that made me start, he shouted:
+
+"Now then, time's up!" and followed by Dowlas, Burke, Flaypole, and
+Sandon, ran to the back of the raft.   As Dowlas seized the hatchet
+convulsively, Miss Herbey could not suppress a cry of terror. Andre
+started to his feet.
+
+"What are you going to do to my father?" he asked in accents choked
+with emotion.
+
+"My boy," said M. Letourneur, "the lot has fallen upon me, and I must
+die!"
+
+"Never!" shrieked Andre, throwing his arms about his father. "They
+shall kill me first. It was I who threw Hobart's body into the sea, and
+it is I who ought to die!" But the words of the unhappy youth had no
+other effect than to increase the fury of the men who were so stanchly
+bent upon their bloody purpose.
+
+"Come, come, no more fuss," said Dowlas, as he tore the young man away
+from his father's embrace.
+
+Andre fell upon his back, in which position two of the sailors held him
+down so tightly that he could not move, while Burke and Sandon carried
+off their victim to the front.
+
+All this had taken place much more rapidly than I have been able to
+describe it. I was transfixed with horror, and much as I wished to
+throw myself between M. Letourneur and his executioners, I seemed to be
+rooted to the spot where I was standing.
+
+Meantime the sailors had been taking off some of M. Letourneur's
+clothes, and his neck and shoulders were already bare.
+
+"Stop a moment!" he said in a tone in which was the ring of indomitable
+courage. "Stop! I don't want to deprive you of your ration; but I
+suppose you will not require to eat the whole of me to-day."
+
+The sailors, taken back by his suggestion, stared at him with amazement.
+
+"There are ten of you," he went on. "My two arms will give you each a
+meal; cut them off for to-day, and to-morrow you shall have the rest of
+me."
+
+"Agreed!" cried Dowlas; and as M. Letourneur held out his bare arms,
+quick as lightning the carpenter raised his hatchet.
+
+Curtis and I could bear this scene no longer; while we were alive to
+prevent it, this butchery should not be permitted, and we rushed
+forward simultaneously to snatch the victim from his murderers. A
+furious struggle ensued, and in the midst of the melee, I was seized by
+one of the sailors, and hurled violently into the sea.
+
+Closing my lips, I tried to die of suffocation in the water; but in
+spite of myself, my mouth opened, and a few drops trickled down my
+throat.
+
+Merciful Heaven! the water was fresh!
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER LVI
+
+NEAR THE COAST OF SOUTH AMERICA
+
+
+JANUARY 27 continued.--A change came over me as if by miracle. No
+longer had I any wish to die, and already Curtis, who had heard my
+cries, was throwing me a rope. I seized it eagerly, and was hauled up
+on to the raft.
+
+"Fresh water!" were the first words I uttered.
+
+"Fresh water?" cried Curtis; "why then, my friends, we are not far from
+land!"
+
+It was not too late: the blow had not been struck, and so the victim
+had not yet fallen. Curtis and Andre (who had regained his liberty) had
+fought with the cannibals, and it was just as they were yielding to
+over-powering numbers that my voice had made itself heard.
+
+The struggle came to an end.   As soon as the words "fresh water" had
+escaped my lips, I leaned over the side of the raft and swallowed the
+life-giving liquid in greedy draughts. Miss Herbey was the first to
+follow my example, but soon Curtis, Falsten, and all the rest were on
+their knees and drinking eagerly. The rough sailors seemed as if by a
+magic touch transformed back from ravenous beasts to human beings, and
+I saw several of them raise their hands to heaven in silent gratitude.
+Andre and his father were the last to drink.
+
+"But where are we?" I asked at length.
+
+"The land is there," said Curtis, pointing toward the west.
+
+We all stared at the captain as though he were mocking us: no land was
+in sight, and the raft, just as ever, was the center of a watery waste.
+Yet our senses had not deceived us; the water we had been drinking was
+perfectly fresh.
+
+"Yes," repeated the captain, "land is certainly there, not more than
+twenty miles to leeward."
+
+"What land?" inquired the boatswain.
+
+"South America," answered Curtis, "and near the Amazon; no other river
+has a current strong enough to freshen the ocean twenty miles from
+shore!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER LVII
+
+LAND AHOY!
+
+
+JANUARY 27 continued.--Curtis, no doubt, was right. The discharge from
+the mouth of the Amazon is enormously large, but we had probably
+drifted into the only spot in the Atlantic where we could find fresh
+water so far from land. Yet land undoubtedly was there, and the breeze
+was carrying us onward slowly but surely to our deliverance.
+
+Miss Herbey's voice was heard pouring out fervent praise to Heaven, and
+we were all glad to unite our thanksgivings with hers. Then the whole
+of us (with the exception of Andre and his father, who remained by
+themselves together at the stern) clustered in a group, and kept our
+expectant gaze upon the horizon.
+
+We had not long to wait. Before an hour had passed, Curtis leaped in
+ecstasy and raised the joyous shout of "Land ahoy!"
+
+     .     .     .     .     .
+
+My journal has come to a close.
+
+I have only to relate, as briefly as possible, the circumstances that
+finally brought us to our destination.
+
+A few hours after we first sighted land the raft was off Cape Magoari,
+on the island of Marajo, and was observed by some fishermen, who, with
+kind-hearted alacrity picked us up and tended us most carefully. They
+conveyed us to Para, where we became the objects of unbounded sympathy.
+
+The raft was brought to land in latitude 0 deg. 12' north, so that
+since we abandoned the Chancellor we had drifted at least fifteen
+degrees to the southwest. Except for the influence of the Gulf Stream
+we must have been carried far, far to the south, and in that case we
+should never have reached the mouth of the Amazon, and must inevitably
+have been lost.
+
+Of the thirty-two souls--nine passengers and twenty-three seamen--who
+left Charleston on board the ship, only five passengers and six seamen
+remain. Eleven of us alone survive.
+
+An official account of our rescue was drawn up by the Brazilian
+authorities. Those who signed were Miss Herbey, J. R. Kazallon, M.
+Letourneur, Andre Letourneur, Mr. Falsten, the boatswain, Dowlas,
+Burke, Flaypole, Sandon, and last, though not least,
+                     "Robert Curtis, Captain."
+
+At Para we soon found facilities for continuing our homeward route. A
+vessel took us to Cayenne, where we secured a passage on board one of
+the steamers of the French Transatlantic Aspinwall line, the Ville de
+St. Nazaire, which conveyed us to Europe.
+
+After all the dangers and privations which we have undergone together,
+it is scarcely necessary to say that there has arisen between the
+surviving passengers of the Chancellor a bond of friendship too
+indissoluble, I believe, for either time or circumstance to destroy;
+Curtis must ever remain the honored and valued friend of those whose
+welfare he consulted so faithfully in their misfortunes; his conduct
+was beyond all praise.
+
+When we were fairly on our homeward way, Miss Herbey by chance
+intimated to us her intention of retiring from the world and devoting
+the remainder of her life to the care of the sick and suffering.
+
+"Then why not come and look after my son?" said M. Letourneur, adding,
+"he is an invalid, and he requires, as he deserves, the best of
+nursing."
+
+Miss Herbey, after some deliberation, consented to become a member of
+their family, and finds in M. Letourneur a father, and in Andre a
+brother. A brother, I say; but may we not hope that she may be united
+by a dearer and a closer tie, and that the noble-hearted girl may
+experience the happiness that she so richly deserves?
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's The Survivors of the Chancellor, by Jules Verne
+
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+Project Gutenberg Etext The Survivors of the Chancellor, by Verne
+#9 in our series by Jules Verne
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+The Survivors of the Chancellor
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+by Jules Verne
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+April, 1999  [Etext #1698]
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+This etext was prepared by Judy Boss, Omaha, Nebraska
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+
+
+
+WORKS
+of
+JULES VERNE
+
+EDITED BY
+
+CHARLES F. HORNE
+
+
+
+
+INTRODUCTION
+
+THE SURVIVORS OF THE CHANCELLOR
+was issued in 1875. Shipwrecks occur
+in other of Verne's tales; but this is his only
+story devoted wholly to such a disaster. In it
+the author has gathered all the tragedy, the
+mystery, and the suffering possible to the sea. All the vari-
+ous forms of disaster, all the possibilities of horror, the
+depths of shame and agony, are heaped upon these unhappy
+voyagers. The accumulation is mathematically complete
+and emotionally unforgettable. The tale has well been called
+the "imperishable epic of shipwreck."
+
+The idea of the book is said to have originated in the cele-
+brated French painting by Gericault, "the Wreck of the
+Medusa," now in the Louvre gallery. The Medusa was a
+French frigate wrecked off the coast of Africa in 1816.
+Some of the survivors, escaping on a raft, were rescued by
+a passing ship after many days of torture. Verne, however,
+seems also to have drawn upon the terrifying experiences of
+the British ship Sarah Sands in 1857, her story being fresh
+in the public mind at the time he wrote. The Sarah Sands
+caught fire off the African coast while on a voyage to India
+carrying British troops. There was gunpowder aboard li-
+able to blow up at any moment. Some of it did indeed ex-
+plode, tearing a huge hole in the vessel's side. A storm
+added to the terror, and the waters entering the breach
+caused by the explosion, combated with the fire. After ten
+days of desperate struggle, the charred and sinking vessel
+reached a port.
+
+The extreme length of life which Verne allows his people
+in their starving, thirsting condition is proven possible by
+medical science and recent "fasting"' experiments. The
+dramatic climax of the tale wherein the castaways find fresh
+water in the ocean is based upon a fact, one of those odd
+geographical facts of which the author made such frequent,
+skillful and instructive use.
+
+"Michael Strogoff" which, through its use as a stage
+play, has become one of the best known books of all the
+world, was first published in 1876. Its vivid, powerful
+story has made it a favorite with every red-blooded reader.
+Its two well-drawn female characters, the courageous hero-
+ine, and the stern, endurant, yearning mother, show how
+well Verne could depict the tenderer sex when he so willed.
+Though usually the rapid movement and adventure of his
+stories leave women in subordinate parts.
+
+As to the picture drawn in "Michael Strogoff" of Russia
+and Siberia, it is at once instructive and sympathetic.
+The horrors are not blinked at, yet neither is Russian patri-
+otism ignored. The loyalty of some of the Siberian exiles
+to their mother country is a side of life there which is too
+often ignored by writers who dwell only on the darker view.
+
+The Czar, in our author's hands, becomes the hero figure
+to the erection of which French "hero worship" is ever
+prone. The sarcasms thrown occasionally at the British
+newspaper correspondent of the story, show the changing
+attitude of Verne toward England, and reflect the French
+spirit of his day.
+
+
+
+
+The Survivors of the Chancellor
+
+by Jules Verne
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+THE CHANCELLOR
+
+CHARLESTON, September 27, 1898. -- It is
+high tide, and three o'clock in the afternoon
+when we leave the Battery quay; the ebb
+carries us off shore, and as Captain Huntly
+has hoisted both main and top sails, the north-
+erly breeze drives the Chancellor briskly
+across the bay. Fort Sumter ere long is doubled, the
+sweeping batteries of the mainland on our left are soon
+passed, and by four o'clock the rapid current of the ebbing
+tide has carried us through the harbor mouth.
+
+But as yet we have not reached the open sea we have still
+to thread our way through the narrow channels which the
+surge has hollowed out amongst the sand-banks.  The
+captain takes a southwest course, rounding the lighthouse
+at the corner of the fort; the sails are closely trimmed; the
+last sandy point is safely coasted, and at length, at seven
+o'clock in the evening, we are out free upon the wide At-
+lantic.
+
+The Chancellor is a fine square-rigged three-master, of
+900 tons burden, and belongs to the wealthy Liverpool firm
+of Laird Brothers. She is two years old, is sheathed and
+secured with copper, her decks being of teak, and the base
+of all her masts, except the mizzen, with all their fittings,
+being of iron. She is registered first class, A 1, and is now
+on her third voyage between Charleston and Liverpool. As
+she wended her way through the channels of Charleston
+harbor, it was the British flag that was lowered from her
+mast-head; but without colors at all, no sailor could have
+hesitated for a moment in telling her nationality, -- for Eng-
+lish she was, and nothing but English from her water-line
+upward to the truck of her masts.
+
+I must now relate how it happens that I have taken my
+passage on board the Chancellor on her return voyage to
+England.
+
+At present there is no direct steamship service between
+South Carolina and Great Britain, and all who wish to cross
+must go either northward to New York or southward to
+New Orleans. It is quite true that if I had chosen a start
+from New York I might have found plenty of vessels be-
+longing to English, French, or Hamburg lines, any of which
+would have conveyed me by a rapid voyage to my destina-
+tion; and it is equally true that if I had selected New Or-
+leans for my embarkation I could readily have reached
+Europe by one of the vessels of the National Steam Naviga-
+tion Company, which join the French transatlantic line
+of Colon and Aspinwall. But it was fated to be otherwise.
+
+One day, as I was loitering about the Charleston quays,
+my eye lighted on this vessel. There was something about
+the Chancellor that pleased me, and a kind of involuntary
+impulse took me on board, where I found the internal ar-
+rangements perfectly comfortable. Yielding to the idea
+that a voyage in a sailing vessel had certain charms beyond
+the transit in a steamer, and reckoning that with wind and
+wave in my favor there would be little material difference
+in time; considering, moreover, that in these low latitudes
+the weather in early autumn is fine and unbroken, I came
+to my decision, and proceeded forthwith to secure my pas-
+sage by this route to Europe.
+
+Have I done right or wrong? Whether I shall have rea-
+son to regret my determination is a problem to be solved in
+the future. However, I will begin to record the incidents
+of our daily experience, dubious as I feel whether the lines
+of my chronicle will ever find a reader.
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+CREW AND PASSENGERS
+
+SEPTEMBER 28. -- John Silas Huntly, the captain of the
+Chancellor, has the reputation of being a most experienced
+navigator of the Atlantic. He is a Scotchman by birth,
+a native of Dundee, and is about fifty years of age. He is
+of the middle height and slight build, and has a small head,
+which he has a habit of holding a little over his left shoulder.
+I do not pretend to be much of a physiognomist, but I am
+inclined to believe that my few hours' acquaintance with our
+captain has given me considerable insight into his charac-
+ter. That he is a good seaman and thoroughly understands
+his duties I could not for a moment venture to deny; but
+that he is a man of resolute temperament, or that he pos-
+sesses the amount of courage that would render him, phy-
+sically or morally, capable of coping with any great emer-
+gency, I confess I cannot believe. I observed a certain
+heaviness and dejection about his whole carriage. His
+wavering glances, the listless motion of his hands, and his
+slow, unsteady gait, all seem to me to indicate a weak and
+sluggish disposition. He does not appear as though he
+could be energetic enough ever to be stubborn; he never
+frowns, sets his teeth, or clenches his fists. There is some-
+thing enigmatical about him; however, I shall study him
+closely, and do what I can to understand the man who, as
+commander of a vessel, should be to those around him
+"second only to God."
+
+Unless I am greatly mistaken there is another man on
+board who, if circumstances should require it, would take
+the more prominent position -- I mean the mate. I have
+hitherto, however, had so little opportunity of observing his
+character, that I must defer saying more about him at pres-
+ent.
+
+Besides the captain and this mate, whose name is Robert
+Curtis, our crew consists of Walter, the lieutenant, the boat-
+swain, and fourteen sailors, all English or Scotch, making
+eighteen altogether, a number quite sufficient for working
+a vessel of 900 tons burden. Up to this time my sole ex-
+perience of their capabilities is, that under the command of
+the mate, they brought us skillfully enough through the
+narrow channels of Charleston; and I have no reason to
+doubt that they are well up to their work.
+
+My list of the ship's officials is incomplete unless I men-
+tion Hobart the steward and Jynxstrop the negro cook.
+
+In addition to these, the Chancellor carries eight pas-
+sengers, including myself. Hitherto, the bustle of em-
+barkation, the arrangement of cabins, and all the variety of
+preparations inseparable from starting on a voyage for at
+least twenty or five-and-twenty days have precluded the
+formation of any acquaintanceships; but the monotony of
+the voyage, the close proximity into which we must be
+thrown, and the natural curiosity to know something of each
+other's affairs, will doubtless lead us in due time to an ex-
+change of ideas. Two days have elapsed and I have not
+even seen all the passengers. Probably sea-sickness has
+prevented some of them from making an appearance at the
+common table. One thing, however, I do know; namely,
+that there are two ladies occupying the stern cabin, the win-
+dows of which are in the aft-board of the vessel.
+
+I have seen the ship's list, and subjoin a list of the pas-
+sengers. They are as follows:
+
+     Mr. and Mrs. Kear, Americans, of Buffalo.
+
+     Miss Herbey, a young English lady, companion to Mrs.
+Kear.
+
+     M. Letourneur and his son Andre, Frenchmen, of Havre.
+
+     William Falsten, a Manchester engineer.
+
+     John Ruby, a Cardiff merchant; and myself, J. R. Kazal-
+lon, of London.
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+BILL OF LADING
+
+SEPTEMBER 29. -- Captain Huntly's bill of lading, that is
+to say, the document that describes the Chancellor's cargo
+and the conditions of transport, is couched in the following
+terms:
+
+Bronsfield and Co., Agents, Charleston:
+
+     I, John Silas Huntly, of Dundee, Scotland, commander
+of the ship Chancellor, of about 900 tons burden, now at
+Charleston, do purpose, by the blessing of God, at the earli-
+est convenient season, and by the direct route, to sail for the
+port of Liverpool, where I shall obtain my discharge. I
+do hereby acknowledge that I have received from you,
+Messrs. Bronsfield and Co., Commission Agents, Charles-
+ton, and have placed the same under the gun-deck of the
+aforesaid ship, seventeen hundred bales of cotton, of the
+estimated value of 26,000 L., all in good condition, marked
+and numbered as in the margin; which goods I do undertake
+to transport to Liverpool, and there to deliver, free from
+injury (save only such injury as shall have been caused by
+the chances of the sea), to Messrs. Laird Brothers, or to
+their order, or to their representatives, who shall on due
+delivery of the said freight pay me the sum of 2,000 L. inclu-
+sive, according to the charter-party, and damages in addi-
+tion, according to the usages and customs of the sea.
+
+And for the fulfillment of the above covenant, I have
+pledged and do pledge my person, my property, and my
+interest in the vessel aforesaid, with all its appurtenances.
+In witness whereof, I have signed three agreements all of
+the same purport, on the condition that when the terms of
+one are accomplished, the other two shall be absolutely null
+and void.
+
+     Given at Charleston, September 13th, 1869.
+
+                         J. S. HUNTLY.
+
+From the foregoing document it will be understood that
+the Chancellor is conveying 1,700 bales of cotton to Liver-
+pool; that the shippers are Bronsfield, of Charleston, and
+the consignees are Laird Brothers of Liverpool. The ship
+was constructed with the especial design of carrying cotton,
+and the entire hold, with the exception of a very limited
+space reserved for passenger's luggage, is closely packed
+with the bales. The lading was performed with the utmost
+care, each bale being pressed into its proper place by the
+aid of screw-jacks, so that the whole freight forms one solid
+and compact mass; not an inch of space is wasted, and the
+vessel is thus made capable of carrying her full complement
+of cargo.
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+SOMETHING ABOUT MY FELLOW PASSENGERS
+
+SEPTEMBER 30 to October 6. -- The Chancellor is a rapid
+sailer, and more than a match for many a vessel of the
+same dimensions. She scuds along merrily in the freshen-
+ing breeze, leaving in her wake, far as the eye can reach, a
+long white line of foam as well defined as a delicate strip
+of lace stretched upon an azure ground.
+
+The Atlantic is not visited by many gales, and I have
+every reason to believe that the rolling and pitching of the
+vessel no longer incommode any of the passengers, who are
+all more or less accustomed to the sea. A vacant seat at
+our table is now very rare; we are beginning to know some-
+thing about each other, and our daily life, in consequence,
+is becoming somewhat less monotonous.
+
+M. Letourneur, our French fellow-passenger, often has
+a chat with me. He is a fine tall man, about fifty years of
+age, with white hair and a grizzly beard. To say the truth,
+he looks older than he really is: his drooping head, his de-
+jected manner, and his eye, ever and again suffused with
+tears, indicate that he is haunted by some deep and abiding
+sorrow. He never laughs; he rarely even smiles, and then
+only on his son; his countenance ordinarily bearing a look
+of bitterness tempered by affection, while his general ex-
+pression is one of caressing tenderness. It excites an invol-
+untary commiseration to learn that M. Letourneur is con-
+suming himself by exaggerated reproaches on account of
+the infirmity of an afflicted son.
+
+Andre Letourneur is about twenty years of age, with a
+gentle, interesting countenance, but, to the irrepressible
+grief of his father, is a hopeless cripple. His left leg is
+miserably deformed, and he is quite unable to walk without
+the assistance of a stick. It is obvious that the father's
+life is bound up with that of his son; his devotion is unceas-
+ing; every thought, every glance is for Andre; he seems to
+anticipate his most trifling wish, watches his slightest move-
+ment, and his arm is ever ready to support or otherwise
+assist the child whose sufferings he more than shares.
+
+M. Letourneur seems to have taken a peculiar fancy to
+myself, and constantly talks about Andre. This morning,
+in the course of conversation, I said:
+
+"You have a good son, M. Letourneur.   I have just
+been talking to him. He is a most intelligent young man."
+
+"Yes, Mr. Kazallon," replied M. Letourneur, brighten-
+ing up into a smile, "his afflicted frame contains a noble
+mind. He is like his mother, who died at his birth."
+
+"He is full of reverence and love for you, sir," I re-
+marked.
+
+"Dear boy!" muttered the father half to himself. "Ah,
+Mr. Kazallon," he continued, "you do not know what it is
+to a father to have a son a cripple, beyond hope of cure."
+
+"M. Letourneur," I answered, "you take more than your
+share of the affliction which has fallen upon you and your
+son. That M. Andre is entitled to the very greatest com-
+miseration no one can deny; but you should remember, that
+after all a physical infirmity is not so hard to bear as mental
+grief. Now, I have watched your son pretty closely, and
+unless I am much mistaken there is nothing that troubles
+him so much as the sight of your own sorrow."
+
+"But I never let him see it," he broke in hastily. "My
+sole thought is how to divert him. I have discovered that,
+in spite of his physical weakness, he delights in traveling;
+so for the last few years we have been constantly on the
+move. We first went all over Europe, and are now re-
+turning from visiting the principal places in the United
+States. I never allowed my son to go to college, but in-
+structed him entirely myself, and these travels, I hope, will
+serve to complete his education. He is very intelligent, and
+has a lively imagination, and I am sometimes tempted to
+hope that in contemplating the wonders of nature he forgets
+his own infirmity."
+
+"Yes, sir, of course he does," I assented.
+
+"But," continued M. Letourneur, taking my hand, "al-
+though, perhaps, HE may forget, I can never forget. Ah,
+sir, do you suppose that Andre can ever forgive his parents
+for bringing him into the world a cripple?"
+
+The remorse of the unhappy father was very distressing,
+and I was about to say a few kind words of sympathy when
+Andre himself made his appearance. M. Letourneur has-
+tened toward him and assisted him up the few steep steps
+that led to the poop.
+
+As soon as Andre was comfortably seated on one of the
+benches, and his father had taken his place by his side, I
+joined them, and we fell into conversation upon ordinary
+topics, discussing the various points of the Chancellor, the
+probable length of the passage, and the different details of
+our life on board. I find that M. Letourneur's estimate of
+Captain Huntly's character very much coincides with my
+own, and that, like me, he is impressed with the man's un-
+decided manner and sluggish appearance. Like me, too, he
+has formed a very favorable opinion of Robert Curtis, the
+mate, a man of about thirty years of age, of great muscular
+power, with a frame and a will that seem ever ready for
+action.
+
+While we were still talking of him, Curtis himself came
+on deck, and as I watched his movements I could not help
+being struck with his physical development; his erect and
+easy carriage, his fearless glance and slightly contracted
+brow all betoken a man of energy, thoroughly endowed
+with the calmness and courage that are indispensable to the
+true sailor. He seems a kind-hearted fellow, too, and is al-
+ways ready to assist and amuse young Letourneur, who evi-
+dently enjoys his company. After he had scanned the
+weather and examined the trim of the sails, he joined our
+party and proceeded to give us some information about those
+of our fellow-passengers with whom at present we have
+made but slight acquaintance.
+
+Mr. Kear, the American, who is accompanied by his wife,
+has made a large fortune in the petroleum springs in the
+United States. He is a man of about fifty, a most uninter-
+esting companion, being overwhelmed with a sense of his
+own wealth and importance, and consequently supremely
+indifferent to all around him. His hands are always in his
+pockets, and the chink of money seems to follow him
+wherever he goes. Vain and conceited, a fool as well as an
+egotist, he struts about like a peacock showing its plumage,
+and to borrow the words of the physiognomist Gratiolet,
+"il se flaire, il se savoure, il se goute." Why he should
+have taken his passage on board a mere merchant vessel
+instead of enjoying the luxuries of a transatlantic steamer,
+I am altogether at a loss to explain.
+
+The wife is an insignificant, insipid woman, of about
+forty years of age. She never reads, never talks, and I
+believe I am not wrong in saying, never thinks. She seems
+to look without seeing, and listen without hearing, and her
+sole occupation consists in giving her orders to her com-
+panion, Miss Herbey, a young English girl of about twenty.
+
+Miss Herbey is extremely pretty. Her complexion is
+fair and her eyes deep blue, while her pleasing countenance
+is altogether free from that insignificance of feature which
+is not unfrequently alleged to be characteristic of English
+beauty. Her mouth would be charming if she ever smiled,
+but, exposed as she is to the ridiculous whims and fancies
+of a capricious mistress, her lips rarely relax from their
+ordinary grave expression. Yet, humiliating as her posi-
+tion must be, she never utters a word of open complaint,
+but quietly and gracefully performs her duties, accepting
+without a murmur the paltry salary which the bumptious
+petroleum-merchant condescends to allow her.
+
+The Manchester engineer, William Falsten, looks like a
+thorough Englishman. He has the management of some
+extensive hydraulic works in South Carolina, and is now on
+his way to Europe to obtain some improved apparatus, and
+more especially to visit the mines worked by centrifugal
+force, belonging to the firm of Messrs. Cail. He is forty-
+five years of age, with all his interests so entirely absorbed
+by his machinery that he seems to have neither a thought
+nor a care beyond his mechanical calculations. Once let
+him engage you in conversation, and there is no chance of
+escape; you have no help for it but to listen as patiently
+as you can until he has completed the explanation of his
+designs.
+
+The last of our fellow-passengers, Mr. Ruby, is the type
+of a vulgar tradesman. Without any originality or
+magnanimity in his composition, he has spent twenty years
+of his life in mere buying and selling, and as he has gener-
+ally contrived to do business at a profit, he has realized a
+considerable fortune. What he is going to do with the
+money, he does not seem able to say: his ideas do not go
+beyond retail trade, his mind having been so long closed to
+all other impressions that it appears incapable of thought
+or reflection on any subject besides. Pascal says,
+"L'homme est visiblement fait pour penser. C'est toute
+sa dignite et tout son merite;" but to Mr. Ruby the phrase
+seems altogether inapplicable.
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+AN UNUSUAL ROUTE
+
+OCTOBER 7. -- This is the tenth day since we left Charles-
+ton, and I should think our progress has been very rapid.
+Robert Curtis, the mate, with whom I continue to have
+many a friendly chat, informed me that we could not be far
+off the Bermudas; the ship's bearings, he said, were lat.
+32 deg. 20' N. and long. 64 deg. 50' W. so that he had every reason
+to believe that we should sight St. George's Island before
+night.
+
+"The Bermudas!" I exclaimed. "But how is it we are
+off the Bermudas? I should have thought that a vessel sail-
+ing from Charleston to Liverpool, would have kept north-
+ward, and have followed the track of the Gulf Stream."
+
+"Yes, indeed, sir," replied Curtis, "that is the usual
+course; but you see that this time the captain hasn't chosen
+to take it."
+
+"But why not?" I persisted.
+
+"That's not for me to say, sir; he ordered us eastward,
+and eastward we go."
+
+"Haven't you called his attention to it?" I inquired.
+
+Curtis acknowledged that he had already pointed out
+what an unusual route they were taking, but that the cap-
+tain had said that he was quite aware what he was about.
+The mate made no further remark; but the knit of his brow,
+as he passed his hand mechanically across his forehead,
+made me fancy that he was inclined to speak out more
+strongly.
+
+"All very well, Curtis," I said, "but I don't know what
+to think about trying new routes. Here we are at the 7th
+of October, and if we are to reach Europe before the bad
+weather sets in, I should suppose there is not a day to be
+lost."
+
+"Right, sir, quite right; there is not a day to be lost."
+
+Struck by his manner, I ventured to add, "Do you mind,
+Curtis, giving me your honest opinion of Captain Huntly?"
+
+He hesitated a moment, and then replied shortly, "He is
+my captain, sir."
+
+This evasive answer of course put an end to any further
+interrogation on my part.
+
+Curtis was not mistaken. At about three o'clock the
+look-out man sung out that there was land to windward,
+and descried what seemed as if it might be a line of smoke
+in the northeast horizon. At six, I went on deck with M.
+Letourneur and his son, and we could then distinctly make
+out the low group of the Bermudas, encircled by their
+formidable chain of breakers.
+
+"There," said Andre Letourneur to me, as we stood gaz-
+ing at the distant land, "there lies the enchanted archipel-
+ago, sung by your poet Moore. The exile Waller, too, as
+long ago as 1643, wrote an enthusiastic panegyric on the
+islands, and I have been told that at one time English ladies
+would wear no other bonnets than such as were made of the
+leaves of the Bermuda palm."
+
+"Yes," I replied, "the Bermudas were all the rage in
+the seventeenth century, although latterly they have fallen
+into comparative oblivion."
+
+"But let me tell you, M. Andre," interposed Curtis, who
+had as usual joined our party, "that although poets may
+rave, and be as enthusiastic as they like about these islands,
+sailors will tell a different tale. The hidden reefs that lie
+in a semicircle about two or three leagues from shore make
+the attempt to land a very dangerous piece of business.
+And another thing, I know. Let the natives boast as they
+will about their splendid climate, they are visited by the
+most frightful hurricanes. They get the fag-end of the
+storms that rage over the Antilles; and the fag-end of a
+storm is like the tail of a whale; it's just the strongest bit of
+it. I don't think you'll find a sailor listening much to your
+poets -- your Moores, and your Wallers."
+
+"No doubt you are right, Mr. Curtis," said Andre, smil-
+ing, "but poets are like proverbs; you can always find one
+to contradict another. Although Waller and Moore have
+chosen to sing the praises of the Bermudas, it has been sup-
+posed that Shakspeare was depicting them in the terrible
+scenes that are found in 'The Tempest.'"
+
+I may mention that there was not another of our fellow-
+passengers who took the trouble to come on deck and give
+a glance at this strange cluster of islands. Miss Herbey, it
+is true, was making an attempt to join us, but she had barely
+reached the poop, when Mrs. Kear's languid voice was
+heard recalling her for some trifling service to her side.
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+THE SARGASSO SEA
+
+OCTOBER 8 to October 13. -- The wind is blowing hard
+from the northeast, and the Chancellor, under low-reefed
+top-sail and fore-sail, and laboring against a heavy sea, has
+been obliged to be brought ahull. The joists and girders
+all creak again until one's teeth are set on edge. I am the
+only passenger not remaining below; but I prefer being on
+deck notwithstanding the driving rain, fine as dust, which
+penetrates to the very skin. We have been driven along in
+this fashion for the best part of two days; the "stiffish
+breeze" has gradually freshened into "a gale"; the top-
+gallants have been lowered, and, as I write, the wind is
+blowing with a velocity of fifty or sixty miles an hour. Al-
+though the Chancellor has many good points, her drift is
+considerable, and we have been carried far to the south; we
+can only guess at our precise position, as the cloudy at-
+mosphere entirely precludes us from taking the sun's alti-
+tude.
+
+All along, throughout this period, my fellow-passengers
+are totally ignorant of the extraordinary course that we are
+taking. England lies to the northeast, yet we are sailing
+directly southeast, and Robert Curtis owns that he is quite be-
+wildered; he cannot comprehend why the captain, ever since
+this northeasterly gale has been blowing, should persist in
+allowing the ship to drive to the south, instead of tacking
+to the northwest until she gets into better quarters.
+
+I was alone with Robert Curtis to-day upon the poop,
+and could not help saying to him, "Curtis, is your captain
+mad?"
+
+"Perhaps, sir, I might be allowed to ask what YOU think
+upon that matter," was his cautious reply.
+
+"Well, to say the truth," I answered. "I can hardly tell;
+but I confess there is every now and then a wandering in
+his eye, and an odd look on his face that I do not like.
+Have you ever sailed with him before?"
+
+"No; this is our first voyage together. Again last night
+I spoke to him about the route we were taking, but he only
+said he knew all about it, and that it was all right."
+
+"What do Lieutenant Walter and your boatswain think
+of it all?" I inquired.
+
+"Think; why, they think just the same as I do," replied
+the mate; "but if the captain chooses to take the ship to
+China we should obey his orders."
+
+"But surely," I exclaimed, "there must be some limit to
+your obedience! Suppose the man is actually mad, what
+then?"
+
+"If he should be mad enough, Mr. Kazallon, to bring the
+vessel into any real danger, I shall know what to do."
+
+With this assurance I am forced to be content. Matters,
+however, have taken a different turn to what I bargained
+for when I took my passage on board the Chancellor. The
+weather has become worse and worse. As I have already
+said, the ship under her large low-reefed top-sail and fore
+stay-sail has been brought ahull, that is to say, she copes
+directly with the wind, by presenting her broad bows to the
+sea; and so we go on still drift, drift, continually to the
+south.
+
+How southerly our course has been is very apparent; for
+upon the night of the 11th we fairly entered upon that por-
+tion of the Atlantic which is known as the Sargasso Sea.
+An extensive tract of water is this, inclosed by the warm
+current of the Gulf Stream, and thickly covered with the
+wrack, called by the Spaniards "sargasso," the abundance
+of which so seriously impeded the progress of Columbus's
+vessel on his first voyage.
