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diff --git a/44497.txt b/44497.txt deleted file mode 100644 index e681947..0000000 --- a/44497.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,5100 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Wreck of the Grosvenor, Volume 1 of 3, by -William Clark Russell - -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 Wreck of the Grosvenor, Volume 1 of 3 - An account of the mutiny of the crew and the loss of the - ship when trying to make the Bermudas - -Author: William Clark Russell - -Release Date: December 24, 2013 [EBook #44497] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WRECK OF THE GROSVENOR *** - - - - -Produced by Charlie Howard and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - -THE WRECK OF THE "GROSVENOR." - - - - - THE - WRECK OF THE "GROSVENOR:" - - AN ACCOUNT OF - _THE MUTINY OF THE CREW AND THE - LOSS OF THE SHIP_ - WHEN TRYING TO MAKE THE BERMUDAS. - - _IN THREE VOLUMES._ - VOL. I. - - LONDON: - SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE & RIVINGTON, - CROWN BUILDINGS, 188, FLEET STREET. - 1877. - - (_All rights reserved._) - - - - - LONDON: - PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, - STAMFORD STREET AND CHARING CROSS. - - - - -THE WRECK OF THE "GROSVENOR." - - - - -CHAPTER I. - - -There was every appearance of a south-westerly wind. The coast of -France, which had been standing high and shining upon the horizon on -the port bow, and so magnified by the clear northerly air that you -could discern, even at that distance, the dim emerald sheen of the -upper slopes and the streaky shadows thrown by projecting points and -elbows on the white ground, was fast fading, though the sun still stood -within an hour of its setting beyond the bleak Foreland. The north -wind, which had rattled us with an acre of foam at our bows right -away down the river, and had now brought us well abreast of the Gull -lightship, was dropping fast. There was barely enough air to keep the -royals full, and the ship's number, which I had just hoisted at the -peak--a string of gaudy flags which made a brilliant figure against the -white canvas of the spanker--shook their folds sluggishly. - -The whole stretch of scene, from the North Foreland down to the -vanishing French headlands miles away yonder, was lovely at that -moment--full of the great peace of an ocean falling asleep, of gently -moving vessels, of the solemn gathering of shadows. The town of Deal -was upon the starboard bow, a warm cluster of houses, with a windmill -on the green hills turning drowsily, here and there a window glittering -with a sudden beam of light, an inclined beach in the foreground with -groups of boats high and dry upon it, and a line of foam at its base -which sang upon the shingle so that you could hear it plainly amid -intervals of silence on board the ship. The evening sun shining over -the giant brow of the South Foreland struck the grey outline of the -cliff deep in the still water, but the clear red blaze fell far and -wide over the dry white downs of Sandwich and the outlying plains, and -threw the distant country into such bold relief against the blue sky -that, from the sea, it looked close at hand, and but a short walk from -the shore. - -There were three or four dozen vessels at anchor in the Downs waiting -for a change of wind or anticipating a dead calm for some hours. A few -others, like ourselves, were swimming stealthily over the slack tide, -with every foot of their canvas piled upon them with the effort to -reach safe anchorage before the wind wholly failed and the tide turned. -A large ship, with her sails stowed and her masts and rigging showing -with the fineness of ivory-tracing against the sky, was being towed up -Channel, and the slapping of the water by the paddles of the tug, in -fast capricious revolutions, was quite audible, though both ship and -steamer were a long league distant. Here and there small boats were -rowing away from the anchored ships for the shore. Now and again you -could hear the faint distant choruses of seamen furling a big sail or -paying out more cable, the _clank, clank_ of which was as pretty as -music. Down in the east the heavens were a deep blue, flecked along the -water line with white sails, which glowed in the sunshine like beacons. - -I was in a proper mood to appreciate this beautiful tranquil scene. -I was leaving England for a long spell, and the sight of that quiet -little town of Deal and the grand old Foreland cliffs shutting out the -sky, and the pale white shores we had left far astern, went right to -my heart. Well, it was just a quiet leave-taking of the old country -without words or sobs. - -"The pilot means to bring up. I have just heard him tell the skipper to -stand by for a light sou'-westerly breeze. This is a _most_ confounded -nuisance! All hands, perhaps, in the middle watch to get under way." - -"I expected as much," said I, turning and confronting a short, -squarely-built man, with a power of red hair under his chin, and a skin -like yellow leather through thirty years exposure to sun and wind and -dirt all over the world. This was the chief mate, Mr. Ephraim Duckling, -confidently assumed by me to be a Yankee, though he didn't talk with -his nose. I had looked at this gentleman with some doubt when I first -met him in the West India Docks. He had blue eyes, with a cast in -the port optic; this somehow made him humorous, whether or no, when -he meant to be droll, so he had an advantage over other wits. He had -hair so dense, coarse, and red withal, that he might have been safely -scalped for a door-mat. His legs were short, and his body very long and -broad, and I guessed his strength by the way his arm filled out, and -threatened to burst up the sleeve of his coat when he bent it. So far -he had been polite enough to me, in a mighty rough fashion indeed; and -as to the men, there had been little occasion for him to give orders as -yet. - -"I expected as much," said I. "I have been watching the coast of France -for the last quarter of an hour, and the moisture has nearly shut it -out altogether. I doubt if we'll fetch the Downs before the calm falls." - -"There's a little wind over the land, though, or that mill wouldn't be -turning." - -He turned his eyes up aloft; then went to the ship's side, and looked -over. I followed him. The clear green water was slipping slowly past, -and now and again a string of sea-weed went by, or a big, transparent -jelly-fish, or a great crab floating on the top of the water. A thin -ripple shot out in a semicircle from the ship's bow, and, at all -events, we might tell that we were moving by watching the mast of the -Gull lightship sliding by the canvas of a vessel hull below the horizon -to the eastward of the sands. - -Some of the hands were on the forecastle, looking and pointing towards -the shore. Others stood in a group near the galley, talking with the -cook, a fat, pale man, with flannel shirt-sleeves rolled above his -elbows. The pigs in the long-boat grunted an accompaniment to the -chattering of a mass of hens cooped under the long-boat. There was -no movement in the sea, and the great sails overhead hung without -flapping, and nothing stirred aloft but the light canvas of the royals, -which sometimes shook against the masts lazily, and with a fine distant -sound. - -The skipper stood on the weather-side of the poop, against the -starboard quarter-boat, conversing with the pilot. - -Have before you a tall, well-shaped man, with iron-grey hair, a thin -aquiline nose, a short compressed mouth, small dark eyes, which looked -at you imperiously from under a perfect hedge of eyebrow, and whitish -whiskers, which slanted across his cheeks; dressed in a tall hat, a -long monkey-jacket, and square-toed boots. - -Captain Coxon was a decidedly good-looking man, not in the smallest -degree approaching the conventional notion of the merchant-skipper. -Happily, it is no condition of good seamanship that a man should have -bow-legs, and a coppery nose, and groggy eyes; and that he should -prefer a dish of junk to a savoury kickshaw, and screeching rum to good -wine. I had heard before I joined the _Grosvenor_ that Coxon was a -smart seaman, though a bully to his men. But this did not prejudice me. -I thought I knew my duties well enough to steer clear of his temper; -and for the rest, knowing what a seafaring life is, and how scarcely an -hour ever comes without bringing some kind of peril of its own, I would -rather any day take service under a Bashaw who knew his work, than a -mild-natured creature who didn't. - -The pilot was a little dusky-faced man, with great bushy whiskers, and -a large chocolate-coloured shawl round his throat, though we were in -August. I was watching these two men talking, when Duckling said-- - -"It's my belief that we shall have trouble with those fellows forward. -When we trimmed sail off the North Foreland did you notice how they -went to work?" - -"Yes, I did. And I'll tell you what's the matter. As I was going -forward after dinner, the cook stopped me, and told me the men were -grumbling at the provisions. He said that some of the pork served out -stunk, and the bread was mouldy and full of weevils." - -"Oh, is that it!" said Duckling. "Wait till I get them to sea, and I'll -give them my affidavit now, if they like, that _then_ they'll have -something to cry over. There's a Portugee fellow among them, and no -ship's company can keep honest when one of those devils comes aboard. -He'll always find out something that's wrong, and turn and tumble it -about until it sets all hands on fire." - -He went to the break of the poop and leaned, with his arms squarely -set, upon the brass rail, and stared furiously at the group of men -about the galley. Some of them grew uneasy, and edged away and got -round to the other side of the galley; others, of those who remained, -folded their arms and stared at him back, and one of them laughed, -which put him in a passion at once. - -"You lazy hounds!" he bellowed in a voice of thunder, "have you -nothing to get about? Some of you get that cable range there more over -to windward. You, there, get some scrubbing-brushes and clean the -long-boat's bottom. Forecastle, there, come down out of that and see -that your halliards are clear for running! I'll teach you to palaver -the cook, you grumbling villains!" and he made a movement so full of -menace that the most obstinate-looking of the fellows got life into -them at once, and bustled about. - -I looked at the skipper to see what he thought of this little outbreak; -but neither he nor the pilot paid the smallest attention to it: only, -when Duckling had made an end, the pilot gave an order which was -repeated by the chief mate with lungs of brass-- - -"Aft here, and clew up the mainsail and furl it!" - -The men threw down the scrubbing-brushes and chain-hooks which they -had picked up, and came aft to the main-deck in a most surly fashion. -Duckling eyed them like a mastiff a cat. I noticed some smart-looking -hands among them, but they all to a man put on a lubberly air; and as -they hauled upon the various ropes which snug a ship's canvas upon the -yard preparatory to its being furled, I heard them putting all manner -of coarse, violent expressions, having reference to the ship and her -officers, into their songs. - -They went up aloft slowly and laid out along the yard, grumbling -furiously. And to show what bad sailors they were, I suppose, they -stowed the sail villainously, leaving bits of the leech sticking out, -and making a bunt that must have blown out to the first cap-full of -wind. - -I was rather of opinion that Duckling's behaviour was founded on -traditions which had been surrendered years ago by British seamen to -Yankee skippers and mates. He had sailed a voyage in this ship with -Coxon, and the captain therefore knew his character. That Coxon should -abet Duckling's behaviour towards the men by his silence, was a bad -augury. I reckoned that they understood each other, and that the whole -ship's company, including myself, might expect a very uncomfortable -voyage. - -Meanwhile, Duckling waited until the men were off the yard and -descending the rigging: he then roared out, "Furl the mainsail!" - -The men stopped coming down, and looked at the yard and then at -Duckling; and one of them said, in a sullen tone, "It is furled." - -I was amazed to see Duckling hop off the deck on to the poop-rail and -spring up the rigging: I thought that he was going to thrash the man -who had answered: and the man evidently thought so too, for he turned -pale, and edged sideways along the ratline on which he stood, whilst he -held one of his hands clenched. Up went Duckling, shaking the shrouds -violently with his ungainly, sprawling way of climbing, and making the -men dance upon the ratlines. In a moment he had swung himself upon -the foot-rope and was casting off the yard-arm gaskets. I don't think -half a dozen men could have loosed the sail in the time taken by him -to do so. Down it fell, and down he came, hand over fist along the -main-topsail sheets against the mainmast, bounded up the poop-ladder, -and without loss of breath, roared out, "Furl the mainsail!" - -The men seemed inclined to disobey: some of them had already reached -the bulwark: but another bellow, accompanied by a gesture, appeared to -decide them. They mounted slowly, got upon the yard, and this time did -the job in a sailor-like fashion. - -"I'm only beginning with them," he said in his rough voice to me; and -then glanced at Coxon, who gave him a nod and a smile. - -The pilot now told me to go forward and see everything ready for -bringing up. We were drawing close to the Downs, but the air had quite -died out and the sea stretched like oil to the horizon. I don't know -what was giving us way, for the light sails aloft hung flat, and the -smoke of a steamboat with its two funnels only showing away across the -Channel, went straight up into the sky. There must, however, have been -a faint, imperceptible tide running, but it took us another half-hour -to reach the point where the pilot had resolved to bring up, and by -that time the sun had sunk behind the great headland beyond Deal, and -was casting a broad crimson glare upon the further sea. - -The royals and top-gallant sails were clewed up and furled, and then -the order was given to let go the topsail halliards. Down came the -three heavy yards rumbling along the masts, with the sound of chain -rattling over sheaves. The canvas fell into festoons, and the pilot -called, "All ready forrard?" - -"All ready." - -"Let go the anchor." - -"Stand clear of the cable!" I shouted. - -Whack! whack! went the carpenter's driving hammer. A moment's pause, -then a tremendous splash, and the cable rushed with a hoarse outcry -through the hawser hole. - -When this job was over I waited on the forecastle to superintend the -stowing of the sails forward. The men worked briskly enough, and I -heard one of them who was stowing the fore-topmast stay-sail say "that -it was good luck the skipper had brought up. He didn't think he'd be -such a fool." - -This set me wondering what their meaning could be; but I thought it -best to take no notice nor repeat what I had heard, as I considered -that the less Mr. Duckling had to say to the men the better we should -all get on. - -It was half-past seven by the time the sails were furled and the decks -cleared of the ropes. The hands went below to tea, and I was walking -aft when the cook came out of the galley and said-- - -"Beg your pardon, sir; would you mind tasting of this?" And he handed -me a bit of the ship's biscuit. I smelt it and found it mouldy, and put -a piece in my mouth, but soon spat it out. - -"I can't say much for this, cook," said I. - -"It's not fit for dogs," replied the cook. "But, so far as I've seen, -all the provisions is the same. The sugar's like mud, and the molasses -is full of grit; and though I've been to sea man and boy two and twenty -year, I never saw tea like what they've got on board this ship. It -ain't tea--it makes the liquor yaller. It's shavings, and wot I say is, -regular tea _ain't_ shavings." - -"Well, let the men complain to the captain," I answered. "He can report -to the owners and get the ship's stores condemned." - -"It's my belief they wos condemned afore they came on board," answered -the cook. "I'll bet any man a week's grog that they wos bought cheap in -a dockyard sale o' rotten grub, by order o' the Admiralty." - -"Give me a biscuit," said I, "and I'll show it to the captain." - -He took one out from a drawer in which he kept the dough for the -cuddy's use, and I put it in my pocket and went aft. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - - -I will here pause to describe the ship which, being the theatre of much -that befel me which is related in this book, I should place before your -eyes in as true a picture as I can draw. - -The _Grosvenor_, then, was a small, full-rigged ship of five hundred -tons, painted black, with a single white streak below her bulwarks. She -was a soft-wood vessel, built in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Her lines were -very perfect. Indeed, the beauty of her hull, her lofty masts, stayed -with as great perfection as a man-of-war's, her graceful figure-head, -sharp yacht-like bows and round stern, had filled me with admiration -when I first beheld her. Her decks were white and well kept. She had a -poop and a top-gallant forecastle, both of which I think the builder -might have spared, as she was scarcely big enough for them. There was -a good deal of brass-work on her after-decks, and more expense than -she deserved, from the perishable nature of the material of which -she was constructed, had been lavished upon her in respect of deck -ornamentation. Her richly carved wheel, brass belaying-pins, brass -capstan, brass binnacle, handsome skylights, and other such details -made her look like a gay pleasure-vessel rather than a sober trader. -Her cuddy, however, was plain enough, containing six cabins, including -the pantry. The woodwork was cheaply varnished mahogany; a fixed table -ran from the mizzen-mast to within a few feet of the cuddy front, and -on either side this table was a stout hair-covered bench. Abaft the -mizzen-mast were the two cabins respectively occupied by Captain Coxon -and Mr. Duckling. My own cabin was just under the break of the poop, -so that from the window in it I could look out upon the main-deck. A -couple of broad skylights, well protected with brass wire-fenders, let -plenty of light into the cuddy; and swinging trays and lamps, and red -curtains to draw across the skylights when the sun beat upon them, -completed the furniture of this part of the vessel. - -We could very well have carried a few passengers, and I never learned -why we did not; but it may, perhaps, have happened that nobody was -going our way at the time we were advertised to sail. - -We were bound to Valparaiso with a general cargo, consisting chiefly -of toys, hardware, Birmingham and Sheffield cutlery, and metal -goods, and a stock of pianofortes. The ship, to my thinking, was too -deep, as though the owners had compensated themselves for the want -of passenger-money by "taking it out" in freight. I readily foresaw -that we should be a wet ship, and that we should labour, more than was -comfortable, in a heavy sea. The steerage was packed with light goods, -bird-cages and such things, but space was left in the 'tween decks, -though the cargo came flush with the deck in the hold. - -However, in spite of being overloaded, the _Grosvenor_ had beaten -everything coming down the river that day. Just off the Reculvers, for -example, when we had drawn the wind a trifle more abeam, we overhauled -a steamer. She was pretty evidently a fast screw, and her people grew -jealous when they saw us coming up astern, and piled up the fires, but -could not stop us from dropping her, as neatly as _she_ dropped an old -coal brig that was staggering near the shore under dirty canvas. But -she smothered us with her smoke as we passed her to leeward, and I dare -say they were glad to see the dose we got for our pains. - -I came aft, as I have said, after leaving the baker, with the biscuit -in my pocket, and got upon the poop. The skipper had gone below with -the pilot, and they were having tea. Duckling was walking the poop, -swearing now and again at a couple of ordinary seamen, whom he had set -to work to flemish-coil the ropes along the deck, for no other reason -than that he might put as much work upon them as he could invent--for -this flemish-coiling was of no use under the circumstances, and is only -fit for Sundays on passenger ships when you want to please the ladies -with "tidy" effects, or when a vessel is in port. A watch had been -set forward, and having cast a look up aloft to see that everything -was trim, I went down the companion-ladder to the cuddy, followed by -Duckling. - -The interior of the cabin looked like some old Dutch painting, for the -plain mahogany woodwork gave the place an antique air. The lamps were -alight, for it was dusk here, though daylight was still abroad upon the -sea; and the lamplight imparted a grave, old-fashioned colouring to the -things it shone upon. The skipper sat near the mizzen-mast, stirring -the sugar in a cup of tea. He looked better without than with his hat; -his forehead was high, though rather peaked, and his iron-grey hair, -parted amid-ships and brushed carelessly over his ears, gave him a -look of dignity. The coarse little pilot was eating bread and butter -voraciously, his great whiskers moving as he worked his jaws. - -Duckling and I seated ourselves at the table, and I had some difficulty -to prevent myself from laughing at the odd figures Duckling and the -pilot made side by side--the one with his whiskers working like a pair -of brushes, and the other with that door-mat of red hair on his head, -and the puzzling cast of the eye that made me always doubt which one I -should address when I tried to look him full in the face. - -"There's a breeze coming from the sou'-west, sir," said Duckling to the -captain. "The water's darkish out in that quarter, but I don't think -there's enough of it to swing the ship." - -"Let it come favourable, and we'll get under way at once," answered -Coxon. "I had a spell of this sort of thing last year--for ten days, -wasn't it, Duckling?--because I neglected a light air that sprang up -south-easterly. I thought it couldn't have held ten minutes, but it -would have carried me well away to the French side before it failed, -and made me a free passage down, for the wind came fresh from south by -west and dead-locked me here. Mr. Royle, what's going forwards among -the men? I heard them cursing pretty freely when they were up aloft." - -"They are complaining of the ship's provisions, sir," I replied. "The -cook gave me a biscuit just now, and I promised to show it to you." - -Saying which, I pulled the biscuit out of my pocket and put it upon the -table. He contracted his bushy eyebrows, and, without looking at the -biscuit, stared angrily at me. - -"Hark you, Mr. Royle," said he, in a voice I found detestable for the -sneering contempt it conveyed. "I allow no officer that sails under me -to become a confidant of my crew. Do you understand?" - -I flushed up as I answered that I was no confidant of the crew: that -the cook had stopped me to explain the men's grievance, and that I had -asked him for a biscuit to show the captain as a sample of the ship's -bread which the steward was serving out. - -"It's very good bread," said the obsequious pilot, taking up the -biscuit whilst he wiped the butter out of the corners of his mouth. - -"Eat it, then!" I exclaimed. - -"Damnation! eat it yourself!" cried Coxon, furiously. "You're used to -that kind of fare, I should think, and like it, or you wouldn't be -bringing it into the cuddy in your pocket, would you, sir?" - -I made him no answer. I could see by the expression in Duckling's -face that he sided with the skipper, and I thought it would be a bad -look-out for me to begin the voyage with a quarrel. - -"I'll trouble you to put that biscuit where you took it from," the -captain continued, with an enraged nod in the direction of my pocket, -"and return it to the blackguard who gave it, and tell him to present -Captain Coxon's respects to the men, and inform them that if they -object to the ship's bread, they're welcome to take their meals along -with the pigs in the long-boat. The butcher 'll serve them." - -"Mr. Royle tells me they find the meat worse than the bread," said Mr. -Duckling. "I guess the hounds who grumble most are men who have shipped -out of workhouses, where their grub was burnt burgoo twice a day, and a -lick of brimstone to make it easy." - -He laughed loudly at his own humour, and was joined by the pilot, who -rubbed his hands and swore that he hadn't heard a better joke for -years. - -I made what despatch I might with my tea, not much desiring to remain -in company with Coxon in his present temper. I fancy he grew a little -ashamed of himself presently, for he softened his voice and now and -again glanced across at me. The pilot, looking up through the skylight, -called attention to the vane at the main-royal masthead, which was -fluttering to a light air from the south-west, as had been predicted, -and as I could tell by referring to the tell-tale compass, which was -swung just over where Coxon was seated. Then Coxon and his chief mate -talked of the time they meant to occupy in the run to Valparaiso. I -understood the former to say that his employers had given him eight -weeks to do it in. I should like to have said that had they added -another two to that, they would still have been imposing enough upon us -all to keep us alive. But at this point I quitted the table, giving -Coxon a bow as I rose, which he returned with a sort of half-ashamed -stiffness, and repaired to my cabin to get my pipe for a half-hour's -enjoyment of the beautiful autumn evening on deck. - -I don't think tobacco has the same flavour ashore that it has at sea. -Something in the salt air brings out the full richness and aroma of it. -A few whiffs on the main-deck came like oil upon the agitation of my -mind, ruffled by Coxon's impertinence and temper. I stepped on to the -forecastle to see that the riding-lamps were all right, and that there -was a man on the look-out. The crew were in the forecastle talking in -subdued voices, and the hot air that came up through the fore-scuttle -was intolerable as I passed it. I then regained the poop, and seated -myself on the rail among the shadows of the backstays leading from the -main-royal and top-gallant masts. - -The sun had gone down some time now, and only faint traces of daylight -lowered in the westward. The light on the South Foreland emitted a -most beautiful, clear, and brilliant beam, and diffused a broad area -of misty radiance on the land around. The light-beacons were winking -along the Goodwin Sands, and pretty close at hand were the lights of -Deal, a pale, fine constellation, which made the country all the darker -for their presence. The moon would not rise until after nine, but -the heavens were spangled with stars, some so lustrous that the calm -sea mirrowed them in cones of silver; and from time to time flashing -shooting-stars chased across the sky, and with their blue fires offered -a peculiar contrast to the eye with the yellow and red lights on the -water. - -There was a little air moving from the southward, but so light as -scarcely to be noticeable to any man but a sailor awaiting a change. -The vessels at anchor near us loomed large in the starlit gloom that -overspread the face of the sea. Lights flitted upon them; and the -voices of men singing, the jingling of a concertina or a fiddle, the -rumbling of yards lowered aboard some new-comers which could not be -descried, and now and again the measured splash of oars, were sounds -which only served to give a deeper intensity to the solemn calm of the -night. - -The inmates of the cuddy still kept their seats, and their voices came -out through the open skylights. I heard Captain Coxon say-- - -"I should like to know what sort of a fellow they have given me for a -second mate. He strikes me as coming the gentleman a trifle, don't he, -Duckling?" - -To which the other replied, "He seems a civil-spoken young man, and up -to his work. But I guess there's too much molasses mixed with his blood -to suit my book. He wants a New Orleans training, as my old skipper -used to say. Do you know what that means, sir?" evidently addressing -the pilot. "Well, it means a knife in your ribs when you're not -disposed to hurry, and a knuckle-duster in the shape of a marlin-spike -down your throat if you stop to arguefy." - -The pilot laughed and said, "Here's your health, sir. Men of your kind -are wanted nowadays, sir." - -It was plain from this speech that the pilot had exchanged his tea for -something stronger. The captain here began to speak, but I couldn't -catch his words, though I strained my ears, as I was anxious to gain -all the insight I could into his character that I might know how to -shape my behaviour. - -I say this for a very weighty reason--I was entirely dependent on the -profession I had adopted. I knew it was in the power of any captain I -sailed with to injure me, and perhaps ruin my prospects. Everything -in seafaring life depends upon reports and testimonials; and in these -days, when the demand for officers is utterly disproportionate to the -immense supply, owners are only too willing to listen to objections, -and take any skipper's word as an excuse to decline your services or -get rid of you. - -Neither the captain nor Mr. Duckling appeared on deck again. The pilot -came up shortly after one bell (half-past eight) and looked about -him for a few minutes. The tide had swung the ship with her stern up -Channel. He went and looked over the side, and then had a stare at -Deal, but took no notice of me, whom he could very plainly see, and -returned below. - -I lingered three quarters of an hour on deck, during which time the -little sigh of wind that had come from the south-west died out, and a -most perfect calm fell. The larger stars burned with amazing brilliancy -and power, and I thought it possible that the wind might go to the -eastward. This idea detained me on deck longer than I had meant to -stop, as I thought it would do me no ill service if I should be the -first to report a fair wind to the skipper, and show myself smart in -getting the hands up. Perhaps the moon would bring a breeze with her, -and as she rose at twenty minutes past nine, I filled another pipe to -await her coming. - -As I struck a match, the steward came half-way up the poop-ladder to -tell me that the spirits were on the table. - -"Did the captain send you?" I asked. - -"No, sir," he answered. "I thought I'd let you know, as they'll be -cleared away after nine, and my orders are not to serve them again when -once they're stowed away for the night. That's the captain's rule." - -"All right," said I. Another time I should have gone below and had -my glass of grog; but I considered it my best policy to keep clear -of Coxon until the temper that had been excited by my unfortunate -production of the ship's biscuit was cooled down. - -I took some turns along the deck, and shortly after nine one of the -lamps in the cuddy was extinguished, and on looking through the -skylight I found that the three men had left the table. There was a -man pacing to and fro the forecastle, and I could just make out his -figure against the stars which gleamed and throbbed right down to the -horizon. The rest of the crew had evidently turned in, for I heard no -voices, and now that the talking which had been going on in the cuddy -no longer vexed the ear with rough accents, a profound silence and -peace came down upon the ship. Around me, the anchored vessels gloomed -like phantoms; the sea unrolled its dark, unbreathing surface into the -visionary distances; nothing sounded from the shore but the murmur of -the summer surf upon the shingle. One might have said that the spirit -of life had departed from the earth; that nothing lived but the stars, -which looked down upon a scene as impalpable and elusive as a dream. - -At last uprose the moon. She made her coming apparent by paling the -stars in the southern sky, then by projecting a white mist of light -over the horizon. Anon her upper limb, red as fire, jetted upwards, -and the full orb, vast and feverish as the setting sun, sailed out -of the sea, most slowly and solemnly, lifting with her a black mist -that belted her like a circle of smoke: this vanished, and by degrees, -perceptible to the eye, her colour changed; the red chastened into -pearl, her disc grew smaller, and soon she was well above the horizon, -shining with a most clear and silvery splendour, and making the sea -beneath her lustrous with mild light. But not a breath of air followed -her coming. The ships in the Downs caught the new light, and their -yards showed like streaks of pearl against the night. The red lights of -the Goodwin Sands dwindled before the pure, far-reaching radiance into -mere floating sparks of fire. The heavens were cloudless, and the sea -a wonderful calm. I might keep watch all night, and still have nothing -to report; so, knocking the ashes out of my pipe, I descended the -poop-ladder and entered my cabin. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - - -I had slung a cot, although there was a good mahogany bunk in the -cabin. No sensible person would sleep in a bunk at sea when he could -swing in a hammock or cot. Suppose the bunk is athwart-ship: when the -vessel goes about you must shift your pillow; and very often she will -go about in your watch below and catch you asleep, so that when you -wake you find your feet are in the air, and all the blood in your body -in your head. When I first went to sea I slept in a 'thwartship bunk. -The ship was taken aback one night when I was asleep, and they came and -roared, "All hands shorten sail!" down the booby hatch. I heard the -cry and tried to get out of my bed, but my head was jammed to leeward -by the weight of my body, and I could not move. Had the ship foundered, -I should have gone to the bottom, in bed, helpless. Always after that I -slept in a hammock. - -The watch on deck had orders to call the captain if a change of wind -came; also I knew that the pilot would be up, sniffing about, off and -on, through the night: so I turned in properly and slept soundly until -two; when, waking up, I drew on my small clothes and went on deck, -where I found Duckling mousing about in the moonshine in a pair of -yellow flannel drawers, he having, like myself, come up to see if any -wind was stirring. He looked like a new kind of monkey in his tight -white rig and immense head of hair. "No wind, no wind," he muttered, in -a sleepy grumble, and then went below with a run, nearly tumbling, in -fact, head over heels down the companion-ladder. - -I took a turn forward to see if the riding lights burned well and -the man on the look-out was awake. The decks were wet with dew, and -the moon was now hanging over the South Foreland. The sky was still -cloudless, and not a breath of air to be felt. This being the case, I -went back to my cot. - -When I next awoke I found my cot violently swinging. I thought for the -moment that we were under way and in a heavy sea; but on looking over -I saw Mr. Duckling, who exclaimed, "Out with you, Mr. Royle! There's a -good breeze from the east'ards. Look alive and call the boatswain to -pipe all hands." - -Hearing this, I was wide awake at once, and in a few minutes was making -my way to the boatswain's cabin, a deck-house on the port side against -the forecastle. He and the carpenter were fast asleep in bunks placed -one over the other. I laid hold of the boatswain's leg, which hung over -the bunk--both he and the carpenter had turned in "all standing," as -they say at sea--and shook it. His great brown hairy face came out of -the bolster in which it was buried; he then threw over his other leg -and sat upright. - -"All hands, sir?" - -"Yes; look sharp, bo'sun." - -He was about to speak, but stopped short and said, "Ay, ay, sir;" -whereupon I hurried aft. - -It was twenty minutes past five by the clock in the cuddy. The sun had -been risen half an hour, and was already warming the decks. But there -was a fine breeze--not from the eastward, as Duckling had said, but -well to the northward of east--which brought ripe, fresh morning smells -from the land with it, and made the water run in little leaps of foam -against the ship's side. - -Captain Coxon and the pilot were both on the poop, and as I came up the -former called out-- - -"Is the boatswain awake yet?" - -"Yes, sir," I answered, and dived into my cabin to finish dressing. I -heard the boatswain's pipe sound, followed by the roar of his voice -summoning the hands to weigh anchor. My station was on the forecastle, -and thither I went. But none of the hands had emerged as yet, the -only man seen being the fellow on the look-out. All about us the -outward-bound vessels were taking advantage of the wind: some of them -were already standing away, others were sheeting home their canvas; the -clanking of the windlasses was incessant, and several Deal boats were -driving under their lugs among the shipping. - -"Mr. Royle," cried out the captain, "jump below, will you, and see what -those fellows are about." - -I went to the fore-scuttle and peered into it, bawling, "Below there!" - -"There's no use singing out," said a voice; "we don't mean to get the -ship under way until you give us something fit to eat." - -"Who was that who spoke?" I called. "Show yourself, my man." - -A fellow came and stood under the fore-scuttle, and looking up, said in -a bold, defiant way-- - -"_I_ spoke--'Bill Marling, able seaman.'" - -"Am I to tell the captain that you refuse to turn to?" - -"Ay, and tell him we'd rather have six months of chokee than one -mouthful of his damned provisions," he answered; and immediately a lot -of voices took up the theme, and as I left the forecastle to deliver -the message, I heard the men cursing and abusing us all violently, the -foreigners particularly--that is, the Portuguese and a Frenchman, who -was half a negro--swearing in the worst English words and worst English -pronunciation, shrilly and fiercely. - -Coxon pretty well knew what was coming. He and Duckling stood together -on the poop, and I delivered the men's message from the quarter-deck. - -Coxon was in a great rage and quite pale with it. The expression in -his face was really devilish. His lips became bloodless, and when he -glanced his eyes around and saw the other ships taking advantage of -the fine breeze and sailing away, he seemed deprived of speech. He had -sense enough, however, with all his fury, to know that in this case no -good could come from passion. He seized the brass rail with both hands, -and made a gesture with his head to signify that I should draw nearer. - -"Who was the man who gave you that message, sir?" - -"A fellow who called himself Bill Marling." - -"Do they refuse to leave the forecastle?" - -"They refuse to get the ship under way." - -"Is the boatswain disaffected?" - -"No, sir; but I fancy he knows the men's minds." - -He turned to Mr. Duckling. - -"If the boatswain is sound, we four ought to be able to make the -scoundrels turn to." - -This was like suggesting a hand to hand fight--four against twelve, and -Duckling had the sense to hold his tongue. The boatswain was standing -near the long-boat, looking aft, and Coxon suddenly called to him, -"Lead the men aft." - -I now thought proper to get upon the poop; and in a short time the men -came aft in twos and threes. They were thirteen in all, including the -carpenter, four ordinary seamen, the cook, and the cook's mate. The -boatswain kept forward. - -There was a capstan just abaft the mainmast, and here the men -assembled. There was not much in the situation to move one's gravity, -and yet I could scarcely forbear smiling when I looked down upon -their faces fraught with expressions so various in kind, though all -denoting the same feelings. Some were regular old stagers, fellows who -had been to sea all their lives, with great bare arms tattooed with -crucifixes, bracelets, and other such devices, in canvas or blanket -breeches and flannel shirts, with the invariable belt and knife around -their middle. Some, to judge from their clothes, had evidently signed -articles in an almost destitute condition, their clothes being complete -suits of patches, and their faces pale and thin. The foreigners were, -of course, excessively dirty; and the "Portugee's" wonderfully ugly -countenance was hardly improved by the stout silver earrings with which -his long ears were ornamented. - -The first movement of mirth in me, however, was but transient. Pity -came uppermost in a few moments. I do think there is something touching -in the simplicity of sailors, in the childlike way in which they go -about to explain a grievance and get it redressed. They have few words -and little experience outside the monotonous life they follow; they -express themselves ill, are subdued by a harsh discipline on board, -or by acts of cruelty which could not be tolerated in any kind of -service ashore; the very negroes and savages of distant countries have -more interest taken in them by the people of England than sailors, -for whom scarcely a charity exists; the laws which deal with their -insubordination are unnecessarily severe; and of the persons who are -appointed to inquire into the causes of insubordination, scarce five in -the hundred are qualified by experience, sympathy, or disinterestedness -to do sailors justice. - -Some such thoughts as these were in my mind as I stood watching the men -on the quarter-deck. - -Coxon, with his hands still clutching the rail, said, "The boatswain -has piped you out to get the ship under way. Do you refuse?" - -The man named Bill Marling made a step forward. The men had evidently -constituted him spokesman. - -"We don't mean to work this here ship," said he, "until better food is -put aboard. The biscuits are not fit for dogs; and I say that the pork -stinks, and that the molasses is grits." - -"That's the truth," said a voice; and the Portuguese nodded and -gesticulated violently. - -"You blackguards!" burst out the captain, losing all self-control. -"What do you know about food for dogs? You're not as good as dogs to -know. Aren't you shipped out of filthy Ratcliffe Highway lodgings, -where the ship's bread and meat and molasses would be eaten by you -as damned fine luxuries, you lubbers? Turn to at once and man the -windlass, or I'll find a way to make you!" - -"We say," said the spokesman, pulling a biscuit out of his bosom and -holding it up, "that we don't mean to work the ship until you give us -better bread than this. It's mouldy and full of weevils. Put the bread -in the sun, and see the worms crawl out of it." - -"Will the skipper pitch the cuddy bread overboard and eat ourn?" -demanded a voice. - -"And the cuddy meat along with it!" exclaimed a man, a short, -powerfully built fellow with a crisp black beard and woolly hair, -holding up a piece of pork on the blade of a knife. "Let Captain Coxon -smell this." - -The captain looked at them for a few moments with flashing eyes, then -turned and walked right aft with Duckling. Here they were joined by -the pilot, and a discussion took place among them that lasted some -minutes. Meanwhile I paced to and fro athwart the poop. The men talked -in low tones among themselves, but none of them seemed disposed to give -in. For my own part, I rather fancied that though their complaint -of the provisions was justifiable enough, it was advanced rather as -a sound excuse for declining to sail with a skipper and chief mate -whose behaviour so far towards them was a very mild suggestion of the -treatment they might expect when they should be fairly at sea, and in -these two men's power. I heard my name mentioned among them and one -or two remarks made about me, but not uncomplimentary. The cook had -probably told them I was well-disposed, and I believe that some of them -would have harangued me had I appeared willing to listen. - -Presently Mr. Duckling left the captain and ordered the men to go -forward. He then called the boatswain, and turning to me, said that I -was to be left in charge of the ship with the pilot whilst he and the -captain went ashore. - -The boatswain came aft and got into the quarter-boat which Duckling and -I lowered; and I then towed her by her painter to the gangway, where -Duckling and the captain got into her. - -As no signal was hoisted I was at a loss to conceive what course -Captain Coxon proposed to adopt. Duckling and the boatswain each took -an oar while Coxon steered, and away they went, sousing over the little -waves which the fresh land breeze had set running along the water. - -By this time all the outward-bound ships had got their anchors up, and -were standing down Channel. Some of them which had got away smartly -were well around the Foreland, and we were the only one of them all -that still kept the ground. Captain Coxon's rage and disappointment -were, of course, intelligible enough; for time to him was not only -money, but credit--I mean that every day he could save in making the -run to Valparaiso would improve him in his employers' estimation. - -The men peered over the bulwarks at the departing boat, wondering -what the skipper would do. There was a tide running to the southward, -and they had to keep the boat heading towards Sandwich. Strong as the -boatswain was, I could see what a much stronger oar Duckling pulled by -the way the boat's head swerved under his strokes. - -I stood watching them for some time and then joined the pilot, who had -lighted a pipe and sat smoking on the taffrail. He gave me a civil nod, -being well-disposed enough now that Coxon was not by, and made some -remark about the awkwardness of the men refusing work when the breeze -was so good. - -"True," said I; "but I think you'll find that the magistrates will give -it in their favour. There's some mistake about the ship's stores. Such -bread as the men have had served out to them ought never to have been -put on board, and the steward has owned to me that it's all alike." - -"The captain don't intend to let it come before the magistrates," -answered the pilot with a wink, and pulling his pipe from his mouth -to inspect the bowl. "He wants to be off, and means to telegraph for -another crew and turn those fellows yonder adrift." - -"Won't he ship some better provisions?" - -"I don't know, sir. Preehaps he's satisfied that the provisions is -good enough for the men, and preehaps he isn't. Leastways he'll not be -persuaded contrarily to his belief." - -"So, then, the police are to have nothing to do with this matter, and -the stores will be retained for another crew?" - -"That's as it may be." - -"There will be a mutiny before we get to Valparaiso." - -"Something 'll happen, I dare say." - -I not only considered the captain's behaviour in this matter bad -morally, but extremely impolitic. His motives were plain enough. The -stores had been shipped as a cheap lot for the men to eat; and I dare -say the understanding between Coxon and the owners was that the stores -should not be changed. This view would account for his going on shore -to telegraph for a new crew, since sending the old crew about their -business would promise a cheaper issue than signalling for the police -and bringing the offenders before the magistrates, and causing the -vessel to be detained while inquiries were made. But that he would be -imperilling the safety of his vessel by shipping a fresh crew without -exchanging the bad stores for good was quite certain, and I wondered -that so old a sailor as he should be such a fool as not to foresee some -disastrous end to his own or his owners' contemptible cheese-paring -policy. - -However, I had not so good an opinion of the pilot's taciturnity as to -make him my confidant in these thoughts; we talked on other matters for -a few minutes and he then went below, and after a while, on passing the -skylight, I saw him stretched on one of the cuddy benches sound asleep. - -The Downs now presented a very different appearance from what they had -exhibited an hour before. There were not above four vessels at anchor, -and of those which had filled and stood away scarce half a dozen were -in sight. These were some lumbering old brigs with a barque among them, -with the water almost level with their decks; picturesque enough, -however, in the glorious morning light, as they went washing solemnly -away, showing their square sterns to the wind. A prettier sight was a -fine schooner yacht coming up fast from the southward, with her bow -close to the wind; and over to the eastward the sea was alive with -smacks, their sails shining like copper, standing apparently for the -North Sea. - -The land all about Walmer was of an exquisite soft green, and in the -breezy summer light Deal looked the quaintest, snuggest little town in -the world. - -A little after eight the steward called me down to breakfast, where I -found the pilot impatiently sniffing an atmosphere charged with the -aroma of broiled ham and strong coffee. I own, as I helped myself -to a rasher and contrasted the good provisions with which the cuddy -table was furnished with the bad food served to the men, that I was -weak enough to sympathize very cordially with the poor fellows. The -steward told me that not a man among them had broken his fast; this he -had been told by the cook, who added that the men would rather starve -than eat the biscuit that had been served out to them. Such was their -way of showing themselves wronged; and the steward declared that he -did not half like bringing our breakfast from the galley, for the men, -when they smelt the ham and saw him going aft with a tin of hot rolls, -became so forcible in their language that he every moment, during his -walk along the main-deck, expected to feel himself seized behind and -pitched overboard. - -"It's the old story, sir," said the pilot, who was making an immense -breakfast, "and it's true enough what Mr. Duckling said last night, -which I thought uncommonly good. They ship sailors out of places where -there's nothing to be seen but rags and rum--rum and rags, sir; they -give 'em a good cabin to live in, pounds sterling a month, grog every -day at eight bells, plenty of good livin', considering what they was, -where they come from, and what they desarves: and what do they do but -turn up their noses at food which they'd crawl upon their knees to get -in their kennels ashore, and swear that they won't do ne'er a stroke of -work unless they're bribed by the very best of everything. What do they -want?