+
+Each morning at daybreak the Atlantic has presented an
+aspect so remarkable, that at my solicitation, M. Letourneur
+and his son have ventured upon deck to witness the unusual
+spectacle. The squally gusts make the metal shrouds
+vibrate like harp-strings; and unless we were on our guard
+to keep our clothes wrapped tightly to us, they would have
+been torn off our backs in shreds. The scene presented to
+our eyes is one of strangest interest. The sea, carpeted
+thickly with masses of prolific fucus, is a vast unbroken
+plain of vegetation, through which the vessel makes her way
+as a plow. Long strips of seaweed caught up by the wind
+become entangled in the rigging, and hang between the
+masts in festoons of verdure; while others, varying from
+two to three hundred feet in length, twine themselves up to
+the very mast-head, from whence they float like streaming
+pennants. For many hours now, the Chancellor has been
+contending with this formidable accumulation of algae; her
+masts are circled with hydrophytes; her rigging is wreathed
+everywhere with creepers, fantastic as the untrammeled ten-
+drils of a vine, and as she works her arduous course, there
+are times when I can only compare her to an animated
+grove of verdure making its mysterious way over some
+illimitable prairie.
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+VOICES IN THE NIGHT
+
+OCTOBER 14. -- At last we are free from the sea of vegeta-
+tion, the boisterous gale has moderated into a steady breeze,
+the sun is shining brightly, the weather is warm and genial,
+and thus, two reefs in her top-sails, briskly and merrily
+sails the Chancellor.
+
+Under conditions so favorable, we have been able to take
+the ship's bearings: our latitude, we find, is 21 deg. 33' N., our
+longitude, 50 deg. 17' W.
+
+Incomprehensible altogether is the conduct of Captain
+Huntly. Here we are, already more than ten degrees south
+of the point from which we started, and yet still we are per-
+sistently following a southeasterly course! I cannot bring
+myself to the conclusion that the man is mad. I have had
+various conversations with him: he has always spoken
+rationally and sensibly. He shows no tokens of insanity.
+Perhaps his case is one of those in which insanity is partial,
+and where the mania is of a character which extends only
+to the matters connected with his profession. Yet it is un-
+accountable.
+
+I can get nothing out of Curtis; he listens coldly when-
+ever I allude to the subject, and only repeats what he has
+said before, that nothing short of an overt act of madness
+on the part of the captain could induce him to supersede the
+captain's authority, and that the imminent peril of the ship
+could alone justify him in taking so decided a measure.
+
+Last evening I went to my cabin about eight o'clock, and
+after an hour's reading by the light of my cabin-lamp, I
+retired to my berth and was soon asleep. Some hours later
+I was aroused by an unaccustomed noise on deck. There
+were heavy footsteps hurrying to and fro, and the voices
+of the men were loud and eager, as if the crew were agitated
+by some strange disturbance. My first impression was, that
+some tacking had been ordered which rendered it needful
+to fathom the yards; but the vessel continuing to lie to star-
+board convinced me that this was not the origin of the com-
+motion. I was curious to know the truth, and made all
+haste I could to go on deck; but before I was ready, the
+noise had ceased. I heard Captain Huntly return to his
+cabin, and accordingly I retired again to my own berth.
+Whatever may have been the meaning of the maneuver, I
+cannot tell; it did not seem to result in any improvement
+in the ship's pace; still it must be owned there was not much
+wind to speed us along.
+
+At six o'clock this morning I mounted the poop and made
+as keen a scrutiny as I could of everything on board.
+Everything appeared as usual. The Chancellor was run-
+ning on the larboard tack, and carried low-sails, top-sails,
+and gallant-sails. Well braced she was; and under a fresh,
+but not uneasy breeze, was making no less than eleven knots
+an hour.
+
+Shortly afterward M. Letourneur and Andre came on
+deck. The young man enjoyed the early morning air,
+laden with its briny fragrance, and I assisted him to mount
+the poop. In answer to my inquiry as to whether they had
+been disturbed by any bustle in the night, Andre replied
+that he did not wake at all, and had heard nothing.
+
+"I am glad, my boy," said the father, "that you have
+slept so soundly. I heard the noise of which Mr. Kazallon
+speaks. It must have been about three o'clock this morning,
+and it seemed to me as though they were shouting. I
+thought I heard them say; 'Here, quick, look to the
+hatches!' but as nobody was called up, I presumed that
+nothing serious was the matter."
+
+As he spoke I cast my eye at the panel-slides, which fore
+and aft of the main-mast open into the hold. They seemed
+to be all close as usual, but I now observed for the first time
+that they were covered with heavy tarpauling. Wondering
+in my own mind what could be the reason for these ex-
+tra precautions I did not say anything to M. Letourneur,
+but determined to wait until the mate should come on watch,
+when he would doubtless give me, I thought, an explanation
+of the mystery.
+
+The sun rose gloriously, with every promise of a fine
+dry day. The waning moon was yet above the western
+horizon, for as it still wants three days to her last quarter
+she does not set until 10:57 A. M. On consulting my al-
+manac, I find that there will be a new moon on the 24th,
+and that on that day, little as it may affect us here in mid-
+ocean, the phenomenon of the high sygyzian tides will take
+place on the shores of every continent and island.
+
+At the breakfast hour M. Letourneur and Andre went
+below for a cup of tea, and I remained on the poop alone.
+As I expected, Curtis appeared, that he might relieve Lieu-
+tenant Walter of the watch. I advanced to meet him, but be-
+fore he even wished me good morning, I saw him cast a
+quick and searching glance upon the deck, and then, with a
+slightly contracted brow, proceed to examine the state of
+the weather and the trim of the sails.
+
+"Where is Captain Huntly?" he said to Walter.
+
+"I have seen nothing of him," answered the lieutenant;
+"is there anything fresh up?"
+
+"Nothing whatever," was the curt reply.
+
+They then conversed for a few moments in an undertone,
+and I could see that Walter by his gesture gave a negative
+answer to some question which the mate had asked him.
+"Send me the boatswain, Walter," said Curtis aloud as the
+lieutenant moved away.
+
+The boatswain immediately appeared, and another con-
+versation was carried on in whispers. The man repeatedly
+shook his head as he replied to Curtis's inquiries, and then,
+in obedience to orders, called the men who were on watch,
+and made them plentifully water the tarpauling that covered
+the great hatchway.
+
+Curious to fathom the mystery I went up to Curtis and
+began to talk with him upon ordinary topics, hoping that
+he would himself introduce the subject that was uppermost
+in my mind; finding, however, that he did not allude to it, I
+asked him point blank:
+
+"What was the matter in the night, Curtis?"
+
+He looked at me steadily, but made no reply.
+
+"What was it?" I repeated. "M. Letourneur and my-
+self were both of us disturbed by a very unusual commotion
+overhead."
+
+"Oh, a mere nothing," he said at length; "the man at
+the helm had made a false move, and we had to pipe hands
+to brace the ship a bit; but it was soon all put to rights. It
+was nothing, nothing at all."
+
+I said no more; but I can not resist the impression that
+Robert Curtis has not acted with me in his usual straight-
+forward manner.
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+FIRE ON BOARD
+
+OCTOBER 15 to October 18. -- The wind is still in the
+northeast. There is no change in the Chancellor's course,
+and to an unprejudiced eye all would appear to be going on
+as usual. But I have an uneasy consciousness that some-
+thing is not quite right. Why should the hatchways be so
+hermetically closed as though a mutinous crew was im-
+prisoned between decks? I can not help thinking too that
+there is something in the sailors so constantly standing in
+groups and breaking off their talk so suddenly whenever we
+approach; and several times I have caught the word
+"hatches" which arrested M. Letourneur's attention on the
+night of the disturbance.
+
+On the 15th, while I was walking on the forecastle, I over-
+heard one of the sailors, a man named Owen, say to his
+mates:
+
+"Now I just give you all warning that I am not going
+to wait until the last minute. Everyone for himself, say I."
+
+"Why, what do you mean to do?" asked Jynxstrop, the
+cook.
+
+"Pshaw!" said Owen, "do you suppose that longboats
+were only made for porpoises?"
+
+Something at that moment occurred to interrupt the con-
+versation, and I heard no more. It occurred to me whether
+there was not some conspiracy among the crew, of which
+probably Curtis had already detected the symptoms. I am
+quite aware that some sailors are most rebelliously disposed,
+and required to be ruled with a rod of iron.
+
+Yesterday and to-day I have observed Curtis remonstrat-
+ing somewhat vehemently with Captain Huntly, but there
+is no obvious result arising from their interviews; the cap-
+tain apparently being bent upon some purpose, of which it
+is only too manifest that the mate decidedly disapproves.
+
+Captain Huntly is undoubtedly laboring under strong
+nervous excitement; and M. Letourneur has more than once
+remarked how silent he has become at meal-times; for al-
+though Curtis continually endeavors to start some subject
+of general interest, yet neither Mr. Falsten, Mr. Kear, nor
+Mr. Ruby are the men to take it up, and consequently the
+conversation flags hopelessly, and soon drops. The pas-
+sengers too are now, with good cause, beginning to murmur
+at the length of the voyage, and Mr. Kear, who considers
+that the very elements ought to yield to his convenience, lets
+the captain know by his consequential and haughty manner
+that he holds him responsible for the delay.
+
+During the course of yesterday the mate gave repeated
+orders for the deck to be watered again and again, and al-
+though as a general rule this is a business which is done, once
+for all, in the early morning, the crew did not utter a word
+of complaint at the additional work thus imposed upon them.
+The tarpaulins on the hatches have thus been kept con-
+tinually wet, so that their close and heavy texture is rendered
+quite impervious to the air. The Chancellor's pumps afford
+a copious supply of water, so that I should not suppose that
+even the daintiest and most luxurious craft belonging to an
+aristocratic yacht club was ever subject to a more thorough
+scouring. I tried to reconcile myself to the belief that it
+was the high temperature of the tropical regions upon which
+we are entering, that rendered such extra sousings a neces-
+sity, and recalled to my recollection how, during the night
+of the 13th, I had found the atmosphere below deck so
+stifling, that in spite of the heavy swell I was obliged to open
+the porthole of my cabin, on the starboard side, to get a
+breath of air.
+
+This morning at daybreak I went on deck. The sun had
+scarcely risen, and the air was fresh and cool, in strange con-
+trast to the heat which below the poop had been quite op-
+pressive. The sailors as usual were washing the deck. A
+great sheet of water, supplied continuously by the pumps,
+was rolling in tiny wavelets, and escaping now to starboard,
+now to larboard through the scupper-holes. After watch-
+ing the men for a while as they ran about bare-footed, I
+could not resist the desire to join them, so taking off my
+shoes and stockings, I proceeded to dabble in the flowing
+water.
+
+Great was my amazement to find the deck perfectly hot to
+my feet! Curtis heard my exclamation of surprise, and be-
+fore I could put my thoughts into words, said:
+
+"Yes! there is fire on board!"
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+CURTIS EXPLAINS THE SITUATION
+
+OCTOBER 19. -- Everything, then, is clear. The uneas-
+iness of the crew, their frequent conferences, Owen's mys-
+terious words, the constant scourings of the deck and the
+oppressive heat of the cabins which had been noticed even
+by my fellow-passengers, all are explained.
+
+After his grave communication, Curtis remained silent.
+I shivered with a thrill of horror; a calamity the most ter-
+rible that can befall a voyager stared me in the face, and it
+was some seconds before I could recover sufficient com-
+posure to inquire when the fire was first discovered.
+
+"Six days ago," replied the mate.
+
+"Six days ago!" I exclaimed; "why, then, it was that
+night."
+
+"Yes," he said, interrupting me; "it was the night you
+heard the disturbance upon deck. The men on watch no-
+ticed a slight smoke issuing from the large hatchway and
+immediately called Captain Huntly and myself. We found
+beyond all doubt, that the cargo was on fire, and what was
+worse, that there was no possibility of getting at the seat of
+the combustion. What could we do? Why, we took the
+only precaution that was practicable under the circumstances,
+and resolved most carefully to exclude every breath of air
+from penetrating into the hold. For some time I hoped that
+we had been successful. I thought that the fire was stifled;
+but during the last three days there is every reason to make
+us know that it has been gaining strength. Do what we
+will, the deck gets hotter and hotter, and unless it were kept
+constantly wet, it would be unbearable to the feet. But I
+am glad, Mr. Kazallon," he added; "that you have made
+the discovery. It is better that you should know it." I
+listened in silence. I was now fully aroused to the gravity of
+the situation and thoroughly comprehended how we were in
+the very face of a calamity which it seemed that no human
+power could avert.
+
+"Do you know what has caused the fire?" I presently
+inquired.
+
+"It probably arose," he answered, "from the sponta-
+neous combustion of the cotton. The case is rare, but it is
+far from unknown. Unless the cotton is perfectly dry when
+it is shipped, its confinement in a damp or ill-ventilated hold
+will sometimes cause it to ignite; and I have no doubt it is
+this that has brought about our misfortune."
+
+"But after all," I said, "the cause matters very little.
+Is there no remedy? Is there nothing to be done?"
+
+"Nothing, Mr. Kazallon," he said. "As I told you be-
+fore, we have adopted the only possible measure within our
+power to check the fire. At one time I thought of knock-
+ing a hole in the ship's timbers just on her water-line, and
+letting in just as much water as the pumps could afterward
+get rid of again; but we found the combustion was right in
+the middle of the cargo and that we should be obliged to
+flood the entire hold before we could get at the right place.
+That scheme consequently was no good. During the night,
+I had the deck bored in various places and water poured
+down through the holes; but that again seemed of no use.
+There is only one thing that can be done; we must persevere
+in excluding most carefully every breath of outer air, so that
+perhaps the conflagration, deprived of oxygen, may smoulder
+itself out. That is our only hope."
+
+"But, you say the fire is increasing?"
+
+"Yes; and that shows that in spite of all our care there
+is some aperture which we have not been able to discover,
+by which, somehow or other, air gets into the hold."
+
+"Have you ever heard of a vessel surviving such cir-
+cumstances?" I asked.
+
+"Yes, Mr. Kazallon," said Curtis; "it is not at all an
+unusual thing for ships laden with cotton to arrive at Liver-
+pool or Havre with a portion of their cargo consumed; and I
+have myself known more than one captain run into port with
+his deck scorching his very feet, and who, to save his vessel
+and the remainder of his freight has been compelled to un-
+load with the utmost expedition. But, in such cases, of
+course the fire has been more or less under control through-
+out the voyage; with us, it is increasing day by day, and I
+tell you I am convinced there is an aperture somewhere
+which has escaped our notice."
+
+"But would it not be advisable for us to retrace our
+course, and make for the nearest land?"
+
+"Perhaps it would," he answered. "Walter and I, and
+the boatswain, are going to talk the matter over seriously
+with the captain to-day. But, between ourselves, I have
+taken the responsibility upon myself; I have already
+changed the tack to the southwest; we are now straight be-
+fore the wind, and consequently we are sailing toward the
+coast."
+
+"I need hardly ask," I added; "whether any of the other
+passengers are at all aware of the imminent danger in which
+we are placed."
+
+"None of them," he said; "not in the least; and I hope
+you will not enlighten them.  We don't want terrified
+women and cowardly men to add to our embarrassment; the
+crew are under orders to keep a strict silence on the subject.
+Silence is indispensable."
+
+I promised to keep the matter a profound secret, as I
+fully entered into Curtis's views as to the absolute necessity
+for concealment.
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+PICRATE OF POTASH ON BOARD
+
+OCTOBER 20 and 21. -- The Chancellor is now crowded
+with all the canvas she can carry, and at times her topmasts
+threaten to snap with the pressure. But Curtis is ever on
+the alert; he never leaves his post beside the man at the
+helm, and without compromising the safety of the vessel, he
+contrives, by tacking to the breeze, to urge her on at her
+utmost speed.
+
+All day long on the 20th the passengers were assembled
+on the poop. Evidently they found the heat of the cabins
+painfully oppressive, and most of them lay stretched upon
+benches and quietly enjoyed the gentle rolling of the vessel.
+The increasing heat of the deck did not reveal itself to
+their well-shod feet, and the constant scouring of the boards
+did not excite any suspicion in their torpid minds. M.
+Letourneur, it is true, did express his surprise that the crew
+of an ordinary merchant vessel should be distinguished by
+such extraordinary cleanliness; but as I replied to him in
+a very casual tone, he passed no further remark. I could
+not help regretting that I had given Curtis my pledge of
+silence, and longed intensely to communicate the melancholy
+secret to the energetic Frenchman; for at times when I re-
+flect upon the eight-and-twenty victims who may probably,
+only too soon, be a prey to the relentless flames, my heart
+seems ready to burst.
+
+The important consultation between captain, mate, lieuten-
+ant and boatswain has taken place. Curtis has confided the
+result to me. He says that Huntly, the captain, is com-
+pletely demoralized; he has lost all power and energy; and
+practically leaves the command of the ship to him. It is
+now certain the fire is beyond control, and that sooner or
+later it will burst out in full violence. The temperature of
+the crew's quarters has already become almost unbearable.
+One solitary hope remains; it is that we may reach the shore
+before the final catastrophe occurs. The Lesser Antilles
+are the nearest land; and although they are some five or
+six hundred miles away, if the wind remains northeast there
+is yet a chance of reaching them in time.
+
+Carrying royals and studding-sails, the Chancellor during
+the last four-and-twenty hours has held a steady course. M.
+Letourneur is the only one of all the passengers who has re-
+marked the change of tack; Curtis, however, has set all
+speculation on his part at rest by telling him that he wanted
+to get ahead of the wind, and that he was tacking to the west
+to catch a favorable current.
+
+To-day, the 21st, all has gone on as usual; and as far as
+the observation of the passengers has reached, the ordinary
+routine has been undisturbed. Curtis indulges the hope
+even yet that by excluding the air the fire may be stifled be-
+fore it ignites the general cargo; he has hermetically closed
+every accessible aperture, and has even taken the precaution
+of plugging the orifices of the pumps, under the impression
+that their suction-tubes, running as they do to the bottom of
+the hold, may possibly be channels for conveying some
+molecules of air. Altogether, he considers it a good sign
+that the combustion has not betrayed itself by some external
+issue of smoke.
+
+The day would have passed without any incident worth
+recording, if I had not chanced to overhear a fragment of
+a conversation which demonstrated that our situation,
+hitherto precarious enough, had now become most appalling.
+
+As I was sitting on the poop, two of my fellow-passengers,
+Falsten, the engineer, and Ruby, the merchant, whom I had
+observed to be often in company, were engaged in conversa-
+tion almost close to me. What they said was evidently not
+intended for my hearing, but my attention was directed to-
+ward them by some very emphatic gestures of dissatisfaction
+on the part of Falsten, and I could not forbear listening to
+what followed.
+
+"Preposterous! shameful!" exclaimed Falsten; "nothing
+could be more imprudent."
+
+"Pooh! pooh!" replied Ruby, "it's all right; it is not the
+first time I have done it."
+
+"But don't you know that any shock at any time might
+cause an explosion?"
+
+"Oh, it's all properly secured," said Ruby, "tight enough;
+I have no fears on that score, Mr. Falsten."
+
+"But why," asked Falsten, "did you not inform the cap-
+tain?"
+
+"Just because if I had informed him, he would not have
+taken the case on board."
+
+The wind dropped for a few seconds; and for a brief in-
+terval I could not catch what passed; but I could see that
+Falsten continued to remonstrate, while Ruby answered by
+shrugging his shoulders. At length I heard Falsten say.
+
+"Well, at any rate, the captain must be informed of this,
+and the package shall be thrown overboard. I don't want
+to be blown up."
+
+I started. To what could the engineer be alluding? Evi-
+dently he had not the remotest suspicion that the cargo was
+already on fire. In another moment the words "picrate of
+potash" brought me to my feet, and with an involuntary
+impulse I rushed up to Ruby, and seized him by the shoulder.
+
+"Is there picrate of potash on board?" I almost shrieked.
+
+"Yes," said Falsten, "a case containing thirty pounds."
+
+"Where is it?" I cried.
+
+"Down in the hold, with the cargo."
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+THE PASSENGERS DISCOVER THEIR DANGER
+
+WHAT my feelings were I cannot describe; but it was
+hardly in terror so much as with a kind of resignation that
+I made my way to Curtis on the forecastle, and made him
+aware that the alarming character of our situation was now
+complete, as there was enough explosive matter on board to
+blow up a mountain. Curtis received the information as
+coolly as it was delivered, and after I had made him ac-
+quainted with all the particulars said, "Not a word of this
+must be mentioned to anyone else, Mr. Kazallon. Where is
+Ruby, now?"
+
+"On the poop," I said.
+
+"Will you then come with me, sir?"
+
+Ruby and Falsten were sitting just as I had left them.
+Curtis walked straight up to Ruby, and asked him whether
+what he had been told was true.
+
+"Yes, quite true," said Ruby, complacently, thinking that
+the worst that could befall him would be that he might be
+convicted of a little smuggling.
+
+I observed that Curtis was obliged for a moment or two
+to clasp his hands tightly together behind his back to pre-
+vent himself from seizing the unfortunate passenger by the
+throat; but suppressing his indignation, he proceeded quietly,
+though sternly, to interrogate him about the facts of the
+case. Ruby only confirmed what I had already told him.
+With characteristic Anglo-Saxon incautiousness he had
+brought on board, with the rest of his baggage, a case con-
+taining no less than thirty pounds of picrate, and had allowed
+the explosive matter to be stowed in the hold with as little
+compunction as a Frenchman would feel in smuggling a
+single bottle of wine. He had not informed the captain of
+the dangerous nature of the contents of the package, because
+he was perfectly aware that he would have been refused per-
+mission to bring the package on board.
+
+"Anyway," he said, with a shrug of his shoulders, "you
+can't hang me for it; and if the package gives you so much
+concern, you are quite at liberty to throw it into the sea.
+My luggage is insured."
+
+I was beside myself with fury; and not being endowed
+with Curtis's reticence and self-control, before he could in-
+terfere to stop me, I cried out:
+
+"You fool! don't you know that there is fire on board?"
+
+In an instant I regretted my words. Most earnestly I
+wished them unuttered. But it was too late -- their effect
+upon Ruby was electrical. He was paralyzed with terror;
+his limbs stiffened convulsively; his eye was dilated; he
+gasped for breath, and was speechless. All of a sudden he
+threw up his arms, and, as though he momentarily expected
+an explosion, he darted down from the poop, and paced
+frantically up and down the deck, gesticulating like a mad-
+man, and shouting:
+
+"Fire on board! Fire! Fire!"
+
+On hearing the outcry, all the crew, supposing that the
+fire had now in reality broken out, rushed on deck; the rest
+of the passengers soon joined them, and the scene that ensued
+was one of the utmost confusion. Mrs. Kear fell down
+senseless on the deck, and her husband, occupied in looking
+after himself, left her to the tender mercies of Miss Herbey.
+Curtis endeavored to silence Ruby's ravings, whilst I, in as
+few words as I could, made M. Letourneur aware of the
+extent to which the cargo was on fire. The father's first
+thought was for Andre, but the young man preserved an ad-
+mirable composure, and begged his father not to be alarmed,
+as the danger was not immediate. Meanwhile the sailors
+had loosened all the tacklings of the long-boat, and were pre-
+paring to launch it, when Curtis's voice was heard peremp-
+torily bidding them to desist; he assured them that the
+fire had made no further progress; that Mr. Ruby had been
+unduly excited and not conscious of what he had said; and
+he pledged his word that when the right moment should ar-
+rive he would allow them all to leave the ship; but that mo-
+ment, he said, had not yet come.
+
+At the sound of a voice which they had learned to honor
+and respect, the crew paused in their operations, and the
+long-boat remained suspended in its place. Fortunately,
+even Ruby himself in the midst of his ravings, had not
+dropped a word about the picrate that had been deposited
+in the hold; for although the mate had a power over the
+sailors that Captain Huntly had never possessed, I feel cer-
+tain that if the true state of the case had been known, noth-
+ing on earth would have prevented some of them, in their
+consternation, from effecting an escape. As it was, only
+Curtis, Falsten, and myself were cognizant of the terrible
+secret.
+
+As soon as order was restored, the mate and I joined
+Falsten on the poop, where he had remained throughout the
+panic, and where we found him with folded arms, deep in
+thought, as it might be, solving some hard mechanical prob-
+lem. He promised, at my request, that he would reveal
+nothing of the new danger to which we were exposed
+through Ruby's imprudence. Curtis himself took the re-
+sponsibility of informing Captain Huntly of our critical
+situation.
+
+In order to insure complete secrecy, it was necessary to
+secure the person of the unhappy Ruby, who, quite beside
+himself, continued to rave up and down the deck with the
+incessant cry of "Fire! fire!" Accordingly Curtis gave or-
+ders to some of his men to seize him and gag him; and
+before he could make any resistance the miserable man was
+captured and safely lodged in confinement in his own cabin.
+
+
+CHAPTER XII
+CURTIS BECOMES CAPTAIN
+
+OCTOBER 22. -- Curtis has told the captain everything; for
+he persists in ostensibly recognizing him as his superior
+officer, and refuses to conceal from him our true situation.
+Captain Huntly received the communication in perfect
+silence, and merely passing his hand across his forehead as
+though to banish some distressing thought, re-entered his
+cabin without a word.
+
+Curtis, Lieutenant Walter, Falsten, and myself have been
+discussing the chances of our safety, and I am surprised to
+find with how much composure we can all survey our anx-
+ious predicament.
+
+"There is no doubt," said Curtis, "that we must abandon
+all hope of arresting the fire; the heat toward the bow has
+already become well-nigh unbearable, and the time must
+come when the flames will find a vent through the deck.
+If the sea is calm enough for us to make use of the boats,
+well and good; we shall of course get quit of the ship as
+quietly as we can; if, on the other hand the weather should
+be adverse, or the wind be boisterous, we must stick to our
+place, and contend with the flames to the very last; perhaps,
+after all, we shall fare far better with the fire as a declared
+enemy than as a hidden one."
+
+Falsten and I agreed with what he said, and I pointed out
+to him that he had quite overlooked the fact of there being
+thirty pounds of explosive matter in the hold.
+
+"No," he gravely replied, "I have not forgotten it, but it
+is a circumstance of which I do not trust myself to think.
+I dare not run the risk of admitting air into the hold by
+going down to search for the powder, and yet I know not at
+what moment it may explode. No; it is a matter that I can-
+not take at all into my reckoning; it must remain in higher
+hands than mine."
+
+We bowed our heads in a silence which was solemn. In
+the present state of the weather, immediate flight was, we
+knew, impossible.
+
+After considerable pause, Mr. Falsten, as calmly as
+though he were delivering some philosophic dogma, quietly
+observed:
+
+"The explosion, if I may use the formula of science, is
+not necessary, but contingent."
+
+"But tell me, Mr. Falsten," I asked, "is it possible for
+picrate of potash to ignite without concussion?"
+
+"Certainly it is," replied the engineer. "Under ordinary
+circumstances, picrate of potash although not MORE inflam-
+mable than common powder, yet possesses the SAME degree
+of inflammability."
+
+We now prepared to go on deck. As we left the saloon,
+in which we had been sitting, Curtis seized my hand.
+
+"Oh, Mr. Kazallon," he exclaimed, "if you only knew
+the bitterness of the agony I feel at seeing this fine vessel
+doomed to be devoured by flames, and at being so powerless
+to save her." Then quickly recovering himself, he continued:
+"But I am forgetting myself; you, if no other, must know
+what I am suffering. It is all over now," he said more
+cheerfully.
+
+"Is our condition quite desperate?" I asked.
+
+"It is just this," he answered deliberately, "we are over
+a mine, and already the match has been applied to the train.
+How long that train may be, 'tis not for me to say."
+
+And with these words he left me.
+
+The other passengers, in common with the crew, are still
+in entire ignorance of the extremity of peril to which we are
+exposed, although they are all aware that there is fire in the
+hold. As soon as the fact was announced, Mr. Kear, after
+communicating to Curtis his instructions that he thought he
+should have the fire immediately extinguished, and intimat-
+ing that he held him responsible for all contingencies that
+might happen, retired to his cabin, where he has remained
+ever since, fully occupied in collecting and packing together
+the more cherished articles of his property and without the
+semblance of a care or a thought for his unfortunate wife,
+whose condition, in spite of her ludicrous complaints,
+was truly pitiable. Miss Herbey, however, is unrelaxing in
+her attentions, and the unremitted diligence with which
+she fulfills her offices of duty, commands my highest ad-
+miration.
+
+OCTOBER 23. -- This morning, Captain Huntly sent for
+Curtis into his cabin, and the mate has since made me ac-
+quainted with what passed between them.
+
+"Curtis," began the captain, his haggard eye betraying
+only too plainly some mental derangement, "I am a sailor,
+am I not?"
+
+"Certainly, captain," was the prompt acquiescence of the
+mate.
+
+"I do not know how it is," continued the captain, "but
+I seem bewildered; I can not recollect anything. Are we
+not bound for Liverpool? Ah! yes! of course. And have
+we kept a northeasterly direction since we left?"
+
+"No, sir, according to your orders we have been sailing
+southeast, and here we are in the tropics."
+
+"And what is the name of the ship?"
+
+"The Chancellor, sir."
+
+"Yes, yes, the Chancellor, so it is. Well, Curtis, I really
+can't take her back to the north. I hate the sea, the very
+sight of it makes me ill, I would much rather not leave my
+cabin."
+
+Curtis went on to tell me how he had tried to persuade him
+that with a little time and care he would soon recover his
+indisposition, and feel himself again; but the captain had in-
+terrupted him by saying:
+
+"Well, well; we shall see by-and-by; but for the present
+you must take this for my positive order; you must, from
+this time, at once take the command of the ship, and act
+just as if I were not on board. Under present circum-
+stances, I can do nothing. My brain is all in a whirl, you
+can not tell what I am suffering;" and the unfortunate man
+pressed both his hands convulsively against his forehead.
+
+"I weighed the matter carefully for a moment," added
+Curtis, "and seeing what his condition too truly was, I ac-
+quiesced in all that he required and withdrew, promising him
+that all his orders should be obeyed."
+
+After hearing these particulars, I could not help remark-
+ing how fortunate it was that the captain had resigned of
+his own accord, for although he might not be actually in-
+sane, it was very evident that his brain was in a very morbid
+condition.
+
+"I succeeded him at a very critical moment," said Curtis
+thoughtfully; "but I shall endeavor to do my duty."
+
+A short time afterward he sent for his boatswain and or-
+dered him to assemble the crew at the foot of the main-mast.
+As soon as the men were together, he addressed them very
+calmly, but very firmly.
+
+"My men," he said, "I have to tell you that Captain
+Huntly, on account of the dangerous situation in which cir-
+cumstances have placed us, and for other reasons known to
+myself, has thought right to resign his command to me.
+From this time forward, I am captain of this vessel."
+
+Thus quietly and simply was the change effected, and we
+have the satisfaction of knowing that the Chancellor is now
+under the command of a conscientious, energetic man, who
+will shirk nothing that he believes to be for our common
+good. M. Letourneur, Andre, Mr. Falsten, and myself im-
+mediately offered him our best wishes, in which Lieutenant
+Walter and the boatswain most cordially joined.
+
+The ship still holds her course southwest, and Curtis
+crowds on all sail and makes as speedily as possible for the
+nearest of the Lesser Antilles.
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII
+BETWEEN FIRE AND WATER
+
+OCTOBER 24 to 29. -- For the last five days the sea has
+been very heavy, and although the Chancellor sails with wind
+and wave in her favor, yet her progress is considerably im-
+peded. Here on board this veritable fire-ship I cannot help
+contemplating with a longing eye this vast ocean that sur-
+rounds us. The water supply should be all we need.
+
+"Why not bore the deck?" I said to Curtis. "Why not
+admit the water by tons into the hold? What could be the
+harm? The fire would be quenched; and what would be
+easier than to pump the water out again?"
+
+"I have already told you, Mr. Kazallon," said Curtis,
+"that the very moment we admit the air, the flames will rush
+forth to the very top of the masts. No; we must have cour-
+age and patience; we must wait. There is nothing whatever
+to be done, except to close every aperture."
+
+The fire continued to progress even more rapidly than we
+had hitherto suspected. The heat gradually drove the pas-
+sengers nearly all on deck, and the two stern cabins, lighted,
+as I said, by their windows in the aft-board were the only
+quarters below that were inhabitable. Of these Mrs. Kear
+occupied one, and Curtis reserved the other for Ruby, who,
+a raving maniac, had to be kept rigidly under restraint. I
+went down occasionally to see him, but invariably found him
+in a state of abject terror, uttering horrible shrieks, as
+though possessed with the idea that he was being scorched
+by the most excruciating heat.
+
+Once or twice, too, I looked in upon the ex-captain. He
+was always calm and spoke quite rationally on any subject
+except his own profession; but in connection with that he
+prated away the merest nonsense. He suffered greatly, but
+steadily declined all my offers of attention, and pertina-
+ciously refused to leave his cabin.
+
+To-day, an acrid, nauseating smoke made its way through
+the panelings that partition off the quarters of the crew. At
+once Curtis ordered the partition to be enveloped in wet tar-
+paulin, but the fumes penetrated even this, and filled the
+whole neighborhood of the ship's bows with a reeking vapor
+that was positively stifling. As we listened, too, we could
+hear a dull rumbling sound, but we were as mystified as ever
+to comprehend where the air could have entered that was
+evidently fanning the flames. Only too certainly, it was
+now becoming a question not of days nor even of hours
+before we must be prepared for the final catastrophe. The
+sea was still running high, and escape by the boats was
+plainly impossible. Fortunately, as I have said, the main-
+mast and the mizzen are of iron; otherwise the great heat
+at their base would long ago have brought them down and
+our chances of safety would have been very much imperiled;
+but by crowding on sail the Chancellor in the full northeast
+wind continued to make her way with undiminished speed.
+
+It is now a fortnight since the fire was first discovered,
+and the proper working of the ship has gradually become a
+more and more difficult matter. Even with thick shoes any
+attempt to walk upon deck up to the forecastle was soon im-
+practicable, and the poop, simply because its floor is elevated
+somewhat above the level of the hold, is now the only avail-
+able standing-place. Water began to lose its effect upon
+the scorched and shriveling planks; the resin oozed out from
+the knots in the wood, the seams burst open, and the tar,
+melted by the heat, followed the rollings of the vessel, and
+formed fantastic patterns about the deck.