--lobsters for breakfast, and wenison and plum-duff for dinner, -and chops and tamater sauce for supper? It's the ruination of owners, -sir, are these here new-fangled ideas; and I don't say--mind, I don't -say that it don't go agin pilots as a body. A pilot can't do his dooty -as he ought when he's got such crews as sarve nowadays to order about. -Here am I stuck here, with a job that I knows of waitin' and waitin' -for me at Gravesend. And all because this blessed ship's company wants -wenison and plum-duff for dinner!" - -He helped himself to a large slice of broiled ham and devoured it with -sullen energy. - -I could have said a word for the men, but guessed that my remarks would -be repeated to the skipper; and since I could not benefit them, there -was no use in injuring myself. - -After breakfast I went upon deck, and saw a Deal boat making for the -ship. She came along in slashing style, under her broad lug--what -splendid boats those Deal luggers are, and how superbly the fellows -handle them!--and in a short time was near enough to enable me to see -that she towed our quarter-boat astern, and that Coxon and Duckling -were among her occupants. I went to the gangway to receive her: she -fell off, then luffed, running a fine semicircle; down dropped her -lug, her mizzen brought her right to, and she came alongside with -beautiful precision, stopping under the gangway like a carriage at your -door. - -I caught the line that was flung from her, took a turn with it, and -then Coxon and the chief mate stepped on board. The moment he touched -the deck, Coxon called to the men who were hanging about the forecastle. - -"Get your traps together, and out with you! If ever a man among you -stops in my ship five minutes, I'll fling him overboard." - -With which terrible threat he walked into the cuddy. Duckling remained -at the gangway to see the crew leave the ship. The poor fellows were -all ready. They had made up their minds to go ashore, but hardly knew -under what circumstances. I had noticed them pressing forward to look -into the boat when she came alongside, no doubt expecting to see the -uniform of a police-superintendent there. The presence of such an -official would, of course, have meant imprisonment to them; they would -have been locked up until brought before the magistrates. They were -clearly disappointed by the skipper's procedure, for as they came to -the gangway, carrying their bags and chests, all kinds of remarks, -expressive of their opinion on the matter, were uttered by them. - -"The old blackguard," said one, flinging his bag into the boat, -and lingering before Duckling and myself in order to deliver his -observations, "he hasn't the pluck to have us tried. Pitch us -overboard! let him try his (etc.) hand upon the littlest of us! I'd -take six months, and thank 'em, just to warm my fist on his (etc.) -face!" and so forth. - -Duckling was wise to hold his peace. The men were furious enough to -have massacred him had he opened his lips. - -The older hands got into the boat in silence; but none of the rest left -the ship without some candid expression of his feelings. One said he'd -gladly pay a pound for leave to set fire to the ship. Another called -her a floating workhouse. A third hoped that the vessel would be sunk, -and the brutes commanding her drowned before this time to-morrow. -Every evil wish that malice and rage could invent was hurled at the -vessel and at those who remained in her. In after days I recalled that -beautiful morning, the picture of the lugger alongside the ship, the -hungry, ill-used men with their poor packs going over the vessel's -side, and the curses they pronounced as they left us. - -An incident followed the entry of the last of the men in the boat. - -The sail was hoisted, the rope that held the boat let go, and her head -was shoved off; when the "Portugee," in the excitement and fury of his -feelings, drew in his breath and his cheeks, and spat with tremendous -energy at Duckling, who was watching him: but the missile fell short; -in a word, he spat full in the face of one of the old hands, who -instantly knocked him down. He tumbled head over heels among the feet -of the crowd of men, while Duckling roared out, "If the man who knocked -that blackguard down will return to his duty, I'll be his friend." But -all the answer he got was a roar which resembled in sound and character -the mingled laughter and groans of a large mob; the fresh wind caught -and filled the sail, the boat bounded away under the pressure, and in a -few minutes was a long distance out of hail. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - - -A fresh crew came down from London the following morning in charge of a -crimp. - -Duckling went ashore to meet them at the railway station, and they came -off in the same boat that had landed the others on the previous day. - -They appeared much the same sort of men as those who had left us; badly -clothed for the most part, and but four of them had sea-chests, the -rest bringing bags. There was one very big man among them, a fellow -that dwarfed the others; he held himself erect, wore good boots, and -might very well have passed for an escaped Lifeguardsman, were it not -for the indescribable _something_ in his gait, and the way in which he -hung his hands, that marked him for a Jack. - -Another fellow I noticed, as he scrambled over the ship's side, -and sung out, in notes as hoarse as a raven's, to pitch him up his -"blooming portmantey," had a very extraordinary face, altogether out -of proportion with his head, being, I dare say, a full third too -small. The back of the skull was immense, and was covered with hair -coarser than Duckling's--as coarse as hemp-yarns. This hair grew down -beside his ears, and got mixed up with streaky whiskers, which bound -up the lower part of his face like a tar poultice. Out of this circle -of hair looked a face as small as a young boy's; little half-closed -Chinese eyes, a bit of a pug nose, and a square mouth, kept open -so as to show that he wanted four front teeth. The frame belonging -to this remarkable head and face was singularly vigorous though -grievously misshapen. His long arms went far down his legs; his back, -without having a hump, was as round as a shell, and he looked as if he -measured a yard and a half from shoulder to shoulder. I watched this -strange-looking creature with great curiosity until I lost sight of him -in the forecastle. - -The men bustled over the side with great alacrity, bawling for their -bags and property to be handed up in a great variety of accents. There -were two Dutchmen and a copper-coloured man, with African features, -among them; the rest were English. - -The crimp remained in the boat, watching the men go on board. He was -from the other side of Jordan. His woolly hair was soaked with oil, and -shone resplendent in the sun; the oil seemed to have got into his hat, -too, for that had a most fearful polish. He wore a greatcoat that came -down to his shins, and beneath this he exhibited a pair of blue serge -breeches, terminating in boots as greasy as his hat. He was genteel -enough to wear kid gloves; but the imagination was not to be seduced by -such an artifice from picturing the dirt under the gloves. - -I knew something of crimps, and amused myself with an idle speculation -or two whilst watching the man. This was a fellow who would probably -keep a lodging-house for sailors in some dirty little street leading -out of the West India Dock Road. His terms would be very easy: seven -shillings a week for board and lodging, and every gentleman to pay -for extras. He would probably have two or three amiable and obliging -sisters, daughters, or nieces living with him, knowing the generous and -blind confidence Jack reposes in the endearments of the soft sex, and -how very prodigally he will pay for them. So this greasy miscreant's -dirty West India Dock Road lodging-house for sailors would always be -pretty full, and he would never have much difficulty in mustering a -crew when he got an order to raise one. Of course it would pay him as -it pays other crimps to let lodgings to sailors, so as to have them -always about him when a crew is wanted; for will he not obligingly cash -their advance-notes for them, handing them say, thirty shillings for -three pounds ten? "What do I do with this dirty risk?" he will exclaim, -when Jack expostulates. "Supposing you cut stick? I lose my money! I -only do this to obleege you. Go into the street," he cries, pretending -to get into a passion, "and see what you'll get for your dirty piece -of paper. You'll be comin' back to me on your bended knees, with the -tears a tricklin' and runnin' over your cheeks, axing my parding for -wronging me and willin' to say a prayer of thankfulness for me bein' -put in your vay. You'll want a bag for your clothes, and here's one, -dirt cheap, five and a 'arf. And you can't go to sea vith one pair o' -brigs, and you shall have these beauties a bargain--come, fourteen and -six, for _you_, and I'll ask you not to say what you gave for 'em, or -I shall have four hundred and fifty-vun customers comin' in a rage -to tell me I'm a villin for charging of 'em a guinea for the shame -article. And here's a first-class knife and belt--something fit for the -heye to rest upon--honestly vorth 'arf a sovrin, which I'll make you a -present of for a bob, and if you say a vord I'll take everything back, -for I _can't_ stand ingratitood." - -Our friend watched the crew over the vessel's side with jealous -eyes, for had they refused at the last moment to remain in the ship, -he would have been a loser to the amount he had given them for their -advance-notes. He looked really happy when the last man was out of the -lugger and her head turned for the shore. He raised his greasy hat to -Duckling, and his hair shone like polished mahogany in the sun. - -"Aft here, some of you, and ship this gangway. Boatswain, pipe all -hands to get the ship under weigh," cried Duckling; and turning to me -with a wink, he added, "If the grub is going to bring more rows, we -must fight 'em on the high seas." - -There was a little breeze from the south-east; quite enough to keep -the lighter sails full and give us headway against the tide that was -running up Channel. The men, zealous as all new-comers are, hastened -briskly out of the forecastle on hearing Duckling's voice and the -boatswain's whistle, and manned the windlass. The pilot was now on the -poop with the skipper, the latter looking lively enough as he heard -the quick clanking of the palls. The men broke into a song and chorus -presently, and the rude strains chimed in well with the hoarse echo of -the cable coming link by link in-board. - -Presently I reported the cable up and down. Then from Duckling, the -pilot's mouthpiece, came the familiar orders-- - -"Loose the outer jib." - -"Lay aloft, some of you, and loose the topsails." - -"Up with that jib smartly, my lads." - -"A hand aft here to the wheel." - -The ship lay with her head pointing to the direction in which she -was going: there was nothing more to do than sheet home the topsails -and trip the anchor. The men were tolerably nimble and smart. The -three topsails were soon set, the windlass again manned, and within a -quarter of an hour from the time when the order was given, the ship was -under way, and pushing quietly through a tide that raced in a hundred -wrinkles around her bows. - -We set the fore and main top-gallant sails and spanker presently: the -yards were braced sharp up, for we were heading well south, so as to -give the Foreland a wide berth. This extra canvas sent us swirling -past the red-hulled lightship off this point, and soon the Dover pier -opened, and the great white cliffs with their green heights. Anon, our -course bringing the wind more aft, we set the mainsail and main-royal -and mizzen top-gallant sail, with the staysails and jibs. - -The breeze freshened as we stretched seawards; the ship was now -carrying a deal of canvas, and the men seemed pleased with her pace. - -The day was gloriously fine. The sea was of an emerald green, alive -with little leaping waves each with its narrow thread of froth: the -breeze was strong enough to lay the vessel over, just so far as to -enable one looking over the weather side to see her copper, shining red -below the green line of water. The brilliant sunshine illuminated the -brass-work with innumerable glories, and shone with fluctuating flashes -in the glass of the skylights, and made the decks glisten like a -yacht's. The canvas, broad and white, towered nobly to the sky, and the -main-royal against the deep blue of the sky seemed like a cloud among -the whiter clouds which swept in quick succession high above. It was -a sight to look over the ship's bows, to see her keen stem shredding -the water, and the permanent pillar of foam leaning away from her -weather-bow. - -This part of the Channel was full of shipping, and I know, by the -vividness with which my memory reproduces the scene, how beautiful -was the picture impressed upon it. All on our right were the English -shores, made delicate and even fanciful by distance; here and there -fairy-like groups of houses, standing on the heights among trees or -embosomed in valleys, with silver sands sloping to the sea: deep -shadows staining the purity of the brilliant chalk, and a foreground -of pleasure-boats with sails glistening like pearl and bright flags -streaming. And to our right and left vessels of different rigs and -sizes standing up or down Channel, some running like ourselves, free, -with streaming wakes, others coming up close-hauled, some in ballast -high out of water, stretching their black sides along the sea and -exposing to windward shining surfaces of copper. - -At half-past two o'clock in the afternoon, all sail that was required -having been made, and the decks cleared, the hands were divided into -watches, and I, having charge of the port watch, came on deck. The -starboard watch went below; but as the men had not dined, a portion of -my own watch joined the others in the forecastle to get their dinner. - -I now discovered that the copper-faced man, to whom I have drawn -attention, was the new cook. I heard the men bandying jokes with him as -they went in and out of the galley, carrying the steaming lumps of pork -and reeking dishes of pea-soup into the forecastle, whence I concluded -that they had either not yet discovered the quality of the provisions, -or that they were more easily satisfied than their predecessors had -been. - -Among the men in my own watch was the great strapping fellow whom I -had likened to a Lifeguardsman. I had thought the man too big to be -handy up aloft, but was very much deceived; for in all my life I never -witnessed such feats of activity as he performed. His long legs had -enabled him to take two ratlines at a time, and he saved himself the -trouble of getting over the futtock shrouds by very easily making two -steps from the mainshrouds to the mainyard, and from the mainyard to -the maintop. I watched him leave the galley, carrying his smoking -mess; but I also noticed, before I lost sight of him, that he took a -suspiciously long sniff at the steam under his nose, and then violently -expectorated. - -The breeze was now very lively; the canvas was stretching nobly to it, -and the shore all along our starboard beam was a gliding panorama, -brilliant with colour and sunshine. They were having dinner in the -cuddy, and as often as I passed the skylight I could see the captain -glancing upwards at the sails with a well-pleased expression. - -I presently noticed the cook's copper face, crowned with an odd kind -of knitted cap, protruding from the galley, and his small eyes gazed -intently at me. I paced the length of the poop, and when I returned, -the cook's head was still at its post, and then his body came out and -he stood staring in my direction. - -I had to turn abruptly to hide my mirth, for his face was ornamented -with an expression of disgust exquisitely comical with the wrinkled -nose, the arched thick mouth, and the screwed-up eyebrows. - -When I again looked he was coming along the deck, swinging a piece -of very fat pork at the end of a string. He advanced close to the -poop-ladder at the top of which I was standing, and holding up the -pork, said-- - -"You see dis, sar?" - -"Yes," I answered. - -"Me belong to a country where we no eat pork," he exclaimed, with great -gravity, still preserving his wrinkled nose and immensely disgusted -expression. - -"What country is that?" I asked. - -"Hot country, sar," he answered. "But me will eat pork on board ship." - -"Very proper." - -"But me will _not_ eat stinking pork on board ship or anywhere else," -he cried excitedly. - -"Is that piece of pork tainted?" I inquired. - -"Don't know nuffen 'bout tainted, sar," he replied; "but it smells -kinder strong. But not so strong as the liquor where t'other porks was -biled in. Nebber smelled de like, sar. Most disgusting. Come and try -it, sar. Make you feel queer." - -"Pitch the water overboard, then." - -"No good, sar. Fork'sle full of stinks, and men grumblin' like hell. Me -fust-rate cook, too--but no make a stink sweet. Dat beats me." - -He held up the pork, with an expression on his face as if he were about -to sneeze, shook his finger at it as though it were something that -could be affected by the gesture, and flung it overboard. - -"Dat's my rations," said he. "Shouldn't like to eat de fish dat -swallers it." - -And turning jauntily in his frocked canvas breeches he walked off. - -A few moments afterwards the extraordinary-looking man with the small -face and large head, and shell-shaped back, came out of the forecastle, -walking from side to side with a springing jerky action of the legs, -they being evidently moved by a force having no reference to his will. - -"Ax your pardon, sir," he said, twirling up his thumb in the direction -of his forehead; "but the meat's infernal bad aboard this here wessel." - -"I can't help it," I answered, annoyed to be the recipient of these -complaints, which seemed really to justify Coxon's charge of my being -the crew's confidant. "You must talk to the captain about it." - -"Ne'er a man among us can eat of the pork; and the cook, as is better -acquainted than us with these here matters, says he'd rather be biled -alive than swaller a ounce of it." - -"The captain is the proper person to complain to." - -"That may be, sir," said the man, dropping his chin, so that by -projecting his beard his face appeared to withdraw, and grow smaller -still. "But the boatswain says there'll not be much got by complaining -to the skipper." - -"I can't make the ship's stores better than they are," I replied, -moving a step, for I now perceived that some of the crew were watching -us, and I did not want the captain to come on deck and find me talking -to this man about the provisions. But it so happened that at this -particular moment the captain emerged from the companion hatchway. The -man did not stir, and the captain said-- - -"What does that fellow want?" - -"He is complaining of the pork, sir. I have referred him to you." - -He gave me a sharp look, and leaning forwards, said in a quiet, mild -voice-- - -"What's the matter, my man?" - -"Why, sir, I've been asked to come and say that the pork that's been -served to the men is in a werry bad state, to be sure. It's more smell -than meat, and what ain't smell is brine." - -"I am sorry to hear that," said the captain in a most benignant manner. -"Look into the cuddy and tell the steward I want him." - -The steward stepped on to the quarter-deck and looked up at his master -in a way that made me suspect he had got his cue. - -"What's the matter with the pork, steward?" - -"Nothing, sir, that I know of." - -"The men say it smells strong--that's what you say, I think?" remarked -the captain, addressing the man. - -"Werry strong, sir--strong enough to sit upon, sir." - -"I don't know how that can be," exclaimed the steward, looking very -puzzled indeed. "It's sweet enough in the cask. Perhaps it's the fault -of the biling." - -"Nothing to do with the biling, mate," said the man, shaking his -extraordinary head, at the same time surveying the steward indignantly. -"Biling clears away smells as a rule." - -"Perhaps you've opened a bad cask. If so," said the captain, "fling it -overboard, for I'll not have the men poisoned. Let the cook boil me a -sample from the next cask you open, and put it upon my table--do you -hear?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"That will do," continued the captain, addressing the man. "You may go -forward and tell your mates what I have said." - -And away straggled the man to inform the crew, no doubt, that the -skipper was a brick, and that he'd like to punch the steward's head. - -At seven o'clock next morning we were abreast the Isle of Wight, having -carried a strong south-easterly breeze with us as far as Eastbourne, -when the wind lulled and remained light all through the middle watch; -but after four it freshened again from the same quarter, and came on to -blow strong; but we kept the fore and main royals on her all through, -and only furled them to heave the ship to off Ventnor, where we landed -the pilot. - -There was a nasty lump of a sea on just here, and some smacks making -for Portsmouth carried half sails soaking and their decks running with -water. The _Grosvenor_, owing to her weight, lay steady enough; a -little too steady, I thought, for she shipped water over her starboard -bow without rising, reminding me of a deep-laden barge, along which -you will see the swell running and washing, whilst she herself goes -squashing through with scarcely a roll. - -A dandy-rigged boat put off, in response to our signal, and I enjoyed -the pretty picture she made as she came foaming, close hauled, towards -the ship, burying herself in spray as she shoved her keen nose into -the sea, and hopping nimbly out of one trough into another, so that -sometimes you could see her forefoot right out of water. - -I was glad when the pilot got over the side. He was a mean toady, and -had done me no good with the captain. The gangway ladder had been -thrown over to enable him to descend, and the boat washed high and low, -up and down, alongside, sometimes level with the deck, sometimes twelve -or fourteen feet in a hollow. - -"Now's your time," said I, mischievously, as he hung on to the man-rope -with one leg out to catch the boat as she rose. He took me at my word -and let go; but the boat was sinking, and down he went with her, and I -had the satisfaction of seeing him roll right into the boat's bottom, -and there get so hopelessly entangled with the pump and some trawling -gear, that it took two boatmen to pull him out and set him on his feet. - -Then away they went, the pilot waving his hat to the skipper, who -cries-- - -"Man the lee main braces." - -The great yards were swung around, and the ship lay over to the immense -weight of canvas. - -"Ease off those jib-sheets there, and set the mainsail." - -The ship, feeling the full breeze, surged slowly forwards, parting the -toppling seas with thundering blows of her bows. She had as much sail -on her as she could well carry, and a trifle to spare, for the breeze -had freshened whilst we had been lying to, a couple of vessels to -windward were taking in their fore and mizzen top-gallant sails, and -ahead was a smart brig with a single reef in her fore-topsail. The wind -was well abeam, perhaps half a point abaft, and every sail was swollen -like the cheeks of rude Boreas in the picture of that bleak worthy. - -This cracking on delighted Duckling, whose head turned so violently -about as he stared first at these sails, then at those, then forward, -then aft, that I thought he would end in putting a kink into his neck. - -"This is proper!" he exclaimed, in his hoarse voice, after ordering -some hands "to clap the watch-tackle on to the main-tack and rouse it -down." "We'll teach 'em how to froth this blessed Channel! I guess -we've had enough of calms, and if the Scilly ain't some miles astern by -the second dog-watch to-morrow I'll turn a monk, you see!" - -We were heading well west-south-west, and the water was flying in -sheets of foam from the ship's bows. By this time it was dark, and the -sky thick with the volume of wind that swept over it; the stars shone -hazily, but it was as much as I could do to trace the outlines of the -main-royal and top-gallant sail. - -The vessel was rushing through the water at a great pace. I felt as -exhilarated as one new to the life when I looked astern and saw the -broad path of foam churned by the ship rising and falling and fading -upon the desolate gloom of the hilly horizon. Blue fires burnt in -the water; but, by-and-by, when by stretching out we had got into -the broader sea, and the vessel plunged to the heavier waves which -were running, big flakes of phosphorescent light were hurled up with -the water every time the ship pitched, and for twenty fathoms astern -the water was as luminous as the Milky Way. The roaring of the wind -on high, the creaking of the spars, the clanking and grinding of the -chain-sheets, the squeal of sheaves working on rusty pins, the hissing -and spitting of the seething foam, and ever and anon the sullen thunder -of a sea striking the ship, filled the ear with a wonderful volume of -sound. The captain was cracking on to make up for lost time, and he -was on deck when I went below at ten o'clock to get some rest before -relieving Duckling at midnight. There were then two hands at the wheel, -and a couple on the look-out; our lamps were burning bravely, but we -had long ago outrun all sight of shore and of lights ashore. - -I slept soundly, and at eight bells Duckling roused me up. The -unpleasantest part of a sailor's life is this periodical turning out -of warm blankets to walk the deck for four hours. The rawness of -the night air is anything but stimulating to a man just awake and -very sleepy. Let the wind be never so steady, the decks are full of -powerful draughts rushing out of the sails and blowing into your eyes -and ears and up the legs of your trousers, and down the collar of your -shirt, turn where you will: and you think, as your hair is blown over -your eyes and a shower of spray comes pattering upon your oilskins -and annoying your face, of your sheltered cabin and warm cot, and -wonder what, in the name of common sense, caused you to take to this -uncomfortable profession. The crew in this respect are better off than -their officers; for the watch on deck at night can always manage to -sneak into the forecastle and dose upon their chests, or on the deck -and keep under shelter; whereas the mate in charge must be always wide -awake and on his legs throughout his watch, and shirk nothing that the -heavens may choose to pour upon his defenceless person. - -I had four hours before me when I went on deck, and I may perhaps have -wished myself ashore in a quiet bed. The captain stood near the wheel. -It was blowing very fresh indeed, the wind about east-southeast, with -a strong following sea. The yards had been braced further aft, but no -other alteration had been made since I had gone below. If I had thought -that the vessel was carrying too much sail then, I certainly thought -that she was carrying a great deal too much sail now. She could have -very well dispensed with the main-royal and two top-gallant sails, and -in my opinion would have made the same way with a single reef in the -topsails. The press of canvas was burying her. Well aft as the wind -was, the vessel lay over to starboard under it, and she was dragging -her heavy channels sluicing and foaming through the water. The moon -was weak, with a big ring round her, and the sky was obscured by the -scud which fled swiftly away to the north-west. The horizon was thick, -and the troubled sheen of the moon upon the jumping seas made the dark -waters, with their ghastly lines of phosphorescent foam, a most wild -and weird panorama. - -I mustered the watch, and a couple of them went to relieve their mates -on the forecastle. A night-glass lay on one of the skylights, and I -swept the horizon with it, but nothing was to be seen. I walked aft to -see how she was steering, for these heavy following seas lumping up -against a ship's quarter play the deuce with some vessels, making the -compass-card swing wildly and setting the square sails lifting; but -found her steering very steadily, though the rush of some of the seas -under her counter might have bewildered a two-thousand-ton ship. She -rose, too, better than I thought she would, though she was sluggish -enough, for some of the seas ran past her with their crests curling -above her lee bulwarks, and she had received one souser near the -galley; but her decks to windward were dry. - -Coxon was smoking a big Dutch pipe, holding it with one hand and the -rail with the other. He had a hair cap on with flaps over his ears, -and sea-boots, and all that he was doing was first to blow a cloud and -then look up at the sails, and then blow another cloud and then look up -again. This would appear to have been going on since nine o'clock. I -thought he must be pretty tired of his diversion by this time. - -"She bears her canvas well, sir," said I. - -"Yes," he answered gruffly, "I have lost twenty-four hours. I ought to -have been clear of the Channel by this." - -"She is a fast vessel, sir. We are doing good twelve, I should say." - -He cast his eyes over the stern, then looked up aloft, but made no -answer. I was moving away when he exclaimed-- - -"Go forward and tell the men to keep a bright look-out. And keep your -weather-eye lifting yourself, sir." - -I did as he bade me, and got upon the forecastle. I found the two men -who were indistinguishable from the poop, wrapped in oilskins leaning -against the forecastle rail. It blew harder here than it did aft, for -a power of wind rushed slanting from the fore-topmast stay-sail and -whirled up from under the foot of the foresail. The crashing sound of -the vessel's bows, urged through the heavy water by the great power -that was bellowing overhead, was wonderful to hear: an uproar of -thunder was all around, mingled with wild shrieking cries and the -strange groaning of straining timbers. The moon stood away to windward -of the mizzen royal-mast head, and it was a sight to look up and see -the grey canvas, full like balloons, soaring into the sky, and to hear -the mighty rush of the wind among the rigging as the vessel rolled -against it, making the moon whirl across her spars to and fro, to and -fro. - -I had been on deck three quarters of an hour when, feeling the wind -very cold, I dived into my cabin for a shawl to wrap round my neck. - -I had hardly left the cuddy door to return, when I heard a loud cry -from the forecastle, and both hands roared out simultaneously, "A sail -right ahead!" - -Coxon walked quickly forward to the poop-rail to try to see the vessel -to windward. Then he went over to the other side and peered under the -mainsail; after which he said, "I see nothing. Where is she?" - -I shouted through my hands, "On which bow is she?" - -"Right ahead!" came the reply. - -"There was a short pause, and then one of the men roared out, "Hard -over! we're upon her! She's cutter rigged! she's a smack!" - -"Hard a-port! hard a-port!" bawled Coxon. - -I saw the spokes of the wheel fly round, but almost at the same moment, -I felt a sudden shock--an odd kind of _thud_, the effect of which upon -my senses was to produce the impression of a sudden lull in the wind. - -"God Almighty!" bellowed a voice, "we've run her down!" - -In a second I had bounded to the weather-side of the poop and -looked over, and what I saw sliding rapidly past, was a mast and a -dark-coloured sail, which in the daylight would probably be red, -stretched flat upon the wilderness of foam which our ship was sweeping -off her sides. Upon this ghastly white ground the sail and mast were -distinctly outlined--for a brief moment only--they vanished even as I -watched, swallowed up in the seething water. And then all overhead the -sails of the ship began to thunder, and the rigging quivered and jerked -as though it must snap. - -"Hard over! hard over!" bellowed Coxon. - -I saw him rush to the wheel, thrust away one of the men, and pull the -spokes over with all his force. The vessel answered splendidly, swerved -nobly round like a creature of instinct, and was again rushing headlong -with full sail over the sea. - -This was a close shave. At the speed at which she was travelling she -had obeyed the rudder in the first instance so promptly as to come -round close to the wind. A few moments more and she would have been -taken aback; and this, taking into consideration the amount of canvas -she was carrying, must infallibly have meant the loss of most, if not -of all, her spars. - -Horrified by the thoughts of living creatures drowning in our wake, I -cried out to the skipper-- - -"Won't you make an effort to save them, sir?" - -"Save them be hanged!" he answered fiercely. "Why the devil didn't they -get out of our road?" - -I was so much shocked by the coarse inhumanity of this reply, that I -turned on my heel; but yet was constrained by an ugly fascination to -turn again and cast shuddering glances at the spot where I pictured -the drowning wretches battling with the waves. - -Captain Coxon was too intent upon the compass to notice my manner; he -was giving directions to the men in a low voice, with his eyes fixed on -the card. - -Presently he exclaimed, in his gruffest voice, "Call the carpenter to -sound the well." - -This was soon despatched, and I returned and reported a dry bottom. - -"Heave the log, sir." - -I called a couple of hands aft and went through the tiresome and -tedious job of ascertaining the speed by the measured line and -sand-glass. The reel rattled furiously in the hands of the man who held -it: I thought the whole of the line would go away overboard before the -fellow who was holding the glass cried, "Stop!" - -"What do you make it?" demanded Coxon. - -"Thirteen knots, sir." - -He looked over the side as though to assure himself that the -computation was correct, then called out-- - -"Clew up the main-royal, and furl it!" - -This was a beginning, and it was about time that a beginning was made. -The breeze had freshened into a strong wind, this had grown into half a -gale, and the look of the sky promised a whole gale before morning. The -main-royal halliards were let go, and a couple of hands went up to stow -the bit of canvas that was thumping among the clouds. - -Presently, "Furl the fore and mizzen top-gallant sails." - -This gave occupation to the watch; and now the decks began to grow -lively with the figures of men running about, with songs and choruses, -with cries of "Belay, there!"--"Up with it smartly, my lads!" and with -the heavy flapping of canvas. - -All this, however, was no very great reduction of sail. The _Grosvenor_ -carried the old-fashioned single topsails, and these immense spaces -of canvas were holding a power of wind. Overhead the scud flew fast -and furious, and all to windward the horizon was very thick. We took -in the main-top-gallant sail; and while the hands were aloft we -came up hand over fist with a big ship, painted white. She was to -leeward, stretching away under double-reefed topsails, and showed out -quite distinctly upon the dark sea beyond, and under the struggling -moonshine. We ran close enough to take the wind out of her sails, and -could easily have hailed her had there been any necessity to do so; but -we could discern no one on deck but a single hand at the wheel. She -showed no lights, and with her white hull and glimmering sails, and -fragile naked yards and masts, she looked as ghostly as anything I ever -saw on the water. She rolled and plunged solemnly among the seas, and -threw up her own swirling outline in startling relief upon the foam she -flung from her side, and which streamed away in pyramid-shape. She went -astern like a buoy, and in a few minutes had vanished as utterly from -our sight as if she had foundered. - -I now stood waiting for an order which I knew must soon come. It is one -thing to "carry on," but it is another thing to rip the masts out of a -ship. I don't think we had lost half a knot in speed through the canvas -that had been taken in: the vessel seemed to be running very nearly as -fast as the seas. But the wind was not only increasing, but increasing -with squalls, so that there were times when you would have thought -that the inmates of forty mad-houses had got among the rigging and out -upon the yards, and were screeching, yelling, and groaning with all the -force they were master of. - -At last the captain gave the order I awaited. - -"All hands reef topsails." - -In a few minutes the boatswain's pipe sounded, and the watch below came -tumbling out of the forecastle. Now came a scene familiar to every man -who has been to sea, whether as a sailor or a passenger. In a ship of -war the crew go to work to the sound of fiddles or silver whistles; -every man knows his station; everything is done quickly, quietly, and -completely. But in a merchantman the men go to work to the sound of -their own voices: these voices are, as a rule, uncommonly harsh and -hoarse; and as every working party has its own solo and chorus, and -as all working parties sing together, the effect upon the ear, to say -the very least, is hideous. But also in a merchantman the crew is -always less in number than they ought to be. Hence, when the halliards -are let go, the confusion below and aloft becomes overwhelming; for -not more, perhaps, than a couple of sails can be handled at a time, -and, meanwhile, the others waiting to be furled are banged about by -the wind, and fling such a thunder upon the ear that orders are scarce -audible for the noise. - -All this to a certain degree happened in the present instance. The -captain having carried canvas with fool-hardy boldness, now ran into -the other extreme. The quick fierce gusts which ran down upon the -ship frightened him, and his order was to let go all three topsail -halliards, and double-reef the sails. The halliards were easily let -go; but then, the working hands being few, confusion must follow. The -yards coming down upon the caps, the sails stood out in bellies hard -as iron. A whole watch upon each reef-tackle could hardly bring the -blocks together. When the mizzen-topsail was reefed, it was found that -the fore-topsail would require all hands; the helm had to be put down -to shake the sail, so as to enable the men to make the reef-points -meet. The main-topsail lifted as well as the fore-topsail, and both -sails rattled in unison; and the din of the pealing canvas, furiously -shaken by the howling wind, the cries of the men getting the sail over -to windward, the booming of the seas against the ship's bows, the -groaning of her timbers, the excited grunting of terrified pigs, and -the rumbling of an empty water-cask, which had broken from its lashings -and was rolling to and fro the main-deck, constituted an uproar of -which no description, however elaborate, could even faintly express -the overwhelming character. - -When the dawn broke it found the _Grosvenor_ under reefed topsails, -fore-topmast, staysail, foresail, main-trysail, and spanker, snug -enough, but with streaming decks, for the gale had raised a heavy -beam sea, and the deep-laden ship was sluggish, and took the water -repeatedly over her weather-bulwarks. - -The watch below had turned in again, but it was already seven bells, -and at four o'clock my turn would come to go to bed. I had charge of -the ship, for the captain having passed the night in observing his -vessel's sailing powers under all canvas, had gone below, and I was not -sorry to get rid of him, for his continued presence aft had become a -nuisance to my eyes. - -The sea under the gathering light in the east was a remarkable sight. -The creaming arching surfaces of the waves took the pale illumination, -but the troughs or hollows were livid, and looking along the rugged -surface as the ship rose, one seemed to behold countless lines of -yawning caverns opening in an illimitable waste of snow. Nothing could -surpass the profound desolation of the scene surveyed in the faint -struggling dawn, the pallid heaven, bearing its dim and languishing -stars, over which were swept long lines of smoke-coloured clouds torn -and mangled by the wind; the broken ocean pouring and boiling away to -a melancholy horizon, still dark, save where the dawn was creeping -upwards with its chilly light, and making the eastern sea and sky -leaden-hued. - -I had now leisure to recall the fatal accident I have related, and -the inhumanity of Captain Coxon's comment upon it. I hugged myself in -my thick coat as I looked astern at the cold and rushing waters, and -thought of the bitter sudden deaths of the unfortunates we had run -down. With what appalling rapidity had the whole thing happened! not -even a dying shriek had been heard amid the roar of the wind among the -masts. For many a day the memory of that dark-coloured sail, prone -upon the foaming water, haunted me. The significance of it was awful -to think upon. But for the men on the look-out, never a soul among us -would have known that living beings had been hurled into sudden and -dreadful death, that the ship in which we sailed had perchance made -widows of sleeping wives, had made children fatherless, and that ruin -and beggary and sorrow had been churned up out of the deep by our -unsparing bows. - -Our voyage had begun inauspiciously enough, God knows: and as I looked -towards the east where the morning light was kindling over the livid, -rugged horizon, a strange depression fell upon my spirits, and the -presentiment then entered my mind and never afterwards quitted it, that -perils and suffering and death were in store for us, and that when I -had looked on the English coast last night I was unconsciously bidding -farewell to scenes I should never behold again. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - - -I was on deck again at eight o'clock. It was still blowing a gale, but -the wind had drawn right aft, and though the topsails were kept reefed, -Duckling had thought fit to set the main top-gallant sail, and the ship -was running bravely. - -Yet, though her speed was good, she was rolling abominably; for the -wind had not had time to change the course of the waves, and we had now -all the disadvantage of a beam sea without the modifying influence over -the ship's rolling of a beam wind. - -I reckoned that we had made over one hundred and thirty knots during -the twelve hours, so that if the gale lasted, we might hope to be clear -of the Scilly Isles by next morning. There was a small screw steamer -crossing our bows right ahead, possibly hailing from France and bound -to the Bristol Channel. I watched her through a glass, sometimes -breathlessly, for in all my life I never saw any vessel pitch as she -did, and live. Sometimes she seemed to stand clear out of water so as -to look all hull: then down she would go and leave nothing showing -but a bit of her funnel sticking up with black smoke pouring away -from it. Several times when she pitched I said to myself, "Now she is -gone!" Her bows went clean under, heaving aloft a prodigious space of -foam: up cocked her stern, and, with the help of the glass, I could -see her screw skurrying round in the air. Her decks were lumbered -with cattle-pens, but the only living thing I could see on board was -a man steering her on the bridge. She vanished all on a sudden, amid -a Niagara of spray; but some minutes after I saw her smoke on the -horizon. Had I not seen her smoke I should have been willing to wager -that she had foundered. These mysterious disappearances at sea are by -no means rare; but are difficult to account for, since they sometimes -happen when the horizon is clear. I have sighted a ship and watched -her for some time: withdrawn my eyes for a minute, looked again, and -perceived no signs of her. It is possible that mists of small extent -may hang upon the sea, not noticeable at a distance, and that they -will shut out a vessel suddenly and puzzle you as a miracle would. -The fascinating legend of the "Phantom Ship" may have originated in -disappearances of this kind, for they are quite complete and surprising -enough to inspire superstitious thoughts in such plain, unlettered -minds as sailors'. - -They were breakfasting in the cuddy and in the forecastle, and I was -waiting for the skipper to come on deck that I might go below and get -something to eat. But before he made his appearance, the confounded -copper-coloured cook, accompanied by a couple of men, came aft. - -"Sar," said this worthy, who looked lovely in a pink-striped skirt and -yellow overalls, "me ask you respeckfly to speak to de skipper and tell -him him biscuit am dam bad, sar." - -"I'm messman for the starboard watch, sir," exclaimed one of the men, -"and the ship's company says they can't get the bread down 'em nohow." - -"Why do you come to me?" I demanded of them angrily. "I have already -told you, cook, that I have nothing to do with the ship's stores. You -heard what Captain Coxon said yesterday?" - -"Can't the steward get us up a fresh bag of bread for breakfast?" -exclaimed the third man. - -"He's in the cuddy," I replied; "ask him." - -They bobbed their heads forward to see through the cuddy windows, and -at that moment Duckling came on deck up through the companion. - -"You can get your breakfast," said he to me. "I'll keep watch until -you've done." - -"Here are some men on the quarter-deck complaining of the bread," said -I. "Will you speak to them?" - -He came forward at once, very briskly, and looked