+
+Then to complete our perplexity, the wind shifted sud-
+denly round to the northwest, whence it blew a perfect hur-
+ricane. To no purpose did Curtis do everything in his
+power to bring the ship ahull; every effort was in vain; the
+Chancellor could not bear her trysail, so there was nothing
+to be done but to let her go with the wind, and drift further
+and further from the land for which we are longing so
+eagerly.
+
+To-day, the 29th, the tempest seemed to reach its height;
+the waves appeared to us mountains high, and dashed the
+spray most violently across the deck. A boat could not live
+a moment in such a sea.
+
+Our situation is terrible. We all wait in silence, some
+few on the forecastle, the great proportion of us on the
+poop. As for the picrate, for the time we have quite for-
+gotten its existence; indeed it might almost seem as though
+its explosion would come as a relief, for no catastrophe, how-
+ever terrible, could far exceed the torture of our suspense.
+
+While he had still the remaining chance, Curtis rescued
+from the store-room such few provisions as the heat of the
+compartment allowed him to obtain; and a lot of cases of
+salt meat and biscuits, a cask of brandy, some barrels of
+fresh water, together with some sails and wraps, a compass
+and other instruments are now lying packed in a mass all
+ready for prompt removal to the boats whenever we shall be
+obliged to leave the ship.
+
+About eight o'clock in the evening, a noise is heard, dis-
+tinct even above the raging of the hurricane. The panels of
+the deck are upheaved, and volumes of black smoke issue up-
+ward as if from a safety-valve. A universal consternation
+seizes one and all; we must leave the volcano which is about
+to burst beneath our feet. The crew run to Curtis for or-
+ders. He hesitates; looks first at the huge and threatening
+waves; looks then at the boats. The long-boat is there, sus-
+pended right along the center of the deck; but it is impos-
+sible to approach it now; the yawl, however, hoisted on the
+starboard side, and the whale-boat suspended aft, are still
+available. The sailors make frantically for the yawl.
+
+"Stop, stop," shouts Curtis; "do you mean to cut off our
+last and only chance of safety? Would you launch a boat
+in such a sea as this?"
+
+A few of them, with Owen at their head, give no heed to
+what he says. Rushing to the poop, and seizing a cutlass,
+Curtis shouts again:
+
+"Touch the tackling of the davit, one of you; only touch
+it, and I'll cleave your skull."
+
+Awed by his determined manner, the men retire, some
+clambering into the shrouds, while others mount to the very
+top of the masts.
+
+At eleven o'clock, several loud reports are heard, caused
+by the bursting asunder of the partitions of the hold. Clouds
+of smoke issue from the front, followed by a long tongue of
+lambent flame that seems to encircle the mizzen-mast. The
+fire now reaches to the cabin of Mrs. Kear, who, shrieking
+wildly, is brought on deck by Miss Herbey. A moment
+more, and Silas Huntly makes his appearance, his face all
+blackened with the grimy smoke; he bows to Curtis, as he
+passes, and then proceeds in the calmest manner to mount
+the aft-shrouds, and installs himself at the very top of the
+mizzen.
+
+The sight of Huntly recalls to my recollection the prisoner
+still below, and my first impulse is to rush to the staircase
+and do what I can to set him free. But the maniac has al-
+ready eluded his confinement, and with singed hair and his
+clothes already alight, rushes upon deck. Like a sal-
+amander he passes across the burning deck with unscathed
+feet, and glides through the stifling smoke with unchoked
+breath. Not a sound escapes his lips.
+
+Another loud report; the long-boat is shivered into frag-
+ments; the middle panel bursts the tarpaulin that covered it,
+and a stream of fire, free at length from the restraint that
+had held it, rises half-mast high.
+
+"The picrate! the picrate!" shrieks the madman; "we
+shall all be blown up! the picrate will blow us all up."
+
+And in an instant, before we can get near him, he has
+buried himself, through the open hatchway, down into the
+fiery furnace below.
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV
+BREAKERS TO STARBOARD!
+
+OCTOBER 20. -- Night. -- The scene, as night came on, was
+terrible indeed. Notwithstanding the desperateness of our
+situation, however, there was not one of us so paralyzed by
+fear, but that we fully realized the horror of it all.
+
+Poor Ruby, indeed, is lost and gone, but his last words
+were productive of serious consequences. The sailors
+caught his cry of "Picrate, picrate!" and being thus for the
+first time made aware of the true nature of their peril, they
+resolved at every hazard to accomplish their escape. Beside
+themselves with terror, they either did not, or would not, see
+that no boat could brave the tremendous waves that were
+raging around, and accordingly they made a frantic rush to-
+ward the yawl. Curtis again made a vigorous endeavor to
+prevent them, but this time all in vain; Owen urged them on,
+and already the tackling was loosened, so that the boat was
+swung over to the ship's side. For a moment it hung sus-
+pended in mid-air, and then, with a final effort from the
+sailors, it was quickly lowered into the sea. But scarcely
+had it touched the water, when it was caught by an enor-
+mous wave which, recoiling with resistless violence, dashed
+it to atoms against the Chancellor's side.
+
+The men stood aghast; they were dumbfounded. Long-
+boat and yawl both gone, there was nothing now remaining
+to us but a small whale-boat. Not a word was spoken;
+not a sound was heard but the hoarse whistling of the wind,
+and the mournful roaring of the flames. From the center
+of the ship, which was hollowed out like a furnace, there
+issued a column of sooty vapor that ascended to the sky.
+All the passengers, and several of the crew, took refuge in
+the aft-quarters of the poop. Mrs. Kear was lying sense-
+less on one of the hen-coops, with Miss Herbey sitting pas-
+sively at her side; M. Letourneur held his son tightly clasped
+to his bosom. I saw Falsten calmly consult his watch, and
+note down the time in his memorandum-book, but I was
+far from sharing his composure, for I was overcome by a
+nervous agitation that I could not suppress.
+
+As far as we knew, Lieutenant Walter, the boatswain,
+and such of the crew as were not with us, were safe in the
+bow; but it was impossible to tell how they were faring, be-
+cause the sheet of fire intervened like a curtain, and cut off
+all communication between stem and stern.
+
+I broke the dismal silence, saying, "All over now Curtis."
+
+"No, sir, not yet," he replied, "now that the panel is
+open we will set to work, and pour water with all our might
+down into the furnace, and may be, we shall put it out, even
+yet."
+
+"But how can you work your pumps while the deck is
+burning? and how can you get at your men beyond that
+sheet of flame?"
+
+He made no answer to my impetuous questions, and find-
+ing he had nothing more to say, I repeated that it was all
+over now.
+
+After a pause, he said, "As long as a plank of the ship
+remains to stand on, Mr. Kazallon, I shall not give up my
+hope."
+
+But the conflagration raged with redoubled fury, the sea
+around us was lighted with a crimson glow, and the clouds
+above shone with a lurid glare. Long jets of fire darted
+across the hatchways, and we were forced to take refuge
+on the taffrail at the extreme end of the poop. Mrs. Kear
+was laid in the whale-boat that hung from the stern. Miss
+Herbey persisting to the last in retaining her post by her
+side.
+
+No pen could adequately portray the horrors of this fear-
+ful night. The Chancellor under bare poles, was driven,
+like a gigantic fire-ship with frightful velocity across the
+raging ocean; her very speed as it were, making common
+cause with the hurricane to fan the fire that was consuming
+her. Soon there could be no alternative between throwing
+ourselves into the sea, or perishing in the flames.
+
+But where, all this time, was the picrate? Perhaps, after
+all, Ruby had deceived us and there was no volcano, such as
+we dreaded, below our feet.
+
+At half-past eleven, when the tempest seems at its very
+height, there is heard a peculiar roar distinguishable even
+above the crash of the elements. The sailors in an instant
+recognize its import.
+
+"Breakers to starboard!" is the cry.
+
+Curtis leaps on to the netting, casts a rapid glance at the
+snow-white billows, and turning to the helmsman shouts
+with all his might, "Starboard the helm!"
+
+But it is too late. There is a sudden shock; the ship is
+caught up by an enormous wave; she rises upon her beam
+ends; several times she strikes the ground; the mizzen-mast
+snaps short off level with the deck, falls into the sea, and the
+Chancellor is motionless.
+
+
+CHAPTER XV
+SHIPWRECKED
+
+THE night of the 29th continued. -- It was not yet mid-
+night; the darkness was most profound, and we could see
+nothing. But was it probable that we had stranded on the
+coast of America?
+
+Very shortly after the ship had thus come to a stand-still
+a clanking of chains was heard proceeding from her bows.
+
+"That is well," said Curtis; "Walter and the boatswain
+have cast both the anchors. Let us hope they will hold."
+
+Then, clinging to the netting, he clambered along the
+starboard side, on which the ship had heeled, as far as the
+flames would allow him. He clung to the holdfasts of the
+shrouds, and in spite of the heavy seas that dashed against
+the vessel he maintained his position for a considerable time,
+evidently listening to some sound that had caught his ear
+in the midst of the tempest. In about a quarter of an hour
+he returned to the poop.
+
+"Heaven be praised! " he said, "the water is coming in,
+and perhaps may get the better of the fire."
+
+"True," said I, "but what then?"
+
+"That," he replied, "is a question for bye-and-bye. We
+can think now only of the present."
+
+Already I fancied that the violence of the flames was
+somewhat abated, and that the two opposing elements were
+in fierce contention. Some plank in the ship's side was
+evidently stove in, admitting free passage for the waves.
+But how, when the water had mastered the fire, should we
+be able to master the water? Our natural course would be
+to use the pumps, but these, in the very midst of the con-
+flagration, were quite unavailable.
+
+For three long hours, in anxious suspense, we watched,
+and waited. Where we were we could not tell. One thing
+alone was certain; the tide was ebbing beneath us, and the
+waves were relaxing in their violence. Once let the fire be
+extinguished, and then, perhaps, there would be room to
+hope that the next high tide would set us afloat.
+
+Toward half-past four in the morning the curtain of fire
+and smoke, which had shut off communication between the
+two extremities of the ship, became less dense, and we could
+faintly distinguish that party of the crew who had taken
+refuge in the forecastle; and before long, although it was
+impracticable to step upon the deck, the lieutenant and the
+boatswain contrived to clamber over the gunwale, along the
+rails, and joined Curtis on the poop.
+
+Here they held a consultation, to which I was admitted.
+They were all of opinion that nothing could be done until
+daylight should give us something of an idea of our actual
+position. If we then found that we were near the shore,
+we would, weather permitting, endeavor to land, either in
+the boat or upon a raft. If, on the other hand, no land
+were in sight, and the Chancellor were ascertained to be
+stranded on some isolated reef, all we could do would be
+to get her afloat, and put her into condition for reaching the
+nearest coast. Curtis told us that it was long since he had
+been able to take any observation of latitude, but there was
+no doubt the northwest wind had driven us far to the south;
+and he thought, as he was ignorant of the existence of any
+reef in this part of the Atlantic, that it was just possible
+that we had been driven on to the coast of some portion of
+South America.
+
+I reminded him that we were in momentary expectation
+of an explosion, and suggested that it would be advisable to
+abandon the ship and take refuge on the reef. But he
+would not hear of such a proceeding, said that the reef
+would probably be covered at high tide, and persisted in the
+original resolution, that no decided action could be taken
+before the daylight appeared.
+
+I immediately reported this decision of the captain to my
+fellow-passengers. None of them seemed to realize the
+new danger to which the Chancellor may be exposed by be-
+ing cast upon an unknown reef, hundreds of miles it may be
+from land. All are for the time possessed with one idea,
+one hope; and that is, that the fire may now be quenched
+and the explosion averted.
+
+And certainly their hopes seem in a fair way of being ful-
+filled. Already the raging flames that poured forth from
+the hatches have given place to dense black smoke, and al-
+though occasionally some fiery streaks dart across the dusky
+fumes, yet they are instantly extinguished. The waves are
+doing what pumps and buckets could never have effected;
+by their inundation they are steadily stifling the fire which
+was as steadily spreading to the whole bulk of the 1,700
+bales of cotton.
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI
+SILAS HUNTLY RESCUED FROM THE WAVES
+
+OCTOBER 30. -- At the first gleam of daylight we eagerly
+scanned the southern and western horizons, but the morn-
+ing mists limited our view. Land was nowhere to be seen.
+The tide was now almost at its lowest ebb, and the color
+of the few peaks of rock that jutted up around us showed
+that the reef on which we had stranded was of basaltic
+formation. There were now only about six feet of water
+around the Chancellor, though with a full freight she draws
+about fifteen. It was remarkable how far she had been
+carried on to the shelf of rock, but the number of times that
+she had touched the bottom before she finally ran aground
+left us no doubt that she had been lifted up and borne along
+on the top of an enormous wave. She now lies with her
+stern considerably higher than her bows, a position which
+renders walking upon the deck anything but an easy matter,
+moreover as the tide receded she heeled over so much to lar-
+board that at one time Curtis feared she would altogether
+capsize; that fear, however, since the tide has reached its
+lowest mark, has happily proved groundless.
+
+At six o'clock some violent blows were felt against the
+ship's side, and at the same time a voice was distinguished,
+shouting loudly, "Curtis! Curtis!" Following the direc-
+tion of the cries we saw that the broken mizzen-mast was
+being washed against the vessel, and in the dusky morning
+twilight we could make out the figure of a man clinging to
+the rigging. Curtis, at the peril of his life, hastened to
+bring the man on board. It proved to be none other than
+Silas Huntly, who, after being carried overboard with the
+mast, had thus, almost by a miracle, escaped a watery grave.
+Without a word of thanks to his deliverer, the ex-captain,
+passive, like an automaton, passed on and took his seat in
+the most secluded corner of the poop. The broken mizzen
+may, perhaps, be of service to us at some future time, and
+with that idea it has been rescued from the waves and lashed
+securely to the stern.
+
+By this time it was light enough to see for a distance of
+three miles round; but as yet nothing could be discerned to
+make us think that we were near a coast. The line of
+breakers ran for about a mile from southwest to northeast,
+and two hundred fathoms to the north of the ship an ir-
+regular mass of rocks formed a small islet. This islet rose
+about fifty feet above the sea, and was consequently above
+the level of the highest tides; while a sort of causeway,
+available at low water, would enable us to reach the island,
+if necessity required. But there the reef ended; beyond
+it the sea again resumed its somber hue, betokening deep
+water. In all probability, then, this was a solitary shoal,
+unattached to a shore, and the gloom of a bitter disappoint-
+ment began to weigh upon our spirits.
+
+In another hour the mists had totally disappeared, and it
+was broad daylight. I and M. Letourneur stood watching
+Curtis as he continued eagerly to scan the western horizon.
+Astonishment was written on his countenance; to him it
+appeared perfectly incredible that, after our course for so
+long had been due south from the Bermudas, no land should
+be in sight. But not a speck, however minute, broke the
+clearly-defined line that joined sea and sky. After a time
+Curtis made his way along the netting to the shrouds, and
+swung himself quickly up to the top of the mainmast. For
+several minutes he remained there examining the open space
+around, then seizing one of the backstays he glided down
+and rejoined us on the poop.
+
+"No land in sight," he said, in answer to our eager looks.
+
+At this point Mr. Kear interposed, and in a gruff, ill-
+tempered tone, asked Curtis where we were. Curtis replied
+that he did not know.
+
+"You don't know, sir? Then all I can say is that you
+ought to know!" exclaimed the petroleum merchant.
+
+"That may be, sir; but at present I am as ignorant of our
+whereabouts as you are yourself," said Curtis.
+
+"Well," said Mr. Kear, "just please to know that I
+don't want to stay forever on your everlasting ship, so I
+beg you will make haste and start off again."
+
+Curtis condescended to make no other reply than a shrug
+of the shoulders, and turning away he informed M. Letour-
+neur and myself that if the sun came out he intended to take
+its altitude and find out to what part of the ocean we had
+been driven.
+
+His next care was to distribute preserved meat and biscuit
+among the passengers and crew already half fainting with
+hunger and fatigue, and then he set to work to devise meas-
+ures for setting the ship afloat.
+
+The conflagration was greatly abated; no flames now ap-
+peared, and although some black smoke still issued from the
+interior, yet its volume was far less than before. The first
+step was to discover how much water had entered the
+hold. The deck was still too hot to walk upon; but after
+two hours' irrigation the boards became sufficiently cool for
+the boatswain to proceed to take some soundings, and he
+shortly afterward announced that there were five feet of
+water below. This the captain determined should not be
+pumped out at present, as he wanted it thoroughly to do its
+duty before he got rid of it.
+
+The next subject for consideration was whether it would
+be advisable to abandon the vessel, and to take refuge on
+the reef. Curtis thought not; and the lieutenant and the
+boatswain agreed with him. The chances of an explosion
+were greatly diminished, as it had been ascertained that the
+water had reached that part of the hold in which Ruby's
+luggage had been deposited; while, on the other hand, in
+the event of rough weather, our position even upon the most
+elevated points of rock might be very critical. It was ac-
+cordingly resolved that both passengers and crew were saf-
+est on board.
+
+Acting upon this decision we proceeded to make a kind
+of encampment on the poop, and a few mattresses that were
+rescued uninjured have been given up for the use of the
+two ladies. Such of the crew as had saved their hammocks
+have been told to place them under the forecastle where they
+would have to stow themselves as best they could, their
+ordinary quarters being absolutely uninhabitable.
+
+Fortunately, although the store-room has been consider-
+ably exposed to the heat, its contents are not very seriously
+damaged, and all the barrels of water and the greater part
+of the provisions are quite intact. The stock of spare sails,
+which had been packed away in front, is also free from in-
+jury. The wind has dropped considerably since the early
+morning, and the swell in the sea is far less heavy. On
+the whole our spirits are reviving and we begin to think we
+may yet find a way out of our troubles.
+
+M. Letourneur, his son, and I, have just had a long con-
+versation about the ship's officers. We consider their con-
+duct, under the late trying circumstances, to have been most
+exemplary, and their courage, energy, and endurance to
+have been beyond all praise. Lieutenant Walter, the boat-
+swain, and Dowlas the carpenter have all alike distinguished
+themselves, and made us feel that they are men to be relied
+on. As for Curtis, words can scarcely be found to express
+our admiration of his character; he is the same as he has
+ever been, the very life of his crew, cheering them on by
+word or gesture; finding an expedient for every difficulty,
+and always foremost in every action.
+
+The tide turned at seven this morning, and by eleven all
+the rocks were submerged, none of them being visible ex-
+cept the cluster of those which formed the rim of a small
+and almost circular basin from 230 to 300 feet in diameter,
+in the north angle of which the ship is lying. As the tide
+rose the white breakers disappeared, and the sea, fortunately
+for the Chancellor, was pretty calm; otherwise the dashing
+of the waves against her sides, as she lies motionless, might
+have been attended by serious consequences.
+
+As might be supposed, the height of the water in the hold
+increased with the tide from five feet to nine; but this was
+rather a matter of congratulation, inasmuch as it sufficed
+to inundate another layer of cotton.
+
+At half-past eleven the sun, which had been behind the
+clouds since ten o'clock, broke forth brightly. The captain,
+who had already in the morning been able to calculate an
+horary angle, now prepared to take the meridian altitude,
+and succeeded at midday in making his observation most
+satisfactorily. After retiring for a short time to calculate
+the result, he returned to the poop and announced that we
+are in lat. 18 deg. 5' N. and long. 45 deg. 53' W., but that the reef
+on which we are aground is not marked on the charts. The
+only explanation that can be given for the omission is that
+the islet must be of recent formation, and has been caused
+by some subterranean volcanic disturbance. But whatever
+may be the solution of the mystery, here we are 800 miles
+from land; for such, on consulting the map, we find to be
+the actual distance to the coast of Guiana, which is the near-
+est shore. Such is the position to which we have been
+brought, in the first place, by Huntly's senseless obstinacy,
+and, secondly, by the furious northwest gale.
+
+Yet, after all, the captain's communication does not dis-
+hearten us. As I said before, our spirits are reviving. We
+have escaped the peril of fire; the fear of explosion is past
+and gone: and oblivious of the fact that the ship with a
+hold full of water is only too likely to founder when she
+puts out to sea, we feel a confidence in the future that for-
+bids us to despond.
+
+Meanwhile Curtis prepares to do all that common sense
+demands. He proposes, when the fire is quite extinguished,
+to throw overboard the whole, or the greater portion of the
+cargo, including, of course, the picrate; he will next plug
+up the leak, and then, with a lightened ship, he will take ad-
+vantage of the first high tide to quit the reef as speedily as
+possible.
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII
+M. LETOURNEUR IS PESSIMISTIC
+
+OCTOBER 30. -- Once again I talked to M. Letourneur about
+our situation, and endeavored to animate him with the hope
+that we should not be detained for long in our present pre-
+dicament; but he could not be brought to take a very san-
+guine view of our prospects.
+
+"But surely," I protested, "it will not be difficult to
+throw overboard a few hundred bales of cotton; two or
+three days at most will suffice for that."
+
+"Likely enough," he replied, "when the business is once
+begun; but you must remember, Mr. Kazallon, that the very
+heart of the cargo is still smoldering, and that it will still be
+several days before anyone will be able to venture into the
+hold. Then the leak, too, that has to be caulked; and, un-
+less it is stopped up very effectually, we shall only be doomed
+most certainly to perish at sea. Don't then, be deceiving
+yourself; it must be three weeks at least before you can ex-
+pect to put out to sea. I can only hope meanwhile that the
+weather will continue propitious; it wouldn't take many
+storms to knock the Chancellor, shattered as she is, com-
+pletely into pieces."
+
+Here, then, was the suggestion of a new danger to which
+we were to be exposed; the fire might be extinguished, the
+water might be got rid of by the pumps, but, after all, we
+must be at the mercy of the wind and waves; and, although
+the rocky island might afford a temporary refuge from the
+tempest, what was to become of passengers and crew if the
+vessel should be reduced to a total wreck? I made no
+remonstrance, however, to this view of our case, but merely
+asked M. Letourneur if he had confidence in Robert Curtis?
+
+"Perfect confidence," he answered; "and I acknowledge
+it most gratefully, as a providential circumstance, that Cap-
+tain Huntly had given him the command in time. What-
+ever man can do I know that Curtis will not leave undone to
+extricate us from our dilemma."
+
+Prompted by this conversation with M. Letourneur I
+took the first opportunity of trying to ascertain from Curtis
+himself how long he reckoned we should be obliged to re-
+main upon the reef; but he merely replied, that it must de-
+pend upon circumstances, and that he hoped the weather
+would continue favorable. Fortunately the barometer is
+rising steadily, and there is every sign of a prolonged calm.
+
+Meantime Curtis is taking active measures for totally
+extinguishing the fire. He is at no great pains to spare the
+cargo, and as the bales that lie just above the level of the
+water are still a-light he has resorted to the expedient of
+thoroughly saturating the upper layers of the cotton, in
+order that the combustion may be stifled between the mois-
+ture descending from above and that ascending from below.
+This scheme has brought the pumps once more into requisi-
+tion. At present the crew are adequate to the task of work-
+ing them, but I and some of our fellow-passengers are ready
+to offer our assistance whenever it shall be necessary.
+
+With no immediate demand upon our labor, we are
+thrown upon our own resources for passing our time. M.
+Letourneur, Andre, and myself, have frequent conversa-
+tions; I also devote an hour or two to my diary. Falsten
+holds little communication with any of us, but remains ab-
+sorbed in his calculations, and amuses himself by tracing
+mechanical diagrams with ground-plan, section, elevation,
+all complete. It would be a happy inspiration if he could
+invent some mighty engine that could set us all afloat again.
+Mr. and Mrs. Kear, too, hold themselves aloof from their
+fellow-passengers, and we are not sorry to be relieved from
+the necessity of listening to their incessant grumbling; un-
+fortunately, however, they carry off Miss Herbey with them,
+so that we enjoy little or nothing of the young lady's society.
+As for Silas Huntly, he has become a complete nonen-
+tity; he exists, it is true, but merely, it would seem, to
+vegetate.
+
+Hobart, the steward, an obsequious, sly sort of fellow,
+goes through his routine of duties just as though the vessel
+were pursuing her ordinary course; and, as usual, is con-
+tinually falling out with Jynxstrop, the cook, an impudent,
+ill-favored negro, who interferes with the other sailors in
+a manner which, I think, ought not to be allowed.
+
+Since it appears likely that we shall have abundance of
+time on our hands, I have proposed to M. Letourneur and
+his son that we shall together explore the reef on which we
+are stranded. It is not very probable that we shall be able
+to discover much about the origin of this strange accumula-
+tion of rocks, yet the attempt will at least occupy us for
+some hours, and will relieve us from the monotony of our
+confinement on board. Besides, as the reef is not marked in
+any of the maps, I could not but believe that it would be
+rendering a service to hydrography if we were to take an
+accurate plan of the rocks, of which Curtis could afterward
+verify the true position by a second observation made with a
+closer precision than the one he has already taken.
+
+M. Letourneur agrees to my proposal, Curtis has promised
+to let us have the boat and some sounding-lines, and to allow
+one of the sailors to accompany us; so to-morrow morning,
+we hope to make our little voyage of investigation.
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII
+WE EXPLORE THE REEF
+
+OCTOBER 31 to November 5. -- Our first proceeding on
+the morning of the 31st was to make the proposed tour of
+the reef, which is about a quarter of a mile long. With
+the aid of our sounding-lines we found that the water was
+deep, right up to the very rocks, and that no shelving shores
+prevented us coasting along them. There was not a shadow
+of doubt as to the rock being of purely volcanic origin, up-
+heaved by some mighty subterranean convulsion.   It is
+formed of blocks of basalt, arranged in perfect order, of
+which the regular prisms give the whole mass the effect of
+being one gigantic crystal; and the remarkable transparency
+of the sea enabled us plainly to observe the curious shafts
+of the prismatic columns that support the marvelous sub-
+structure.
+
+"This is indeed a singular island," said M. Letourneur;
+"evidently it is of quite recent origin."
+
+"Yes, father," said Andre, "and I should think it has
+been caused by a phenomenon similar to those which pro-
+duced the Julia Island, off the coast of Sicily, or the group
+of the Santorini, in the Grecian Archipelago. One could
+almost fancy that it had been created expressly for the Chan-
+cellor to strand upon."
+
+"It is very certain," I observed, "that some upheaving
+has lately taken place. This is by no means an unfrequented
+part of the Atlantic, so that it is not at all likely that it could
+have escaped the notice of sailors if it had been always in
+existence; yet it is not marked even in the most modern
+charts. We must try and explore it thoroughly and give
+future navigators the benefit of our observations."
+
+"But, perhaps, it will disappear as it came," said Andre.
+"You are no doubt aware, Mr. Kazallon, that these volcanic
+islands sometimes have a very transitory existence. Not im-
+possibly, by the time it gets marked upon the maps it may no
+longer be here."
+
+"Never mind, my boy," answered his father, "it is bet-
+ter to give warning of a danger that does not exist than
+overlook one that does. I dare say the sailors will not
+grumble much, if they don't find a reef where we have
+marked one."
+
+"No, I dare say not, father," said Andre, "and after all
+this island is very likely as firm as a continent. However,
+if it is to disappear, I expect Captain Curtis would be glad
+to see it take its departure as soon as possible after he has
+finished his repairs; it would save him a world of trouble
+in getting his ship afloat."
+
+"Why, what a fellow you are, Andre!" I said, laugh-
+ing; "I believe you would like to rule Nature with a magic
+wand, first of all, you would call up a reef from the depth
+of the ocean to give the Chancellor time to extinguish her
+flames, and then you would make it disappear just that the
+ship might be free again."
+
+Andre smiled; then, in a more serious tone, he expressed
+his gratitude for the timely help that had been vouchsafed
+us in our hour of need.
+
+The more we examined the rocks that formed the base
+of the little island, the more we became convinced that its
+formation was quite recent. Not a mollusk, not a tuft of
+seaweed was found clinging to the sides of the rocks; not a
+germ had the wind carried to its surface, not a bird had
+taken refuge amid the crags upon its summits. To a lover
+of natural history, the spot did not yield a single point of
+interest; the geologist alone would find subject of study in
+the basaltic mass.
+
+When we reached the southern point of the island I pro-
+posed that we should disembark. My companions readily
+assented, young Letourneur jocosely observing that if the
+little island was destined to vanish, it was quite right that it
+should first be visited by human beings. The boat was
+accordingly brought alongside, and we set foot upon the
+reef, and began to ascend the gradual slope that leads to its
+highest elevation.
+
+The walking was not very rough, and as Andre could get
+along tolerably well without the assistance of an arm, he
+led the way, his father and I following close behind. A
+quarter of an hour sufficed to bring us to the loftiest point
+in the islet, when we seated ourselves on the basaltic prism
+that crowned its summit.
+
+Andre took a sketch-book from his pocket, and proceeded
+to make a drawing of the reef. Scarcely had he completed
+the outline when his father exclaimed:
+
+"Why, Andre, you have drawn a ham!"
+
+"Something uncommonly like it, I confess," replied
+Andre. "I think we had better ask Captain Curtis to let
+us call our island Ham Rock."
+
+"Good," said I; "though sailors will need to keep it at
+a respectful distance, for they will scarcely find that their
+teeth are strong enough to tackle it."
+
+M. Letourneur was quite correct; the outline of the reef
+as it stood clearly defined against the deep green water
+resembled nothing so much as a fine York ham, of which
+the little creek, where the Chancellor had been stranded,
+corresponded to the hollow place above the knuckle. The
+tide at this time was low, and the ship now lay heeled over
+very much to the starboard side, the few points of rock that
+emerged in the extreme south of the reef plainly marking the
+narrow passage through which she had been forced before
+she finally ran aground.
+
+As soon as Andre had finished his sketch we descended
+by a slope as gradual as that by which we had come up, and
+made our way toward the west. We had not gone very far
+when a beautiful grotto, perfect as an architectural struc-
+ture, arrested our attention. M. Letourneur and Andre,
+who have visited the Hebrides, pronounced it to be a
+Fingal's cave in miniature; a Gothic chapel that might form
+a fit vestibule for the cathedral cave of Staffa. The basaltic
+rocks had cooled down into the same regular concentric
+prisms; there was the same dark canopied roof with its in-
+terstices filled up with its yellow lutings; the same precision
+of outline in the prismatic angles, sharp as though chiseled
+by a sculptor's hand; the same sonorous vibration of the air
+across the basaltic rocks, of which the Gaelic poets have
+feigned that the harps of the Fingal minstrelsy were made.
+But whereas at Staffa the floor of the cave is always covered
+with a sheet of water, here the grotto was beyond the reach
+of all but the highest waves, while the prismatic shafts them-
+selves formed quite a solid pavement.
+
+After remaining nearly an hour in our newly-discovered
+grotto we returned to the Chancellor, and communicated the
+result of our explorations to Curtis, who entered the island
+upon his chart, by the name Andre Letourneur had pro-
+posed.
+
+Since its discovery we have not permitted a day to pass
+without spending some time in our Ham Rock grotto.
+Curtis has taken an opportunity of visiting it, but he is too
+preoccupied with other matters to have much interest to
+spare for the wonders of nature. Falsten, too, came once
+and examined the character of the rocks, knocking and
+chipping them about with all the mercilessness of a geologist.
+Mr. Kear would not trouble himself to leave the ship; and
+although I asked his wife to join us in one of our excursions
+she declined, upon the plea that the fatigue, as well as the
+inconvenience of embarking in the boat, would be more than
+she could bear.
+
+Miss Herbey, only to thankful to escape even for an hour
+from her capricious mistress, eagerly accepted M. Letour-
+neur's invitation to pay a visit to the reef, but to her great
+disappointment Mrs. Kear at first refused point-blank to
+allow her to leave the ship. I felt intensely annoyed, and re-
+solved to intercede in Miss Herbey's favor; and as I had
+already rendered that self-indulgent lady sundry services
+which she though she might probably be glad again to ac-
+cept, I gained my point, and Miss Herbey has several times
+been permitted to accompany us across the rocks, where
+the young girl's delight at her freedom has been a pleasure
+to behold.
+
+Sometimes we fish along the shore, and then enjoy a
+luncheon in the grotto, while the basalt columns vibrate like
+harps to the breeze. This arid reef, little as it is, compared
+with the cramped limits of the Chancellor's deck is like some
+vast domain; soon there will be scarcely a stone with which
+we are not familiar, scarcely a portion of its surface which
+we have not trodden, and I am sure that when the hour of
+departure arrives we shall leave it with regret.
+
+In the course of conversation, Andre Letourneur one day
+happened to say that he believed the island of Staffa be-
+longed to the Macdonald family, who let it for the small
+sum of L.12 a year.
+
+"I suppose then," said Miss Herbey, "that we should
+hardly get more than half-a-crown a year for our pet little
+island."
+
+"I don't think you would get a penny for it. Miss Herbey;
+but are you thinking of taking a lease?" I said laughing.
+
+"Not at present," she said; then added, with a half-sup-
+pressed sigh, "and yet it is a place where I have seemed
+to know what it is to be really happy."
+
+Andre murmured some expression of assent, and we all
+felt that there was something touching in the words of the
+orphaned, friendless girl who had found her long-lost sense
+of happiness on a lonely rock in the Atlantic.
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX
+THE CARGO UNLOADED
+
+NOVEMBER 6 to November 15. -- For the first five days
+after the Chancellor had run aground, there was a dense
+black smoke continually rising from the hold; but it grad-
+ually diminished until the 6th of November, when we might
+consider that the fire was extinguished. Curtis, neverthe-
+less, deemed it prudent to persevere in working the pumps,
+which he did until the entire hull of the ship, right up to the
+deck, had been completely inundated.
+
+The rapidity, however, with which the water, at every re-
+treat of the tide, drained off to the level of the sea, was an
+indication that the leak must be of considerable magnitude;
+and such, on investigation, proved to be the case. One of the
+sailors, named Flaypole, dived one day at low water to ex-
+amine the extent of the damage, and found that the hole was
+not much less than four feet square, and was situated thirty
+feet fore of the helm, and two feet above the rider of the
+keel; three planks had been stove in by a sharp point of rock
+and it was only a wonder that the violence with which the
+heavily-laden vessel had been thrown ashore did not result
+in the smashing in of many parts beside.
+
+As it would be a couple of days or more before the hold
+would be in a condition for the bales of cotton to be removed
+for the carpenter to examine the damage from the interior of
+the ship, Curtis employed the interval in having the broken
+mizzen-mast repaired. Dowlas the carpenter, with con-
+siderable skill, contrived to mortise it into its former stump.
+and made the junction thoroughly secure by strong iron-
+belts and bolts. The shrouds, the stays and backstays, were
+then carefully refitted, some of the sails were changed, and
+the whole of the running rigging was renewed. Injury, to
+some extent, had been done to the poop and to the crew's
+lockers in the front; but time and labor were all that were
+wanted to make them good; and with such a will did every-
+body set to work that it was not long before all the cabins
+were again available for use.
+
+On the 8th the unlading of the ship commenced. Pulleys
+and tackling were put over the hatches, and passengers and
+crew together proceeded to haul up the heavy bales which
+had been deluged so frequently by water that the cotton was
+all but spoiled. One by one the sodden bales were placed in
+the boat to be transported to the reef. After the first layer
+of cotton had been removed it became necessary to drain
+off part of the water that filled the hold. For this purpose
+the leak in the side had somehow or other to be stopped, and
+this was an operation which was cleverly accomplished by
+Dowlas and Flaypole, who contrived to dive at low tide
+and nail a sheet of copper over the entire hole. This, how-
+ever, of itself would have been utterly inadequate to sustain
+the pressure that would arise from the action of the pumps;
+so Curtis ordered that a number of the bales should be piled
+up inside against the broken planks. The scheme succeeded
+very well, and as the water got lower and lower in the hold
+the men were enabled to r‚sum‚ their task of unlading.
+
+Curtis thinks it quite probable that the leaks may be
+mended from the interior. By far the best way of repairing
+the damage would be to careen the ship, and to shift the
+planking, but the appliances are wanting for such an un-
+dertaking; moreover, any bad weather which might occur
+while the ship was on her flank would only too certainly be
+fatal to her altogether. But the captain has very little doubt
+that by some device or other he shall manage to patch up the
+hole in such a way as will insure our reaching land in safety.
+
+After two days' toil the water was entirely reduced, and
+without further difficulty the unlading was completed. All
+of us, including even Andre Letourneur, have been taking
+our turn at the pumps, for the work is so extremely fatiguing
+that the crew require some occasional respite; arms and back
+soon become strained and weary with the incessant swing of
+the handles, and I can well understand the dislike which
+sailors always express to the labor.
+
+One thing there is which is much in our favor; the ship
+lies on a firm and solid bottom, and we have the satisfaction
+of knowing that we are not contending with a flood that
+encroaches faster than it can be resisted. Heaven grant that
+we may not be called to make like efforts, and to make them
+hopelessly, for a foundering ship!
+
+
+CHAPTER XX
+EXAMINATION OF THE HOLD
+
+NOVEMBER 15 to 20. -- The examination of the hold has
+at last been made. Among the first things that were found
+was the case of picrate, perfectly intact, having neither been
+injured by the water, nor of course reached by the flames.
+Why it was not at once pitched into the sea I cannot say;
+but it was merely conveyed to the extremity of the island,
+and there it remains.
+
+While they were below, Curtis and Dowlas made them-
+selves acquainted with the full extent of the mischief that
+had been done by the conflagration. They found that the
+deck and the cross-beams that supported it had been much
+less injured than they expected, and the thick, heavy planks
+had only been scorched very superficially. But the action
+of the fire on the flanks of the ship had been of a much more
+serious character; a long portion of the inside boarding had
+been burned away, and the very ribs of the vessel were con-
+siderably damaged; the oakum caulkings had all started away
+from the butt-ends and seams; so much so that it was little
+short of a miracle that the whole ship had not long since
+gaped completely open.
+
+The captain and the carpenter returned to the deck with
+anxious faces. Curtis lost no time in assembling pas-
+sengers and crew, and announcing to them the facts of the
+case.
+
+"My friends," he said, "I am here to tell you that the
+Chancellor has sustained far greater injuries than we sus-
+pected, and that her hull is very seriously damaged. If we
+had been stranded anywhere else than on a barren reef, that
+may at any time be overwhelmed by a tempestuous sea, I
+should not have hesitated to take the ship to pieces, and con-
+struct a smaller vessel that might have carried us safely to
+land; but I dare not run the risk of remaining here. We
+are now 800 miles from the coast of Paramaribo, the nearest
+portion of Dutch Guiana, and in ten or twelve days, if the
+weather should be favorable, I believe we could reach the
+shore. What I now propose to do is to stop the leak by
+the best means we can command, and make at once for the
+nearest port."
+
+As no better plan seemed to suggest itself, Curtis's proposal
+was unanimously accepted. Dowlas and his assistants im-
+mediately set to work to repair the charred frame-work of
+the ribs, and to stop the leak; they took care thoroughly to
+calk from the outside all the seams that were above low
+water mark; lower than that they were unable to work, and
+had to content themselves with such repairs as they could
+effect in the interior. But after all the pains there is no
+doubt the Chancellor is not fit for a long voyage, and would
+be condemned as unseaworthy at any port at which we might
+put in.
+
+To-day the 20th, Curtis having done all that human power
+could do to repair his ship, determined to put her to sea.
+
+Ever since the Chancellor had been relieved of her cargo,
+and of the water in her hold, she had been able to float in
+the little natural basin into which she had been driven. The
+basin was enclosed on either hand by rocks that remained
+uncovered even at high water, but was sufficiently wide to
+allow the vessel to turn quite round at its broadest part, and
+by means of hawsers fastened on the reef to be brought with
+her bows towards the south; while, to prevent her being
+carried back on to the reef, she has been anchored fore and
+aft.
+
+To all appearance, then, it seemed as though it would be
+an easy matter to put the Chancellor to sea; if the wind
+were favorable the sails would be hoisted; if otherwise, she
+would have to be towed through the narrow passage. All
+seemed simple. But unlooked-for difficulties had yet to be
+surmounted.
+
+The mouth of the passage is guarded by a kind of ridge
+of basalt, which at high tide we knew was barely covered
+with sufficient water to float the Chancellor, even when en-
+tirely unfreighted. To be sure she had been carried over
+the obstacle once before, but then, as I have already said,
+she had been caught up by an enormous wave, and might
+have been said to be LIFTED over the barrier into her pres-
+ent position. Besides, on that ever memorable night, there
+had not only been the ordinary spring-tide, but an equinoctial
+tide, such a one as could not be expected to occur again for
+many months. Waiting was out of the question; so Curtis
+determined to run the risk, and to take advantage of the
+spring-tide, which would occur to-day, to make an attempt
+to get the ship, lightened as she was, over the bar; after
+which, he might ballast her sufficiently to sail.
+
+The wind was blowing from the northwest, and conse-
+quently right in the direction of the passage. The captain,
+however, after a consultation, preferred to tow the ship over
+the ridge, as he considered it was scarcely safe to allow a
+vessel of doubtful stability at full sail to charge an obstacle
+that would probably bring her to a dead lock. Before the
+operation was commenced, Curtis took the precaution of
+having an anchor ready in the stern, for, in the event of the
+attempt being unsuccessful, it would be necessary to bring
+the ship back to her present moorings. Two more anchors
+were next carried outside the passage, which was not more
+than two hundred feet in length. The chains were attached
+to the windlass, the sailors worked at the hand-spikes, and
+at four o'clock in the afternoon the Chancellor was in mo-
+tion.
+
+High tide would be at twenty minutes past four, and at
+ten minutes before that time the ship had been hauled as
+far as her sea-range would allow; her keel grazed the ridge,
+and her progress was arrested. When the lowest part of her
+stern, however, just cleared the obstruction, Curtis deemed
+that there was no longer any reason why the mechanical ac-
+tion of the wind should not be brought to bear and con-
+tribute its assistance. Without delay, all sails were unfurled
+and trimmed to the wind. The tide was exactly at its height,
+passengers and crew together were at the windlass, M.
+Letourneur, Andre, Falsten, and myself being at the star-
+board bar. Curtis stood upon the poop, giving his chief
+attention to the sails; the lieutenant was on the forecastle;
+the boatswain by the helm. The sea seemed propitiously
+calm and; as it swelled gently to and fro, lifted the ship
+several times.
+
+"Now, my boys," said Curtis, in his calm clear voice, "all
+together! Off!"
+
+Round went the windlass; click, click, clanked the chains
+as link by link they were forced through the hawse-holes.
+
+The breeze freshened, and the masts gave to the pressure
+of the sails, but round and round we went, keeping time in
+regular monotony to the sing-song tune hummed by one of
+the sailors.
+
+We had gained about twenty feet, and were redoubling
+our efforts when the ship grounded again.
+
+And now no effort would avail; all was in vain; the tide
+began to turn: and the Chancellor would not advance an inch.
+Was there time to go back? She would inevitably go to
+pieces if left balanced upon the ridge. In an instant the cap-
+tain has ordered the sails to be furled, and the anchor
+dropped from the stern.
+
+One moment of terrible anxiety, and all is well.
+
+The Chancellor tacks to stern, and glides back into the
+basin, which is once more her prison.
+
+"Well, captain," says the boatswain, "what's to be done
+now?"
+
+"I don't know," said Curtis, "but we shall get across
+somehow."
+
+
+CHAPTER XXI
+THE "CHANCELLOR" RELEASED FROM HER PRISON
+
+NOVEMBER 21 TO 24. -- There was assuredly no time to be
+lost before we ought to leave Ham Rock reef. The barom-
+eter had been falling ever since the morning, the sea was
+getting rougher, and there was every symptom that the
+weather, hitherto so favorable, was on the point of breaking;
+and in the event of a gale the Chancellor must inevitably be
+dashed to pieces on the rocks.
+
+In the evening, when the tide was quite low, and the rocks
+uncovered, Curtis, the boatswain, and Dowlas went to exam-
+ine the ridge which had proved so serious an obstruction.
+Falsten and I accompanied them. We came to the conclu-
+sion that the only way of effecting a passage was by cutting
+away the rocks with pikes over a surface measuring ten feet
+by six. An extra depth of nine or ten inches would give a
+sufficient gauge, and the channel might be accurately marked
+out by buoys; in this way it was conjectured the ship might
+be got over the ridge and so reach the deep water beyond.
+
+"But this basalt is as hard as granite," said the boatswain;
+"besides, we can only get at it at low water, and conse-
+quently could only work at it for two hours out of the
+twenty-four."
+
+"All the more reason why we should begin at once, boat-
+swain," said Curtis.
+
+"But if it is to take us a month, captain, perhaps by that
+time the ship may be knocked to atoms. Couldn't we man-
+age to blow up the rock? we have got some powder aboard."
+
+"Not enough for that," said the boatswain.
+
+"You have something better than powder," said Falsten.
+
+"What's that?" asked the captain.
+
+"Picrate of potash," was the reply.
+
+And so the explosive substance with which poor Ruby had
+so grievously imperiled the vessel was now to serve her in
+good stead, and I now saw what a lucky thing it was that
+the case had been deposited safely on the reef, instead of be-
+ing thrown into the sea.
+
+The sailors went off at once for their pikes, and Dowlas
+and his assistants, under the direction of Falsten, who, as an
+engineer, understood such matters, proceeded to hollow out
+a mine wherein to deposit the powder. At first we hoped
+that everything would be ready for the blasting to take place
+on the following morning, but when daylight appeared we
+found that the men, although they had labored with a will,
+had only been able to work for an hour at low water and
+that four tides must ebb before the mine had been sunk to the
+required depth.
+
+Not until eight o'clock on the morning of the 23d was
+the work complete. The hole was bored obliquely in the
+rock, and was large enough to contain about ten pounds of
+explosive matter. Just as the picrate was being introduced
+into the aperture, Falsten interposed:
+
+"Stop," he said, "I think it will be best to mix the picrate
+with common powder, as that will allow us to fire the mine
+with a match instead of the gun-priming which would be
+necessary to produce a shock. Besides, it is an understood
+thing that the addition of gunpowder renders picrate far
+more effective in blasting such rocks as this, as then the
+violence of the picrate prepares the way for the powder
+which, slower in its action, will complete the disseverment of
+the basalt."
+
+Falsten is not a great talker, but what he does say is al-
+ways very much to the point. His good advice was imme-
+diately followed; the two substances were mixed together,
+and after a match had been introduced the compound was
+rammed closely into the hole.
+
+Notwithstanding that the Chancellor was at a distance
+from the rocks that insured her from any danger of being
+injured by the explosion, it was thought advisable that the
+passengers and crew should take refuge in the grotto at the
+extremity of the reef, and even Mr. Kear, in spite of his
+many objections, was forced to leave the ship. Falsten, as
+soon as he had set fire to the match, joined us in our retreat.
+
+The train was to burn for ten minutes, and at the end of
+that time the explosion took place; the report, on account of
+the depth of the mine, being muffled, and much less noisy
+than we had expected. But the operation had been perfectly
+successful. Before we reached the ridge we could see that
+the basalt had been literally reduced to powder, and that a
+little channel, already being filled by the rising tide, had been
+cut right through the obstacle. A loud hurrah rang through
+the air; our prison-doors were opened, and we were prison-
+ers no more.
+
+At high tide the Chancellor weighed anchor and floated
+out into the sea, but she was not in a condition to sail until
+she had been ballasted; and for the next twenty-four hours
+the crew were busily employed in taking up blocks of stone,
+and such of the bales of cotton as had sustained the least
+amount of injury.
+
+In the course of the day, M. Letourneur, Andre, Miss
+Herbey, and I took a farewell walk round the reef, and
+Andre, with artistic skill, carved on the wall of the grotto
+the word Chancellor -- the designation of Ham Rock, which
+we had given to the reef -- and the date of our running
+aground. Then we bade adieu to the scene of our three
+weeks' sojourn, where we had passed days that to some at
+least of our party will be reckoned as far from being the
+least happy of their lives.
+
+At high tide this morning, the 24th, with low, top, and
+gallant sails all set, the Chancellor started on her onward
+way, and two hours later the last peak of Ham Rock had
+vanished below the horizon.
+
+
+CHAPTER XXII
+A NEW DANGER
+
+NOVEMBER 24 to December1. -- Here we were then once
+more at sea, and although on board a ship of which the
+stability was very questionable, we had hopes, if the wind
+continued favorable, of reaching the coast of Guiana in the
+course of a few days.
+
+Our way was southwest and consequently with the wind,
+and although Curtis would not crowd on all sail lest the
+extra speed should have a tendency to spring the leak afresh,
+the Chancellor made a progress that was quite satisfactory.
+Life on board began to fall back into its former routine; the
+feeling of insecurity and the consciousness that we were
+merely retracing our path doing much, however, to destroy
+the animated intercourse that would otherwise go on be-
+tween passenger and passenger.
+
+The first few days passed without any incident worth re-
+cording, then on the 29th, the wind shifted to the north, and
+it became necessary to brace the yards, trim the sails, and
+take a starboard tack. This made the ship lurch very much
+on one side, and as Curtis felt that she was laboring far too
+heavily, he clewed up the top-gallants, prudently reckoning
+that, under the circumstances, caution was far more impor-
+tant than speed.
+
+The night came on dark and foggy. The breeze fresh-
+ened considerably, and, unfortunately for us, hailed from the
+northwest. Although we carried no topsails at all, the ship
+seemed to heel over more than ever. Most of the passengers
+had retired to their cabins, but all the crew remained on deck,
+while Curtis never quitted his post upon the poop.
+
+Toward two o'clock in the morning I was myself prepar-
+ing to go to my cabin, when Burke, one of the sailors who
+had been down into the hold, came on deck with the cry:
+
+"Two feet of water below."
+
+In an instant Curtis and the boatswain had descended the
+ladder. The startling news was only too true; the sea-water
+was entering the hold, but whether the leak had sprung
+afresh, or whether the caulking in some of the seams was
+insufficient, it was then impossible to determine; all that
+could be done was to let the ship go with the wind, and wait
+for day.
+
+At daybreak they sounded again -- "Three feet of
+water!" was the report. I glanced at Curtis -- his lips were
+white, but he had not lost his self-possession. He quietly in-
+formed such of the passengers as were already on deck of
+the new danger that threatened us; it was better that they
+should know the worst, and the fact could not be long con-
+cealed. I told M. Letourneur that I could not help hoping
+that there might yet be time to reach the land before the last
+crisis came. Falsten was about to give vent to an expres-
+sion of despair, but he was soon silenced by Miss Herbey
+asserting her confidence that all would yet be well.
+
+Curtis at once divided the crew into two sets, and made
+them work incessantly, turn and turn about, at the pumps.
+The men applied themselves to their task with resignation
+rather than with ardor; the labor was hard and scarcely re-
+paid them; the pumps were constantly getting out of order,
+the valves being choked up by the ashes and bits of cotton
+that were floating about in the hold, while every moment
+that was spent in cleaning or repairing them was so much
+time lost.
+
+Slowly but surely the water continued to rise, and on the
+following morning the soundings gave five feet for its depth.
+I noticed that Curtis's brow contracted each time that the
+boatswain or the lieutenant brought him their report. There
+was no doubt it was only a question of time, and not for an
+instant must the efforts for keeping down the level be re-
+laxed. Already the ship had sunk a foot lower in the water,
+and as her weight increased she no longer rose buoyantly
+with the waves, but pitched and rolled considerably.
+
+All yesterday and last night the pumping continued, but
+still the sea gained upon us. The crew are weary and dis-
+couraged, but the second officer and the boatswain set them
+a fine example of endurance, and the passengers have now
+begun to take their turn at the pumps.
+
+But all are conscious of toiling almost against hope; we
+are no longer secured firmly to the solid soil of the Ham
+Rock reef, but we are floating over an abyss which daily,
+nay hourly, threatens to swallow us into its depths.
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIII
+AN ATTEMPT AT MUTINY
+
+DECEMBER 2 and 3. -- For four hours we have succeeded
+in keeping the water in the hold to one level; now, however,
+it is very evident that the time cannot be far distant when the
+pumps will be quite unequal to their task.
+
+Yesterday Curtis, who does not allow himself a minute's
+rest, made a personal inspection of the hold. I, with the
+boatswain and carpenter, accompanied him. After dislodg-
+ing some of the bales of cotton we could hear a splashing,
+or rather gurgling sound; but whether the water was enter-
+ing at the original aperture, or whether it found its way in
+through a general dislocation of the seams, we were unable
+to discover. But, whichever might be the case, Curtis de-
+termined to try a plan which, by cutting off communication
+between the interior and exterior of the vessel, might, if only
+for a few hours, render her hull more water-tight. For this
+purpose he had some strong, well tarred sails drawn upward
+by ropes from below the keel, as high as the previous leak-
+ing place, and then fastened closely and securely to the side
+of the hull. The scheme was dubious, and the operation
+difficult, but for a time it was effectual, and at the close of
+the day the level of the water had actually been reduced by
+several inches. The diminution was small enough, but the
+consciousness that more water was escaping through the
+scupper-holes than was finding its way into the hold gave us
+fresh courage to persevere with our work.
+
+The night was dark, but the captain carried all the sail he
+could, eager to take every possible advantage of the wind,
+which was freshening considerably. If he could have
+sighted a ship he would have made signals of distress, and
+would not have hesitated to transfer the passengers, and
+even have allowed the crew to follow, if they were ready to
+forsake him; for himself his mind was made up -- he should
+remain on board the Chancellor until she foundered beneath
+his feet. No sail, however, hove in sight; consequently
+escape by such means was out of our power.
+
+During the night the canvas covering yielded to the pres-
+sure of the waves, and this morning, after taking the sound-
+ing, the boatswain could not suppress an oath when he an-
+nounced, "Six feet of water in the hold!"
+
+The ship, then, was filling once again, and already had
+sunk considerably below her previous water-line. With
+aching arms and bleeding hands we worked harder than
+ever at the pumps, and Curtis makes those who are not
+pumping form a line and pass buckets, with all the speed
+they can, from hand to hand.
+
+But all in vain! At half-past eight more water is re-
+ported in the hold, and some of the sailors, overcome by de-
+spair, refuse to work one minute longer.
+
+The first to abandon his post was Owen, a man whom I
+have mentioned before as exhibiting something of a mu-
+tinous spirit. He is about forty years of age, and altogether
+unprepossessing in appearance; his face is bare, with the
+exception of a reddish beard, which terminates in a point;
+his forehead is furrowed with sinister looking wrinkles, his
+lips curl inward, and his ears protrude, while his bleared and
+bloodshot eyes are encircled with thick red rings.
+
+Among the five or six other men who had struck work I
+noticed Jynxstrop, the cook, who evidently shared all Owen's
+ill-feelings.
+
+Twice did Curtis order the men back to the pumps, and
+twice did Owen, acting as spokesman for the rest, refuse;
+and when Curtis made a step forward as though to approach
+him, he said savagely:
+
+"I advise you not to touch me," and walked away to the
+forecastle.
+
+Curtis descended to his cabin, and almost immediately re-
+turned with a loaded revolver in his hand.
+
+For a moment Owen surveyed the captain with a frown
+of defiance; but at a sign from Jynxstrop he seemed to
+recollect himself, and, with the remainder of the men, he
+returned to his work.
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIV
+CURTIS RESOLVES TO ABANDON THE SHIP
+
+DECEMBER 4. -- The first attempt at mutiny being thus
+happily suppressed, it is to be hoped that Curtis will succeed
+as well in future. An insubordinate crew would render us
+powerless indeed.
+
+Throughout the night the pumps were kept, without
+respite, steadily at work, but without producing the least
+sensible benefit. The ship became so water-logged and
+heavy that she hardly rose at all to the waves, which con-
+sequently often washed over the deck and contributed their
+part toward aggravating our case. Our situation was
+rapidly becoming as terrible as it had been when the fire
+was raging in the midst of us; and the prospect of being
+swallowed by the devouring billows was no less formidable
+than that of perishing in the flames.
+
+Curtis kept the men up to the mark, and, willing or unwill-
+ing, they had no alternative but to work on as best they
+might; but in spite of all their efforts, the water perpetually
+rose, till, at length, the men in the hold who were passing
+the buckets found themselves immersed up to their waists,
+and were obliged to come on deck.
+
+This morning, after a somewhat protracted consultation
+with Walter and the boatswain, Curtis resolved to abandon
+the ship. The only remaining boat was far too small to hold
+us all, and it would therefore be necessary to construct a
+raft that should carry those who could not find room in her.
+Dowlas, the carpenter, Mr. Falsten, and ten sailors were told
+off to put the raft in hand, the rest of the crew being ordered
+to continue their work assiduously at the pumps, until the
+time came and everything was ready for embarkation.
+
+Hatchet or saw in hand, the carpenter and his assistants
+made a beginning without delay, by cutting and trimming the
+spare yards and extra spars to a proper length. These were
+then lowered into the sea -- which was propitiously calm --
+so as to favor the operation (which otherwise would have
+been very difficult) of lashing them together into a firm
+framework, about forty feet long and twenty-five feet wide,
+upon which the platform was to be supported.
+
+I kept my own place steadily at the pumps, and Andre Le-
+tourneur worked at my side. I often noticed his father
+glance at him sorrowfully, as though he wondered what
+would become of him if he had to struggle with waves to
+which even the strongest man could hardly fail to succumb.
+But come what may, his father will never forsake him, and
+I myself shall not be wanting in rendering him whatever
+assistance I can.
+
+Mrs. Kear, who had been for some time in a state of
+drowsy unconsciousness, was not informed of the immediate
+danger; but when Miss Herbey, looking somewhat pale with
+fatigue, paid one of her flying visits to the deck, I warned
+her to take every precaution for herself, and to be ready for
+any emergency.
+
+"Thank you, doctor, I am always ready," she cheerfully
+replied, and returned to her duties below. I saw Andre
+follow the young girl with his eyes, and a look of melancholy
+interest passed over his countenance.
+
+Toward eight o'clock in the evening the framework for
+the raft was almost complete, and the men were lower-
+ing empty barrels, which had first been securely bunged,
+and were lashing them to the woodwork to insure its
+floating.
+
+Two hours later and suddenly there arose the startling
+cry, "We are sinking! we are sinking!"
+
+Up to the poop rushed Mr. Kear, followed immediately
+by Falsten and Miss Herbey, who were bearing the inan-
+imate form of Mrs. Kear. Curtis ran to his cabin, instantly
+returning with a chart, a sextant, and a compass in his hand.
+
+The scene that followed will ever be engraven in my
+memory; the cries of distress, the general confusion, the
+frantic rush of the sailors toward the raft that was not yet
+ready to support them, can never be forgotten. The whole
+period of my life seemed to be concentrated into that terrible
+moment when the planks bent below my feet and the ocean
+yawned beneath me.
+
+Some of the sailors had taken their delusive refuge in the
+shrouds, and I was preparing to follow them when a hand
+was laid upon my shoulder.. Turning round I beheld M.
+Letourneur, with tears in his eyes, pointing toward his son.
+"Yes, my friend," I said, pressing his hand, "we will save
+him, if possible."
+
+But Curtis had already caught hold of the young man,
+and was hurrying him to the main-mast shrouds, when the
+Chancellor, which had been scudding along rapidly with the
+wind, stopped suddenly, with a violent shock, and began to
+settle. The sea rose over my ankles, and almost instinc-
+tively I clutched at the nearest rope. All at once, when it
+seemed all over, the ship ceased to sink, and hung motionless
+in mid-ocean.
+
+
+CHAPTER XXV
+WHILE THERE'S LIFE THERE'S HOPE
+
+NIGHT of December 4. -- Curtis caught young Letourneur
+again in his arms, and, running with him across the flooded
+deck, deposited him safely in the starboard shrouds, whither
+his father and I climbed up beside him.
+
+I now had time to look about me. The night was not
+very dark, and I could see that Curtis had returned to his
+post upon the poop; while in the extreme aft near the taff-
+rail, which was still above water, I could distinguish the
+forms of Mr. and Mrs. Kear, Miss Herbey, and Mr. Fal-
+sten. The lieutenant and the boatswain were on the far end
+of the forecastle; the remainder of the crew in the shrouds
+and top-masts.
+
+By the assistance of his father, who carefully guided his
+feet up the rigging, Andre was hoisted into the main-top.
+Mrs. Kear could not be induced to join him in his elevated
+position, in spite of being told that if the wind were to
+freshen she would inevitably be washed overboard by the
+waves; nothing could induce her to listen to remonstrances,
+and she insisted upon remaining on the poop -- Miss Herbey,
+of course, staying by her side.
+
+As soon as the captain saw the Chancellor was no longer
+sinking, he set to work to take down all the sails -- yards and
+all -- and the top-gallants, in the hope that by removing
+everything that could compromise the equilibrium of the
+ship he might diminish the chance of her capsizing alto-
+gether.
+
+"But may she not founder at any moment?" I said to
+Curtis, when I had joined him for a while upon the poop.
+
+"Everything depends upon the weather," he replied, in
+his calmest manner; "that, of course, may change at any
+hour. One thing, however, is certain, the Chancellor pre-
+serves her equilibrium for the present."
+
+"But do you mean to say," I further asked, "that she can
+sail with two feet of water over her deck?"
+
+"No, Mr. Kazallon, she can't sail, but she can drift with
+the wind; and if the wind remains in its present quarter, in
+the course of a few days we might possibly sight the coast.
+Besides, we shall have our raft as a last resource; in a few
+hours it will be ready, and at daybreak we can embark."
+
+"You have not, then," I added, "abandoned all hope
+even yet?" I marveled at his composure.
+
+"While there's life there's hope, you know, Mr. Kazallon;
+out of a hundred chances, ninety-nine may be against us,
+but perhaps the odd one may be in our favor. Besides, I
+believe that our case is not without precedent. In the year
+1795, a three-master, the Juno, was precisely in the same
+half-sunk, water-logged condition as ourselves; and yet, with
+her passengers and crew clinging to her top-masts, she
+drifted for twenty days, until she came in sight of land,
+when those who had survived the deprivation and fatigue
+were saved. So let us not despair; let us hold on to the
+hope that the survivors of the Chancellor may be equally
+fortunate."
+
+I was only too conscious that there was not much to be
+said in support of Curtis's sanguine view of things, and that
+the force of reason pointed all the other way; but I said
+nothing, deriving what comfort I could from the fact that
+the captain did not yet despond of an ultimate rescue.
+
+As it was necessary to be prepared to abandon the ship
+almost at a moment's notice, Dowlas was making every
+exertion to hurry on the construction of the raft. A little
+before midnight he was on the point of conveying some
+planks for this purpose, when, to his astonishment and
+horror, he found that the framework had totally disap-
+peared. The ropes that had attached it to the vessel had
+snapped as she became vertically displaced, and probably it
+had been adrift for more than an hour.
+
+The crew were frantic at this new misfortune, and shout-
+ing "Overboard with the masts!" they began to cut down
+the rigging preparatory to taking possession of the masts
+for a new raft.
+
+But here Curtis interposed:
+
+"Back to your places, my men; back to your places. The
+ship will not sink yet, so don't touch a rope until I give you
+leave."
+
+The firmness of the captain's voice brought the men to
+their senses, and although some of them could ill disguise
+their reluctance, all returned to their posts.
+
+When daylight had sufficiently advanced Curtis mounted
+the mast, and looked around for the missing raft; but it was
+nowhere to be seen. The sea was far too rough for the men
+to venture to take out the whale-boat in search of it, and
+there was no choice but to set to work and to construct a
+new raft immediately.
+
+Since the sea has become so much rougher, Mrs. Kear has
+been induced to leave the poop, and has managed to join M.
+Letourneur and his son on the main-top, where she lies in a
+state of complete prostration. I need hardly add that Miss
+Herbey continues in her unwearied attendance. The space
+to which these four people are limited is necessarily very
+small, nowhere measuring twelve feet across: to prevent
+them losing their balance some spars have been lashed from
+shroud to shroud, and for the convenience of the two ladies
+Curtis has contrived to make a temporary awning of a sail.
+Mr. Kear has installed himself with Silas Huntly on the
+foretop.
+
+A few cases of preserved meat and biscuit and some
+barrels of water, that floated between the masts after the
+submersion of the deck, have been hoisted to the top-mast
+and fastened firmly to the stays. These are now our only
+provisions.
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVI
+MR. KEAR MAKES A BUSINESS DEAL
+
+DECEMBER 5. -- The day was very hot. December in lati-
+tude 16 deg. N. is a summer month, and unless a breeze should
+rise to temper the burning sun, we might expect to suffer
+from an oppressive heat.
+
+The sea still remained very rough, and as the heavy waves
+broke over the ship as though she were a reef, the foam flew
+up to the very top-masts, and our clothes were perpetually
+drenched by the spray.
+
+The Chancellor's hull is three-fourths immerged; besides
+the three masts and the bowsprit, to which the whale-boat
+was suspended, the poop and the forecastle are the only por-
+tions that now are visible; and as the intervening section of
+the deck is quite below the water, these appear to be con-
+nected only by the framework of the netting that runs along
+the vessel's sides. Communication between the top-masts is
+extremely difficult, and would be absolutely precluded, were
+it not that the sailors, with practiced dexterity, manage to
+hoist themselves about by means of the stays. For the pas-
+sengers, cowering on their narrow and unstable platform,
+the spectacle of the raging sea below was truly terrific;
+every wave that dashed over the ship shook the masts till
+they trembled again, and one could venture scarcely to look
+or to think lest he should be tempted to cast himself into the
+vast abyss.
+
+Meanwhile, the crew worked away with all their remain-
+ing vigor at the second raft, for which the top-gallants and
+yards were all obliged to be employed; the planks, too, which
+were continually being loosened and broken away by the
+violence of the waves from the partitions of the ship, were
+rescued before they had drifted out of reach, and were
+brought into use. The symptoms of the ship foundering
+did not appear to be immediate; so that Curtis insisted upon
+the raft being made with proper care to insure its strength;
+we were still several hundred miles from the coast of Guiana,
+and for so long a voyage it was indispensable to have a struc-
+ture of considerable solidity. The reasonableness of this
+was self-apparent, and as the crew had recovered their as-
+surance they spared no pains to accomplish their work effec-
+tually.
+
+Of all the number, there was but one, an Irishman, named
+O'Ready, who seemed to question the utility of all their toil.
+He shook his head with an oracular gravity. He is an old-
+ish man, not less than sixty, with his hair and beard bleached
+with the storms of many travels. As I was making my way
+toward the poop, he came up to me and began talking.
+
+"And why, bedad, I'd like to know, why is it that they'll
+all be afther lavin' the ship?"
+
+He turned his quid with the most serene composure, and
+continued:
+
+"And isn't it me myself that's been wrecked nine times
+already? and sure, poor fools are they that ever have put
+their trust in rafts or boats; sure and they found a wathery
+grave. Nay, nay; while the ould ship lasts, let's stick to her,
+says I."
+
+Having thus unburdened his mind he relapsed into si-
+lence, and soon went away.
+
+About three o'clock I noticed that Mr. Kear and Silas
+Huntly were holding an animated conversation in the fore-
+top. The petroleum merchant had evidently some difficulty
+in bringing the ex-captain round to his opinion, for I saw
+him several times shake his head as he gave long and scrutin-
+izing looks at the sea and sky. In less than an hour after-
+ward I saw Huntly let himself down by the forestays and
+clamber along to the fore-castle, where he joined the group
+of sailors, and I lost sight of him.
+
+I attached little importance to the incident, and shortly
+afterward joined the party in the main-top, where we con-
+tinued talking for some hours. The heat was intense, and if
+it had not been for the shelter afforded by the sail-tent,
+would have been unbearable. At five o'clock we took as re-
+freshment some dried meat and biscuit, each individual be-
+ing also allowed half a glass of water. Mrs. Kear prostrate
+with fever, could not touch a mouthful; and nothing could
+be done by Miss Herbey to relieve her, beyond occasionally
+moistening her parched lips. The unfortunate lady suffers
+greatly, and sometimes I am inclined to think that she will
+succumb to the exposure and privation. Not once had her
+husband troubled himself about her; but when shortly after-
+ward I heard him hail some of the sailors on the fore-castle
+and ask them to help him down from the foretop, I began
+to think that the selfish fellow was coming to join his wife.
+
+At first the sailors took no notice of his request, but on
+his repeating it with the promise of paying them handsomely
+for their services, two of them, Burke and Sandon, swung
+themselves along the netting into the shrouds, and were soon
+at his side.