over. - -"What's the matter?" he called out. - -"We've come to complain of the ship's bread, sir," said one of the men, -quite civilly. - -"Dam bad bread, sar. Me honest man and speak plain truff," exclaimed -the cook, who possibly thought that his position privileged him to be -both easy and candid on the subject of eating. - -"Get away forward!" cried Duckling, passionately. "The bread's good -enough. You want to kick up a shindy." - -The men made a movement, the instinct of obedience responding -mechanically to the command. But the cook held his ground, and said, -shaking his head and convulsing his face-- - -"De bread am poison, sar. All de flour's changed into worms. Nebber see -such a ting. It get here"--touching his throat--"and make me--yaw!" - -"Go forward, I tell you, you yellow-faced villain!" shouted Duckling. -"D'ye hear what I say?" - -"Dis chile is a cook," began the fellow; but Duckling sprang off the -poop, and with his clenched fist struck him full under the jaw: the -poor devil staggered and whirled round, and then up went Duckling's -foot, and cook was propelled at a great pace along the main-deck -towards the galley. He stopped, put his hand to his jaw, and looked -at the palm of it; rubbed the part that had been kicked, turned and -held up his clenched fist, and went into the galley. The two other men -disappeared in the forecastle. - -"Curse their impudence!" exclaimed Duckling, remounting the poop-ladder -and polishing his knuckles on the sleeve of his coat. "Now, Mr. Royle, -get you down to your breakfast. I want to turn in when you've done." - -I entered the cuddy, not very greatly edified by Duckling's way of -emphasizing his orders, and made a bow to the captain, who was still -at table. He condescended to raise his eyes, but for some minutes -afterwards took no notice of me whatever, occupying himself with -glancing over a bundle of slips which looked like bill-heads in his -hand. - -The vessel was rolling so heavily that the very plates slided to and -fro the table, and it not only required dexterity, but was no mean -labour to catch the coffee-pot off the swinging tray as it came like -a pendulum over to my side, and to pour out a cup of coffee without -capsizing it. The mahogany panelling and cabin doors all round creaked -incessantly, and in the steward's pantry there was a frequent rattle of -crockery. - -"What was going forward on the main-deck just now?" demanded Coxon, -stowing away the papers in his pocket, and breaking fragments from a -breakfast roll. - -I explained. - -"Ah!" said he; "they're still at that game, are they?" - -"Mr. Duckling punched the cook's head----" - -"I saw him, sir. Likewise he kicked him. Mr. Duckling knows his duty, -and I hope he has taught the cook his. Steward!" - -"Yes, sir?" responded the steward, coming out of the pantry. - -"See that a piece of the pork you are serving out to the men is put -upon my table to-day." - -"Yes, sir." - -The captain fell into another fit of silence, during which I ate my -breakfast as quickly as I could, in order to relieve Duckling. - -"Mr. Royle," said he presently, "when we ran that smack down this -morning, what were you for doing?" - -"I should have hove the ship to," I replied, meeting his eyes. - -"Would you have hove her to had you been alone on deck, sir?" - -"Yes, and depended on your humanity to excuse me." - -"What do you mean by my humanity?" he cried, dissembling his temper -badly. "What kind of cant is this you have brought on board my ship? -Humanity! Damn it!" he exclaimed, his ungovernable temper blazing out: -"had you hove my ship to on your own hook, I'd have had you in irons -for the rest of the voyage." - -"I don't see the use of that threat, sir," said I, quietly. "You have -to judge me by what I did do, not by what I might or would do." - -"Oh, confound your distinctions!" he went on, pushing his hair over his -ears. "You told me that you would have hove the ship to had you been -alone, and that means you would have whipped the masts out of her. Do -you mean to tell me that you knew what sail we were carrying, to talk -like this?" - -"Perfectly well." - -My composure irritated him more than my words, and I don't know what -savage answer he was about to return; but his attention was on a sudden -arrested and diverted from me. I turned my eyes in the direction in -which he was staring, and beheld the whole ship's company advancing -along the main-deck, led by the big seaman whose name was Johnson, and -by the tortoise-backed, small-faced man who was called Fish--Ebenezer -Fish. - -The moment the captain observed them, he rose precipitately, and ran up -the companion-ladder; and as I had finished breakfast, I followed him. - -By the time I had reached the break of the poop the hands were all -gathered about the mainmast. A few of them held tin dishes in their -hands, in which were lumps of meat swimming in black vinegar. One -carried some dozen biscuits supported against his breast. Another held -a tin pannikin filled with treacle, and another grasped a salt-jar, or -some such utensil, containing tea. - -The _coup d'oeil_ from the poop was at this moment striking. All around -was a heavy sea with great waves boiling along it; overhead a pale blue -sky, along which the wildest clouds were sweeping. The vessel running -before the wind under double-reefed topsails, rolled deeply both to -port and to starboard, ever and anon shipping a sheet of green water -over her bulwarks, which went rushing to and fro the decks, seething -and hissing among the feet of the men, and escaping, with loud -bubbling noises, through the scupper-holes. - -I was almost as soon on deck as Coxon, and therefore heard the opening -address of Johnson, who, folding his arms upon his breast, and "giving" -on either leg, so as to maintain his equilibrium while the deck sloped -to and fro under him, said in a loud, distinct voice-- - -"The ship's company thinks it a dooty as they owe theirselves to come -aft altogether to let you know that the provisions sarved out to 'em -ain't eatable." - -"Out, all hands, with what you've got to say," replied Coxon, leaning -against the rail, "and when you've done I'll talk to you." - -"Now then, mates, you hear what the skipper says," exclaimed Johnson, -turning to the others. - -Just then I noticed the copper face of the cook, who was skulking -behind the men, with his eyes fixed, flashing like a madman's, upon -Duckling. - -The fellow with the biscuits came forward, but a heavy lurch at that -moment made him stumble, and the biscuits rolled out of his arms. They -were collected officiously by the others, and placed again in his -hands, all sopping wet; but he said, in a collected voice-- - -"These here are the starboard watch's bread. Ne'er a man has tasted of -them. We've brought 'em for you to see, as so be it may happen that you -aren't formiliar with the muck the steward sarves out." - -"Hand up a dry one," said the skipper. - -A man ran forward and returned with a biscuit, which the captain took, -broke, smelt, and tasted. He then handed it to Duckling, who also smelt -and tasted. After which he (the captain) said, "Fire away!" - -The fellow with the biscuits withdrew, and one of the men, bearing the -pork swimming in vinegar, advanced. He was a Dutchman, and was heard -and understood with difficulty. - -"My mates they shay tat tiss pork ish tam nashty, an' it isshn't pork -ash I fanshy; but Gott knowsh what it iss; an' I shwear it gifs me ta -shtomack-ache--by Gott, it doess, sir, ass I am a man." - -This speech was received with great gravity by the men as well as -Coxon, who answered, "Hand it up." - -The mess was shoved through the rail and poked at by the skipper with a -pen-knife; he even jobbed a piece of it out and put it into his mouth. -I watched for a grimace, but he made none. He handed the tin dish as he -had the biscuit to Duckling, who looked at it closely and put it on the -deck. - -"The next?" said the captain. - -The Dutchman, looking as a man would who is conscious of having -discharged a most important duty, hustled back among the others, and -the man with the treacle came out. - -"This, sir, is what the steward's givin' us for molasses," said he, -looking into the pannikin. - -The captain made no answer. - -"And though his senses are agin him, he goes on a callin' of it -molasses." - -Another pause. - -"But to my way of thinkin' it ain't no more molasses than it's oysters. -It's biled black-beetles, that's what I call it, and you want a -toothpick as strong as a marlin-spike to get the shells out o' your -teeth arter a meal of it." - -"Hand it up," said the captain, from whom every moment I was expecting -an explosion of temper. He did not offer to taste the stuff, but -inspected it with apparent attention, and tilted the vessel first this -way and then that, that the treacle might run. - -"Here's your molasses," said he, handing down the pannikin. "What else -is there?" - -"We're willin' to call this tea," said a man, holding up an earthenware -jar filled with a black liquor; "but it ain't tea like what they sells -ashore, an' it ain't tea like what I've bin used to drink on board -other wessels. It's tea," continued he, looking first into the jar and -then at the skipper, "and yet it ain't. Maybe it was growed in England, -for there isn't no flavour of Chaney about it. It's too faint for -'bacca-leaves, and it ain't sweet enough for liquorish. Fish here says -it's the mustiness as makes it taste like senna." - -Here followed a pause, during which the men gazed eagerly at the -skipper. I noticed some angry and even sinister countenances among -them; and the cook looked as evil as a fiend, with his hard yellow face -and gleaming eyes staring upwards under his eyebrows. But so far there -had been nothing in the men's speeches and behaviour to alarm the most -timid captain; and I thought it would require but little tact and a -few kindly concessions to make them, on the whole, a hard-working and -tractable crew. - -The captain having kept silence for some time, exchanged looks with -Duckling, and called to know if the men had any more complaints to -make. They talked among themselves, and Johnson answered "No." - -"Very well, then," said he. "I can do nothing for you here. There are -no bake-houses yonder," nodding at the sea, "to get fresh bread from. -You must wait till we get to Valparaiso." - -A regular growl came up from the men, and Johnson exclaimed-- - -"We can't live on nothing till we get to Valparaiso." - -"What do you want me to do?" cried the skipper savagely. - -"It's not for us to dictate," replied Johnson. "All that the crew wants -is grub fit to eat." - -"Put into Brest," exclaimed a voice. "It ain't fur off. There's good -junk and biscuit to be got at Brest." - -"Who dares to advise me as to what I'm to do?" shouted the skipper in -his furious way. "By Heaven, I'll break every bone in the scoundrel's -body if he opens his infernal mutinous mouth again. I tell you I -can't change the provisions here, and I'm not going to alter the -ship's course with this wind astern, not if you were all starving in -reality." But having said this he pulled up short, as if his temper -were diverting him from the line of policy he had in his mind to -follow; he lowered his voice and said, "I'll tell you what, my lads; -you must make the provisions serve you for the present, and if I can -make a fair wind of it, I'll haul round for some Spanish port: or if -not there, I'll see what land is to be picked up." - -"You hear what the captain says, don't you?" growled Duckling. - -"It isn't us that minds waiting, it's our stomachs," said Fish, the -small-faced man. - -"Do you mean to tell me you can't get a meal out of the food in your -hands?" demanded the captain, pointing amongst them. - -"We'd rayther drink cold water than the tea," said one. - -"And the water ain't over-drinkable, neither," exclaimed another. - -"The cook shays te pork 'll gif us te cholera," said one of the -Dutchmen. - -"We wouldn't mind if the bread an' molasses was right," cried Fish. -"But they aren't. Nothen's right. The werry weevils ain't ordinary; -they're longer an' fatter nor common bread-worms." - -"Hold your jaw!" bawled Duckling. "The captain has spoke you fairer -than any skipper that ever I sailed under would have spoke. So now cut -forward--do you hear?--and finish your breakfast. Cook, come out from -behind the mainmast, you loafing nigger, and leave the main-deck, or -I'll make you trot to show the others the road." - -He pulled a brass-belaying pin out of the rail and flourished it. -The captain walked aft to the wheel, leaving Duckling to finish -off with the men. They moved away, talking in low grumbling tones -among themselves, manifestly dissatisfied with the result of their -conference, and presently were all in the forecastle. - -"I'll tell you what it is, Mr. Royle," said Duckling, turning -impudently upon me; "you must wake up, if you please, and help me to -keep those fellows in their place. No use in staring and listening. You -must talk to 'em and curse 'em, damme! do you understand, Mr. Royle?" - -"No, I don't understand," I replied. "I don't believe in cursing men. -I've seen that sort of thing tried, but it never answered." - -"Oh, I suppose you are one of those officers who call all hands to -prayers before you reef down, are you?" he asked, with a coarse, -sneering laugh. "I don't think Captain Coxon will appreciate your -services much if that's your kind." - -"I am sorry you should misunderstand me," I answered gravely. "I -believe I can do my work and get others to do theirs without foul -language and knocking men down." - -"Thunder and lightning! what spooney skipper nursed _you_ at his -breast? Could you knock a man down if you tried?" - -I glanced at him with a smile, and saw him running his eyes over me -as though measuring my strength. There was enough of me, perhaps, to -make him require time for his calculations. Sinewy and vigorous as his -ill-built frame was, I was quite a match for him--half a head taller, -and weighed more, with heavier arms upon me and a deeper chest than he; -and was eight and twenty, whilst he was nearly fifty. - -"I think," said I, "that I _could_ knock a man down if I tried. Perhaps -two. But then I don't try, and must be badly provoked in order to try. -The skipper who nursed me was not a New Orleans man, but an Englishman, -and something better--an English gentleman. That means that no one on -board his ship ever gave him occasion to use his fists." - -He muttered something about my thinking myself a very fine sort of -bird, no doubt, but I could not catch all that he said owing to the -incessant thundering of the gale; he then left me and joined the -captain, who advanced to meet him, and they both went below. - -It was now pretty plain that I was unsuited for the taste and society -of the two men with whom I was thrown. The captain saw I was not likely -to help his paltry views, and that my sympathy was with the crew; and -try as I might, I could _not_ disguise my real contempt for Duckling. -They were great chums, and thoroughly relished each other's nature. -They were both bullies, and, in addition, Duckling was a toady. Hence -it was inevitable--but less from the subordinate position that I filled -than from the dislike I had of these men's characters--that I should -be an outsider, distrusted by the skipper as objecting to his dealings -with the crew and capable of opposing them, and hated by Duckling for -the contempt of him I could not disguise. Much as I regretted this -result and had done what I could to avert it, now that it was thrust -upon me, I resolved to meet it quietly. For the rest of that watch, -therefore, I amused myself by shaping my plans, which simply amounted -to a determination to do my duty as completely as I could, so as to -deprive Coxon of all opportunity of making my berth more uncomfortable -than it was; to hold my tongue, to take no notice of the skipper's -doings, to steer as clear of Duckling as possible, and to quit the -ship, if possible, at Valparaiso. How I kept these good resolutions you -shall hear. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - - -The weather mended next day, and we made all sail with a fine breeze, -steering south-south-west. We had left the Downs on Tuesday, the 22nd -of August, and on the 25th we found by observation that we had made a -distance of over 900 miles, which, considering the heavy seas the ship -had encountered and the depth to which she was loaded, was very good -sailing. - -However, though we carried the strong north-westerly wind with us all -day, it fell calm towards night, then shifted ahead, then drew away -north, and then fell calm again. We were now well upon the skirts of -the Bay of Biscay, and the heavy swell for which that stretch of sea is -famous, did not fail us. All through the night we lay like the ship in -the song, rolling abominably, with Coxon in a ferocious temper on deck, -routing up the hands to man first the port, and then the starboard -braces, bousing the yards about to every whiff of wind, like a madman -in the Doldrums, until both watches were exhausted. All this work was -put upon us, merely because the skipper was in a rage at the calm, and -not caring to rest himself, determined that his crew should not; but -for all the good this slueing the yards about did, he might as well -have laid the mainyards aback, and waited until some wind really came. - -Early in the morning a light breeze sprang up aft, and the fore-topmast -stun'-sail was run up, and the ship began to move again. This breeze -held steady all day, and freshened a bit at night--but being right aft -scarcely gave us more than six knots when liveliest. However, it saved -the men's arms and legs, and enabled them to go about other and easier -work than manning braces, stowing sails, and setting them again. - -And so till Wednesday, the 31st of August, on which day we were, to the -best of my memory, in latitude 45 deg. and longitude about 10 deg.. - -The men during this time had been pretty quiet. The boatswain told me -that grumbling among them was as regular as meal-times; but no murmurs -came aft, no fresh complaints were made to the skipper. The reason was, -I think, the crew believed that the skipper meant to touch at Madeira -or one of the more southerly Canary Islands. That this was their notion -was put into my head by a question asked me by a hand at the wheel -when I was alone on deck: would I tell him where the ship was? - -I gave him the results of the sights taken at noon. - -"That's to the east'ard of Madeery, ain't it, sir?" - -"Yes." - -He bent his eyes on the compass-card, and seemed to be reflecting on -the ship's course. The subject dropped; but after he had been relieved, -and was gone forward, I saw him talking to the rest of the watch: and -one of them knelt down and drew some kind of figure with a piece of -chalk upon the deck (it looked to me, and doubtless was, a rude chart -of the ship's position), whereupon the cook began to jabber with great -vehemence, extending his hands in the wildest way, and pulling one -of the men close to him, and whispering in his ear. They noticed me -watching them, presently, and broke up. - -Had I been on friendly terms with Coxon or Duckling, I should have -made no delay in going to one or the other of them and communicating -my misgivings; for misgivings I had, and pretty strong misgivings -they were. But I perfectly well foresaw the reception my hints would -meet with from both Duckling and the captain. I really believed that -the latter disliked me enough now to convert my apprehension of -trouble into some direct charge against me. He might swear that I had -sympathized all along with the crew--and this I had admitted--and that -if the mutiny which my fears foreboded broke out, I should be held -directly responsible for it and treated as the ringleader. Besides, -there was another consideration that influenced me: my misgivings -_might_ be unfounded. I might make a report which would not only -imperil my own position, but provoke him into assuming an attitude -towards the men which would produce in reality the mutiny that might, -as things went, never come to pass. This consideration more than -anything else decided me to hold my tongue, to let matters take their -course, and to leave the captain and his chief mate to use their own -eyesight, instead of obtruding mine upon them. - -When I left the deck at four o'clock on the Wednesday afternoon, there -was a pleasant breeze blowing directly from astern, and the ship was -carrying all the canvas that would draw. The sky was clear, but pale, -like a winter's sky, and there was a very heavy swell rolling up from -the southward. The weather, on the whole, looked promising, and, -despite the north-easterly wind, the temperature was so mild that I -could have very well dispensed with my pilot jacket. - -There was something, however, about the aspect of the sun which struck -me as new and strange. Standing high over the western horizon it should -be brilliant enough: and yet it was possible to keep one's eye fixed -upon it for some moments without pain. It hung indeed, a fluctuating -molten globe in the sky, without any glory of rays. This seemed to me -a real phenomenon, viewed with respect to the _apparent_ purity of the -sky; but of course I understood that a mist or fog intervened between -the sight and the sun, though I never before remembered having seen -the sun's disc so dim in brilliancy and at the same time so _clean_ in -outline in a blue sky. - -I looked at the barometer before entering my cabin and found a -slight fall. Such a fall might betoken rain, or a change of wind -to the southward. In truth, there is no telling what a rise or fall -in the barometer _does_ betoken, beyond a change in the density of -the atmosphere. I would any day rather trust an old sailor's or an -old farmer's eye: and as to weather forecasts, based upon a thousand -fantastic hobbies, I liken them to dreams, of which every one remembers -the one or two that were verified, and forgets the immense number that -were never fulfilled. - -Throughout the dog-watches the weather still held fair; but the glass -had fallen another bit and the wind was dropping. Captain Coxon had -very little to say to me now and I to him. I was just civil, and he was -barely so; but when I was taking a glass in the cuddy preparatory to -turning in for three hours, he asked me what I thought of the weather. - -"It's difficult to know what this swell means, sir," I answered. -"Either it comes in advance of a gale or it follows a gale." - -"In advance," he said. "If you are going to turn in, keep your clothes -on. There was a thundering gale in the sun this afternoon, and if you -clap your nose over the ship's side you'll smell it coming." - -Oddly as he expressed himself, he was quite serious, and I understood -him. - -As the wind grew more sluggish, the vessel rolled more heavily. I never -was in a cuddy that groaned and strained more than this, owing to the -mahogany fittings having shrunk and warped away from their fixings. -Up through the skylights it was pitch dark, from the effect of the -swinging lamps within; and though both skylights were closed, I could -hear the sails flapping like sharp peals of artillery against the -masts, and the gurgling, washing sob of the water as the roll of the -ship brought it up through the scupper-holes. - -Just then Duckling overhead sang out to the men to get the fore-topmast -stun'-sail in: and Coxon at once quitted the cabin and went on deck. -There was something ominous in the calm and darkness of the night and -the voluminous heaving of the sea, and I made up my mind to keep away -from my cabin a while longer. I loaded a pipe and posted myself in a -corner of the cuddy front. Had this been my first voyage, I don't think -I should have found more difficulty in keeping my legs. The roll of the -vessel was so heavy that it was almost impossible to walk. I gained the -corner by dint of keeping my hands out and holding on to everything -that came in my road; but even this nook was uncomfortable enough to -remain in standing, for, taking the sea-line as my base, I was at -one moment reclining at an angle of forty degrees, the next, I had to -stiffen my legs forward to prevent myself from being shot like a stone -out of the corner and projected to the other side of the deck. - -The men were at work getting in the fore-topmast stun'-sail, and some -were aloft rigging in the boom. There was no air to be felt save the -draughts wafted along the deck by the flapping canvas. Even where I -stood I could hear the jar and shock of the rudder struck by the swell, -and the grinding of the tiller-chains as the wheel kicked. The sky -was thick with half a dozen spars sparely glimmering upon it here and -there. The sea was black and oily, flashing fitfully with spaces of -phosphorescent light which gleamed below the surface. But it was too -dark to discern the extent and bulk of the swell: that was to be felt. - -Duckling's voice began to sound harshly, calling upon the men to bear -a hand, and _their_ voices, chorusing up in the darkness, produced a -curious effect. So far from my being able to make out their figures, -it was as much as I could do to trace the outlines of the sails. After -awhile they came down, and immediately Duckling ordered the fore -and main royals to be furled. Then the fore and mizzen top-gallant -halliards were let go, and the sails clewed up ready to be stowed when -the men had done with the royals. So by degrees all the lighter sails -were taken in, and then the whole of the watch was put to close-reef -the mizzen-topsail. - -As I knew one watch was not enough to reef the other topsails, and -that all hands would soon be called, I put my pipe in my pocket and -got upon the poop. Duckling stood holding on to the mizzen-rigging, -vociferating, bully-fashion, to the men. I walked to the binnacle and -found that the vessel had no steerage way on her, and that her head was -lying west, though she swung heavily four or five points either side -of this to every swell that lifted her. The captain took no notice of -me, and I went and stuck myself against the companion-hatchway and had -a look around the horizon which I could not clearly see from my former -position on the quarter-deck. - -The scene was certainly very gloomy. The deep, mysterious silence, made -more impressive by the breathless rolling of the gigantic swell, and -by the impenetrable darkness that overhung the water-circle, inspired -a peculiar awe in the feelings. The rattle of the canvas overhead had -been in some measure subdued; but the great topsails flapped heavily, -and now and again the bell that hung just abaft the mainmast tolled -with a single stroke. - -It was a relief to turn the eye from the black space of ocean to the -deck of the ship catching a lustre from the cuddy lights. - -Duckling, perceiving my figure leaning against the hatchway, poked his -nose into my face to see who I was. - -"I believed you were turned in," said he. - -"I thought all hands would be called, and wished to save myself -trouble." - -"We shall close-reef at eight bells," said he, and marched away. - -This was an act of consideration towards the men, as it meant that the -watch below would not be called until it was time for them to turn out. -At all events the ship was snug enough now, come what might, even with -two whole topsails on her. Having close-reefed the mizzen-topsail, the -hands were now furling the mainsail, and only a little more work was -needful to put the ship in trim for a hurricane. So I took Duckling's -hint and laid down to get some sleep, first taking a peep at the glass -and noting that it was dropping steadily. - -Sailors learn to go to sleep smartly and to get up smartly. And they -also learn to extract refreshment out of a few winks, which is an -art scarce any landsman that I am acquainted with ever succeeded in -acquiring. I was awakened by one of the hands striking eight bells, and -at once tumbled up and got on deck. - -The night was darker than it was when I had gone to my cabin; no star -was now visible, an inky blackness overspread the confines of the -deep, and inspired a sense of calm that was breathless, suffocating, -insupportable. The heavy swell still rose and sunk the vessel, washing -her sides to the height of the bulwarks, and making the rudder kick -furiously. - -The moment Coxon saw me he told me to go forward and set all hands to -close-reef the fore-topsail. I did his bidding, calling out the order -as I went stumbling and sprawling along the main-deck, and letting go -the halliards to wake up the men, after groping for them. Indeed, it -was _pitch_ dark forward. I might have been stone-blind for anything -I could see, barring the thin rays of the forecastle lamp glimmering -faintly upon a few objects amidships. - -Owing to this darkness it was a worse job to reef the topsails than had -it been blowing a hurricane in daylight. It was a quarter to one before -both sails were reefed, and then the watch that had been on deck since -eight o'clock turned in. - -Here were we now under almost bare poles, in a dead calm; and yet had -the skipper ordered both the fore and mizzen topsails to be furled, he -would not have been doing more than was justified by the extraordinary -character of the night--the strange and monstrous sub-swell of the -ocean, the opacity of the heavens, the sinister and phenomenal -breathlessness and heat of the atmosphere. - -Duckling was below, lying at full length upon one of the cuddy benches, -ready to start up at the first call. I glanced at him through the -skylight, and wondered how on earth he kept himself steady on his -back. I should have been dislodged by every roll as surely as it came. -Perhaps he used his shoulder-blades as cleats to hold on to the sides -of the bench; and to so wildly proportioned a man as Duckling, a great -deal was possible. - -The card was swinging in the binnacle as before, and just now the -ship's head was north-west. With more canvas upon the vessel her -position would have been perilous by the impossibility of guessing from -what quarter the wind would come--if it came at all. Even to be taken -aback under close-reefed topsails might prove unpleasant enough, should -a sudden gale come down and find the ship without way on her. - -The captain, who was on the starboard side of the wheel, called me over -to him. - -"Are the decks clear?" - -"All clear, sir." - -"Fore-topsail sheets?" - -"Ready for running, sir." - -"How's her head now?" to the man at the helm. - -"Nor'-west, half north." - -"Keep a brisk look-out to the south'ard, sir," he said to me; "and sing -out if you see the sky clearing." - -I saw him, by the binnacle-light, put his finger in his mouth and hold -it up. But there was no other air to be felt than the short rush first -one way, then another, as the ship rolled. - -Scarcely ten minutes had passed since he addressed me, when I saw what -I took to be a ship's light standing clear upon the horizon, right -astern. - -I was about to call out when another light sprang up just above it. -Then a small, faint light, a little to the westward of these, then -another. - -Owing to the peculiar character of the atmosphere these lights looked -red, and so completely was I deceived by their appearance, that I -halloed out-- - -"Do you see those lights astern, sir? They look like a fleet of -steamers coming up." - -But I had scarcely spoken when I knew that I had made a fool of -myself. They were not ships' lights, _but stars_, and at once I -comprehended the import of this sudden astral revelation. - -"Stand by the starboard braces!" roared the skipper; and the men, awake -to a sense of a great and perhaps perilous change close at hand, came -shambling and stumbling along the deck. - -A wonderful panorama was now being rapidly unfolded in the south. - -All down there the sky was clearing as if by magic, and the stars -shining; but as I watched, great flying wreaths like mighty volumes -of smoke pouring out of gigantic factory chimneys, came rushing over -and obscuring them, though always leaving a few brightly burning -in a foreground which advanced with astonishing rapidity towards -the ship. To right and left of this point of the horizon, the sky -cleared only to be obscured afresh by the flying clouds. Soon, amid -the solemn pauses falling upon the ship between the intervals of her -pitching, for she had now swung right before the swell, we could hear -the coming whirlwind screeching along the surface of the water. The -contrast of its approach with the oily, breathless, heaving surface -of the sea around us and all ahead, and the utter stagnation of the -air, produced an effect upon my mind, and, I believe, upon the minds -of all others who were witnesses of the sight, to which no words -could give expression--an emotion, if you like, of suspense that was -almost terror, and yet terror deprived of pain by a wild and tingling -curiosity. - -But such a gale as I am describing travels quickly: all overhead the -sky was first cleared and then massed up with whirling clouds, before -the wind struck us: the white surface of the sea, cleanly lined like -the surf upon a beach, was plainly seen by us, even when the water all -around was still unruffled; and _then_, with a prolonged and pealing -yell, the gale and the spray it was lashing out of the sea were upon -us. In a moment our decks were soaking--the masts creaked, and every -shroud and stay sang to the sudden, mighty strain; the vessel staggered -and reeled--stopped, as a heavy swell rolled under her bows, and threw -her all aslant against the hurricane, which screeched and howled -through the rigging, and then fled forwards under the yards, which had -squared themselves as the starboard braces were slackened. - -It was lucky for the _Grosvenor_ that the gale struck her astern. So -great was its fury that, had it taken her aback, I doubt if she would -have righted. - -This furious wind had cleared the horizon, and the water-line all -around was distinctly figured against the sky. The sea was a sheet -of foam, and, what will scarcely seem credible, the swell _subsided_ -under the lateral pressure of the wind, so that for a short time we -seemed to be racing along a level surface of froth. Large masses of -this froth, bubbly and crackling like wood in a fire, were jogged clean -off the water and struck the decks or sides of the ship with reports -like the discharge of a pistol, and no more than a handful of water -blown against my face hit me with such force, that for some moments I -suffered the greatest torment, as though my eyes had been scalded, and -I hardly knew whether I had not lost my sight. - -The wind was blowing true from the south and we were bowling before it -due north, losing as much ground every five minutes as had taken us -an hour to get during the day. Coxon, however, was _feeling_ the gale -before he brought the ship close: at any moment, you see, the wind -might chop round and blow a hurricane; though, to be sure, the sky with -its torn masses of skurrying clouds had too wild an aspect to make us -believe that this gale was likely to be of short duration. - -The sea now began to rise, and it was strange to watch it. First it -boiled in short waves which the wind shattered and blew flat. But other -waves rose, too solid for the wind to level: they increased in bulk as -they ran, and broke in coils of spray, while fresh and larger waves -succeeded, and the ship began to pitch quickly in the young sea. - -The wonderful violence of the wind could not be well appreciated by us -who were running before it; but when the crew manned the braces and -the helm was put to starboard, it seemed as if the wind would blow -the ship out of the water. She came to slowly, laying her main-deck -level with the sea, and the screeching of the wind was diabolical and -absolutely terrifying to listen to. With the weather leeches just -lifting, she was still well away from her course, and her progress -under all three topsails was all leeway. - -But I soon saw that she could not carry two of the three topsails, -owing to the tremendous sudden pressure put upon the masts by her -lurches to windward; and sure enough Duckling (who had turned out along -with all hands when the gale had first struck the ship) roared through -a speaking-trumpet to clew up and furl the fore and mizzen topsails. - -It took all hands to deal with each sail separately, and I helped to -stow the fore-topsail. - -To be up aloft in weather of the kind I am describing is an experience -no landsman can realize by imagination. To begin with, it is an immense -job to _breathe_, for the wind stands like something solid in your -mouth, and up your nostrils, and makes the expelling of your breath a -task fitter for a one-horse engine than a pair of human lungs. Then you -have two remorseless forces at work in the shape of the wind and the -sail doing their utmost to hurl you from the yard. The fore-topsail -was snugged as well as bunt-lines and clew-lines, hauled taut as steel -bars, could bring it; and besides, there were already three reefs in -it. And yet it stood out like cast-iron, and all hands might have -danced a horn-pipe upon it without putting a crease into the canvas -with their united weight. We had to roar out to Duckling to put the -helm down, and spill the sail, before we could get hold of it; and so -fiercely did the canvas shake in the hurricane as the ship came to, -that I, who stood in the bunt, expected to see the hands out at the -yard-arms shaken off the foot-ropes, and precipitated into the sea. - -But what a wildly picturesque scene was the ocean surveyed from the -height of the foremast! The sea was now heavy, and furiously lashing -the weather bow; avalanches of spray ran high up the side, and were -blown in a veil of hurtling sleet and froth across the forecastle. -Casting my eyes backwards, the ship looked forlornly naked with no -other canvas on her than the close-reefed main-topsail, with the bare -outlines of her main and after yards, and the slack ropes and lines -blown to leeward in semicircles, surging to and fro in long sweeps -against the stars, which glimmered and vanished between the furiously -whirling clouds. The hull of the vessel looked strangely narrow and -long, contemplated from my elevation, upon the boiling seas; the -froth of the water made an artificial light, and objects on deck were -clear now, which, before the gale burst upon us, had been wrapped in -impenetrable darkness. - -When the sail was furled, all hands laid down as smartly as they could; -but just under the foretop the rush of wind was so powerful, that when -I dropped my leg over the edge to feel with my foot for the futtock -shrouds, my weight was entirely sustained and buoyed up, and I believe -that had I let go with my hands, I should have been blown securely -against the fore-shrouds and there held. - -The ship was now as snug as we could make her, hove to under -close-reefed main-topsail and fore-topmast staysail, riding tolerably -well, though, to be sure, the wind had not yet had time to raise much -of a sea. The crew were fagged by their heavy work, and the captain -ordered the steward to serve out a tot of grog apiece to them, more out -of policy than pity, I think, as he would remember what was in their -minds respecting their provisions, and how the ship's safety depended -on their obedience. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - - -All that night it blew terribly hard, and raised as wild and raging a -sea as ever I remember hearing or seeing described. During my watch, -that is, from midnight until four o'clock, the wind veered a couple of -points, but had gone back again only to blow harder, just as though it -had stepped out of its way a trifle to catch extra breath. - -I was quite worn out by the time my turn came to go below, and though -the vessel was groaning like a live creature in its death-agonies, and -the seas thumping against her with such shocks as kept me thinking that -she was striking hard ground, I fell asleep as soon as my head touched -the pillow, and never moved until routed out by Duckling four hours -afterwards. - -All this time the gale had not bated a jot of its violence, and the -ship laboured so heavily that I had the utmost difficulty in getting -out of the cuddy on to the poop. When I say that the decks fore and -aft were streaming wet, I convey no notion of the truth; the main-deck -was simply _afloat_, and every time the ship rolled, the water on her -deck rushed in a wave against the bulwarks and shot high in the air, to -mingle sometimes with fresh and heavy inroads of the sea, both falling -back upon the deck with the boom of a gun. - -I had already ascertained from Duckling that the well had been sounded -and the ship found dry; and therefore, since we were tight below, it -mattered little what water was shipped above, as the hatches were -securely battened down fore and aft, and the mast-coats unwrung. But -still she laboured under the serious disadvantage of being overloaded; -and the result was her fore parts were being incessantly swept by seas -which at times completely hid her forecastle in spray. - -Shortly after breakfast Captain Coxon sent me forward to despatch -a couple of hands on to the jib-boom to snug the inner jib, which -looked to be rather shakily stowed. I managed to dodge the water on -the main-deck by waiting until it rolled to the starboard scuppers, -and then cutting ahead as fast as I could; but just as I got upon the -forecastle, I was saluted by a green sea which carried me off my legs -and would have swept me down on the main-deck had I not held on stoutly -with both hands to one of the fore shrouds. The water nearly drowned -me, and kept me sneezing and coughing for ten minutes afterwards. But -it did me no further mischief, for I was encased in good oilskins and -sou'wester, which kept me as dry as a bone inside. - -Two ordinary seamen got upon the jib-boom, and I bade them keep a -good hold, for the ship sometimes danced her figurehead under water -and buried her spritsail yard, and when she sank her stern her flying -jib-boom stood up like the mizzen-mast. I waited until this job of -snugging the sail was finished, and then made haste to get off the -forecastle, where the seas flew so continuously and heavily that had -I not kept a sharp look-out I should several times have been knocked -overboard. - -Partly out of curiosity and partly with a wish to hearten the men, I -looked into the forecastle before going aft. There were sliding doors -let into the entrance on either side the windlass, but one of them was -kept half open to admit air, the fore-scuttle above being closed. The -darkness here was made visible by an oil-lamp, in shape resembling a -tin coffee-pot with a wick in the spout, which burnt black and smokily. -The deck was up to my ankles in water, which gurgled over the pile -of swabs that lay at the open entrance. It took my eye some moments -to distinguish objects in the gloom, and then by degrees the strange -interior was revealed. A number of hammocks were swung against the -upper deck, and around the forecastle were two rows of bunks, one atop -of the other. Here and there were sea-chests lashed to the deck, and -these, with the huge windlass, a range of chain-cable, lengths of rope, -odds and ends of pots and dishes, with here a pair of breeches hanging -from a hammock, and there a row of oilskins swinging from a beam, -pretty well made up all the furniture that met my eye. - -The whole of the crew were below. Some of the men lay smoking in their -bunks, others in their hammocks with their boots over the edge; one -was patching a coat, another greasing his boots, others were seated in -a group talking, whilst under the lamp were a couple of men playing -at cards upon a chest, three or four watching and holding on by the -hammocks over their heads. - -A man, lying in his bunk with his face towards me, started up and sent -his legs, encased in blanket trousers and brown woollen stockings, -flying out. - -"Here's Mr. Royle, mates!" he called out. "Let's ask him the name of -the port the captain means to touch at for proper food, for we aren't -goin' to wait much longer." - -"Don't ask me any questions of that kind, my lads," I replied promptly, -seeing a general movement of heads in the bunks and hammocks. "I'd -give you proper victuals if I had the ordering of them; and I have -spoken to Captain Coxon about you, and I am sure he will see this -matter put to rights." - -I had difficulty in making my voice heard, for the striking of the seas -against the ship's bows filled the place with an overwhelming volume of -sound, and the hollow, deafening thunder was increased by the uproar of -the ship's straining timbers. - -"Who the devil thinks," said a voice from a hammock, "that we're going -to let ourselves be grinded as we was last night, without proper -wittles to support us? I'd rather have signed articles for a coal-barge -with drownded rats to eat from Gravesend to Whitstable, than shipped -in this here cursed wessel, where the bread's just fit to make savages -retch!" - -I had not bargained for this, but had merely meant to address them -cheerily, with a few words of approval of the smart way in which they -had worked the ship in the night. Seeing that my presence would do -no good, I turned about and left the forecastle, hearing as I came -away one of the Dutchmen cry out: "Look here, Mishter Rile, vill you -be pleashed to ssay when we are to hov' something to eat?