+
+A long discussion ensued. The men evidently were ask-
+ing more than Mr. Kear was inclined to give, and at one
+time it seemed as though the negotiation would fall through
+altogether. But at length the bargain was struck, and I saw
+Mr. Kear take a bundle of paper dollars from his waistcoat
+pocket, and hand a number of them over to one of the men.
+The man counted them carefully, and from the time it took
+him, I should think that he could not have pocketed anything
+less than a hundred dollars.
+
+The next business was to get Mr. Kear down from the
+foretop, and Burke and Sandon proceeded to tie a rope
+round his waist, which they afterward fastened to the fore-
+stay; then, in a way which provoked shouts of laughter from
+their mates, they gave the unfortunate man a shove, and sent
+him rolling down like a bundle of dirty clothes on to the
+forecastle.
+
+I was quite mistaken as to his object. Mr. Kear had no
+intention of looking after his wife, but remained by the side
+of Silas Huntly until the gathering darkness hid them both
+from view.
+
+As night drew on, the wind grew calmer, but the sea re-
+mained very rough. The moon had been up ever since four
+in the afternoon, though she only appeared at rare intervals
+between the clouds. Some long lines of vapor on the hori-
+zon were tinged with a rosy glare that foreboded a strong
+breeze for the morrow, and all felt anxious to know from
+which quarter the breeze would come, for any but a north-
+easter would bear the frail raft on which we were to embark
+far away from land.
+
+About eight o'clock in the evening, Curtis mounted to the
+main-top, but he seemed preoccupied and anxious, and did
+not speak to anyone. He remained for a quarter of an
+hour, then after silently pressing my hand, he returned to
+his old post.
+
+I laid myself down in the narrow space at my disposal,
+and tried to sleep; but my mind was filled with strange fore-
+bodings, and sleep was impossible. The very calmness of
+the atmosphere was oppressive; scarcely a breath of air
+vibrated through the metal rigging, and yet the sea rose with
+a heavy swell as though it felt the warnings of a coming
+tempest.
+
+All at once, at about eleven o'clock, the moon burst
+brightly forth through a rift in the clouds, and the waves
+sparkled again as if illuminated by a submarine glimmer. I
+start up and look around me. Is it merely imagination? or
+do I really see a black speck floating, on the dazzling white-
+ness of the waters, a speck that cannot be a rock, because
+it rises and falls with the heaving motion of the billows?
+But the moon once again becomes overclouded; the sea is
+darkened, and I return to my uneasy couch close to the lar-
+board shrouds.
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVII
+THE WHALE-BOAT MISSING
+
+DECEMBER 6. -- I must have fallen asleep for a few hours,
+when, at four o'clock in the morning, I was rudely aroused
+by the roaring of the wind, and could distinguish Curtis's
+voice as he shouted in the brief intervals between the heavy
+gusts.
+
+I got up, and holding tightly to the purlin -- for the waves
+made the masts tremble with their violence -- I tried to look
+around and below me. The sea was literally raging beneath,
+and great masses of livid-looking foam were dashing be-
+tween the masts, which were oscillating terrifically. It was
+still dark, and I could only faintly distinguish two figures
+in the stern, whom, by the sound of their voices, that I
+caught occasionally above the tumult, I made out to be
+Curtis and the boatswain.
+
+Just at that moment a sailor, who had mounted to the
+main-top to do something to the rigging, passed close be-
+hind me.
+
+"What's the matter?" I asked.
+
+"The wind has changed," he answered, adding something
+which I could not hear distinctly, but which sounded like
+"dead against us."
+
+Dead against us! then. thought I, the wind had shifted to
+the southwest, and my last night's forebodings had been
+correct.
+
+When daylight at length appeared, I found the wind, al-
+though not blowing actually from the southwest, had veered
+round to the northwest, a change which was equally dis-
+astrous to us, inasmuch as it was carrying us away from
+land. Moreover, the ship had sunk considerably during the
+night, and there were now five feet of water above deck;
+the side netting had completely disappeared, and the fore-
+castle and the poop were now all but on a level with the sea,
+which washed over them incessantly. With all possible ex-
+pedition Curtis and his crew were laboring away at their
+raft, but the violence of the swell materially impeded their
+operations, and it became a matter of doubt as to whether
+the woodwork would not fall asunder before it could be
+properly fastened together.
+
+As I watched the men at their work, M. Letourneur, with
+one arm supporting his son, came out and stood by my side.
+
+"Don't you think this main-top will soon give way?" he
+said, as the narrow platform on which we stood creaked and
+groaned with the swaying of the masts.
+
+Miss Herbey heard his words and pointing toward Mrs.
+Kear, who was lying prostrate at her feet, asked what we
+thought ought to be done.
+
+"We can do nothing but stay where we are," I replied.
+
+"No," said Andre, "this is our best refuge; I hope you
+are not afraid."
+
+"Not for myself," said the young girl quietly, "only for
+those to whom life is precious."
+
+At a quarter to eight we heard the boatswain calling to
+the sailors in the bows.
+
+"Ay, ay, sir," said one of the men -- O'Ready, I think.
+
+"Where's the whale-boat?" shouted the boatswain in a
+loud voice.
+
+"I don't know, sir. Not with us," was the reply.
+
+"She's gone adrift, then!"
+
+And sure enough the whale-boat was no longer hanging
+from the bowsprit; and in a moment the discovery was made
+that Mr. Kear, Silas Huntly, and three sailors, -- a Scotch-
+man and two Englishmen, -- were missing. Afraid that the
+Chancellor would founder before the completion of the raft,
+Kear and Huntly had plotted together to effect their escape,
+and had bribed the three sailors to seize the only remaining
+boat.
+
+This, then, was the black speck that I had seen during the
+night. The miserable husband had deserted his wife, the
+faithless captain had abandoned the ship that had once been
+under his command.
+
+"There are five saved, then," said the boatswain.
+
+"Faith, an it's five lost ye'll be maning," said O'Ready;
+and the state of the sea fully justified his opinion.
+
+The crew were furious when they heard of the surrepti-
+tious flight, and loaded the fugitives with all the invectives
+they could lay their tongues to. So enraged were they
+at the dastardly trick of which they had been made the dupes,
+that if chance should bring the deserters again on board I
+should be sorry to answer for the consequences.
+
+In accordance with my advice, Mrs. Kear has not been in-
+formed of her husband's disappearance. The unhappy lady
+is wasting away with a fever for which we are powerless to
+supply a remedy, for the medicine-chest was lost when the
+ship began to sink. Nevertheless, I do not think we have
+anything to regret on that score, feeling, as I do, that in a
+case like Mrs. Kear's, drugs would be of no avail.
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVIII
+MRS. KEAR SUCCUMBS TO FEVER
+
+DECEMBER 6 continued. -- The Chancellor no longer main-
+tained her equilibrium; we felt that she was gradually going
+down, and her hull was probably breaking up. The main-
+top was already only ten feet above water, while the bow-
+sprit, with the exception of the extreme end, that rose
+obliquely from the waves, was entirely covered.
+
+The Chancellor's last day, we felt, had come.
+
+Fortunately the raft was all but finished, and unless Curtis
+preferred to wait till morning, we should be able to embark
+in the evening.
+
+The raft is a very solid structure. The spars that form
+the framework are crossed one above another and lashed
+together with stout ropes, so that the whole pile rises a
+couple of feet above the water. The upper platform is con-
+structed from the planks that were broken from the ship's
+sides by the violence of the waves, and which had not drifted
+away. The afternoon has been employed in charging the
+raft with such provisions, sails, tools, and instruments as we
+have been able to save.
+
+And how can I attempt to give any idea of the feelings
+with which, one and all, we now contemplated the fate be-
+fore us? For my own part, I was possessed rather by a
+benumbed indifference than by any sense of genuine resigna-
+tion. M. Letourneur was entirely absorbed in his son, who,
+in his turn, thought only of his father, at the same time
+exhibiting a Christian fortitude, which was shown by no one
+else of the party except Miss Herbey, who faced her danger
+with the same brave composure. Incredible as it may seem,
+Falsten remained the same as ever, occupying himself with
+writing down figures and memoranda in his pocketbook.
+Mrs. Kear, in spite of all that Miss Herbey could do for her,
+was evidently dying.
+
+With regard to the sailors, two or three of them were
+calm enough, but the rest had well-nigh lost their wits.
+Some of the more ill-disposed among them seemed inclined
+to run into excesses; and their conduct, under the bad in-
+fluence of Owen and Jynxstrop, made it doubtful whether
+they would submit to control when once we were limited to
+the narrow dimensions of the raft. Lieutenant Walter, al-
+though his courage never failed him, was worn out with
+bodily fatigue, and obliged to give up all active labor; but
+Curtis and the boatswain were resolute, energetic and firm
+as ever. To borrow an expression from the language of
+metallurgic art, they were men "at the highest degree of
+hardness."
+
+At five o'clock one of our companions in misfortune was
+released from her sufferings. Mrs. Kear, after a most dis-
+tressing illness, through which her young companion tended
+her with the most devoted care, has breathed her last. A
+few deep sighs and all was over, and I doubt whether
+the sufferer was ever conscious of the peril of her
+situation.
+
+The night passed on without further incident. Toward
+morning I touched the dead woman's hand, and it was cold
+and stiff. The corpse could not remain any longer on the
+main-top, and after Miss Herbey and I had carefully
+wrapped the garments about it, with a few short prayers
+the body of the first victim of our miseries was committed
+to the deep.
+
+As the sea closed over the body I heard one of the men in
+the shrouds say:
+
+"There goes a carcass that we shall be sorry we have
+thrown away!"
+
+I looked round sharply. It was Owen who had spoken.
+But horrible as were his words, the conviction was forced
+upon my mind that the day could not be far distant when we
+must want for food.
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIX
+WE EMBARK ON THE RAFT
+
+DECEMBER 7. -- The ship was sinking rapidly; the water
+had risen to the fore-top; the poop and forecastle were
+completely submerged; the top of the bowsprit had disap-
+peared, and only the three mast-tops projected from the
+waves.
+
+But all was ready on the raft; an erection had been made
+on the fore to hold a mast, which was supported by shrouds
+fastened to the sides of the platform; this mast carried a
+large royal.
+
+Perhaps, after all, these few frail planks will carry us to
+the shore which the Chancellor has failed to reach; at any
+rate, we cannot yet resign all hope.
+
+We were just on the point of embarking at 7 A. M. when
+the Chancellor all at once began to sink so rapidly that the
+carpenter and men who were on the raft were obliged with
+all speed to cut the ropes that secured it to the vessel, to pre-
+vent it from being swallowed up in the eddying waters.
+
+Anxiety, the most intense, took possession of us all. At
+the very moment when the ship was descending into the
+fathomless abyss, the raft, our only hope of safety, was
+drifting off before our eyes. Two of the sailors and an
+apprentice, beside themselves with terror, threw themselves
+headlong into the sea; but it was evident from the very
+first they were quite powerless to combat the winds and
+waves. Escape was impossible; they could neither reach
+the raft nor return to the ship. Curtis tied a rope round
+his waist and tried to swim to their assistance; but long be-
+fore he could reach them, the unfortunate men, after a vain
+struggle for life, sank below the waves and were seen no
+more. Curtis, bruised and beaten with the surf that raged
+about the mast-heads, was hauled back to the ship.
+
+Meantime, Dowlas and his men, by means of some spars
+which they used as oars, were exerting themselves to bring
+back the raft, which had drifted about two cables'-lengths
+away; but, in spite of all their efforts, it was fully an hour --
+an hour which seemed to us, waiting as we were with the
+water up to the level of the top masts, like an eternity -- be-
+fore they succeeded in bringing the raft alongside, and lash-
+ing it once again to the Chancellor's main-mast.
+
+Not a moment was then to be lost. The waves were
+eddying like a whirlpool around the submerged vessel, and
+numbers of enormous airbubbles were rising to the surface
+of the water.
+
+The time was come. At Curtis's word, "Embark!" we
+all hurried to the raft. Andre, who insisted upon seeing
+Miss Herbey go first, was helped safely on to the platform,
+where his father immediately joined him. In a very few
+minutes all except Curtis and old O'Ready had left the
+Chancellor.
+
+Curtis remained standing on the main-top, deeming it not
+only his duty, but his right, to be the last to leave the vessel
+he had loved so well, and the loss of which he so much de-
+plored.
+
+"Now then, old fellow, off of this!" cried the captain
+to the old Irishman, who did not move.
+
+"And is it quite sure ye are that she's sinkin'?" he said.
+
+"Ay, ay! sure enough, my man; and you'd better look
+sharp."
+
+"Faith, then, and I think I will;" and not a moment too
+soon (for the water was up to his waist) he jumped on to
+the raft.
+
+Having cast one last, lingering look around him, Curtis
+then left the ship; the rope was cut, and we went slowly
+adrift.
+
+All eyes were fixed upon the spot where the Chancellor lay
+foundering. The top of the mizzen was the first to dis-
+appear, then followed the main-top; and soon, of what had
+been a noble vessel, not a vestige was to be seen.
+
+
+CHAPTER XXX
+OUR SITUATION CRITICAL
+
+WILL this frail boat, forty feet by twenty, bear us in
+safety? Sink it cannot; the material of which it is com-
+posed is of a kind that must surmount the waves. But it
+is questionable whether it will hold together. The cords
+that bind it will have a tremendous strain to bear in resist-
+ing the violence of the sea. The most sanguine among us
+trembles to face the future; the most confident dares to
+think only of the present. After the manifold perils of the
+last seventy-two days' voyage all are too agitated to look
+forward without dismay to what in all human probability
+must be a time of the direst distress.
+
+Vain as the task may seem, I will not pause in my work
+of registering the events of our drama, as scene after scene
+they are unfolded before our eyes.
+
+Of the twenty-eight persons who left Charleston in the
+Chancellor, only eighteen are left to huddle together upon
+this narrow raft; this number includes the five passengers,
+namely, M. Letourneur, Andre, Miss Herbey, Falsten, and
+myself; the ship's officers, Captain Curtis, Lieutenant Wal-
+ter, the boatswain, Hobart the steward, Jynxstrop the cook,
+and Dowlas the carpenter; and seven sailors, Austin, Owen,
+Wilson, O'Ready, Burke, Sandon, and Flaypole.
+
+Such are the passengers on the raft; it is but a brief task
+to enumerate their resources.
+
+The greater part of the provisions in the store-room were
+destroyed at the time when the ship's deck was submerged,
+and the small quantity that Curtis has been able to save will
+be very inadequate to supply the wants of eighteen people,
+who too probably have many days to wait ere they sight
+either land or a passing vessel. One cask of biscuit, an-
+other of preserved meat, a small keg of brandy, and two
+barrels of water complete our store, so that the utmost
+frugality in the distribution of our daily rations becomes
+absolutely necessary.
+
+Of spare clothes we have positively none; a few sails
+will serve for shelter by day, and covering by night.
+Dowlas has his carpenter's tools, we have each a pocket-
+knife, and O'Ready an old tin pot, of which he takes the
+most tender care; in addition to these, we are in possession
+of a sextant, a compass, a chart, and a metal tea-kettle,
+everything else that was placed on deck in readiness for the
+first raft having been lost in the partial submersion of the
+vessel.
+
+Such then is our situation; critical indeed, but after all
+perhaps not desperate. We have one great fear; some there
+are among us whose courage, moral as well as physical,
+may give way, and over failing spirits such as these we may
+have no control.
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXI
+FIRST DAY ON THE RAFT
+
+DECEMBER 7 continued. -- Our first day on the raft has
+passed without any special incident. At eight o'clock this
+morning Curtis asked our attention for a moment.
+
+"My friends," he said, "listen to me. Here on this raft,
+just as when we were on board the Chancellor, I consider
+myself your captain; and as your captain, I expect that all
+of you will strictly obey my orders. Let me beg of you, one
+and all, to think solely of our common welfare; let us work
+with one heart and with one soul, and may Heaven protect
+us!"
+
+After delivering these few words with an emotion that
+evidenced their earnestness, the captain consulted his com-
+pass, and found that the freshening breeze was blowing
+from the north. This was fortunate for us, and no time
+was to be lost in taking advantage of it to speed us on our
+dubious way. Dowlas was occupied in fixing the mast into
+the socket that had already been prepared for its reception,
+and in order to support it more firmly he placed spurs of
+wood, forming arched buttresses, on either side. While
+he was thus employed the boatswain and the other seamen
+were stretching the large royal sail on the yard that had
+been reserved for that purpose.
+
+By half-past nine the mast was hoisted, and held firmly
+in its place by some shrouds attached securely to the sides
+of the raft; then the sail was run up and trimmed to the
+wind, and the raft began to make a perceptible progress
+under the brisk breeze.
+
+As soon as we had once started, the carpenter set to work
+to contrive some sort of a rudder, that would enable us to
+maintain our desired direction. Curtis and Falsten assisted
+him with some serviceable suggestions, and in a couple of
+hours' time he had made and fixed to the back of the raft
+a kind of paddle, very similar to those used by the Malays.
+
+At noon, after the necessary preliminary observations,
+Curtis took the altitude of the sun. The result gave lat.
+15 deg. 7' N. by long. 49 deg. 35' W. as our position, which, on
+consulting the chart, proved to be about 650 miles northeast
+of the coast of Paramaribo in Dutch Guiana.
+
+Now even under the most favorable circumstances, with
+trade-winds and weather always in our favor, we can not
+by any chance hope to make more than ten or twelve miles
+a day, so that the voyage cannot possibly be performed under
+a period of two months. To be sure there is the hope to be
+indulged that we may fall in with a passing vessel, but as
+the part of the Atlantic into which we have been driven is
+intermediate between the tracks of the French and English
+transatlantic steamers either from the Antilles or the
+Brazils, we cannot reckon at all upon a contingency happen-
+ing in our favor; while if a calm should set in, or worse
+still, if the wind were to blow from the east, not only
+two months, but twice, nay, three times that length of time
+will be required to accomplish the passage.
+
+At best, however, our provisions, even though used with
+the greatest care, will barely last three months. Curtis has
+called us into consultation, and as the working of the raft
+does not require such labor as to exhaust our physical
+strength, all have agreed to submit to a regimen which,
+although it will suffice to keep us alive, will certainly
+not fully satisfy the cravings of hunger and thirst.
+
+As far as we can estimate we have somewhere about 500
+lbs. of meat and about the same quantity of biscuit. To
+make this last for three months we ought not to consume
+very much more than 5 lbs. a day of each, which, when
+divided among eighteen people, will make the daily ration 5
+oz. of meat and 5 oz. of biscuit for each person. Of water
+we have certainly not more than 200 gallons, but by reduc-
+ing each person's allowance to a pint a day, we hope to eke
+out that, too, over the space of three months.
+
+It is arranged that the food shall be distributed under the
+boatswain's superintendence every morning at ten o'clock.
+Each person will then receive his allowance of meat and bis-
+cuit, which may be eaten when and how he pleases. The
+water will be given out twice a day -- at ten in the morn-
+ing and six in the evening; but as the only drinking-vessels
+in our possession are the teakettle and the old Irishman's tin
+pot, the water has to be consumed immediately on distribu-
+tion. As for the brandy, of which there are only five gallons,
+it will be doled out with the strictest limitation, and no one
+will be allowed to touch it except with the captain's express
+permission.
+
+I should not forget that there are two sources from which
+we may hope to increase our store. First, any rain that
+may fall will add to our supply of water, and two empty
+barrels have been placed ready to receive it; secondly, we
+hope to do something in the way of fishing, and the sailors
+have already begun to prepare some lines.
+
+All have mutually agreed to abide by the rules that have
+been laid down, for all are fully aware that by nothing
+but the most precise regimen can we hope to avert the
+horrors of famine, and forewarned by the fate of many who
+in similar circumstances have miserably perished, we are
+determined to do all that prudence can suggest for hus-
+banding our stores.
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXII
+WE CATCH A SUPPLY OF FISH
+
+DECEMBER 8 to 17. -- When night came we wrapped our-
+selves in our sails. For my own part, worn out with the
+fatigue of the long watch in the top-mast, I slept for several
+hours; M. Letourneur and Andre did the same, and Miss
+Herbey obtained sufficient rest to relieve the tired expression
+that her countenance had lately being wearing. The night
+passed quietly. As the raft was not very heavily laden the
+waves did not break over it at all, and we were consequently
+able to keep ourselves perfectly dry. To say the truth, it
+was far better for us that the sea should remain somewhat
+boisterous, for any diminution in the swell of the waves
+would indicate that the wind had dropped, and it was with
+a feeling of regret that when the morning came I had to note
+down "weather calm" in my journal.
+
+In these low latitudes the heat in the day-time is so in-
+tense, and the sun burns with such an incessant glare, that
+the entire atmosphere becomes pervaded with a glowing
+vapor. The wind, too, blows only in fitful gusts, and
+through long intervals of perfect calm the sails flap idly and
+uselessly against the mast. Curtis and the boatswain, how-
+ever, are of opinion that we are not entirely dependent on
+the wind. Certain indications, which a sailor's eye alone
+could detect, make them almost sure that we are being
+carried along by a westerly current, that flows at the rate
+of three or four miles an hour. If they are not mistaken,
+this is a circumstance that may materially assist our pro-
+gress, and at which we can hardly fail to rejoice, for the
+high temperature often makes our scanty allowance of water
+quite inadequate to allay our thirst.
+
+But with all our hardships I must confess that our con-
+dition is far preferable to what it was when we were still
+clinging to the Chancellor. Here at least we have a com-
+paratively solid platform beneath our feet, and we are re-
+lieved from the incessant dread of being carried down with
+a foundering vessel. In the day time we can move about
+with a certain amount of freedom, discuss the weather,
+watch the sea, and examine our fishing-lines; while at night
+we can rest securely under the shelter of our sails.
+
+"I really think, Mr. Kazallon," said Andre Letourneur
+to me a few days after we had embarked, "that our time
+on board the raft passes as pleasantly as it did upon Ham
+Rock; and the raft has one advantage even over the reef, for
+it is capable of motion."
+
+"Yes, Andre," I replied, "as long as the wind continues
+favorable the raft has decidedly the advantage; but sup-
+posing the wind shifts; what then?"
+
+"Oh, we mustn't think about that," he said; "let us keep
+up our courage while we can."
+
+I felt that he was right, and that the dangers we had
+escaped should make us more hopeful for the future; and
+I think that nearly all of us are inclined to share his opin-
+ion.
+
+Whether the captain is equally sanguine I am unable to
+say. He holds himself very much aloof, and as he evi-
+dently feels that he has the great responsibility of saving
+other lives than his own, we are reluctant to disturb his silent
+meditations.
+
+Such of the crew as are not on watch spend the greater
+portion of their time in dozing on the fore part of the raft.
+The aft, by the captain's orders, has been reserved for the
+use of us passengers, and by erecting some uprights we have
+contrived to make a sort of tent, which affords some shelter
+from the sun. On the whole our bill of health is tolerably
+satisfactory. Lieutenant Walter is the only invalid, and
+he, in spite of all our careful nursing, seems to get weaker
+every day.
+
+Andre Letourneur is the life of our party, and I have
+never appreciated the young man so well. His originality
+of perception makes his conversation both lively and in-
+teresting, and as he talks, his wan and suffering countenance
+lights up with an intelligent animation. His father seems
+to become more devoted to him than ever, and I have seen
+him sit for an hour at a time, with his hand resting on his
+son's, listening eagerly to his every word.
+
+Miss Herbey occasionally joins in our conversation, but
+although we all do our best to make her forget that she has
+lost those who should have been her natural protectors, M.
+Letourneur is the only one among us to whom she speaks
+without a certain reserve. To him, whose age gives him
+something of the authority of a father, she has told the his-
+tory of her life -- a life of patience and self-denial such as
+not unfrequently falls to the lot of orphans. She had been,
+she said, two years with Mrs. Kear, and although now left
+alone in the world, homeless and without resources, hope
+for the future does not fail her. The young lady's modest
+deportment and energy of character command the respect of
+all on board, and I do not think that even the coarsest of the
+sailors has either by word or gesture acted toward her in a
+way that she could deem offensive.
+
+The 12th, 13th, and 14th of December passed away with-
+out any change in our condition. The wind continued to
+blow in irregular gusts, but always in the same direction,
+and the helm, or rather the paddle at the back of the raft, has
+never once required shifting; and the watch, who are posted
+on the fore, under orders to examine the sea with the most
+scrupulous attention, have had no change of any kind to
+report.
+
+At the end of the week we found ourselves growing ac-
+customed to our limited diet, and as we had no manual exer-
+tion, and no wear and tear of our physical constitution, we
+managed very well. Our greatest deprivation was the
+short supply of water, for, as I said before, the unmitigated
+heat made our thirst at times very painful.
+
+On the 15th we held high festival. A shoal of fish, of
+the sparus tribe, swarmed round the raft, and although our
+tackle consisted merely of long cords baited with morsels of
+dried meat stuck upon bent nails, the fish were so voracious
+that in the course of a couple of days we had caught as many
+as weighed almost 200 lbs., some of which were grilled, and
+others boiled in sea-water over a fire made on the fore part
+of the raft. This marvelous haul was doubly welcome, in-
+asmuch as it not only afforded us a change of diet, but
+enabled us to economize our stores; if only some rain had
+fallen at the same time we would have been more than
+satisfied.
+
+Unfortunately the shoal of fish did not remain long in
+our vicinity. On the 17th they all disappeared, and some
+sharks, not less than twelve or fifteen feet long, belonging
+to the species of the spotted dog-fish, took their place. These
+horrible creatures have black backs and fins, covered with
+white spots and stripes. Here, on our low raft, we seemed
+almost on a level with them, and more than once their tails
+have struck the spars with terrible violence. The sailors
+manage to keep them at a distance by means of handspikes,
+but I shall not be surprised if they persist in following us,
+instinctively intelligent that we are destined to become their
+prey. For myself, I confess that they give me a feeling
+of uneasiness; they seem to me like monsters of ill-omen.
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXIII
+MUTINY ON THE RAFT
+
+DECEMBER 18 to 20. -- On the 18th the wind freshened
+a little, but as it blew from the same favorable quarter we
+did not complain, and only took the precaution of putting
+an extra support to the mast, so that it should not snap
+with the tension of the sail. This done, the raft was carried
+along with something more than its ordinary speed, and
+left a long line of foam in its wake.
+
+In the afternoon the sky became slightly over-clouded,
+and the heat consequently less oppressive. The swell made
+it more difficult for the raft to keep its balance, and we
+shipped two or three heavy seas; but the carpenter managed
+to make with some planks a kind of wall about a couple of
+feet high, which protected us from the direct action of the
+waves. Our casks of food and water were secured to the
+raft with double ropes, for we dared not run the risk of
+their being carried overboard, an accident that would at
+once have reduced us to the direst distress.
+
+In the course of the day the sailors gathered some of
+the marine plants known by the name of sargassos, very
+similar to those we saw in such profusion between the
+Bermudas and Ham Rock. I advised my companions to
+chew the laminary tangles, which they would find contained
+a saccharine juice, affording considerable relief to their
+parched lips and throats.
+
+The remainder of the day passed without incident. I
+should not, however, omit to mention that the frequent con-
+ferences held among the sailors, especially between Owen,
+Burke, Flaypole, Wilson, and Jynxstrop, the negro, aroused
+some uneasy suspicions in my mind. What was the sub-
+ject of their conversation I could not discover, for they
+became silent immediately that a passenger or one of the
+officers approached them. When I mentioned the matter
+to Curtis I found he had already noticed these secret in-
+terviews, and that they had given him enough concern to
+make him determined to keep a strict eye upon Jynxstrop
+and Owen, who, rascals as they were themselves, were evi-
+dently trying to disaffect their mates.
+
+On the 19th the heat was again excessive. The sky was
+cloudless, and as there was not enough wind to fill the sail
+the raft lay motionless upon the surface of the water.
+Some of the sailors found a transient alleviation for their
+thirst by plunging into the sea, but as we were fully aware
+that the water all around was infested with sharks, none
+of us was rash enough to follow their example, though if,
+as seems likely, we remain long becalmed, we shall probably
+in time overcome our fears, and feel constrained to indulge
+ourselves with a bath.
+
+The health of Lieutenant Walter continues to cause us
+grave anxiety, the young man being weakened by attacks
+of intermittent fever. Except for the loss of the medicine-
+chest we might have temporarily reduced this by quinine;
+but it is only too evident that the poor fellow is consump-
+tive, and that that hopeless malady is making ravages upon
+him that no medicine could permanently arrest. His sharp,
+dry cough, his short breathing, his profuse perspirations,
+more especially in the morning; the pinched-in nose, the
+hollow cheeks, of which the general pallor is only relieved
+by a hectic flush, the contracted lips, the too brilliant eye
+and wasted form -- all bear witness to a slow but sure de-
+cay.
+
+To-day, the 20th, the temperature is as high as ever, and
+the raft still motionless. The rays of the sun penetrate even
+through the shelter of our tent, where we sit literally gasp-
+ing with the heat. The impatience with which we awaited
+the moment when the boatswain should dole out our meager
+allowance of water, and the eagerness with which those
+lukewarm drops were swallowed, can only be realized by
+those who for themselves have endured the agonies of
+thirst.
+
+Lieutenant Walter suffers more than any of us from the
+scarcity of water, and I noticed that Miss Herbey reserved
+almost the whole of her own share for his use. Kind and
+compassionate as ever, the young girl does all that lies in
+her power to relieve the poor fellow's sufferings.
+
+"Mr. Kazallon," she said to me this morning, "that
+young man gets manifestly weaker every day."
+
+"Yes, Miss Herbey," I replied, "and how sorrowful it
+is that we can do nothing for him, absolutely nothing."
+
+"Hush!" she said, with her wonted consideration, "per-
+haps he will hear what we are saying."
+
+And then she sat down near the edge of the raft, where,
+with her head resting on her hands, she remained lost in
+thought.
+
+An incident sufficiently unpleasant occurred to-day. For
+nearly an hour Owen, Flaypole, Burke and Jynxstrop had
+been engaged in close conversation and, although their
+voices were low, their gestures had betrayed that they were
+animated by some strong excitement. At the conclusion
+of the colloquy Owen got up and walked deliberately to the
+quarter of the raft that has been reserved for the use of the
+passengers.
+
+"Where are you off to now, Owen?" said the boatswain.
+
+"That's my business," said the man insolently, and pur-
+sued his course.
+
+The boatswain was about to stop him, but before he could
+interfere Curtis was standing and looking Owen steadily in
+the face.
+
+"Ah, captain, I've got a word from my mates to say to
+you," he said, with all the effrontery imaginable.
+
+"Say on, then," said the captain coolly.
+
+"We should like to know about that little keg of brandy.
+Is it being kept for the porpoises or the officers?"
+
+Finding that he obtained no reply, he went on:
+
+"Look here, captain, what we want is to have our grog
+served out every morning as usual."
+
+"Then you certainly will not," said the captain.
+
+"What! what!" exclaimed Owen, "don't you mean to
+let us have our grog?"
+
+"Once and for all, no."
+
+For a moment, with a malicious grin upon his lips, Owen
+stood confronting the captain; then, as though thinking bet-
+ter of himself, he turned round and rejoined his companions,
+who were still talking together in an undertone.
+
+When I was afterward discussing the matter with Curtis,
+I asked him whether he was sure he had done right in re-
+fusing the brandy.
+
+"Right!" he cried, "to be sure I have. Allow those
+men to have brandy! I would throw it all overboard first."
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXIV
+A SQUALL
+
+DECEMBER 21. -- No further disturbance has taken place
+among the men. For a few hours the fish appeared again,
+and we caught a great many of them, and stored them away
+in an empty barrel. This addition to our stock of pro-
+visions makes us hope that food, at least, will not fail us.
+
+Usually the nights in the tropics are cool, but to-day, as
+the evening drew on, the wonted freshness did not return,
+but the air remained stifling and oppressive, while heavy
+masses of vapor hung over the water.
+
+There was no moonlight; there would be a new moon
+at half-past one in the morning, but the night was singularly
+dark, except for dazzling flashes of summer lightning that
+from time to time illuminated the horizon far and wide.
+There was, however, no answering roll of thunder, and
+the silence of the atmosphere seemed almost awful.
+
+For a couple of hours, in the vain hope of catching a
+breath of air, Miss Herbey, Andre Letourneur, and I, sat
+watching the imposing struggle of the electric vapors. The
+clouds appeared like embattled turrets crested with flame,
+and the very sailors, coarse-minded men as they were,
+seemed struck with the grandeur of the spectacle, and re-
+garded attentively, though with an anxious eye, the pre-
+liminary tokens of a coming storm. Until midnight we
+kept our seats upon the stern of the raft, while the lightning
+ever and again shed around us a livid glare similar to that
+produced by adding salt to lighted alcohol.
+
+"Are you afraid of a storm. Miss Herbey?" said Andre
+to the girl.
+
+"No, Mr. Andre, my feelings are always rather those of
+awe than of fear," she replied. "I consider a storm one of
+the sublimest phenomena that we can behold -- don't you
+think so too?"
+
+"Yes, and especially when the thunder is pealing," he
+said; "that majestic rolling, far different to the sharp crash
+of artillery, rises and falls like the long-drawn notes of the
+grandest music, and I can safely say that the tones of the
+most accomplished artiste have never moved me like that in-
+comparable voice of nature."
+
+"Rather a deep bass, though," I said, laughing.
+
+"That may be," he answered; "but I wish we might hear
+it now, for this silent lightning is somewhat unexpressive."
+
+"Never mind that, Andre," I said; "enjoy a storm when
+it comes, if you like, but pray don't wish for it."
+
+"And why not?" said he; "a storm will bring us wind,
+you know."
+
+"And water, too," added Miss Herbey, "the water of
+which we are so seriously in need."
+
+The young people evidently wished to regard the storm
+from their own point of view, and although I could have
+opposed plenty of common sense to their poetical sentiments,
+I said no more, but let them talk on as they pleased for
+fully an hour.
+
+Meanwhile the sky was becoming quite over-clouded, and
+after the zodiacal constellations had disappeared in the mists
+that hung round the horizon, one by one the stars above our
+heads were veiled in dark rolling masses of vapor, from
+which every instant there issued forth sheets of electricity
+that formed a vivid background to the dark gray fragments
+of cloud that floated beneath.