--for, by -Gott! ve vill kill te dom pigs in the long-boat, if the shkipper don't -mindt--so look out!" - -As ill-luck would have it, Captain Coxon was at the break of the poop, -and saw me come out of the forecastle. He waited until he had got me -alongside of him, when he asked me what I was doing among the men. - -"I looked in to give them a good word for the work they did last -night," I answered. - -"And who asked you to give them a good word, as you call it?" - -"I have never had to wait for orders to encourage a crew." - -"Mind what you are about, sir!" he exclaimed in a voice tremulous with -rage. "I see through your game, and I'll put a stopper upon it that you -won't like." - -"What game, sir? Let me have your meaning." - -"An infernal mutinous game!" he roared. "Don't talk to me, sir! I know -you! I've had my eye upon you! You'll play false if you can, and are -trying to smother up your damned rebel meanings with genteel airs! Get -away, sir!" he bellowed, stamping his foot. "Get away aft! You're a -lumping, useless encumbrance! But, by thunder! I'll give you two for -every one you try to give me! So stand by!" - -And apparently half-mad with his rage he staggered away in the -very direction in which he had told me to go, and stood near the -wheel, glaring upon me with a white face, which looked indescribably -malevolent in the fur cap and ear protectors that ornamented it. - -I was terribly vexed by this rudeness, which I was powerless to resist, -and regretted my indiscretion in entering the forecastle after the -politic resolutions I had formed. However, Captain Coxon's ferocity -was nothing new to me; truly I believed he was not quite right in his -mind, and expected, as in former cases, that he would come round a bit -by-and-by, when his insane temper had passed. Still, his insinuations -were highly dangerous, not to speak of their offensiveness. It was no -joke to be charged, even by a madman, with striving to arouse the crew -to mutiny. Nevertheless, I tried to console myself as best I could -by reflecting that he could not prove his charges; that I need only -endure his insolence for a few weeks, and that there was always a law -to vindicate me and punish him should his evil temper betray him into -any acts of cruelty against me. - -The gale, at times the severest that I was ever in, lasted three -days, during which the ship drove something like eighty miles to the -north-west. The sea on the afternoon of the third day was appalling: -had the ship attempted to run, she would have been pooped and smothered -in a minute; but lying close, she rode fairly well, though there -were moments when I held my breath as she sunk into a hollow like a -coal-mine, filled with the astounding noise of boiling water, really -believing that the immense waves which came hurtling towards us with -solid, sharp, transparent ridges, out of which the wind tore lumps of -water and flung them through the rigging of the ship, must overwhelm -the vessel before she could rise to it. - -The fury of the tempest and the violence of the sea, which the boldest -could not contemplate without feeling that the ship was every moment in -more or less peril, kept the crew subdued, and they eat as best they -could the provisions without complaint. However, it needed nothing -less than a storm to keep them quiet; for on the second day a sea -extinguished the galley-fire, and until the gale abated no cooking -could be done; so that the men had to put up with cold water and -biscuit. Hence all hands were thrown upon the ship's bread for two -days, and the badness of it, therefore was made even more apparent than -heretofore, when its wormy mouldiness was in some degree qualified by -the nauseousness of bad salt pork and beef, and the sickly flavour of -damaged tea. - -As I had anticipated, the captain came round a little a few hours -after his insulting attack upon me. I think his temper frightened -him when it had reference to me. Like others of his breed, he was a -bit of a cur at bottom: my character was a trifle beyond him, and he -was ignorant enough to hate and fear what he could not understand. -Be this as it may, he made some rough attempts at a rude kind of -politeness when I went below to get some grog, and condescended to say -that when I had been to sea as long as he, I would know that the most -ungrateful rascals in the world were sailors; that every crew he had -sailed with had always taken care to invent some grievance to growl -over--either the provisions were bad, or the work too heavy, or the -ship unseaworthy--and that long ago he had made up his mind never to -pay attention to their complaints, since no sooner would one wrong be -redressed, than another would be coined and shoved under his nose. - -I took this opportunity of assuring him that I had never willingly -listened to the complaints of the men, and that I was always annoyed -when they spoke to me about the provisions, as I had nothing whatever -to do with that matter; and that so far from my wishing to stir up -the men into rebellion, my conduct had been uniformly influenced by -the desire to conciliate them and represent their condition as very -tolerable, so as to repress any tendency to disaffection which they -might foment among themselves. - -To this he made no reply, and soon afterwards we parted; but all next -day he was sullen again, and never addressed me save to give an order. - -On the evening of the third day the gale broke; the glass had risen -since the morning, but until the first dog-watch the wind did not bate -one iota of its violence, and the horizon still retained its stormy -and threatening aspect. The clouds then broke in the west, and the -setting sun shone forth with deep crimson light upon the wilderness of -mountainous waters. The wind fell quickly, then went round to the west, -and blew freshly; but there was a remarkable softness and sweetness in -the feel and taste of it. A couple of reefs were at once shaken out of -the main-topsail, and sail made. By midnight the heavy sea had subsided -into a deep, long, rolling swell, still strangely enough coming from -the south; but the fresh westerly wind held the ship steady, and for -the first time for nearly a hundred hours we were able to move about -the decks with comparative comfort. Early next morning the watch were -set to wash down and clear up the decks, and when I left my cabin at -eight o'clock, I found the weather bright and warm, with a blue sky -shining among heavy, white, April-looking clouds, and the ship making -seven knots under all plain sail. The decks were dry and comfortable, -and the ship had a habitable and civilized look by reason of the row of -clothes hung by the seamen to dry on the forecastle. - -It was half-past nine o'clock, and I was standing near the taffrail -looking at a shoal of porpoises playing some few hundreds of feet -astern, when the man who was steering asked me to look in the direction -to which he pointed, that was, a little to the right of the bowsprit, -and say if there was anything to be seen there; for he had caught sight -of something black upon the horizon twice, but could not detect it now. - -I turned my eyes towards the quarter of the sea indicated, but could -discern nothing whatever; and, telling him that what he had seen was -probably a wave which, standing higher than its fellows, will sometimes -show black a long distance off, walked to the fore part of the poop. - -The breeze still held good and the vessel was slipping easily through -the water, though the southerly swell made her roll, and at times shook -the wind out of the sails. The skipper had gone to lie down, being -pretty well exhausted, I dare say, for he had kept the deck for the -greater part of three nights running. Duckling was also below. Most of -my watch were on the forecastle, sitting or lying in the sun, which -shone very warm upon the decks; the hens under the long-boat were -chattering briskly, and the cocks crowing and the pigs grunting with -the comfort of the warmth. - -Suddenly, as the ship rose, I distinctly beheld something black out -away upon the horizon, showing just under the foot of the foresail. -It vanished instantly; but I was now satisfied, and went for the glass -which lay upon brackets just under the companion. I then told the man -who was steering to keep her away a couple of points for a few moments, -and resting the glass against the mizzen-royal backstay, pointed it -towards the place where I had seen the black object. - -For some moments nothing but sea or sky filled the field of the glass -as the ship rose and fell; but all at once there leaped into this -field the hull of a ship, deep as her main-chains in the water, which -came and went before my eye as the long seas lifted or dropped in the -foreground. I managed to keep her sufficiently long in view to perceive -that she was totally dismasted. - -"It's a wreck," said I, turning to the man; "let her come to again and -luff a point. There may be living creatures aboard of her." - -Knowing what sort of man Captain Coxon was, I do not think that I -should have had the hardihood to luff the ship a point out of her -course had it involved the bracing of the yards; for the songs of the -men would certainly have brought him on deck, and I might have provoked -some ugly insolence. But the ship was going free, and would head more -westerly without occasioning further change than slightly slackening -the weather braces of the upper yards. This I did quietly, and the -dismasted hull was brought right dead on end with our flying jib-boom. -The men now caught sight of her, and began to stare and point, but did -not sing out as they saw by the telescope in my hand that I perceived -her. The breeze unhappily began to slacken somewhat, owing perhaps to -the gathering heat of the sun; our pace fell off, and a full hour -passed before we brought the wreck near enough to see her permanently, -for up to this she had been constantly vanishing under the rise of the -swell. She was now about two miles off, and I took a long and steady -look at her through the telescope. It was a black hull, with painted -ports. The deck was flush fore and aft, and there was a good-sized -house just before where the mainmast should have been. This house was -uninjured, though the galley was split up and to starboard stood up in -splinters like the stump of a tree struck by lightning. No boats could -be seen aboard of her. Her jib-boom was gone, and so were all three -masts, clean cut off at the deck, as though a hand-saw had done it; but -the mizzen-mast was alongside, held by the shrouds and backstays, and -the port main and fore shrouds streamed like serpents from her chains -into the water. I reckoned at once that she must be loaded with timber, -for she never could keep afloat at that depth with any other kind of -cargo in her. - -She made a most mournful and piteous object in the sunlight, sluggishly -rolling to the swell which ran in transparent volumes over her sides -and foamed around the deck-house. Once, when her stern rose, I read the -name _Cecilia_ in broad white letters. - -I was gazing at her intently in the effort to witness some indication -of living thing on board, when, to my mingled consternation and horror, -I witnessed an arm project through the window of the deck-house, and -frantically wave what resembled a white handkerchief. As none of the -men called out, I judged this signal was not perceptible to the naked -eye, and in my excitement I shouted-- - -"There's a living man on board of her, my lads!" dropped the glass, -and ran aft to call the captain. - -I met him coming up the companion-ladder. The first thing he said was, -"You're out of your course," and looked up at the sails. - -"There's a wreck yonder!" I cried, pointing eagerly, "with a man on -board signalling to us." - -"Get me the glass," he said sulkily, and I picked it up, and gave it to -him. - -He looked at the wreck for some moments, and addressing the man at the -wheel, exclaimed, making a movement with his hand-- - -"Keep her away. Where the devil are you steering to?" - -"Good Heaven!" I ejaculated; "there's a man on board--there may be -others!" - -"Damnation!" he exclaimed, between his teeth; "what do you mean by -interfering with me? Keep her away!" he roared out. - -During this time we had drawn sufficiently near to the wreck to enable -the sharper-sighted among the hands to remark the signal; and they were -calling out that there was somebody flying a handkerchief aboard the -hull. - -"Captain Coxon," said I, in as firm a voice as I could command--for I -was nearly in as great a rage as he, and rendered insensible to all -consequences by his inhumanity--"if you bear away, and leave that man -yonder to sink with that wreck, when he can be saved with very little -trouble, you will become as much a murderer as any ruffian who stabs a -man asleep." - -When I had said this, Coxon turned black in the face with passion. -His eyes protruded, his hands and fingers worked as though he were -under some electrical process, and I saw for the first time in all my -life, a sight I had always laughed at as a bit of impossible novelist -description--a mouth foaming with rage. He rushed aft just over -Duckling's cabin, and stamped with all his might. - -"Now," thought I, "they may try to murder me!" And without a word, I -pulled off my coat, seized a belaying-pin, and stood ready, resolved -that, happen what might, I would give the first man who should lay his -fingers on me something to remember me by whilst he had breath in his -body. - -The men, not quite understanding what was happening, but seeing that -a "row" was taking place, came off the forecastle, and advanced by -degrees along the main-deck. Among them I noticed the cook, muttering -to one or the other who stood near. - -Mr. Duckling, awakened by the violent clattering over his head, came -running up the companion with a bewildered, sleepy look in his face. -The captain grasped him by the arm, and pointing to me, cried out with -an oath, "that that villain was breeding a mutiny on board, and, he -believed, wanted to murder him and Duckling." - -I at once answered, "Nothing of the kind! There is a man miserably -perishing on board that sinking wreck, Mr. Duckling, and he ought to -be saved. My lads!" I cried, addressing the men on the main-deck, "is -there a sailor among you all who would have the heart to leave that man -yonder without an effort to rescue him?" - -"No, sir!" shouted one of them. "We'll save the man, and if the skipper -refuses we'll make him!" - -"Luff!" I called to the man at the wheel. - -"Luff, at your peril!" screamed the skipper. - -"Aft here, some hands," I cried, "and lay the main-yard aback. Let go -the port-main braces!" - -The captain came running towards me. - -"By the living God!" I cried, in a fury, grasping the heavy brass -belaying-pin, "if you come within a foot of me, Captain Coxon, I'll -dash your brains out!" - -My attitude, my enraged face and menacing gesture, produced the desired -effect. He stopped dead, turned a ghastly white, and looked round at -Duckling. - -"What do you mean by this (etc.) conduct, you (etc.) mutinous -scoundrel!" roared Duckling, with a volley of foul language. - -"Give him one for himself if he says too much, Mr. Royle!" sung out -some hoarse voice on the main-deck, "we'll back yer!" And then came -cries of "They're a cursed pair o' murderers!" "Who run the smack -down?" "Who lets men drown?" "Who starves honest men?" This last -exclamation was followed by a roar. - -The whole of the crew were now on deck, having been aroused by our -voices. Some of them were looking on with a grin; others with an -expression of fierce curiosity. It was at once understood that I was -making a stand against the captain and chief mate, and a single glance -at them assured me that by one word I could set the whole of them on -fire to do my bidding even to shedding blood. - -In the mean time the man at the wheel had luffed until the weather -leeches were flat and the ship scarcely moving. And at this moment, -that the skipper might know their meaning, a couple of hands jumped -aft and let go the weather main-braces. I took care to keep my eyes -on Coxon and the mate, fully prepared for any attack that one or both -might make on me. Duckling eyed me furiously, but in silence, evidently -baffled by my resolute air and the posture of the men. Then he said -something to the captain, who looked exhausted and white and haggard -with his useless passion. They walked over to the lee-side of the poop, -and after a short conference the captain, to my surprise, went below, -and Duckling came forward. - -"There's no objection," he said, "to your saving the man's life, if you -want. Lower away the starboard quarter-boat, and you go along in her," -he added to me, uttering the last words in such a thick voice that I -thought he was choking. - -"Come along, some of you," I cried out, hastily putting on my coat; and -in less than a minute I was in the boat with the rudder and thole-pins -shipped and four hands ready to out oars as soon as we touched the -water. - -Duckling began to fumble at one of the boat's falls. - -"Don't let him lower away!" roared out one of the men in the boat. -"He'll let us go with a run. He'd like to see us drownded." - -Duckling fell back scowling with fury, and, shoving his head over -as the boat sank quietly into the water, he discharged a volley of -execrations at us, saying that he would shoot some of us, if he swung -for it, before he was done; and especially applying a heap of abusive -terms to me. - -The fellow pulling the bow oar laughed in his face, and another shouted -out, "We'll teach you to say your prayers yet, you ugly old sinner!" - -We got away from the ship's side cleverly, and in a short time were -rowing fast for the wreck. The excitement under which I laboured made -me reckless of the issue of this adventure. The sight of the lonely man -upon the wreck, coupled with the unmanly, brutal intention of Coxon to -leave him to his fate, had goaded me into a state of mind infuriate -enough to have done and dared everything to _compel_ Coxon to save him. -He might call it mutiny, but I called it humanity, and I was prepared -to stand or fall by my theory. The hate the crew had for their captain -and chief mate was quite strong enough to guarantee me against any foul -play on the part of Coxon, otherwise I might have prepared myself to -see the ship fill and stand away and leave us alone on the sea with -the wreck. One of the men in the boat suggested this; but another -immediately answered: "They'd pitch the skipper overboard if he gave -such an order, and glad o' the chance. There's no love for 'em among -us, I can tell you, and by ---- there'll be bloody work done aboard the -_Grosvenor_ if things aren't mended soon, as you'll see." - -They all four pulled at their oars savagely as these words were spoken, -and I never saw such sullen and ferocious expressions on men's faces as -came into theirs when they fixed their eyes as with one accord upon the -ship. - -_She_, deep as she was, looked a beautiful model on the mighty surface -of the water, rolling with marvellous grace to the swell, the strength -and volume of which made me feel my littleness and weakness as it -lifted the small boat with irresistible power. There was wind enough -to keep her sails full upon her graceful, slender masts, and the -brass-work upon her deck flashed brilliantly as she rolled from side to -side. - -Strange contrast to look from her to the broken and desolate picture -ahead! My eyes were rivetted upon it now with new and intense emotion, -for by this time I could discern that the person who was waving to us -was a female--woman or girl I could not yet make out--and that her hair -was like a veil of gold behind her swaying arm. - -"It's a woman!" I cried in my excitement; "it's no man at all. Pull -smartly, my lads, pull smartly, for God's sake!" - -The men gave way stoutly, and the swell favouring us, we were soon -close to the wreck. The girl, as I now perceived she was, waved her -handkerchief wildly as we approached; but my attention was occupied -in considering how we could best board the wreck without injury to -the boat. She lay broadside to us, with her stern on our right, and -was not only rolling heavily with wallowing, squelching movements, -but was swirling the heavy mizzen-mast that lay alongside through the -water each time she went over to starboard, so that it was necessary -to approach her with the greatest caution to prevent our boat from -being stove in. Another element of danger was the great flood of water -which she took in over her shattered bulwarks, first on this side, then -on that, discharging the torrent again into the sea according as she -rolled. This water came from her like a cataract, and in a second would -fill and sink the boat unless extreme care were taken to keep clear of -it. - -I waved my hat to the poor girl to let her know that we saw her and had -come to save her, and steered the boat right around the wreck that I -might observe the most practicable point for boarding her. - -She appeared to be a vessel of about 700 tons. The falling of her -masts had crushed her port bulwarks level with the deck, and part of -her starboard bulwarks was also smashed to pieces. Her wheel was gone, -and the heavy seas that had swept her deck had carried away capstans, -binnacle, hatchway gratings, pumps--everything, in short, but the -deck-house and the remnants of the galley. I particularly noticed a -strong iron boat's davit twisted up like a corkscrew. She was full of -water, and lay as deep as her main-chains, but her bows stood high, and -her fore-chains were out of the sea. It was miraculous to see her keep -afloat as the long swell rolled over her in a cruel, foaming succession -of waves. - -Though these plain details impressed themselves upon my memory, I -did not seem to notice anything, in the anxiety that possessed me -to rescue the lonely creature in the deck-house. It would have been -impossible to keep a footing upon the main-deck without a life-line -or something to hold on by; and seeing this and forming my resolutions -rapidly, I ordered the man in the bows of the boat to throw in his -oar and exchange places with me, and head the boat for the starboard -port-chains. As we approached I stood up with one foot planted on the -gunwale ready to spring; the broken shrouds were streaming aft and -alongside, so that if I missed the jump and fell into the water there -was plenty of stuff to catch hold of. - -"Gently--'vast rowing--ready to back astern smartly!" I cried, as we -approached. I waited a moment: the hull rolled towards us, and the -succeeding swell threw up our boat; the deck, though all aslant, was on -a line with my feet. I sprang with all my strength, and got well upon -the deck, but fell heavily as I reached it. However, I was up again in -a moment, and ran forward out of the wash of the water. - -Here was a heap of gear, staysail and jib-halliards and other ropes, -some of the ends swarming overboard. I hauled in one of these ends, -but found I could not clear the raffle; but looking round, I perceived -a couple of coils of line, spare stun'-sail tacks or halliards I took -them to be, lying close against the foot of the bowsprit. I immediately -seized the end of one of these coils and flung it into the boat, -telling them to drop clear of the wreck astern; and when they had -backed as far as the length of line permitted, I bent on the end of the -other coil and paid that out until the boat was some fathoms astern. -I then made my end fast, and sung out to one of the men to get on -board by the starboard mizzen-chains and to bring the end of the line -with him. After waiting a few minutes, the boat being hidden, I saw -the fellow come scrambling over the side with a red face, his clothes -and hair streaming, he having fallen overboard. He shook himself like -a dog, and crawled with the line, on his hands and knees, a short -distance forward, then hauled the line taut and made it fast. - -"Tell them to bring the boat round here," I cried, "and lay off on -their oars until we are ready. And you get hold of this line and work -yourself up to me." - -Saying which I advanced along the deck, clinging tightly with both -hands. It very providentially happened that the door of the deck-house -faced the forecastle within a few feet of where the remains of the -galley stood. There would be, therefore, less risk in opening it than -had it faced beam-wise; for the water, as it broke against the sides of -the house, disparted clear of the fore and after parts; that is, the -great bulk of it ran clear, though, of course, a foot's depth of it at -least surged against the door. - -I called out to the girl to open the door quickly, as it slided in -grooves like a panel, and was not to be stirred from the outside. The -poor creature appeared mad, and I repeated my request three times -without inducing her to leave the window. Then, not believing that she -understood me, I cried out, "Are you English?" - -"Yes," she replied. "For God's sake, save us!" - -"I cannot get you through that window," I exclaimed. "Rouse yourself -and open that door, and I will save you." - -She now seemed to comprehend, and drew in her head. By this time the -man out of the boat had succeeded in sliding along the rope to where -I stood, though the poor devil was nearly drowned on the road; for -when about half-way the hull took in a lump of a swell which swept -him right off his legs, and he was swung hard a-starboard, holding on -for his life. However, he recovered himself smartly when the water was -gone, and came along hand over fist, snorting and cursing in wonderful -style. - -Meanwhile, though I kept firm hold of the life-line, I took care to -stand where the inroads of water were not heavy, waiting impatiently -for the door to open. It shook in the grooves, tried by a feeble hand; -then a desperate effort was made, and it slid a couple of inches. - -"That will do!" I shouted. "Now, then, my lad, catch hold of me with -one hand and the line with the other." - -The fellow took a firm grip of my monkey-jacket, and I made for the -door. The water washed up to my knees, but I soon inserted my fingers -in the crevice of the door and thrust it open. - -The house was a single compartment, though I had expected to find -it divided into two. In the centre was a table that travelled on -stanchions from the roof to the deck. On either side were a couple of -bunks. The girl stood near the door. In a bunk to the left of the door -lay an old man with white hair. Prostrate on his back, on the deck, -with his arms stretched against his ears, was the corpse of a man, well -dressed; and in a bunk on the right sat a sailor, who, when he saw me, -yelled out and snapped his fingers, making horrible grimaces. - -Such in brief the _coup d'oeil_ of that weird interior as it met my -eyes. - -I seized the girl by the arm. - -"You first," said I. "Come--there is no time to be lost." - -But she shrank back, pressing against the door with her hand to prevent -me from pulling her, crying in a husky voice, and looking at the old -man with the white hair. "My father first!