+
+Sleep, even if we wished it, would have been impossible in
+that stifling temperature.  The lightning increased in
+brilliancy and appeared from all quarters of the horizon,
+each flash covering large arcs, varying from l00 deg. to 150 deg.,
+leaving the atmosphere pervaded by one incessant phos-
+phorescent glow.
+
+The thunder became at length more and more distinct,
+the reports, if I may use the expression, being "round,"
+rather than rolling. It seemed almost as though the sky
+were padded with heavy clouds of which the elasticity
+muffled the sound of the electric bursts.
+
+Hitherto, the sea had been calm, almost stagnant as a
+pond. Now, however, long undulations took place, which
+the sailors recognized, all too well, as being the rebound pro-
+duced by a distant tempest. A ship, in such a case, would
+have been instantly brought ahull, but no maneuvering could
+be applied to our raft, which could only drift before the
+blast.
+
+At one o'clock in the morning one vivid flash, followed,
+after the interval of a few seconds, by a loud report of
+thunder, announced that the storm was rapidly approaching.
+Suddenly the horizon was enveloped in a vaporous fog, and
+seemed to contract until it was close around us. At the
+same instant the voice of one of the sailors was heard shout-
+ing:
+
+"A squall! a squall!"
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXV
+TWO SAILORS WASHED OVERBOARD
+
+DECEMBER 21, night. -- The boatswain rushed to the
+halliards that supported the sail, and instantly lowered the
+yard; not a moment too soon, for with the speed of an
+arrow the squall was upon us, and if it had not been for
+the sailor's timely warning we must all have been knocked
+down and probably precipitated into the sea; as it was, our
+tent on the back of the raft was carried away.
+
+The raft itself, however, being so nearly level with the
+water, had little peril to encounter from the actual wind;
+but from the mighty waves now raised by the hurricane we
+had everything to dread. At first the waves had been
+crushed and flattened as it were by the pressure of the air,
+but now, as though strengthened by the reaction, they rose
+with the utmost fury. The raft followed the motions of
+the increasing swell, and was tossed up and down, to and
+fro, and from side to side with the most violent oscillations.
+
+"Lash yourselves tight," cried the boatswain, as he threw
+us some ropes; and in a few moments with Curtis's assis-
+tance, M. Letourneur, and Andre, Falsten and myself were
+fastened so firmly to the raft, that nothing but its total dis-
+ruption could carry us away. Miss Herbey was bound by
+a rope passed round her waist to one of the uprights that had
+supported our tent, and by the glare of the lightning I
+could see that her countenance was as serene and composed
+as ever.
+
+Then the storm began to rage indeed. Flash followed
+flash, peal followed peal in quick succession. Our eyes were
+blinded, our ears deafened, with the roar and glare. The
+clouds above, the ocean beneath, seemed verily to have taken
+fire, and several times I saw forked lightnings dart upward
+from the crest of the waves, and mingle with those that
+radiated from the fiery vault above. A strong odor of
+sulphur pervaded the air, but though thunderbolts fell thick
+around us, not one touched our raft.
+
+By two o'clock the storm had reached its height. The
+hurricane had increased, and the heavy waves, heated to a
+strange heat by the general temperature, dashed over us
+until we were drenched to the skin. Curtis, Dowlas, the
+boatswain, and the sailors did what they could to strengthen
+the raft with additional ropes. M. Letourneur placed him-
+self in front of Andre, to shelter him from the waves.
+Miss Herbey stood upright and motionless as a statue.
+
+Soon dense masses of lurid clouds came rolling up, and
+a crackling, like the rattle of musketry, resounded through
+the air. This was produced by a series of electrical con-
+cussions, in which volleys of hailstones were discharged
+from the cloud-batteries above. In fact, as the storm-sheet
+came in contact with a current of cold air, hail was formed
+with great rapidity, and hailstones, large as nuts, came pelt-
+ing down, making the platform of the raft re-echo with a
+metallic ring.
+
+For about half an hour the meteoric shower continued
+to descend, and during that time the wind slightly abated
+in violence; but after having shifted from quarter to quar-
+ter, it once more blew with all its former fury.  The
+shrouds were broken, but happily the mast, already bending
+almost double, was removed by the men from its socket be-
+fore it should be snapped short off.. One gust caught away
+the tiller, which went adrift beyond all power of recovery,
+and the same blast blew down several of the planks that
+formed the low parapet on the larboard side, so that the
+waves dashed in without hindrance through the breach.
+
+The carpenter and his mates tried to repair the damage,
+but, tossed from wave to wave, the raft was inclined to an
+angle of more than forty-five degrees, making it impossible
+for them to keep their footing, and rolling one over another,
+they were thrown down by the violent shocks. Why they
+were not altogether carried away, why we were not all
+hurled into the sea, was to me a mystery. Even if the cords
+that bound us should retain their hold, it seemed perfectly
+incredible that the raft itself should not be overturned, so
+that we should be carried down and stifled in the seething
+waters.
+
+At last, toward three in the morning, when the hurricane
+seemed to be raging more fiercely than ever, the raft, caught
+up on the crest of an enormous wave, stood literally per-
+pendicularly on its edge. For an instant, by the illumina-
+tion of the lightning, we beheld ourselves raised to an in-
+comprehensible height above the foaming breakers. Cries
+of terror escaped our lips. All must be over now! But
+no; another moment, and the raft had resumed its horizontal
+position. Safe, indeed, we were, but the tremendous up-
+heaval was not without its melancholy consequences.
+
+The cords that secured the cases of provisions had burst
+asunder. One case rolled overboard, and the side of one
+of the water-barrels was staved in, so that the water which
+it contained was rapidly escaping. Two of the sailors
+rushed forward to rescue the case of preserved meat; but
+one of them caught his foot between the planks of the plat-
+form, and, unable to disengage it, the poor fellow stood
+uttering cries of distress.
+
+I tried to go to his assistance, and had already untied
+the cord that was around me; but I was too late.
+
+Another heavy sea dashed over us, and by the light of a
+dazzling flash I saw the unhappy man, although he had
+managed without assistance to disengage his foot, washed
+overboard before it was in my power to get near him. His
+companion had also disappeared.
+
+The same ponderous wave laid me prostrate on the plat-
+form, and as my head came in collision with the corner of
+a spar, for a time I lost all consciousness.
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXVI
+WE LOSE NEARLY ALL OUR PROVISIONS
+
+DECEMBER 22. -- Daylight came at length, and the sun
+broke through and dispersed the clouds that the storm had
+left behind. The struggle of the elements, while it lasted,
+had been terrific, but the swoon into which I was thrown
+by my fall prevented me from observing the final incidents
+of the visitation. All that I know is, that shortly after we
+had shipped the heavy sea, that I have mentioned, a shower
+of rain had the effect of calming the severity of the hurri-
+cane, and tended to diminish the electric tension of the
+atmosphere.
+
+Thanks to the kind care of M. Letourneur and Miss Her-
+bey, I recovered consciousness, but I believe that it is to
+Robert Curtis that I owe my real deliverance, for he it was
+that prevented me from being carried away by a second
+heavy wave.
+
+The tempest, fierce as it was, did not last more than a few
+hours; but even in that short space of time what an irrepar-
+able loss we have sustained, and what a load of misery seems
+stored up for us in the future!
+
+Of the two sailors who perished in the storm, one was
+Austin, a fine active young man of about eight-and-twenty;
+the other was old O'Ready, the survivor of so many ship-
+wrecks. Our party is thus reduced to sixteen souls, leav-
+ing a total barely exceeding half the number of those who
+embarked on board the Chancellor at Charleston.
+
+Curtis's first care had been to take a strict account of
+the remnant of our provisions. Of all the torrents of rain
+that fell in the night we were unhappily unable to catch a
+single drop; but water will not fail us yet, for about four-
+teen gallons still remain in the bottom of the broken barrel,
+while the second barrel has not been touched. But of food
+we have next to nothing. The cases containing the dried
+meat, and the fish that we had preserved, have both been
+washed away, and all that now remains to us is about sixty
+pounds of biscuit. Sixty pounds of biscuit between sixteen
+persons! Eight days, with half a pound a day apiece, will
+consume it all.
+
+The day has passed away in silence. A general depres-
+sion has fallen upon all; the specter of famine has appeared
+among us, and each has remained wrapped in his own
+gloomy meditations, though each has doubtless but one idea
+dominant in his mind.
+
+Once, as I passed near the group of sailors lying on the
+fore part of the raft, I heard Flaypole say with a sneer:
+
+"Those who are going to die had better make haste about
+it."
+
+"Yes," said Owen, "and leave their share of food to
+others."
+
+At the regular hour each person received his half-pound
+of biscuit.   Some, I noticed, swallowed it ravenously;
+others reserved it for another time. Falsten divided his
+ration into several portions, corresponding, I believe, to the
+number of meals to which he was ordinarily accustomed.
+What prudence he shows! If any one survives this misery,
+I think it will be he.
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXVII
+LIEUTENANT WALTER'S CONDITION
+
+DECEMBER 23 to 30. -- After the storm the wind settled
+back into its old quarter, blowing pretty briskly from the
+northeast. As the breeze was all in our favor it was im-
+portant to make the most of it, and after Dowlas had care-
+fully readjusted the mast, the sail was once more hoisted,
+and we were carried along at the rate of two or two and a
+half knots an hour. A new rudder, formed of a spar and
+a good-sized plank, has been fitted in the place of the one
+we lost, but with the wind in its present quarter it is in
+little requisition. The platform of the raft has been re-
+paired, the disjointed planks have been closed by means of
+ropes and wedges, and that portion of the parapet that was
+washed away has been replaced, so that we are no longer
+wetted by the waves. In fact, nothing has been left undone
+to insure the solidity of our raft, and to render it capable
+of resisting the wear and tear of the wind and waves. But
+the dangers of wind and waves are not those which we have
+most to dread.
+
+Together with the unclouded sky came a return of the
+tropical heat, which during the preceding days had caused
+us such serious inconvenience; fortunately on the 23d the
+excessive warmth was somewhat tempered by the breeze,
+and as the tent was once again put up, we were able to find
+shelter under it by turns.
+
+But the want of food was beginning to tell upon us sadly,
+and our sunken cheeks and wasted forms were visible
+tokens of what we were enduring. With most of us hunger
+seemed to attack the entire nervous system, and the con-
+striction of the stomach produced an acute sensation of
+pain. A narcotic, such as opium or tobacco, might have
+availed to soothe, if not to cure, the gnawing agony; but of
+sedatives we had none, so the pain must be endured.
+
+One alone there was among us who did not feel the pangs
+of hunger. Lieutenant Walter seemed as it were to feed
+upon the fever that raged within him; but then he was the
+victim of the most torturing thirst. Miss Herbey, besides
+reserving for him a portion of her own insufficient allowance,
+obtained from the captain a small extra supply of water with
+which every quarter of an hour she moistened the parched
+lips of the young man, who, almost too weak to speak, could
+only express his thanks by a grateful smile. Poor fellow!
+all our care cannot avail to save him now; he is doomed,
+most surely doomed to die.
+
+On the 23d he seemed to be conscious of his condition,
+for he made a sign to me to sit down by his side, and then
+summoning up all his strength to speak, he asked me in a
+few broken words how long I thought he had to live?
+
+Slight as my hesitation was, Walter noticed it immed-
+iately.
+
+"The truth," he said; "tell me the plain truth."
+
+"My dear fellow, I am not a doctor, you know," I be-
+gan," and I can scarcely judge --"
+
+"Never mind," he interrupted, "tell me just what you
+think."
+
+I looked at him attentively for some moments, then laid
+my ear against his chest. In the last few days his malady
+had made fearfully rapid strides, and it was only too evi-
+dent that one lung had already ceased to act, while the other
+was scarcely capable of performing the work of respiration.
+The young man was now suffering from the fever which is
+the sure symptom of the approaching end in all tuberculous
+complaints.
+
+The lieutenant kept his eye fixed upon me with a look of
+eager inquiry. I knew not what to say, and sought to evade
+his question.
+
+"My dear boy," I said, "in our present circumstances not
+one of us can tell how long he has to live. Not one of us
+knows what may happen in the course of the next eight
+days."
+
+"The next eight days," he murmured, as he looked
+eagerly into my face.
+
+And then, turning away his head, he seemed to fall into
+a sort of doze.
+
+The 24th, 25th, and 26th passed without any alteration
+in our circumstances, and strange, nay, incredible as it may
+sound, we began to get accustomed to our condition of star-
+vation. Often, when reading the histories of shipwrecks,
+I have suspected the accounts to be greatly exaggerated; but
+now I fully realize their truth, and marvel when I find on
+how little nutriment it is possible to exist for so long a time.
+To our daily half-pound of biscuit the captain has thought
+to add a few drops of brandy, and the stimulant helps con-
+siderably to sustain our strength. If we had the same pro-
+visions for two months, or even for one, there might be
+room for hope; but our supplies diminish rapidly, and the
+time is fast approaching when of food and drink there will
+be none.
+
+The sea had furnished us with food once, and, difficult
+as the task of fishing had now become, at all hazards the
+attempt must be made again. Accordingly the carpenter
+and the boatswain set to work and made lines out of some
+untwisted hemp, to which they fixed some nails that they
+pulled out of the flooring of the raft, and bent into proper
+shape. The boatswain regarded his device with evident
+satisfaction.
+
+"I don't mean to say," said he to me, "that these nails
+are first-rate fish-hooks; but, one thing I do know, and that
+is, with proper bait they will act as well as the best. But
+this biscuit is no good at all. Let me but just get hold of
+one fish, and I shall know fast enough how to use it to catch
+some more."
+
+And the true difficulty was how to catch the first fish. It
+was evident that fish were not abundant in these waters,
+nevertheless the lines were cast. But the biscuit with which
+they were baited dissolved at once in the water, and we did
+not get a single bite. For two days the attempt was made
+in vain, and as it only involved what seemed a lavish waste
+of our only means of subsistence, it was given up in de-
+spair.
+
+To-day, the 30th, as a last resource, the boatswain tried
+what a piece of colored rag might do by way of attracting
+some voracious fish, and having obtained from Miss Her-
+bey a little piece of the red shawl she wears, he fastened it
+to his hook. But still no success; for when, after several
+hours, he examined his lines, the crimson shred was still
+hanging intact as he had fixed it. The man was quite dis-
+couraged at his failure.
+
+"But there will be plenty of bait before long," he said
+to me in a solemn undertone.
+
+"What do you mean?" said I, struck by his significant
+manner.
+
+"You'll know soon enough," he answered.
+
+What did he insinuate? The words, coming from a man
+usually so reserved, have haunted me all night.
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXVIII
+MUTINY AGAIN
+
+JANUARY 1 to 5. -- More than three months had elapsed
+since we left Charleston in the Chancellor, and for no less
+than twenty days had we now been borne along on our raft
+at the mercy of the wind and waves. Whether we were
+approaching the American coast, or whether we were drift-
+ing farther and farther to sea, it was now impossible to de-
+termine, for, in addition to the other disasters caused by the
+hurricane, the captain's instruments had been hopelessly
+smashed, and Curtis had no longer any compass by which
+to direct his course, nor a sextant by which he might make
+an observation.
+
+Desperate, however, as our condition might be judged,
+hope did not entirely abandon our hearts, and day after
+day, hour after hour were our eyes strained toward the far
+horizon, and many and many a time did our imagination
+shape out the distant land. But ever and again the illusion
+vanished; a cloud, a mist, perhaps even a wave, was all that
+had deceived us; no land, no sail ever broke the gray line
+that united sea and sky, and our raft remained the center of
+the wide and dreary waste.
+
+On the 1st of January, we swallowed our last morsel of
+biscuit. The first of January! New Year's Day! What
+a rush of sorrowful recollections overwhelmed our minds!
+Had we not always associated the opening of another year
+with new hopes, new plans, and coming joys? And now,
+where were we? Could we dare to look at one another,
+and breathe a New Year's greeting?
+
+The boatswain approached me with a peculiar look on
+his countenance.
+
+"You are surely not going to wish me a happy New
+Year?" I said.
+
+"No indeed, sir," he replied, "I was only going to wish
+you well through the first day of it; and that is pretty good
+assurance on my part, for we have not another crumb to
+eat."
+
+True as it was, we scarcely realized the fact of there being
+actually nothing until on the following morning the hour
+came round for the distribution of the scanty ration, and
+then, indeed, the truth was forced upon us in a new and
+startling light. Toward evening I was seized with violent
+pains in the stomach, accompanied by a constant desire to
+yawn and gape that was most distressing; but in a couple
+of hours the extreme agony passed away, and on the 3d I
+was surprised to find that I did not suffer more. I felt, it
+is true, that there was some great void within myself, but
+the sensation was quite as much moral as physical. My
+head was so heavy that I could not hold it up; it was swim-
+ming with giddiness, as though I were looking over a
+precipice.
+
+My symptoms were not shared by all my companions,
+some of whom endured the most frightful tortures. Dow-
+las and the boatswain especially, who were naturally large
+eaters, uttered involuntary cries of agony, and were obliged
+to gird themselves tightly with ropes to subdue the excru-
+ciating pain that was gnawing their very vitals.
+
+And this was only the second day of our misery! What
+would we not have given for half, nay, for a quarter of the
+meager ration which a few days back we deemed so inade-
+quate to supply our wants, and which now, eked out crumb
+by crumb, might, perhaps, serve for several days? In the
+streets of a besieged city, dire as the distress may be, some
+gutter, some rubbish-heap, some corner may yet be found
+that will furnish a dry bone or a scrap of refuse that may
+for a moment allay the pangs of hunger; but these bare
+planks, so many times washed clean by the relentless waves,
+offer nothing to our eager search, and after every fragment
+of food that the wind has carried into the interstices has
+been scraped out and devoured, our resources are literally
+at an end.
+
+The nights seem even longer than the days. Sleep, when
+it comes, brings no relief; it is rather a feverish stupor,
+broken and disturbed by frightful nightmares. Last night,
+however, overcome by fatigue, I managed to rest for sev-
+eral hours.
+
+At six o'clock this morning I was roused by the sound
+of angry voices, and, starting up, I saw Owen and
+Jynxstrop, with Flaypole, Wilson, Burke, and Sandon,
+standing in a threatening attitude. They had taken posses-
+sion of the carpenter's tools, and now, armed with hatchets,
+chisels, and hammers, they were preparing to attack
+the captain, the boatswain, and Dowlas. I attached myself
+in a moment to Curtis's party. Falsten followed my ex-
+ample, and although our knives were the only weapons at
+our disposal, we were ready to defend ourselves to the very
+last extremity.
+
+Owen and his men advanced toward us. The miserable
+wretches were all drunk, for during the night they had
+knocked a hole in the brandy-barrel, and had recklessly swal-
+lowed its contents. What they wanted they scarcely seemed
+to know, but Owen and Jynxstrop, not quite so much intox-
+icated as the rest, seemed to be urging them on to massacre
+the captain and the officers.
+
+"Down with the captain! Overboard with Curtis!
+Owen shall take the command!" they shouted from time to
+time in their drunken fury; and, armed as they were, they
+appeared completely masters of the situation.
+
+"Now, then, down with your arms!" said Curtis sternly,
+as he advanced to meet them.
+
+"Overboard with the captain!" howled Owen, as by word
+and gesture he urged on his accomplices.
+
+Curtis pushed aside the excited rascals, and, walking
+straight up to Owen, asked him what he wanted.
+
+"What do we want? Why, we want no more captains;
+we are all equals now."
+
+Poor stupid fool! as though misery and privation had not
+already reduced us all to the same level.
+
+"Owen," said the captain once again, "down with your
+arms!"
+
+"Come on, all of you," shouted Owen to his companions,
+without giving the slightest heed to Curtis's words.
+
+A regular struggle ensued. Owen and Wilson attacked
+Curtis, who defended himself with a piece of spar; Burke
+and Flaypole rushed upon Falsten and the boatswain, while
+I was left to confront the negro Jynxstrop, who attempted to
+strike me with the hammer which he brandished in his hand.
+I endeavored to paralyze his movements by pinioning his
+arms, but the rascal was my superior in muscular strength.
+After wrestling for a few minutes, I felt that he was getting
+the mastery over me, when all of a sudden he rolled over
+on to the platform, dragging me with him. Andre Letour-
+neur had caught hold of one of his legs, and thus saved my
+life. Jynxstrop dropped his weapon in his fall; I seized it
+instantly, and was about to cleave the fellow's skull, when I
+was myself arrested by Andre's hand upon my arm.
+
+By this time the mutineers had been driven back to the
+forepart of the raft, and Curtis, who had managed to parry
+the blows which had been aimed at him, had caught hold of
+a hatchet, with which he was preparing to strike Owen.
+But Owen made a sidelong movement to avoid the blow, and
+the weapon caught Wilson full in the chest. The unfor-
+tunate man rolled over the side of the raft and instantly dis-
+appeared.
+
+"Save him! save him!" shouted the boatswain.
+
+"It's too late; he's dead! " said Dowlas.
+
+"Ah, well! he'll do for --" began the boatswain; but he
+did not finish his sentence.
+
+Wilson's death, however, put an end to the fray. Flay-
+pole and Burke were lying prostrate in a drunken stupor, and
+Jynxstrop was soon overpowered, and lashed tightly to the
+foot of the mast. The carpenter and boatswain seized hold
+of Owen.
+
+"Now then," said Curtis, as he raised his blood-stained
+hatchet, "make your peace with God, for you have not a
+moment to live."
+
+"Oh, you want to eat me, do you?" sneered Owen, with
+the most hardened effrontery.
+
+But the audacious reply saved his life; Curtis turned as
+pale as death, the hatchet dropped from his hand, and he
+went and seated himself moodily on the farthest corner of
+the raft.
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXIX
+A FATHER'S LOVE
+
+JANUARY 5 and 6. -- The whole scene made a deep impres-
+sion on our minds, and Owen's speech coming as a sort of
+climax, brought before us our misery with a force that was
+well-nigh overwhelming.
+
+As soon as I recovered my composure, I did not forget to
+thank Andre Letourneur for the act of intervention that
+had saved my life.
+
+"Do you thank me for that, Mr. Kazallon?" he said; "it
+has only served to prolong your misery."
+
+"Never mind, M. Letourneur," said Miss Herbey; "you
+did your duty."
+
+Enfeebled and emaciated as the young girl is, her sense
+of duty never deserts her; and although her torn and be-
+draggled garments float dejectedly about her body, she never
+utters a word of complaint, and never loses courage.
+
+"Mr. Kazallon," she said to me, "do you think we are
+fated to die of hunger?"
+
+"Yes, Miss Herbey, I do," I replied, in a hard, cold tone.
+
+"How long do you suppose we have to live?" she asked
+again.
+
+"I cannot say; perhaps we shall linger on longer than we
+imagine."
+
+"The strongest constitutions suffer the most, do they
+not?" she said.
+
+"Yes; but they have one consolation -- they die the soon-
+est," I replied, coldly.
+
+Had every spark of humanity died out of my breast, that
+I thus brought the girl face to face with the terrible truth,
+without a word of hope or comfort? The eyes of Andre
+and his father, dilated with hunger, were fixed upon me, and
+I saw reproach and astonishment written in their faces.
+
+Afterward, when we were quite alone, Miss Herbey asked
+me if I would grant her a favor.
+
+"Certainly, Miss Herbey; anything you like to ask," I
+replied; and this time my manner was kinder and more
+genial.
+
+"Mr. Kazallon," she said, "I am weaker than you, and
+shall probably die first. Promise me that, if I do, you will
+throw me into the sea!"
+
+"Oh, Miss Herbey," I began, "it was very wrong of me
+to speak to you as I did!"
+
+"No, no," she replied, half smiling; "you were quite
+right. But it is a weakness of mine; I don't mind what they
+do with me as long as I am alive, but when I am dead --"
+She stopped and shuddered. "Oh, promise me that you will
+throw me into the sea!"
+
+I gave her the melancholy promise, which she acknowl-
+edged by pressing my hand feebly with her emaciated fingers.
+
+Another night passed away. At times my sufferings were
+so intense that cries of agony involuntarily escaped my lips;
+then I became calmer, and sank into a kind of lethargy.
+When I awoke, I was surprised to find my companions still
+alive.
+
+The one of our party who seems to bear his privations
+the best is Hobart the steward, a man with whom hitherto
+I have had very little to do. He is small, with a fawning
+expression remarkable for its indecision, and has a smile
+which is incessantly playing round his lips; he goes about
+with his eyes half closed, as though he wished to conceal his
+thoughts, and there is something altogether false and
+hypocritical about his whole demeanor. I cannot say that
+he bears his privations without a murmur, for he sighs and
+moans incessantly; but, with it all, I cannot but think that
+there is a want of genuineness in his manner, and that the
+privation has not really told upon him as much as it has
+upon the rest of us. I have my suspicions about the man,
+and intend to watch him carefully.
+
+To-day, the 6th, M. Letourneur drew me aside to the stern
+of the raft, saying he had a secret to communicate, but that
+he wished neither to be seen nor heard speaking to me. I
+withdrew with him to the larboard corner of the raft, and, as
+it was growing dusk, nobody observed what we were doing.
+
+"Mr. Kazallon," M. Letourneur began, in a low voice,
+"Andre is dying of hunger; he is growing weaker and
+weaker, and oh! I cannot, will not, see him die!"
+
+He spoke passionately, almost fiercely, and I fully under-
+stood his feelings. Taking his hand, I tried to reassure him.
+
+"We will not despair yet," I said; "perhaps some pass-
+ing ship --"
+
+"Ship!" he cried, impatiently, "don't try to console me
+with empty commonplaces; you know as well as I do that
+there is no chance of falling in with a passing ship." Then,
+breaking off suddenly, he asked: "How long is it since my
+son and all of you have had anything to eat?"
+
+Astonished at his question, I replied that it was now four
+days since the biscuit had failed.
+
+"Four days," he repeated; "well, then, it is eight since I
+have tasted anything. I have been saving my share for my
+son."
+
+Tears rushed to my eyes; for a few moments I was unable
+to speak, and could only once more grasp his hand in silence.
+
+"What do you want me to do?" I asked, at length.
+
+"Hush! not so loud; someone will hear us," he said, low-
+ering his voice; "I want you to offer it to Andre as though
+it came from yourself. He would not accept it from me; he
+would think I had been depriving myself for him. Let me
+implore you to do me this service; and for your trouble," --
+and here he gently stroked my hand -- "for your trouble you
+shall have a morsel for yourself."
+
+I trembled like a child as I listened to the poor father's
+words; and my heart was ready to burst when I felt a tiny
+piece of biscuit slipped into my hand.
+
+"Give it him," M. Letourneur went on under his breath,
+"give it him; but do not let anyone see you; the monsters
+would murder you if they knew it! This is only for to-
+day; I will give you some more to-morrow."
+
+The poor fellow did not trust me -- and well he might not
+-- for I had the greatest difficulty to withstand the tempta-
+tion to carry the biscuit to my mouth. But I resisted the
+impulse, and those alone who have suffered like me can know
+what the effort was.
+
+Night came on with the rapidity peculiar to these low lati-
+tudes, and I glided gently up to Andre, and slipped the piece
+of biscuit into his hand as "a present from myself."
+
+The young man clutched at it eagerly.
+
+"But my father?" he said, inquiringly.
+
+I assured him that his father and I had each had our
+share, and that he must eat this now, and perhaps I should
+be able to bring him some more another time. Andre asked
+no more questions, and eagerly devoured the morsel of food.
+
+So this evening at least, notwithstanding M. Letourneur's
+offer, I have tasted nothing.
+
+
+CHAPTER XL
+DEATH OF LIEUTENANT WALTER
+
+JANUARY 7. -- During the last few days, since the wind
+has freshened, the salt water constantly dashing over the
+raft has terribly punished the feet and legs of some of the
+sailors. Owen, whom the boatswain ever since the revolt has
+kept bound to the mast, is in a deplorable state, and, at our
+request, has been released from his restraint. Sandon and
+Burke are also suffering from the severe smarting caused in
+this way, and it is only owing to our more sheltered position
+on the aft-part of the raft, that we have not all shared the
+same inconvenience.
+
+To-day the boatswain, maddened by starvation, laid hands
+upon everything that met his voracious eyes, and I could
+hear the grating of his teeth as he gnawed at fragments of
+sails and bits of wood, instinctively endeavoring to fill his
+stomach by putting the mucus into circulation. At length,
+by dint of an eager search, he came upon a piece of leather
+hanging to one of the spars that supported the platform.
+He snatched it off and devoured it greedily; and, as it was
+animal matter, it really seemed as though the absorption of
+the substance afforded him some temporary relief. In-
+stantly we all followed his example; a leather hat, the rims
+of caps, in short, anything that contained any animal matter
+at all, were gnawed and sucked with the utmost avidity.
+Never shall I forget the scene. We were no longer human
+-- the impulses and instincts of brute beasts seemed to
+actuate our every movement.
+
+For a moment the pangs of hunger were somewhat
+allayed; but some of us revolted against the loathsome food,
+and were seized either with violent nausea or absolute sick-
+ness. I must be pardoned for giving these distressing de-
+tails; but how otherwise can I depict the misery, moral and
+physical, which we are enduring? And with it all, I dare
+not venture to hope that we have reached the climax of our
+sufferings.
+
+The conduct of Hobart, during the scene that I have just
+described, has only served to confirm my previous suspicions
+of him. He took no part in the almost fiendish energy with
+which we gnawed at our scraps of leather; and, although by
+his conduct of perpetual groanings, he might be considered
+to be dying of inanition, yet to me he has the appearance
+of being singularly exempt from the tortures which we are
+all enduring. But whether the hypocrite is being sustained
+by some secret store of food, I have been unable to discover.
+
+Whenever the breeze drops the heat is overpowering; but
+although our allowance of water is very meager, at present
+the pangs of hunger far exceed the pain of thirst. It has
+often been remarked that extreme thirst is far less endurable
+than extreme hunger. Is it possible that still greater agonies
+are in store for us? I cannot, dare not, believe it. For-
+tunately, the broken barrel still contains a few pints of water,
+and the other one has not yet been opened. But I am glad
+to say that notwithstanding our diminished numbers, and in
+spite of some opposition, the captain has thought right to
+reduce the daily allowance to half a pint for each person.
+As for the brandy, of which there is only a quart now left,
+it has been stowed away safely in the stern of the raft.
+
+This evening has ended the sufferings of another of our
+companions, making our number now only fourteen. My
+attentions and Miss Herbey's nursing could do nothing for
+Lieutenant Walter, and about half-past seven he expired in
+my arms.
+
+Before he died, in a few broken words, he thanked Miss
+Herbey and myself for the kindness we had shown him. A
+crumpled letter fell from his hand, and in a voice that was
+scarcely audible from weakness, he said :
+
+"It is my mother's letter; the last I had from her -- she
+was expecting me home; but she will never see me more.
+Oh, put it to my lips -- let me kiss it before I die. Mother!
+mother! Oh, my God!"
+
+I placed the letter in his cold hand, and raised it to his
+lips; his eye lighted for a moment; we heard the faint sound
+of a kiss; and all was over!
+
+
+CHAPTER XLI
+HUMAN FLESH FOR BAIT
+
+JANUARY 8. -- All night I remained by the side of the poor
+fellow's corpse, and several times Miss Herbey joined me
+in my mournful watch.
+
+Before daylight dawned, the body was quite cold, and as
+I knew there must be no delay in throwing it overboard, I
+asked Curtis to assist me in the sad office. The body was
+frightfully emaciated, and I had every hope that it would not
+float.
+
+As soon as it was quite light, taking every precaution that
+no one should see what we were about, Curtis and I pro-
+ceeded to our melancholy task. We took a few articles from
+the lieutenant's pockets, which we purposed, if either of us
+should survive, to remit to his mother. But as we wrapped
+him in his tattered garments that would have to suffice for
+his winding sheet, I started back with a thrill of horror. The
+right foot had gone, leaving the leg a bleeding stump.
+
+No doubt that, overcome by fatigue, I must have fallen
+asleep for an interval during the night, and some one had
+taken advantage of my slumber to mutilate the corpse. But
+who could have been guilty of so foul a deed? Curtis
+looked around with anger flashing in his eye; but all seemed
+as usual, and the silence was only broken by a few groans of
+agony.
+
+But there was no time to be lost; perhaps we were already
+observed, and more horrible scenes might be likely to occur.
+Curtis said a few short prayers, and we cast the body into the
+sea. It sank immediately.
+
+"They are feeding the sharks well, and no mistake," said
+a voice behind me.
+
+I turned round quickly, and found that it was Jynxstrop
+who had spoken.
+
+As the boatswain now approached, I asked him whether
+he thought it possible that any of the wretched men could
+have taken the dead man's foot.
+
+"Oh, yes, I dare say," he replied in a significant tone,
+"and perhaps they thought they were right."
+
+"Right! what do you mean?" I exclaimed.
+
+"Well, sir," he said coldly, "isn't it better to eat a dead
+man than a living one?"
+
+I was at a loss to comprehend him, and, turning away, laid
+myself down at the end of the raft.
+
+Toward eleven o'clock a most suspicious incident occurred.
+The boatswain, who had cast his lines early in the morning,
+caught three large cod, each more than thirty inches long, of
+the species which, when dried, is known by the name of
+stock-fish. Scarcely had he hauled them on board when the
+sailors made a dash at them, and it was with the utmost dif-
+ficulty that Curtis, Falsten and myself could restore order, so
+that we might divide the fish into equal portions. Three
+cod were not much among fourteen starving persons, but,
+small as the quantity was, it was allotted in strictly equal
+shares. Most of us devoured the food raw, almost I might
+say, alive; only Curtis, Andre, and Miss Herbey having the
+patience to wait until their allowance had been boiled at a
+fire which they made with a few scraps of wood. For my-
+self, I confess that I swallowed my portion of fish as it was
+-- raw and bleeding. M. Letourneur followed my example;
+the poor man devoured his food like a famished wolf, and it
+is only a wonder to me how, after his lengthened fast, he
+came to be alive at all.
+
+The boatswain's delight at his success was excessive, and
+amounted almost to delirium. I went up to him, and en-
+couraged him to repeat his attempt.
+
+"Oh, yes," he said; "I'll try again. I'll try again."
+
+"And why not try at once?" I asked.
+
+"Not now," he said evasively; "the night is the best time
+for catching large fish. Besides, I must manage to get
+some bait, for we have been improvident enough not to save
+a single scrap."
+
+"But you have succeeded once without bait; why may you
+not succeed again?"
+
+"Oh, I had some very good bait last night," he said.
+
+I stared at him in amazement. He steadily returned my
+gaze, but said nothing.
+
+"Have you none left?" at last I asked.
+
+"Yes!" he almost whispered, and left me without another
+word.
+
+Our meal, meager as it had been, served to rally our shat-
+tered energies; our hopes were slightly raised; there was no
+reason why the boatswain should not have the same good
+luck again.
+
+One evidence of the degree to which our spirits were re-
+vived was that our minds were no longer fixed upon the
+miserable present and hopeless future, but we began to recall
+and discuss the past; and M. Letourneur, Andre, Mr. Fal-
+sten and I, held a long conversation with the captain about
+the various incidents of our eventful voyage, speaking of
+our lost companions, of the fire, or the stranding of the ship,
+of our sojourn on Ham Rock, of the springing of the leak, of
+our terrible voyage in the top-masts, of the construction of
+the raft, and of the storm. All these things seemed to have
+happened so long ago, and yet we were living still. Living,
+did I say? Ay, if such an existence as ours could be called
+a life, fourteen of us were living still. Who would be the
+next to go? We should then be thirteen.
+
+"An unlucky number!" said Andre, with a mournful
+smile.
+
+During the night the boatswain cast his lines from the
+stern of the raft, and, unwilling to trust them to anyone
+else, remained watching them himself. In the morning I
+went to ascertain what success had attended his patience. It
+was scarcely light, and with eager eyes he was peering down
+into the water. He had neither seen nor heard me coming.
+
+"Well, boatswain!" I said, touching him on the shoulder.
+
+He turned round quickly.
+
+"Those villainous sharks have eaten every morsel of my
+bait," he said, in a desponding voice.
+
+"And you have no more left?" I asked.
+
+"No more," he said. Then grasping my arm, he added,
+"and that only shows me that it is no good doing things by
+halves."
+
+The truth flashed upon me at once, and I laid my hand
+upon his mouth. Poor Walter!
+
+
+CHAPTER XLII
+OXIDE OF COPPER POISONING
+
+JANUARY 9 and10. -- On the 9th the wind dropped, and
+there was a dead calm; not a ripple disturbed the surface of
+the long undulations as they rose and fell beneath us; and if
+it were not for the slight current which is carrying us we
+know not whither, the raft would be absolutely stationary.
+
+The heat was intolerable; our thirst more intolerable still;
+and now it was that for the first time I fully realized how the
+insufficiency of drink could cause torture more unendurable
+than the pangs of hunger. Mouth, throat, pharynx, all alike
+were parched and dry, every gland becoming hard as horn
+under the action of the hot air we breathed. At my urgent
+solicitation, the captain was for once induced to double our
+allowance of water; and this relaxation of the ordinary rule
+enabled us to attempt to slake our thirst four times in the day,
+instead of only twice. I use the word "attempt" advisedly;
+for the water at the bottom of the barrel though kept covered
+by a sail, became so warm that it was perfectly flat and
+unrefreshing.
+
+It was a most trying day, and the sailors relapsed into a
+condition of deep despondency. The moon was nearly full,
+but when she rose the breeze did not return. Continuance
+of high temperature in daytime is a sure proof that we have
+been carried far to the south, and here, on this illimitable
+ocean, we have long ceased even to look for land; it might
+almost seem as though this globe of ours had veritably be-
+come a liquid sphere!
+
+To-day we are still becalmed, and the temperature is as
+high as ever. The air is heated like a furnace, and the sun
+scorches like fire. The torments of famine are all forgotten;
+our thoughts are concentrated with fevered expectation upon
+the longed-for moment when Curtis shall dole out the scanty
+measure of lukewarm water that makes up our ration. Oh
+for one good draught, even if it should exhaust the whole
+supply! At least, it seems as if we then could die in peace!
+
+About noon we were startled by sharp cries of agony,
+and looking round, I saw Owen writhing in the most horrible
+convulsions. I went toward him, for, detestable as his con-
+duct had been, common humanity prompted me to see
+whether I could afford him any relief. But before I reached
+him, a shout from Flaypole arrested my attention. The
+man was up in the mast, and with great excitement pointing
+to the east.
+
+"A ship! A ship!" he cried.
+
+In an instant all were on their feet. Even Owen stopped
+his cries and stood erect. It was quite true that in the direc-
+tion indicated by Flaypole there was a white speck visible
+upon the horizon. But did it move? Would the sailors
+with their keen vision pronounce it to be a sail? A silence
+the most profound fell upon us all. I glanced at Curtis as
+he stood with folded arms intently gazing at the distant
+point. His brow was furrowed, and he contracted every fea-
+ture, as with half-closed eyes he concentrated his power of
+vision upon that one faint spot in the far off horizon.
+
+But at length he dropped his arms and shook his head. I
+looked again, but the spot was no longer there. If it were
+a ship, that ship had disappeared; but probably it had been a
+mere reflection, or, more likely still, only the crest of some
+curling wave.
+
+A deep dejection followed this phantom ray of hope. All
+returned to their accustomed places. Curtis alone remained
+motionless, but his eye no longer scanned the distant view.
+
+Owen now began to shriek more wildly than ever. He
+presented truly a most melancholy sight; he writhed with the
+most hideous contortions, and had all the appearance of
+suffering from tetanus. His throat was contracted by re-
+peated spasms, his tongue was parched, his body swollen, and
+his pulse, though feeble, was rapid and irregular. The poor
+wretch's symptoms were precisely such as to lead us to sus-
+pect that he had taken some corrosive poison. Of course it
+was quite out of our power to administer any antidote; all
+that we could devise was to make him swallow something
+that might act as an emetic. I asked Curtis for a little of
+the lukewarm water. As the contents of the broken barrel
+were now exhausted, the captain, in order to comply with my
+request, was about to tap the other barrel, when Owen
+started suddenly to his knees, and with a wild, unearthly
+shriek, exclaimed:
+
+"No! no! no! of that water I will not touch a drop."
+
+I supposed he did not understand what we were going to
+do, and endeavored to explain; but all in vain; he persisted
+in refusing to taste the water in the second barrel. I then
+tried to induce vomiting by tickling his uvula, and he brought
+off some bluish secretion from his stomach, the character of
+which confirmed our previous suspicions -- that he had been
+poisoned by oxide of copper. We now felt convinced that
+any effort on our part to save him would be of no avail.
+The vomiting, however, had for the time relieved him, and
+he was able to speak.
+
+Curtis and I both implored him to let us know what he
+had taken to bring about consequences so serious. His reply
+fell upon us as a startling blow.
+
+The ill-fated wretch had stolen several pints of water from
+the barrel that had been untouched, and that water had
+poisoned him!
+
+
+CHAPTER XLIII
+OWEN'S DEATH
+
+JANUARY 11 to 14. -- Owen's convulsions returned with in-
+creased violence, and in the course of the night he expired
+in terrible agony. His body was thrown overboard almost
+directly, it had decomposed so rapidly that the flesh had not
+even consistency enough for any fragments of it to be re-
+served for the boatswain to use to bait his lines. A plague
+the man had been to us in his life; in his death he was now
+of no service!
+
+And now, perhaps still more than ever, did the horror of
+our situation stare us in the face. There was no doubt
+that the poisoned barrel had at some time or other contained
+copperas; but what strange fatality had converted it into a
+water cask, or what fatality, stranger still, had caused it to
+be brought on board the raft, was a problem that none could
+solve. Little, however, did it matter now; the fact was evi-
+dent -- the barrel was poisoned, and of water we had not a
+drop.
+
+One and all, we fell into the gloomiest silence. We were
+too irritable to bear the sound of each other's voices; and it
+did not require a word -- a mere look or gesture was enough
+-- to provoke us to anger that was little short of madness.
+How it was that we did not all become raving maniacs, I can-
+not tell.
+
+Throughout the 12th no drain of moisture crossed our
+lips, and not a cloud arose to warrant the expectation of a
+passing shower; in the shade, if shade it might be called, the
+thermometer would have registered at least 100 deg., and per-
+haps considerably more.
+
+No change next day. The salt water began to chafe my
+legs, but although the smarting was at times severe, it was an
+inconvenience to which I gave little heed; others who had
+suffered from the same trouble had become no worse. Oh!
+if this water that surrounds us could be reduced to vapor
+or to ice! its particles of salt extracted, it would be available
+for drink. But no! we have no appliances, and we must
+suffer on.
+
+At the risk of being devoured by the sharks, the boat-
+swain and two sailors took a morning bath, and as their
+plunge seemed to freshen them, I and three of my com-
+panions resolved to follow their example. We had never
+learned to swim, and had to be fastened to the end of a rope
+and lowered into the water, while Curtis, during the half
+hour of our bath, kept a sharp lookout to give warning of
+any danger from approaching sharks. No recommenda-
+tion, however, on our part, nor any representation of the
+benefit we felt we had derived, could induce Miss Herbey
+to allay her sufferings in the same way.
+
+At about eleven o'clock, the captain came up to me, and
+whispered in my ear:
+
+"Don't say a word, Mr. Kazallon; I do not want to raise
+false hopes, but I think I see a ship."
+
+It was as well that the captain had warned me; otherwise,
+I should have raised an involuntary shout of joy; as it was
+I had the greatest difficulty in restraining my expressions of
+delight.
+
+"Look behind to larboard," he continued in an undertone.
+
+Affecting an indifference which I was far from feeling, I
+cast an anxious glance to that quarter of the horizon of
+which he spoke, and there, although mine was not a nautical
+eye, I could plainly distinguish the outline of a ship under
+sail.
+
+Almost at the same moment the boatswain who happened
+to be looking in the same direction, raised the cry, "Ship
+ahoy!"
+
+Whether it was that no one believed it, or whether all
+energies were exhausted, certain it is that the announcement
+produced none of the effects that might have been expected.
+Not a soul exhibited the slightest emotion, and it was only
+when the boatswain had several times sung out his tidings
+that all eyes turned to the horizon. There, most undeniably,
+was the ship, but the question rose at once to the minds of
+all, and to the lips of many, "Would she see us?"
+
+The sailors immediately began discussing the build of the
+vessel, and made all sorts of conjectures as to the direction
+she was taking. Curtis was far more deliberate in his judg-
+ment. After examining her attentively for some time, he
+said, "She is a brig running close upon the wind, on the star-
+board tack. If she keeps her course for a couple of hours,
+she will come right athwart our tracks."
+
+A couple of hours! The words sounded to our ears like
+a couple of centuries. The ship might change her course
+at any moment; closely trimmed as she was, it was very
+probable that she was only tacking about to catch the wind,
+in which case, as soon as she felt a breeze, she would r‚sum‚
+her larboard tack and make away again. On the other hand,
+if she was really sailing with the wind, she would come
+nearer to us, and there would be good ground for hope.
+
+Meantime, no exertion must be spared, and no means left
+untried, to make our position known. The brig was about
+twelve miles to the east of us, so that it was out of the ques-
+tion to think of any cries of ours being overheard; but Curtis
+gave directions that every possible signal should be made.
+We had no firearms by which we could attract attention, and
+nothing else occurred to us beyond hoisting a flag of distress.
+Miss Herbey's red shawl, as being of a color most distin-
+guishable against the background of sea and sky, was run
+up to the mast-head, and was caught by the light breeze that
+just then was ruffling the surface of the water. As a drown-
+ing man clutches at a straw, so our hearts bounded with hope
+every time that our poor flag fluttered in the wind.
+
+For an hour our feelings alternated between hope and
+despair. The ship was evidently making her way in the di-
+rection of the raft, but every now and then she seemed to
+stop, and then our hearts would almost stand still with agony
+lest she was going to put about. She carried all her canvas,
+even to her royals and stay-sails, but her hull was only
+partially visible above the horizon.
+
+How slowly she advanced! The breeze was very, very
+feeble, and perhaps soon it would drop altogether! We felt
+that we would give years of our life to know the result of the
+coming hour.
+
+At half past twelve the captain and the boatswain con-
+sidered that the brig was about nine miles away; she had,
+therefore, gained only three miles in an hour and a half,
+and it was doubtful whether the light breeze that had been
+passing over our heads had reached her at all. I fancied,
+too, that her sails were no longer filled, but were hanging
+loose against her masts. Turning to the direction of the
+wind, I tried to make out some chance of a rising breeze;
+but no, the waves were calm and torpid, and the little puff of
+air that had aroused our hopes had died away across the sea.
+
+I stood aft with M. Letourneur, Andre and Miss Herbey,
+and our glances perpetually wandered from the distant ship
+to our captain's face. Curtis stood leaning against the mast,
+with the boatswain by his side; their eyes seemed never for
+a moment to cease to watch the brig, but their countenances
+clearly expressed the varying emotions that passed through
+their minds. Not a word was uttered, nor was the silence
+broken, until the carpenter exclaimed, in accents of despair:
+
+"She's putting about!"
+
+All started up -- some to their knees, others to their feet.
+The boatswain dropped a frightful oath. The ship was
+still nine miles away, and at such a distance it was impossible
+for our signal to be seen; our tiny raft, a mere speck upon
+the waters, would be lost in the intense irradiation of the sun-
+beams. If only we could be seen, no doubt all would be
+well; no captain would have the barbarous inhumanity to
+leave us to our fate; but there had been no chance; only too
+well we knew that we had not been within range of sight.
+
+"My friends," said Curtis, "we must make a fire; it is our
+last and only chance."
+
+Some planks were quickly loosened and thrown into a heap
+upon the fore part of the raft. They were damp and
+troublesome to light; but the very dampness made the smoke
+more dense, and ere long a tall column of dusky fumes was
+rising straight upward in the air. If darkness should come
+on before the brig was completely out of view, the flames,
+we hoped might still be visible. But the hours passed on;
+the fire died out; and yet no signs of help.
+
+The temper of resignation now deserted me entirely;
+faith, hope, confidence -- all vanished from my mind, and,
+like the boatswain, I swore long and loudly. A gentle hand
+was laid upon my arm, and turning round I saw Miss Herbey
+with her finger pointing to the sky. I could stand it no
+longer, but gliding underneath the tent I hid my face in my
+hands and wept aloud.
+
+Meanwhile the brig had altered her track, and was moving
+slowly to the east. Three hours later and the keenest eye
+could not have discerned her top-sails above the horizon.
+
+
+CHAPTER XLIV
+THE DEPTHS OF DESPAIR
+
+JANUARY 15. -- After this further shattering of our ex-
+cited hopes, death alone now stares us in the face; slow and
+lingering as that death may be, sooner or later it must in-
+evitably come.
+
+To-day some clouds that rose in the west have brought us
+a few puffs of wind; and in spite of our prostration, we ap-
+preciate the moderation, slight as it is, in the temperature.
+To my parched throat the air seemed a little less trying; but
+it is now seven days since the boatswain took his haul of
+fish, and during that period we had eaten nothing; even
+Andre Letourneur finished yesterday, the last morsel of the
+biscuit which his sorrowful and self-denying father had in-
+trusted to my charge.
+
+Jynxstrop, the negro, has broken loose from his confine-
+ment, but Curtis has taken no measures for putting him
+again under restraint. It is not to be apprehended that the
+miserable fellow and his accomplices, weakened as they are
+by their protracted fast, will attempt to do us any mischief
+now.
+
+Some huge sharks made their appearance to-day, cleaving
+the water rapidly with their great black fins. The monsters
+came up close to the edge of the raft, and Flaypole, who was
+leaning over, narrowly escaped having his arm snapped off
+by one of them. I could not help regarding them as living
+sepulchers, which ere long might swallow up our miserable
+carcasses; yet, withal, I profess that my feelings were those
+of fascination rather than horror.
+
+The boatswain, who stood with clenched teeth and dilated
+eye, regarded these sharks from quite another point of view.
+He thought about devouring the sharks, not about the sharks
+devouring him; and if he could succeed in catching one, I
+doubt if one of us would reject the tough and untempting
+flesh. He determined to make the attempt, and as he had
+no whirl which he could fasten to his rope he set to work
+to find something that might serve as a substitute. Curtis
+and Dowlas were consulted, and after a short conversation,
+during which they kept throwing bits of rope and spars into
+the water in order to entice the sharks to remain by the raft,
+Dowlas went and fetched his carpenter's tool, which is at
+once a hatchet and a hammer. Of this he proposed to make
+the whirl of which they were in need, under the hope that
+either the sharp edge of the adze or the pointed extremity
+opposite would stick firmly into the jaws of any shark that
+might swallow it. The wooden handle of the hammer was
+secured to the rope, which, in its turn was tightly fastened
+to the raft.
+
+With eager, almost breathless, excitement we stood watch-
+ing the preparations, at the same time using every means
+in our power to attract the attention of the sharks. As soon
+as the whirl was ready the boatswain began to think about
+bait, and, talking rapidly to himself, ransacked every corner
+of the raft, as though he expected to find some dead body
+coming opportunely to sight. But his search ended in noth-
+ing; and the only plan that suggested itself was again to
+have recourse to Miss Herbey's red shawl, of which a frag-
+ment was wrapped around the head of the hammer. After
+testing the strength of his line, and reassuring himself that
+it was fastened firmly both to the hammer and to the raft,
+the boatswain lowered it into the water.
+
+The sea was quite transparent, and any object was clearly
+visible to a depth of two hundred feet below the surface.
+Leaning over the low parapet of the raft we looked on in
+breathless silence, as the scarlet rag, distinct as it was against
+the blue mass of water, made its slow descent. But one by
+one the sharks seemed to disappear. They could not, how-
+ever, have gone far away, and it was not likely that any-
+thing in the shape of bait dropped near them would long
+escape their keen voracity.
+
+Suddenly, without speaking, the boatswain raised his hand
+and pointed to a dark mass skimming along the surface of
+the water, and making straight in our direction. It was a
+shark, certainly not less than twelve feet long. As soon as
+the creature was about four fathoms from the raft, the
+boatswain gently drew in his line until the whirl was in such
+a position that the shark must cross right over it; at the
+same time he shook the line a little, that he might give the
+whirl the appearance, if he could, of being something alive
+and moving. As the creature came near, my heart beat
+violently; I could see its eyes flashing above the waves; and
+its gaping jaws, as it turned half over on its back, exhibited
+long rows of pointed teeth.
+
+I know not who it was, but some one at that moment
+uttered an involuntary cry of horror. The shark came to a
+standstill, turned about, and escaped quite out of sight. The
+boatswain was pale with anger.
+
+"The first man who speaks," he said, "I will kill him
+on the spot."
+
+Again he applied himself to his task. The whirl was
+again lowered, this time to the depth of twenty fathoms,
+but for half an hour or more not a shark could be distin-
+guished; but as the waters far below seemed somehow to
+be troubled I could not help believing that some of the
+brutes at least were still there.
+
+All at once, with a violent jerk, the cord was wrested from
+the boatswain's hands; firmly attached, however, as it was
+to the raft, it was not lost. The bait had been seized by a
+shark, and the iron had made good its hold upon the crea-
+ture's flesh.
+
+"Now, then, my lads," cried the boatswain, "haul away!"
+
+Passengers and sailors, one and all, put forth what
+strength they had to drag the rope, but so violent were the
+creature's struggles that it required all our efforts (and it is
+needless to say they were willing enough) to bring it to the
+surface. At length, after exertions that almost exhausted
+us, the water became agitated by the violent flappings of the
+tail and fins; and looking down I saw the huge carcass of
+the shark writhing convulsively amid waves that were
+stained with blood.
+
+"Steady! steady!" said the boatswain, as the head ap-
+peared above
+
+The whirl had passed right through the jaw into the mid-
+dle of the throat, so that no struggle on the part of the ani-
+mal could possibly release it. Dowlas seized the hatchet,
+ready to dispatch the brute the moment it should be landed
+on the raft. A short sharp snap was heard. The shark
+had closed its jaws, and bitten through the wooden handle
+of the hammer. Another moment and it had turned round
+and was completely gone.
+
+A howl of despair burst from all our lips. All the labor
+and the patience, all had been in vain. Dowlas made a few
+more unsuccessful attempts, but as the whirl was lost, and
+they had no means of replacing it, there was no further
+room for hope. They did, indeed, lower some cords
+twisted into running knots, but (as might have been ex-
+pected) these only slipped over, without holding, the slimy
+bodies of the sharks. As a last resource the boatswain
+allowed his naked leg to hang over the side of the raft;
+the monsters, however, were proof even against this at-
+traction.
+
+Reduced once again to a gloomy despondency, all turned
+to their places, to await the end that can not now be long
+deferred.
+
+Just as I moved away I heard the boatswain say to
+Curtis:
+
+"Captain, when shall we draw lots?"
+
+The captain made no reply.
+
+
+CHAPTER XLV
+OUR THIRST RELIEVED
+
+JANUARY 16. -- If the crew of any passing vessel had
+caught sight of us as we lay still and inanimate upon our
+sail-cloth, they would scarcely, at first sight, have hesitated
+to pronounce us dead.
+
+My sufferings were terrible; tongue, lips, and throat
+were so parched and swollen that if food had been at hand
+I question whether I could have swallowed it. So ex-
+asperated were the feelings of us all, however, that we
+glanced at each other with looks as savage as though we
+were about to slaughter and without delay eat up one an-
+other.
+
+The heat was aggravated by the atmosphere being some-
+what stormy. Heavy vapors gathered on the horizon, and
+there was a look as if it were raining all around. Longing
+eyes and gasping mouths turned involuntarily toward the
+clouds, and M. Letourneur, on bended knee, was raising
+his hands, as it might be in supplication to the relentless
+skies.
+
+It was eleven o'clock in the morning. I listened for dis-
+tant rumblings which might announce an approaching
+storm, but although the vapors had obstructed the sun's
+rays, they no longer presented the appearance of being
+charged with electricity. Thus our prognostications ended
+in disappointment; the clouds, which in the early morning
+had been marked by the distinctness of their outline, had
+melted one into another and assumed an uniform dull gray
+tint; in fact, we were enveloped in an ordinary fog. But
+was it not still possible that this fog might turn to rain?
+
+Happily this hope was destined to be realized; for in a
+very short time, Dowlas, with a shout of delight, declared
+that rain was actually coming; and sure enough, not half a
+mile from the raft, the dark parallel streaks against the sky
+testified that there at least rain was falling. I fancied I
+could see the drops rebounding from the surface of the
+water. The wind was fresh and bringing the cloud right
+on toward us, yet we could not suppress our trepidation
+lest it should exhaust itself before it reached us.
+
+But no; very soon large heavy drops began to fall, and
+the storm-cloud, passing over our heads, was outpouring
+its contents upon us. The shower, however, was very
+transient; already a bright streak of light along the horizon
+marked the limit of the cloud and warned us that we must
+be quick to make the most of what it had to give us. Curtis
+had placed the broken barrel in the position that was most
+exposed, and every sail was spread out to the fullest extent
+our dimensions would allow.
+
+We all laid ourselves down flat upon our backs and kept
+our mouths wide open. The rain splashed into my face,
+wetted my lips, and trickled down my throat. Never can
+I describe the ecstasy with which I imbibed that renovat-
+ing moisture. The parched and swollen glands relaxed,
+I breathed afresh, and my whole being seemed revived with
+a strange and requickened life.
+
+The rain lasted about twenty minutes, when the cloud,
+only half exhausted, passed quite away from over us.
+
+We grasped each other's hands as we rose from the plat-
+form on which we had been lying, and mutual congratula-
+tions, mingled with gratitude, poured forth from our long
+silent lips. Hope, however evanescent it might be, for the
+moment had returned, and we yielded to the expectation
+that, ere long, other and more abundant clouds might come
+and replenish our store.
+
+The next consideration was how to preserve and econo-
+mize what little had been collected by the barrel, or imbibed
+by the outspread sails. It was found that only a few pints
+of rain-water had fallen into the barrel; to this small
+quantity the sailors were about to add what they could by
+wringing out the saturated sails, when Curtis made them
+desist from their intention.
+
+"Stop, stop!" he said "we must wait a moment; we
+must see whether this water from the sails is drinkable."
+
+I looked at him in amazement. Why should not this be
+as drinkable as the other? He squeezed a few drops out
+of one of the folds of a sail into a tin pot, and put it to his
+lips. To my surprise, he rejected it immediately, and upon
+tasting it for myself I found it not merely brackish, but
+briny as the sea itself. The fact was that the canvas had
+been so long exposed to the action of the waves, that it had
+become thoroughly impregnated by salt, which of course
+was taken up again by the water that fell upon it. Dis-
+appointed we were; but with several pints of water in our
+possession, we were not only contented for the present, but
+sanguine in our prospect for the future.
+
+
+CHAPTER XLVI
+MY FAST IS BROKEN
+
+JANUARY 17. -- As a natural consequence of the allevia-
+tion of our thirst, the pangs of hunger returned more vio-
+lently than ever. Although we had no bait, and even if we
+had we could not use it for want of a whirl, we could not
+help asking whether no possible means could be devised for
+securing one out of the many sharks that were still per-
+petually swarming about the raft. Armed with knives, like
+the Indians in the pearl fisheries, was it not practicable to
+attack the monsters in their own element? Curtis ex-
+pressed his willingness personally to make the attempt, but
+so numerous were the sharks that we would not for one
+moment hear of his risking his life in a venture of which
+the danger was as great as the success was doubtful.
+
+By plunging into the sea, or by gnawing at a piece of
+metal, we could always, or at least often, do something that
+cheated us into believing that we were mitigating the pains
+of thirst; but with hunger it was different. The prospect,
+too, of rain seemed hopeful, while for getting food there
+appeared no chance; and, as we knew that nothing could
+compensate for the lack of nutritive matter, we were soon
+all cast down again. Shocking to confess, it would be
+untrue to deny that we surveyed each other with the eye
+of an eager longing; and I need hardly explain to what a
+degree of savageness the one idea that haunted us had re-
+duced our feelings.
+
+Ever since the storm-cloud brought us the too transient
+shower the sky has been tolerably clear, and although at
+that time the wind had slightly freshened, it has since
+dropped, and the sail hangs idly against our mast. Except
+for the trifling relief it brings by modifying the tempera-
+ture, we care little now for any breeze. Ignorant as we
+are as to what quarter of the Atlantic we have been carried
+by the currents, it matters very little to us from what direc-
+tion the wind may blow if only it would bring, in rain or
+dew, the moisture of which we are so dreadfully in need.
+
+My brain is haunted by most horrible nightmares; not
+that I suppose I am in anyway more distressed than my
+companions, who are lying in their usual places, vainly
+endeavoring to forget their sufferings in sleep.
+
+After a time I fell into a restless, dreamy doze. I was
+neither asleep nor awake. How long I remained in that
+state of stupor I could hardly say, but at length a strange
+sensation brought me to myself. Was I dreaming, or was
+there not really some unaccustomed odor floating in the
+air? My nostrils became distended, and I could scarcely
+suppress a cry of astonishment; but some instinct kept me
+quiet, and I laid myself down again with the puzzled sen-
+sation sometimes experienced when we have forgotten a
+word or name. Only a few minutes, however, had elapsed
+before another still more savory puff induced me to take
+several long inhalations. Suddenly, the truth seemed to
+flash across my mind. "Surely," I muttered to myself,
+"this must be cooked meat that I can smell."
+
+Again and again I sniffed, and became more convinced
+than ever that my senses were not deceiving me. But from
+what part of the raft could the smell proceed? I rose to
+my knees, and having satisfied myself that the odor came
+from the front, I crept stealthily as a cat under the sails
+and between the spars in that direction. Following the
+promptings of my scent, rather than my vision, like a blood-
+hound in track of his prey. I searched everywhere I could,
+now finding, now losing, the smell according to my change
+of position, or the dropping of the wind. At length I got
+the true scent, once for all, so that I could go straight to
+the object for which I was in search.
+
+Approaching the starboard angle of the raft, I came
+to the conclusion that the smell that had thus keenly ex-
+cited my cravings was the smell of smoked bacon; the mem-
+branes of my tongue almost bristled with the intenseness of
+my longing.
+
+Crawling along a little farther, under a thick roll of
+sail-cloth, I was not long in securing my prize. Forcing
+my arm below the roll, I felt my hand in contact with some-
+thing wrapped up in paper. I clutched it up, and carried
+it off to a place where I could examine it by the help of
+the light of the moon that had now made its appearance
+above the horizon. I almost shrieked for joy. It was a
+piece of bacon. True, it did not weigh many ounces, but
+small as it was it would suffice to alleviate the pangs of
+hunger for one day at least. I was just on the point of
+raising it to my mouth, when a hand was laid upon my
+arm. It was only by a most determined effort that I kept
+myself from screaming out. One instant more, and I
+found myself face to face with Hobart.
+
+In a moment I understood all. Plainly this rascal Ho-
+bart had saved some provisions from the wreck, upon which
+he had been subsisting ever since. The steward had pro-
+vided for himself, while all around him were dying of
+starvation. Detestable wretch! This accounts for the
+inconsistency of his well-to-do looks and his pitiable groans.
+Vile hypocrite!
+
+Yet why, it struck me, should I complain? Was not I
+reaping the benefit of that secret store that he, for himself,
+had saved?
+
+But Hobart had no idea of allowing me the peaceable
+possession of what he held to be his own. He made a dash
+at the fragment of bacon, and seemed determined to wrest
+it from my grasp. We struggled with each other, but
+although our wrestling was very violent, it was very noise-
+less.
+
+We were both of us aware that it was absolutely neces-
+sary that not one of those on board should know anything
+at all about the prize for which we were contending. Nor
+was my own determination lessened by hearing him groan
+out that it was his last, his only morsel. "His!" I
+thought; "it shall be mine now!"
+
+And still careful that no noise of commotion should arise,
+I threw him on his back, and grasping his throat so that
+he gurgled again, I held him down until, in rapid mouth-
+fuls, I had swallowed the last scrap of the food for which
+we had fought so hard.
+
+I released my prisoner, and quietly crept back to my own
+quarters.
+
+And not a soul is aware that I have broken my fast!
+
+
+CHAPTER XLVII
+HOBART HANGS HIMSELF
+
+JANUARY 18. -- After this excitement I awaited the ap-
+proach of day with a strange anxiety. My conscience told
+me that Hobart had the right to denounce me in the pres-
+ence of all my fellow-passengers; yet my alarm was vain.
+The idea of my proceedings being exposed by him was
+quite absurd; in a moment he would himself be murdered
+without pity by the crew, if it should be revealed that, un-
+known to them, he had been living on some private store
+which, by clandestine cunning, he had reserved. But, in
+spite of my anxiety, I had a longing for day to come.
+
+The bit of food that I had thus stolen was very small;
+but small as it was it had alleviated my hunger; and I was
+now tortured with remorse, because I had not shared the
+meager morsel with my fellow-sufferers. Miss Herbey,
+Andre, his father, all had been forgotten, and from the bot-
+tom of my heart I repented of my cruel selfishness.
+
+Meantime the moon rose high in the heavens, and the
+first streaks of dawn appeared. There is no twilight in
+these low latitudes, and the full daylight came well nigh
+at once. I had not closed my eyes since my encounter with
+the steward, and ever since the first blush of day I had
+labored under the impression that I could see some unusual
+dark mass half way up the mast. But although it again
+and again caught my eye, it hardly roused my curiosity,
+and I did not rise from the bundle of sails on which I was
+lying to ascertain what it really was. But no sooner did
+the rays of the sun fall upon it than I saw at once that
+it was the body of a man, attached to a rope, and swinging
+to and fro with the motion of the raft.
+
+A horrible presentiment carried me to the foot of the
+mast, and, just as I had guessed, Hobart had hanged him-
+self. I could not for a moment doubt that it was I myself
+that had impelled him to the suicide. A cry of horror had
+scarcely escaped my lips, when my fellow-passengers were
+at my side, and the rope was cut. Then came the sailors.
+And what was it that made the group gather so eagerly
+around the body? Was it a humane desire to see whether
+any sparks of life remained? No, indeed; the corpse was
+cold, and the limbs were rigid; there was no chance that
+animation should be restored. What then was it that kept
+them lingering so close around? It was only too apparent
+what they were about to do.
+
+But I did not, could not, look. I refused to take part
+in the horrible repast that was proposed. Neither would
+Miss Herbey, Andre, nor his father, consent to alleviate
+their pangs of hunger by such revolting means. I know
+nothing for certain as to what Curtis did, and I did not
+venture to inquire; but of the others, -- Falsten, Dowlas,
+the boatswain, and all the rest, -- I know that, to assuage
+their cravings, they consented to reduce themselves to the
+level of beasts of prey; they were transformed from human
+beings into ravenous brutes.
+
+The four of us who sickened at the idea of partaking
+of the horrid meal withdrew to the seclusion of our tent;
+it was bad enough to hear, without witnessing the appalling
+operation. But, in truth, I had the greatest difficulty in the
+world in preventing Andre from rushing out upon the can-
+nibals, and snatching the odious food from their clutches.
+I represented to him the hopelessness of his attempt, and
+tried to reconcile him by telling him that if they liked the
+food they had a right to it. Hobart had not been mur-
+dered; he had died by his own hand; and, after all, as the
+boatswain had once remarked to me, "It was better to eat
+a dead man than a live one."
+
+Do what I would, however, I could not quiet Andre's
+feeling of abhorrence; in his disgust and loathing he seemed
+for the time to have quite forgotten his own sufferings.
+
+Meanwhile, there was no concealing the truth that we
+were ourselves dying of starvation, while our eight com-
+panions would probably, by their loathsome diet, escape that
+frightful destiny. Owing to his secret hoard of provisions
+Hobart had been by far the strongest among us; he had been
+supported, so that no organic disease had affected his tissues,
+and really might be said to be in good health when his
+chagrin drove him to his desperate suicide. But what was
+I thinking of! whither were my meditations carrying me
+away? was it not coming to pass that the cannibals were
+rousing my envy instead of exciting my horror?
+
+Very shortly after this I heard Dowlas talking about the
+possibility of obtaining salt by evaporating seawater in the
+sun; "and then," he added, "we can salt down the rest."
+
+The boatswain assented to what the carpenter had said,
+and probably the suggestion was adopted.
+
+Silence, the most profound, now reigns upon the raft. I
+presume that nearly all have gone to sleep. One thing I
+do know, that they are no longer hungry.
+
+
+CHAPTER XLVIII
+HOBART'S BODY STOLEN
+
+JANUARY 19. -- All through the day the sky remained un-
+clouded and the heat intense; and night came on without
+bringing much sensible moderation in the temperature. I
+was unable to get any sleep, and, toward morning, was dis-
+turbed by hearing an angry clamor going on outside the
+tent; it aroused M. Letourneur, Andre, and Miss Herbey,
+as much as myself, and we were anxious to ascertain the
+cause of the tumult.
+
+The boatswain, Dowlas, and all the sailors were storming
+at each other in frightful rage; and Curtis, who had come
+forward from the stern, was endeavoring to pacify them.
+
+"But who has done it? we must know who has done it,"
+said Dowlas, scowling with vindictive passion on the group
+around him.
+
+"There's a thief," howled out the boatswain, "and he
+shall be found! Let's know who has taken it."
+
+"I haven't taken it!" "Nor I! Nor I!" cried the
+sailors one after another.
+
+And then they set to work again to ransack every quarter
+of the raft; they rolled every spar aside, they overturned
+everything on board, and only grew more and more incensed
+with anger as their search proved fruitless."
+
+"Can YOU tell us," said the boatswain, coming up to me,
+"who is the thief?"
+
+"Thief!" I replied. "I don't know what you mean."
+
+And while we were speaking the others all came up to-
+gether, and told me that they had looked everywhere else,
+and that they were going now to search the tent.
+
+"Shame!" I said. "You ought to allow those whom
+you know to be dying of hunger at least to die in peace.
+There is not one of us who has left the tent all night. Why
+suspect us?"
+
+"Now just look here, Mr. Kazallon," said the boatswain,
+in a voice which he was endeavoring to calm down into
+moderation, "we are not accusing you of anything; we know
+well enough you, and all the rest of you, had a right to
+your shares as much as anybody; but that isn't it. It's all
+gone somewhere, every bit."
+
+"Yes," said Sandon gruffly; "it's all gone somewheres,
+and we are going to search the tent."
+
+Resistance was useless, and Miss Herbey, M. Letourneur,
+and Andre were all turned out.
+
+I confess I was very fearful. I had a strong suspicion
+that for the sake of his son, for whom he was ready to ven-
+ture anything, M. Letourneur had committed the theft; in
+that case I knew that nothing would have prevented the in-
+furiated men from tearing the devoted father to pieces. I
+beckoned to Curtis for protection, and he came and stood
+beside me. He said nothing, but waited with his hands in
+his pockets, and I think I am not mistaken in my belief that
+there was some sort of a weapon in each.
+
+To my great relief the search was ineffectual. There
+was no doubt that the carcass of the suicide had been thrown
+overboard, and the rage of the disappointed cannibals knew
+no bounds.
+
+Yet who had ventured to do the deed? I looked at M.
+Letourneur and Miss Herbey; but their countenances at once
+betrayed their ignorance. Andre turned his face away, and
+his eyes did not meet my own. Probably it is he; but, if it
+be, I wonder whether he has reckoned up the consequences
+of so rash an act.
+
+
+CHAPTER XLIX
+THE NEGRO BECOMES INSANE
+
+JANUARY 20 to 22. -- For the day or two after the hor-
+rible repast of the 18th those who had partaken of it ap-
+peared to suffer comparatively little either from hunger or
+thirst; but for the four of us who had tasted nothing, the
+agony of suffering grew more and more intense. It was
+enough to make us repine over the loss of the provision that
+had so mysteriously gone; and if any one of us should die,
+I doubt whether the survivors would a second time resist
+the temptation to assuage their pangs by tasting human flesh.
+
+Before long, all the cravings of hunger began to return to
+the sailors, and I could see their eyes greedily glancing upon
+us, starved as they knew us to be, as though they were reck-
+oning our hours, and already were preparing to consume
+us as their prey.
+
+As is always the case with shipwrecked men, we were
+tormented by thirst far more than by hunger; and if, in the
+height of our sufferings, we had been offered our choice be-
+tween a few drops of water and a few crumbs of biscuit, I
+do not doubt that we should, without exception, have pre-
+ferred to take the water.
+
+And what a mockery to our condition did it seem that all
+this while there was water, water, nothing but water, every-
+where around us! Again and again, incapable of compre-
+hending how powerless it was to relieve me, I put a few
+drops within my lips, but only with the invariable result of
+bringing on a most trying nausea, and rendering my thirst
+more unendurable than before.
+
+Forty-two days had passed since we quitted the sinking
+Chancellor. There could be no hope now; all of us must die,
+and by the most deplorable of deaths. I was quite con-
+scious that a mist was gathering over my brain; I felt my
+senses sinking into a condition of torpor; I made an effort,
+but all in vain, to master the delirium that I was aware was
+taking possession of my reason. It is out of my power to
+decide for how long I lost my consciousness; but when I
+came to myself I found that Miss Herbey had folded some
+wet bandages around my forehead. I am somewhat better;
+but I am weakened, mind and body, and I am conscious that
+I have not long to live.
+
+A frightful fatality occurred to-day. The scene was ter-
+rible. Jynxstrop the negro went raving mad. Curtis and
+several of the men tried their utmost to control him, but in
+spite of everything he broke loose, and tore up and down
+the raft, uttering fearful yells. He had gained possession of
+a handspike, and rushed upon us all with the ferocity of an
+infuriated tiger; how we contrived to escape mischief from
+his attacks, I know not. All at once, by one of those un-
+accountable impulses of madness, his rage turned against
+himself. With his teeth and nails he gnawed and tore away
+at his own flesh; dashing the blood into our faces, he
+shrieked out with a demoniacal grin, "Drink, drink!" and
+flinging us gory morsels, kept saying "Eat, eat!" In the
+midst of his insane shrieks he made a sudden pause, then
+dashing back again from the stern to the front, he made
+a bound and disappeared beneath the waves.
+
+Falsten, Dowlas, and the boatswain, made a rush that at
+least they might secure the body; but it was too late; all
+that they could see was a crimson circle in the water, and
+some huge sharks disporting themselves around the spot.
+
+
+CHAPTER L
+ALL HOPE GONE
+
+JANUARY 23. -- Only eleven of us now remain; and the
+probability is very great that every day must now carry off
+at least its one victim, and perhaps more. The end of the
+tragedy is rapidly approaching, and save for the chance,
+which is next to an impossibility, of our sighting land, or
+being picked up by a passing vessel, ere another week has
+elapsed not a single survivor of the Chancellor will remain.
+
+The wind freshened considerably in the night, and it is
+now blowing pretty briskly from the northeast. It has filled
+our sail, and the white foam in our wake is an indication that
+we are making some progress. The captain reckons that we
+must be advancing at the rate of about three miles an hour.
+
+Curtis and Falsten are certainly in the best condition
+among us, and in spite of their extreme emaciation they bear
+up wonderfully under the protracted hardships we have all
+endured. Words cannot describe the melancholy state to
+which poor Miss Herbey bodily is reduced; her whole being
+seems absorbed into her soul, but that soul is brave and
+resolute as ever, living in heaven rather than on earth. The
+boatswain, strong, energetic man that he was, has shrunk
+into a mere shadow of his former self, and I doubt whether
+anyone would recognize him to be the same man. He keeps
+perpetually to one corner of the raft, his head dropped upon
+his chest, and his long, bony hands lying upon knees that
+project sharply from his worn-out trowsers. Unlike Miss
+Herbey, his spirit seems to have sunk into apathy, and it is
+at times difficult to believe that he is living at all, so motion-
+less and statue-like does he sit.
+
+Silence continues to reign upon the raft. Not a sound,
+not even a groan, escapes our lips. We do not exchange
+ten words in the course of the day, and the few syllables
+that our parched tongues and swollen lips can pronounce
+are almost unintelligible. Wasted and bloodless, we are no
+longer human beings; we are specters.
+
+
+CHAPTER LI
+FLAYPOLE BECOMES DELIRIOUS
+
+JANUARY 24. -- 1 have inquired more than once of Curtis
+if he has the faintest idea to what quarter of the Atlantic
+we have drifted, and each time he has been unable to give
+me a decided answer, though from his general observation
+of the direction of the wind and currents he imagines that
+we have been carried westward, that is to say, toward the
+land.
+
+To-day the breeze has dropped entirely, but the heavy
+swell is still upon the sea, and is an unquestionable sign that
+a tempest has been raging at no great distance. The raft
+labors hard against the waves, and Curtis, Falsten, and the
+boatswain, employ the little energy that remains to them in
+strengthening the joints. Why do they give themselves
+such trouble? Why not let the few frail planks part
+asunder, and allow the ocean to terminate our miserable ex-
+istence? Certain it seems that our sufferings must have
+reached their utmost limit, and nothing could exceed the
+torture that we are enduring. The sky pours down upon us
+a heat like that of molten lead, and the sweat that saturates
+the tattered clothes that hang about our bodies goes far to
+aggravate the agonies of our thirst. No words of mine can
+describe this dire distress; these sufferings are beyond human
+estimate.
+
+Even bathing, the only means of refreshment that we
+possessed, has now become impossible, for ever since Jynx-
+strop's death the sharks have hung about the raft in shoals.
+
+To-day I tried to gain a few drops of fresh water by
+evaporation, but even with the exercise of the greatest pa-
+tience, it was with the utmost difficulty that I obtained
+enough to moisten a little scrap of linen; and the only kettle
+that we had was so old and battered, that it would not bear
+the fire, so that I was obliged to give up the attempt in de-
+spair.
+
+Falsten is now almost exhausted, and if he survives us at
+all, it can only be for a few days. Whenever I raised my
+head I always failed to see him, but he was probably lying
+sheltered somewhere beneath the sails. Curtis was the only
+man who remained on his feet, but with indomitable pluck
+he continued to stand on the front of the raft, waiting,
+watching, hoping. To look at him, with his unflagging
+energy, almost tempted me to imagine that he did well to
+hope, but I dared not entertain one sanguine thought, and
+there I lay, waiting, nay, longing for death.
+
+How many hours passed away thus I cannot tell, but after
+a time a loud peal of laughter burst upon my ear. Someone
+else, then, was going mad, I thought; but the idea did not
+rouse me in the least. The laughter was repeated with
+greater vehemence, but I never raised my head. Presently
+I caught a few incoherent words.
+
+"Fields, fields, gardens and trees! Look, there's an inn
+under the trees! Quick, quick! brandy, gin, water! a guinea
+a drop! I'll pay for it! I've lots of money! lots! lots!"
+
+Poor deluded wretch! I thought again; the wealth of
+a nation could not buy a drop of water here. There was
+silence for a minute, when all of a sudden I heard the shout
+of "Land! land!"
+
+The words acted upon me like an electric shock, and, with
+a frantic effort, I started to my feet. No land, indeed, was
+visible, but Flaypole, laughing, singing, and gesticulating,
+was raging up and down the raft. Sight, taste, and hear-
+ing -- all were gone; but the cerebral derangement supplied
+their place, and in imagination the maniac was conversing
+with absent friends, inviting them into the George Inn at
+Cardiff, offering them gin, whiskey, and, above all, water!
+Stumbling at every step, and singing in a cracked, discordant
+voice, he staggered about among us like an intoxicated man.
+With the loss of his senses all his sufferings had vanished,
+and his thirst was appeased. It was hard not to wish to be
+a partaker of his hallucination.
+
+Dowlas, Falsten, and the boatswain, seemed to think that
+the unfortunate wretch would, like Jynxstrop, put an end
+to himself by leaping into the sea; but, determined this time
+to preserve the body, that it might serve a better purpose
+than merely feeding the sharks, they rose and followed the
+madman everywhere he went, keeping a strict eye upon his
+every movement.
+
+But the matter did not end as they expected. As though
+he were really intoxicated by the stimulants of which he had
+been raving, Flaypole at last sank down in a heap in a cor-
+ner of the raft, where he lay lost in a heavy slumber.
+
+
+CHAPTER LII
+I DECIDE TO COMMIT SUICIDE
+
+JANUARY 25. -- Last night was very misty, and for some
+unaccountable reason, one of the hottest that can be
+imagined. The atmosphere was really so stifling, that it
+seemed as if it only required a spark to set it alight. The
+raft was not only quite stationary, but did not even rise
+and fall with any motion of the waves.
+
+During the night I tried to count how many there were
+now on board, but I was utterly unable to collect my ideas
+sufficiently to make the enumeration. Sometimes I counted
+ten, sometimes twelve, and although I knew that eleven,
+since Jynxstrop was dead, was the correct number, I could
+never bring my reckoning right. Of one thing I felt quite
+sure, and that was that the number would very soon be ten.
+I was convinced that I could myself last but very little
+longer. All the events and associations of my life passed
+rapidly through my brain. My country, my friends, and
+my family all appeared as it were in a vision, and seemed
+as though they had come to bid me a last farewell.
+
+Toward morning I woke from my sleep, if the languid
+stupor into which I had fallen was worthy of that name.
+One fixed idea had taken possession of my brain -- I would
+put an end to myself; and I felt a sort of pleasure as I
+gloated over the power that I had to terminate my suffer-
+ings. I told Curtis, with the utmost composure, of my in-
+tention, and he received the intelligence as calmly as it was
+delivered.
+
+"Of course you will do as you please," he said; "for
+my own part, I shall not abandon my post. It is my duty to
+remain here; and unless death comes to carry me away, I
+shall stay where I am to the very last."
+
+The dull gray fog still hung heavily over the ocean, but
+the sun was evidently shining above the mist, and would, in
+course of time, dispel the vapor. Toward seven o'clock I
+fancied I heard the cries of birds above my head. The
+sound was repeated three times, and as I went up to the cap-
+tain to ask him about it, I heard him mutter to himself:
+
+"Birds! Why, that looks as if land were not far off."
+
+But although Curtis might still cling to the hope of reach-
+ing land, I knew not what it was to have one sanguine
+thought. For me there was neither continent nor island;
+the world was one fluid sphere, uniform, monotonous, as in
+the most primitive period of its formation. Nevertheless
+it must be owned that it was with a certain amount of im-
+patience that I awaited the rising of the mist, for I was
+anxious to shake off the phantom fallacies that Curtis's
+words had suggested to my mind.
+
+Not till eleven o'clock did the fog begin to break, and as
+it rolled in heavy folds along the surface of the water, I
+could every now and then catch glimpses of a clear blue sky
+beyond. Fierce sunbeams pierced the cloud-rifts, scorching
+and burning our bodies like red-hot iron; but it was only
+above our heads that there was any sunlight to condense the
+vapor; the horizon was still quite invisible. There was no
+wind, and for half an hour longer the fog hung heavily
+round the raft, while Curtis, leaning against the side, strove
+to penetrate the obscurity. At length the sun burst forth in
+full power, and, sweeping the surface of the ocean, dispelled
+the fog and left the horizon open to our eyes.
+
+There, exactly as we had seen it for the last six weeks,
+was the circle that bounded sea and sky -- unbroken, definite,
+distinct as ever! Curtis gazed with intensest scrutiny, but
+did not speak a word. I pitied him sincerely, for he alone
+of us all felt that he had not the right to put an end to his
+misery. For myself, I had fully determined that if I lived
+till the following day, I would die by my own hand.
+Whether my companions were still alive, I hardly cared to
+know; it seemed as though days had passed since I had
+seen them.
+
+Night drew on, but I could not sleep for a moment. To-
+ward two o'clock in the morning my thirst was so intense
+that I was unable to suppress loud cries of agony. Was
+there nothing that would serve to quench the fire that was
+burning within me? What if, instead of drinking the blood
+of others, I were to drink my own? It would be all un-
+availing, I was well aware; but scarcely had the thought
+crossed my mind, than I proceeded to put it into execution.
+I unclasped my knife, and, stripping my arm, with a steady
+thrust I opened a small vein. The blood oozed out slowly,
+drop by drop, and as I eagerly swallowed the source of my
+very life, I felt that for a moment my torments were re-
+lieved. But only for a moment; all energy had failed my
+pulses, and almost immediately the blood had ceased to flow.
+
+How long it seemed before the morning dawned! and
+when that morning came it brought another fog, heavy as
+before, that again shut out the horizon. The fog was hot
+as the burning steam that issues from a boiler. It was to
+be my last day upon earth, and I felt that I should like to
+press the hand of a friend before I died. Curtis was stand-
+ing near, and crawling up to him, I took his hand in my
+own. He seemed to know that I was taking my farewell,
+and with one last lingering hope he endeavored to restrain
+me. But all in vain; my mind was finally made up.
+
+I should have liked to speak once again to M. Letourneur,
+Andre, and Miss Herbey, but my courage failed me. I
+knew that the young girl would read my resolution in my
+eyes, and that she would speak to me of duty, and of God,
+and of eternity, and I dared not meet her gaze; and I would
+not run the risk of being persuaded to wait until a lingering
+death should overtake me. I returned to the back of the
+raft, and after making several efforts, I managed to get
+on to my feet. I cast one long look at the pitiless ocean and
+the unbroken horizon; if a sail or the outline of a coast had
+broken on my view, I believe that I should only have deemed
+myself the victim of an illusion; but nothing of the kind
+appeared, and the sea was dreary as a desert.
+
+It was ten o'clock in the morning. The pangs of hunger
+and the torments of thirst were racking me with redoubled
+vigor. All instinct of self-preservation had left me, and
+I felt that the hour had come when I must cease to suffer.
+Just as I was on the point of casting myself headlong into
+the sea, a voice, which I recognized as Dowlas's, broke upon
+my ear.
+
+"Captain," he said, "we are going to draw lots."
+
+Involuntarily I paused; I did not take my plunge, but
+returned to my place upon the raft.
+
+
+CHAPTER LIII
+WE DECIDE TO DRAW LOTS
+
+JANUARY 26. -- All heard and understood the proposition;
+in fact it had been in contemplation for several days, but no
+one had ventured to put the idea into words. However, it
+was done now; lots were to be drawn, and to each would be
+assigned his share of the body of the one ordained by fate to
+be the victim. For my own part, I profess that I was quite
+resigned for the lot to fall upon myself. I thought I heard
+Andre Letourneur beg for an exception to be made in favor
+of Miss Herbey; but the sailors raised a murmur of dissent.
+As there were eleven of us on board, there were ten chances
+to one in each one's favor -- a proportion which would be
+diminished if Miss Herbey were excluded; so that the young
+lady was forced to take her chance among the rest.
+
+It was then half-past ten, and the boatswain, who had
+been roused from his lethargy by what the carpenter had
+said, insisted that the drawing should take place immediately.
+There was no reason for delaying the fatal lottery. There
+was not one of us that clung in the least to life; and we
+knew that, at the worst, whoever should be doomed to die,
+would only precede the rest by a few days, or even hours.
+All that we desired was just once to slake our raging thirst
+and moderate our gnawing hunger.
+
+How all the names found their way to the bottom of a
+hat I cannot tell. Very likely Falsten wrote them upon a
+leaf torn from his memorandum-book. But be that as it
+may, the eleven names were there, and it was unanimously
+agreed that the last name drawn should be the victim.
+
+But who would draw the names? There was hesitation
+for a moment; then "I will," said a voice behind me. Turn-
+ing round, I beheld M. Letourneur standing with out-
+stretched hand, and with his long white hair falling over his
+thin livid face that was almost sublime in its calmness. I
+divined at once the reason of this voluntary offer; I knew
+that it was the father's devotion in self-sacrifice that led him
+to undertake the office.
+
+"As soon as you please," said the boatswain.
+
+M. Letourneur proceeded to draw out the folded strips of
+paper, one by one, and, after reading out loud the name
+upon it, handed it to its owner.
+
+The first name called was that of Burke, who uttered a
+cry of delight; then followed Flaypole and the boatswain.
+What his name really was I never could exactly learn.
+Then came Falsten, Curtis, Sandon. More than half had
+now been called, and my name had not yet been drawn.
+I calculated my remaining chance; it was still four to one
+in my favor.
+
+M. Letourneur continued his painful task. Since Burke's
+first exclamation of joy not a sound had escaped our lips,
+but all were listening in breathless silence. The seventh
+name was Miss Herbey's, but the young girl heard it with-
+out a start. Then came mine, yes, mine! and the ninth was
+was that of Letourneur.
+
+"Which one?" asked the boatswain.
+
+"Andre," said M. Letourneur.
+
+With one cry Andre fell back senseless. Only two names
+now remained in the hat -- those of Dowlas and M. Letour-
+neur himself.
+
+"Go on!" almost roared the carpenter, surveying his
+partner in peril as though he could devour him. M. Le-
+tourneur almost had a smile upon his lips, as he drew forth
+the last paper but one, and with a firm, unfaltering voice,
+marvelous for his age, unfolded it slowly, and read the name
+of Dowlas. The carpenter gave a yell of relief as he heard
+the word.
+
+M. Letourneur took the last bit of paper from the hat,
+and, without looking at it, tore it to pieces. But, unper-
+ceived by all but myself, one little fragment flew into a
+corner of the raft. I crawled toward it and picked it up.
+On one side of it was written Andr--; the rest of the word
+was torn away. M. Letourneur saw what I had done, and,
+rushing toward me, snatched the paper from my hands, and
+flung it into the sea.
+
+
+CHAPTER LIV
+MISS HERBEY PLEADS FOR ONE DAY MORE
+
+JANUARY 26. -- I understood it all; the devoted father hav-
+ing nothing more to give, had given his life for his son.
+
+M. Letourneur was no longer a human being in the eyes
+of the famished creatures who were now yearning to see him
+sacrificed to their cravings. At the very sight of the victim
+thus provided, all the tortures of hunger returned with
+redoubled violence. With lips distended, and teeth dis-
+played, they waited like a herd of carnivora until they could
+attack their prey with brutal voracity; it seemed almost
+doubtful whether they would not fall upon him while still
+alive. It seemed impossible that any appeal to their human-
+ity could, at such a moment, have any weight; nevertheless,
+the appeal was made, and, incredible as it may seem, pre-
+vailed.
+
+Just as the boatswain was about to act the part of butcher,
+and Dowlas stood, hatchet in hand, ready to complete the
+barbarous work, Miss Herbey advanced, or rather crawled,
+toward them.
+
+"My friends," she pleaded, "will you not wait just one
+more day? If no land or ship is in sight to-morrow, then
+I suppose our poor companion must become your victim.
+But allow him one more day; in the name of mercy I en-
+treat, I implore you."
+
+My heart bounded as she made her pitiful appeal. It
+seemed to me as though the noble girl had spoken with an
+inspiration on her lips, and I fancied that, perhaps, in super-
+natural vision she had viewed the coast or the ship of which
+she spoke; and one more day was not much to us who had
+already suffered so long, and endured so much.
+
+Curtis and Falsten agreed with me, and we all united to
+support Miss Herbey's merciful petition. The sailors did
+not utter a murmur, and the boatswain in a smothered voice
+said:
+
+"Very well, we will wait till daybreak to-morrow," and
+threw down his hatchet.
+
+To-morrow, then, unless land or a sail appear, the horrible
+sacrifice will be accomplished. Stifling their sufferings by
+a strenuous effort, all returned to their places. The sailors
+crouched beneath the sails, caring nothing about scanning
+the ocean. Food was in store for them to-morrow, and that
+was enough for them.
+
+As soon as Andre Letourneur came to his senses, his first
+thought was for his father, and I saw him count the pas-
+sengers on the raft. He looked puzzled; when he lost con-
+sciousness there had been only two names left in the hat,
+those of his father and the carpenter; and yet M. Letourneur
+and Dowlas were both there still. Miss Herbey went up
+to him and told him quietly that the drawing of the lots
+had not yet been finished. Andre asked no further ques-
+tion, but took his father's hand. M. Letourneur's counte-
+nance was calm and serene; he seemed to be conscious of
+nothing except that the life of his son was spared, and as
+the two sat conversing in an undertone at the back of the
+raft, their whole existence seemed bound up in each other.
+
+Meantime, I could not disabuse my mind of the impres-
+sion caused by Miss Herbey's intervention. Something told
+me that help was near at hand, and that we were approach-
+ing the termination of our suspense and misery; the chimeras
+that were floating through my brain resolved themselves into
+realities, so that nothing appeared to me more certain than
+that either land or sail, be they miles away, would be dis-
+covered somewhere to leeward.
+
+I imparted my convictions to M. Letourneur and his son.
+Andre was as sanguine as myself; poor boy! he little thinks
+what a loss there is in store for him to-morrow. His father
+listened gravely to all we said, and whatever he might think
+in his own mind, he did not give us any discouragement;
+Heaven, he said, he was sure would still spare the survivors
+of the Chancellor, and then he lavished on his son caresses
+which he deemed to be his last.
+
+Some time afterward, when I was alone with him, M.
+Letourneur whispered in my ear:
+
+"Mr. Kazallon, I commend my boy to your care, and
+mark you, he must never know --"
+
+His voice was choked with tears, and he could not finish
+his sentence.
+
+But I was full of hope, and, without a moment's inter-
+mission, I kept my eyes fixed upon the unbroken horizon.
+Curtis, Miss Herbey, Falsten, and even the boatswain, were
+also eagerly scanning the broad expanse of the sea.
+
+Night has come on; but I have still a profound conviction
+that through the darkness some ship will approach, and that
+at daybreak our raft will be observed.
+
+
+CHAPTER LV
+FRESH WATER
+
+JANUARY 27. -- I did not close my eyes all night, and was
+keenly alive to the faintest sounds, and every ripple of the
+water, and every murmur of the waves, broke distinctly on
+my ear. One thing I noticed and accepted as a happy omen;
+not a single shark now lingered round the raft. The wan-
+ing moon rose at a quarter to one, and through the feeble
+glimmer which she cast across the ocean, many and many a
+time I fancied I caught sight of the longed-for sail, lying
+only a few cables'-lengths away.
+
+But when morning came, the sun rose once again upon
+a desert ocean, and my hopes began to fade. Neither ship
+nor shore had appeared, and as the shocking hour of execu-
+tion drew near, my dreams of deliverance melted away; I
+shuddered in my very soul as I was brought face to face
+with the stern reality. I dared not look upon the victim,
+and whenever his eyes, so full of calmness and resignation,
+met my own, I turned away my head. I felt choked
+with horror, and my brain reeled as though I were intoxi-
+cated.
+
+It was now six o'clock, and all hope had vanished from
+my breast; my heart beat rapidly, and a cold sweat of agony
+broke out all over me. Curtis and the boatswain stood by
+the mast attentively scanning the horizon. The boatswain's
+countenance was terrible to look upon; one could see that
+although he would not forestall the hour, he was determined
+not to wait a moment after it arrived. As for the captain,
+it was impossible to tell what really passed within his mind;
+his face was livid, and his whole existence seemed concen-
+trated in the exercise of his power of vision. The sailors
+were crawling about the platform, with their eyes gleaming,
+like the wild beasts ready to pounce upon their devoted prey.
+
+I could no longer keep my place, and glided along to the
+front of the raft. The boatswain was still standing intent
+on his watch, but all of a sudden, in a voice that made me
+start, he shouted:
+
+"Now then, time's up!" and followed by Dowlas, Burke,
+Flaypole, and Sandon, ran to the back of the raft.   As
+Dowlas seized the hatchet convulsively, Miss Herbey could
+not suppress a cry of terror. Andre started to his feet.
+
+"What are you going to do to my father?" he asked in
+accents choked with emotion.
+
+"My boy," said M. Letourneur, "the lot has fallen upon
+me, and I must die!"
+
+"Never!" shrieked Andre, throwing his arms about his
+father. "They shall kill me first. It was I who threw
+Hobart's body into the sea, and it is I who ought to die!"
+But the words of the unhappy youth had no other effect
+than to increase the fury of the men who were so stanchly
+bent upon their bloody purpose.
+
+"Come, come, no more fuss," said Dowlas, as he tore
+the young man away from his father's embrace.
+
+Andre fell upon his back, in which position two of the
+sailors held him down so tightly that he could not move,
+while Burke and Sandon carried off their victim to the
+front.
+
+All this had taken place much more rapidly than I have
+been able to describe it. I was transfixed with horror, and
+much as I wished to throw myself between M. Letourneur
+and his executioners, I seemed to be rooted to the spot where
+I was standing.
+
+Meantime the sailors had been taking off some of M.
+Letourneur's clothes, and his neck and shoulders were al-
+ready bare.
+
+"Stop a moment!" he said in a tone in which was the
+ring of indomitable courage. "Stop! I don't want to de-
+prive you of your ration; but I suppose you will not require
+to eat the whole of me to-day."
+
+The sailors, taken back by his suggestion, stared at him
+with amazement.
+
+"There are ten of you," he went on. "My two arms
+will give you each a meal; cut them off for to-day, and to-
+morrow you shall have the rest of me."
+
+"Agreed!" cried Dowlas; and as M. Letourneur held
+out his bare arms, quick as lightning the carpenter raised
+his hatchet.
+
+Curtis and I could bear this scene no longer; while we
+were alive to prevent it, this butchery should not be per-
+mitted, and we rushed forward simultaneously to snatch
+the victim from his murderers. A furious struggle ensued,
+and in the midst of the melee, I was seized by one of the
+sailors, and hurled violently into the sea.
+
+Closing my lips, I tried to die of suffocation in the water;
+but in spite of myself, my mouth opened, and a few drops
+trickled down my throat.
+
+Merciful Heaven! the water was fresh!
+
+
+CHAPTER LVI
+NEAR THE COAST OF SOUTH AMERICA
+
+JANUARY 27 continued. -- A change came over me as if
+by miracle. No longer had I any wish to die, and already
+Curtis, who had heard my cries, was throwing me a rope.
+I seized it eagerly, and was hauled up on to the raft.
+
+"Fresh water!" were the first words I uttered.
+
+"Fresh water?" cried Curtis; "why then, my friends,
+we are not far from land!"
+
+It was not too late: the blow had not been struck, and so
+the victim had not yet fallen. Curtis and Andre (who had
+regained his liberty) had fought with the cannibals, and it
+was just as they were yielding to over-powering numbers
+that my voice had made itself heard.
+
+The struggle came to an end.   As soon as the words
+"fresh water" had escaped my lips, I leaned over the side
+of the raft and swallowed the life-giving liquid in greedy
+draughts. Miss Herbey was the first to follow my example,
+but soon Curtis, Falsten, and all the rest were on their knees
+and drinking eagerly. The rough sailors seemed as if by
+a magic touch transformed back from ravenous beasts to
+human beings, and I saw several of them raise their hands
+to heaven in silent gratitude. Andre and his father were
+the last to drink.
+
+"But where are we?" I asked at length.
+
+"The land is there," said Curtis, pointing toward the
+west.
+
+We all stared at the captain as though he were mocking
+us: no land was in sight, and the raft, just as ever, was the
+center of a watery waste. Yet our senses had not deceived
+us; the water we had been drinking was perfectly fresh.
+
+"Yes," repeated the captain, "land is certainly there, not
+more than twenty miles to leeward."
+
+"What land?" inquired the boatswain.
+
+"South America," answered Curtis, "and near the
+Amazon; no other river has a current strong enough to
+freshen the ocean twenty miles from shore!"
+
+
+CHAPTER LVII
+LAND AHOY!
+
+JANUARY 27 continued. -- Curtis, no doubt, was right.
+The discharge from the mouth of the Amazon is enor-
+mously large, but we had probably drifted into the only spot
+in the Atlantic where we could find fresh water so far from
+land. Yet land undoubtedly was there, and the breeze was
+carrying us onward slowly but surely to our deliverance.
+
+Miss Herbey's voice was heard pouring out fervent praise
+to Heaven, and we were all glad to unite our thanksgivings
+with hers. Then the whole of us (with the exception of
+Andre and his father, who remained by themselves to-
+gether at the stern) clustered in a group, and kept our ex-
+pectant gaze upon the horizon.
+
+We had not long to wait. Before an hour had passed,
+Curtis leaped in ecstasy and raised the joyous shout of
+"Land ahoy!"
+
+     .     .     .     .     .
+
+My journal has come to a close.
+
+I have only to relate, as briefly as possible, the circum-
+stances that finally brought us to our destination.
+
+A few hours after we first sighted land the raft was off
+Cape Magoari, on the island of Marajo, and was observed
+by some fishermen, who, with kind-hearted alacrity picked
+us up and tended us most carefully. They conveyed us to
+Para, where we became the objects of unbounded sympathy.
+
+The raft was brought to land in latitude 0 deg. 12' north, so
+that since we abandoned the Chancellor we had drifted at
+least fifteen degrees to the southwest. Except for the in-
+fluence of the Gulf Stream we must have been carried far,
+far to the south, and in that case we should never have
+reached the mouth of the Amazon, and must inevitably
+have been lost.
+
+Of the thirty-two souls -- nine passengers and twenty-
+three seamen -- who left Charleston on board the ship, only
+five passengers and six seamen remain. Eleven of us alone
+survive.
+
+An official account of our rescue was drawn up by the
+Brazilian authorities. Those who signed were Miss Her-
+bey, J. R. Kazallon, M. Letourneur, Andre Letourneur,
+Mr. Falsten, the boatswain, Dowlas, Burke, Flaypole, San-
+don, and last, though not least,
+                     "Robert Curtis, Captain."
+
+At Para we soon found facilities for continuing our
+homeward route. A vessel took us to Cayenne, where we
+secured a passage on board one of the steamers of the
+French Transatlantic Aspinwall line, the Ville de St. Na-
+zaire, which conveyed us to Europe.
+
+After all the dangers and privations which we have under-
+gone together, it is scarcely necessary to say that there has
+arisen between the surviving passengers of the Chancellor
+a bond of friendship too indissoluble, I believe, for either
+time or circumstance to destroy; Curtis must ever remain
+the honored and valued friend of those whose welfare he
+consulted so faithfully in their misfortunes; his conduct
+was beyond all praise.
+
+When we were fairly on our homeward way, Miss Herbey
+by chance intimated to us her intention of retiring from the
+world and devoting the remainder of her life to the care
+of the sick and suffering.
+
+"Then why not come and look after my son?" said
+M. Letourneur, adding, "he is an invalid, and he requires,
+as he deserves, the best of nursing."
+
+Miss Herbey, after some deliberation, consented to be-
+come a member of their family, and finds in M. Letourneur
+a father, and in Andre a brother. A brother, I say; but
+may we not hope that she may be united by a dearer and a
+closer tie, and that the noble-hearted girl may experience
+the happiness that she so richly deserves?
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg Etext The Survivors of the Chancellor, by Verne
+
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