--my father first!" - -"You shall all be saved, but you must obey me. Quickly now!" I -exclaimed passionately, for a heavy sea at that moment flooded the -ship, and a rush of water swamped the house through the open door, and -washed the corpse on the deck up into a corner. - -Grasping her firmly, I lifted her off her feet, and went staggering -to the life-rope, slinging her light body over my shoulder as I went. -Assisted by my man, I gained the bow of the wreck, and, hailing the -boat, ordered it alongside. - -"One of you," cried I, "stand ready to receive this lady when I give -the signal." - -I then told the man who was with me to jump into the fore-chains, which -he instantly did. The wreck lurched heavily to port. "Stand by, my -lads!" I shouted. Over she came again, with the water swooping along -the main-deck. The boat rose high, and the fore-chains were submerged -to the height of the man's knees. "Now!" I called, and lifted the girl -over. She was seized by the man in the chains and pushed towards the -boat; the fellow standing in the bow of the boat caught her, and at the -same moment down sank the boat, and the wreck rolled wearily over. But -the girl was safe. - -"Hurrah, my lad!" I sung out. "Up with you--there are others -remaining;" and I went sprawling along the line to the deck-house, -there to encounter another rush of water, which washed as high as my -thighs, and fetched me such a thump in the stomach, that I thought I -must have died of suffocation. - -I was glad to find that the old man had got out of his bunk and was -standing at the door. - -"Is my poor girl safe, sir?" he exclaimed, with the same huskiness of -voice that had grated so unpleasantly in the girl's tone. - -"Quite safe--come along." - -"Thanks be to Almighty God!" he ejaculated, and burst into tears. - -I seized hold of his thin, cold hand, but shifted my fingers to catch -him by the coat collar, so as to exert more power over him, and hauled -him along the deck, telling my companion to lay hold of the seaman and -fetch him away smartly. We managed to escape the water, for the poor -old gentleman bestirred himself very nimbly, and I helped him over -the fore-chains, and when the boat rose, tumbled him into her without -ceremony. I saw the daughter leap towards him and clasp him in her -arms, but I was soon again scrambling on to the deck, having heard -cries from my man, accompanied with several loud curses, mingled with -dreadful yells. - -"He's bitten me, sir!" cried my companion, hauling himself away from -the deck-house. "He's roaring mad." - -"It can't be helped," I answered. "We must get him out." - -He saw me pushing along the life-line, plucked up heart, and went with -myself through a sousing sea to the door. I caught a glimpse of a white -face glaring at me from the interior: in a second a figure shot out, -fled with incredible speed towards the bow, and leaped into the sea -just where our boat lay. - -"They'll pick him up," I exclaimed. "Stop a second;" and I entered the -house and stooped over the figure of the man on the deck. I was not -familiar with death, and yet I knew it was here. I cannot describe -the signs in his face; but such as they were they told me the truth. -I noticed a ring upon his finger, and that his clothes were good. His -hair was black, and his features well-shaped, though his face had a -half-convulsed expression, as if something frightful had appeared to -him, and he had died of the sight of it. - -"This wreck must be his coffin," I said. "He is a corpse. We can do no -more." - -We scrambled for the last time along the life-line and got into the -fore-chains, but to our consternation saw the boat rowing away from -the wreck. However, the fit of rage and terror that possessed me, -lasted but a moment or two; for I now saw they were giving chase to -the madman, who was swimming steadily away. Two of the men rowed, and -the third hung over the bows, ready to grasp the miserable wretch. -The _Grosvenor_ stood steady, about a mile off, with her mainyards -backed; and just as the fellow over the boat's bows caught hold of the -swimmer's hair, the ensign was run up on board the ship and dipped -three times. - -"Bring him along!" I shouted. "They'll be off without us if we don't -bear a hand." - -They nearly capsized the boat as they dragged the lunatic, streaming -like a drowned rat, out of the water; and one of the sailors tumbled -him over on his back, and knelt upon him, whilst he took some turns -with the boat's painter round his body, arms, and legs. The boat then -came alongside, and, watching our opportunity, we jumped into her and -shoved off. - -I had now leisure to examine the persons whom we had saved. - -They--father and daughter as I judged them, by the girl's exclamation -on the wreck--sat in the stern-sheets, their hands locked. The old man -seemed nearly insensible, leaning backwards with his chin on his breast -and his eyes partially closed. I feared he was dying, but could do no -good until we reached the _Grosvenor_, as we had no spirits in the boat. - -The girl appeared to be about twenty years of age, very fair, her hair -of a golden straw colour, which hung wet and streaky down her back and -over her shoulders, though a portion of it was held by a comb. She was -deadly pale and her lips blue, and in her fine eyes was such a look of -mingled horror and rapture as she cast them around her, first glancing -at me, then at the wreck, then at the _Grosvenor_, that the memory of -it will last me to my death. Her dress, of some dark material, was -soaked with salt water up to her hips, and she shivered and moaned -incessantly, though the sun beat so warmly upon us that the thwarts -were hot to the hand. - -The mad sailor lay at the bottom of the boat, looking straight into -the sky. He was a horrid-looking object with his streaming hair, pasty -features, and red beard; his naked shanks and feet protruding through -his soaking, clinging trousers, which figured his shin-bones as though -they clothed a skeleton. Now and again he would give himself a wild -twirl and yelp out fiercely; but he was well-nigh spent with his swim, -and on the whole was quiet enough. - -I said to the girl, "How long have you been in this dreadful position?" - -"Since yesterday morning," she answered in a choking voice painful to -hear, and gulping after each word. "We have not had a drop of water to -drink since the night before last. He is mad with thirst, for he drank -the water on the deck," and she pointed to the man in the bottom of the -boat. - -"My God!" I cried to the men; "do you hear her? They have not drunk -water for two days! For the love of God, give way!" - -They bent their backs to the oars and the boat foamed over the long -swell. The wind was astern and helped us. I did not speak again to the -poor girl, for it was cruel to make her talk when the words lacerated -her throat as though they were pieces of burning iron. - -After twenty minutes, which seemed as many hours, we reached the -vessel. The crew pressing round the gangway cheered when they saw we -had brought people from the wreck. Duckling and the skipper watched us -grimly from the poop. - -"Now then, my lads," I cried, "up with this lady first. Some of you on -deck get water ready, as these people are dying of thirst." - -In a few moments both the girl and the old man were handed over the -gangway. I cut the boat's painter adrift from the ring-bolt so that we -could ship the madman without loosening his bonds, and he was hoisted -up like a bale of goods. Then four of us got out of the boat, leaving -one to drop her under the davits and hook on the falls. - -At this moment a horrible scene took place. - -The old man, tottering on the arms of two seamen, was being led into -the cuddy, followed by the girl, who walked unaided. The madman, in the -grasp of the big sailor named Johnson, stood near the gangway, and as I -scrambled on deck one of the men was holding a pannikin full of water -to his face. The poor wretch was shrinking away from it, with his eyes -half out of their sockets; but suddenly tearing his arm with a violent -effort from the rope that bound him, he seized the pannikin _and -bit clean through the tin_; after which, throwing back his head, he -swallowed the whole draught, dashed the pannikin down, his face turned -black, and he fell dead on the deck. - -The big sailor sprang aside with an oath, forced from him by his -terror, and from every looker-on there broke a groan. They all shrank -away and stood staring with blanched faces. Such a piteous sight as it -was, lying doubled up, with the rope pinioning the miserable limbs, the -teeth locked, and the right arm up-tossed! - -"Aft here and get the quarter-boat hoisted up!" shouted Duckling, -advancing on the poop; and seeing the man dead on the deck, he added, -"Get a tarpaulin and cover him up, and let him lie on the fore-hatch." - -"Shall I tell the steward to serve out grog to the men who went with -me?" I asked him. - -He stared at me contemptuously, and walked away without answering. - -"You shall have your grog," said I, addressing one of them who stood -near, "though it should be my own allowance." And thoroughly exhausted -after my exertions, and wet through, I turned into my cabin to put on -some dry clothes. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - - -Whilst I was in my cabin I heard the men hoisting up the quarter-boat, -and this was followed by an order from Duckling to man the lee -main-braces. The ship, hove too, was off her course; but when she -filled, she brought the wreck right abreast of the port-hole in my -cabin. I stood watching for some minutes with peculiar emotions, -for the recollection of the dead body in the deck-house lent a most -impressive significance to the mournful object which rolled from side -to side. It comforted me, however, to reflect that it was impossible I -could have left anything living on the hull, since nothing could have -existed below the deck, and any one above must have been seen by me. - -The ship, now lying over, shut the wreck out, and I shifted my clothes -as speedily as I could, being anxious to hear what Captain Coxon should -say to me. I was also curious to see the old man and girl, and learn -what treatment the captain was showing them. I remember it struck me, -just at this time, that the girl was in a very awkward position; for -here she was on board a vessel without any female to serve her for a -companion and lend her clothes, which she would stand seriously in need -of, as those she had on her were wringing wet. And even supposing she -could make shift with these for a time, she would soon want a change of -apparel, which she certainly would not get until we reached Valparaiso, -unless the skipper put into some port and landed them. The memory of -her refined and pretty face, with the amber air about it, and her wild, -soft, piteous blue eyes, haunted me; and I tried to think what could -be done to make her comfortable in this matter of dress if the captain -refused to go out of his way to set them ashore. - -Thus thinking, I was pulling on a boot, when there came an awkward -knock at the door of the cabin, and in stepped the carpenter, Stevens -by name, holding in his hand a bar of iron with a collar at either end, -and one collar fastened with a padlock. Close behind the carpenter came -Duckling, who let the door close of itself, and who immediately said-- - -"Captain Coxon's orders are to put you in irons. Carpenter, clap those -belayers on his damned shins." - -I jumped off the chest on which I was seated, not with the intention of -resisting, but of remonstrating; but Duckling, mistaking the action, -drew a pistol out of his side-pocket, and presenting it at my head, -said, right through his nose, which was the first time I had heard him -so speak: "By the Etarnal! if you don't let the carpenter do his work, -I'll shoot you dead--so mind!" - -"You're a ruffian and a bully!" said I; "but I'll keep my life if only -to punish you and your master!" - -Saying which, I reseated myself, folded my arms resolutely, and -suffered the carpenter to lock the irons on my ankles, keeping my eyes -fixed on Duckling with an expression of the utmost scorn and dislike in -them. - -"Now," said he, "you infernal mutinous hound! I reckon you'll not give -us much trouble for the rest of the voyage." - -This injurious language was more than my temper could brook. Scarcely -knowing what I did, I threw myself against him, caught his throat, and -dashed him violently down upon the deck. The pistol exploded in his -hand as he fell. - -"Carpenter," I cried furiously, "open that door!" - -The fellow obeyed me instantly, and walked out of the cabin. Duckling -lay pretty well stunned upon the deck; but in a few moments he would -have been up and at me, and, hampered as I was by the irons, he must -have mastered me easily. I shambled over to where he lay, dragged him -upright, and pitched him with a crash through the open door against -the cuddy table. He struck it heavily and rolled under it, and I then -slammed the door and sat down, feeling faint and quite exhausted of -breath. - -The door had not been closed two minutes when it was partially opened, -and a friendly hand (the boatswain's, as I afterwards learnt) placed -a pannikin of rum-and-water on the deck, and a voice said, "They'll -not let you be here long, sir." The door was then shut again; and very -thankful for a refreshment of which I stood seriously in need, I got -hold of the pannikin and swallowed the contents. - -I now tried to reflect upon my situation, but found it impossible to do -so, as I could not guess what intentions the captain had against me and -what would be the result of my conflict with Duckling. For some while I -sat expecting to see the chief mate rush in on me; and, in anticipation -of a struggle with a coward who would have me almost at his mercy, I -laid hold of a sea-boot, very heavy, with an iron-shod heel, and held -it ready to strike at the bully's head should he enter. However, in -about a quarter of an hour's time I saw him through my cabin window -pass along the main-deck, with a blue lump over his right eye, while -the rest of his face shone with soap, which he must have used without -stint to rid his features of the blood that had smeared them. Whether -the report of the pistol had been heard or not I could not tell; but no -notice appeared to be taken of it. I noticed a number of the crew just -under the forecastle conversing in a very earnest manner, and sometimes -looking towards my cabin. - -There was something very gross and brutal in this treatment to which -I was subjected, and there was a contempt in it for me, suggested by -the skipper sending Duckling to see me in irons, instead of logging -me to my face and acting in a shipshape fashion in putting me under -arrest, which galled me extremely. The very irons on my legs were not -such as are ordinarily used on board ship, and looked as if they had -been picked up cheap in some rag and slop shop in South America or -in the West Indies, for I think I had seen such things in pictures -of truculent negro slaves. I was in some measure supported by the -reflection that the crew sympathized with me, and would not suffer me -to be cruelly used; but the idea of a mutiny among them gave me no -pleasure, for the skipper was sure to swear that I was the ringleader, -and Duckling would of course back his statements; and my calling upon -the men to help me to put off to the wreck, against the captain's -orders, my going thither, and my confinement in irons, would all tell -heavily against me in any court of inquiry; so that, as things were, I -not only stood the chance of being professionally ruined, but of having -to undergo a term of imprisonment ashore. - -These were no very agreeable reflections; and if some rather desperate -thoughts came into my head whilst I sat pondering over my misfortunes, -the reader will not greatly wonder. - -I was growing rather faint with hunger, for it was past my usual -dinner-hour, and I had done enough work to account for a good appetite. - -The captain was eating his dinner in the cuddy; for I not only smelt -the cooking, but heard his voice addressing the steward, who was, -perhaps, the only man in the ship who showed any kind of liking for -him. I tried to hear if the old man or the girl were with him, but -caught no other voice. I honestly prayed that the captain would act -humanely towards them; but I had my doubts, for he was certainly a -cold-blooded, selfish rascal. - -By-and-by I heard Duckling's voice, showing that the captain had gone -on deck. This man, either wanting the tact of his superior or hating me -more bitterly (which I admit was fair, seeing how I had punished him), -said in a loud voice to the steward-- - -"What fodder is that mutinous dog yonder to have?" - -The steward spoke low and I did not hear him. - -"Serve the skunk right," continued the chief mate. "By glory, if there -was only a pair of handcuffs on board they should be on him. How's this -lump?" - -The steward replied, and Mr. Duckling continued-- - -"I guess the fellow at the wheel grinned when he saw it. But I'll be -raising bigger lumps than this on some of 'em before I'm done. This is -the most skulking, snivelling, mutinous ship's crew that ever I sailed -with--I'd rather work the vessel with four Lascars; and as to that rat -in the hole there, if it wasn't for the colour of the bunting we sail -under, I reckon we'd have made an ensign of him at the mizzen-peak -some days ago, by the Lord, with the signal halliards round his neck, -for he's born to be hanged; and I guess, though he knocked me down when -I wasn't looking, I'm strong enough to hoist _him_ thirty feet, and let -him drop with a run." - -All this was said in a loud voice for my edification, but I must own it -did not frighten me very greatly. To speak the truth, I thought more -of the old man and his daughter than myself; for if they should hear -this bragging bully from their cabins, they would form very alarming -conclusions as to the character of the persons who had rescued them, -and scarcely know, indeed, whether we were not all cut-throats. - -Shortly after this, Duckling came out on to the main-deck, and -observing me looking through the window, bawled at the top of his voice -for the carpenter, who presently came, and Duckling, pointing to my -window, gave him some instructions, which he went away to execute. A -young ordinary seaman--an Irish lad named Driscoll--was coiling a rope -over one of the belaying-pins around the mainmast. Duckling pointed up -aloft, and his voice sounded, though I did not hear the order. The lad -waited to coil the rest of the rope--a fathom or so--before obeying: -whereupon Duckling hit him a blow on the back, slewed him round, caught -him by the throat, and backed him savagely against the starboard -bulwarks, roaring, in language quite audible to me now--"Up with you, -you skulker! I'll teach you to wait when I give an order. Up with you, -I say, or I'll pound you to pieces." - -At this moment the carpenter approached my window, provided with a -hammer and a couple of planks, which he proceeded to nail upon the -framework. Duckling watched him with a grin upon his ugly face, the -lump over his eye not improving the expression, as you may believe. -I was now in comparative darkness; for the port-hole admitted but -little light, and, unlike the rest of the cuddy berths, my cabin had no -bull's-eye. - -I reached the door with a great deal of trouble, for the iron-bar -hampered my movements excessively, and found it locked outside; but by -whom and when I did not know, for I had not heard the key turned. But -I might depend that Duckling had done this with cat-like stealthiness, -and that he probably had the key in his pocket. - -I was hungry enough to have felt grateful for a biscuit, and had half -a mind to sing out to the steward to bring me something to eat, but -reflected that my doing so might only provoke an insulting answer from -the fellow. With some difficulty I pulled the mattress out of the cot -and put it into the bunk, as my pinioned legs would not enable me to -climb or spring, and laid down and presently fell asleep. - -I slept away the greater part of the afternoon; for when I awoke, the -sky, as I saw it through the port-hole, was dark with the shadow of -evening. A strong wind was blowing and the ship laying heavily over to -it, by which I might know she was carrying a heap of canvas. - -I looked over the edge of the bunk, and saw on the deck near the door -a tin dish, containing some common ship's biscuit and a can of cold -water. I was so hungry that I jumped up eagerly to get the biscuit, by -doing which I so tweaked my ankles with the irons, that the blood came -from the broken skin. I made shift to reach the biscuit, which proved -to be the ship's bread as served to the men, and ate greedily, being -indeed famished; but speedily discovered the substantial grounds of -complaint the sailors had against the ship's stores; for the biscuit -was intolerably mouldy and rotten, and so full of weevils, that -nothing but hunger could have induced me to swallow the abomination. -I managed to devour a couple of these things, and drank some water; -and then pulled out my pipe and began to smoke, caring little about -the skipper's objection to this indulgence in the saloon, and heartily -wishing he would come to the cabin that I might tell him what I thought -of his behaviour. - -How long was this state of things going to last with me? Would the -crew compel Captain Coxon to put into some near port where I should -be handed over to the authorities, or would he proceed direct to -Valparaiso? The probability of his touching anywhere was, in my -opinion, now smaller than before; as the delays, and inquiry into my -conduct and the complaints of the men, would seriously enlarge the -period of the voyage. Nor could I imagine that the two persons we had -rescued would prevail upon him to go out of his way to land them. As -for myself, looking back on my actions, I did not believe that any -court would judge me severely for obliging Coxon to send a boat to -the wreck; for I had the evidence of the crew to prove that a human -being had been seen signalling to us for help, before I ordered the -ship to be hove to, and that therefore my determination to board the -wreck had not been speculative, but truly justified by the spectacle -of human distress. Still, such anticipations scarcely consoled me for -the inconvenience I suffered in my feet being held in irons, and in my -being locked up in a gloomy cabin, where such fare as I had already -eaten would probably be the food I should get until the voyage out was -ended. - -As the evening advanced the wind freshened, and I heard the captain -giving orders just over my head, and the hands shortening sail. The -skipper was again straining the ship heavily: the creaking and groaning -in the cuddy was incessant: and every now and again I heard the boom of -a sea against the vessel's side, and the sousing rush of water on deck. -But after the men had been at work some time, the vessel laboured less -and got upon a more even keel. - -Two bells (nine o'clock) had been struck, when I was suddenly attracted -by a sound of hammering upon the dead-light in my cabin. I turned my -head hastily; but as it was not only dark inside, but dark without, I -could discern nothing, and concluded that the noise had been made on -the deck overhead. - -After an interval of a minute the hammering was repeated, and now it -was impossible for me to doubt that it was caused by something hard, -such as the handle of a knife being struck upon the thick glass of -the port-hole. I was greatly astonished; but remembering that the -main-chains extended away from this port-hole, I easily concluded that -some one had got down into them and was knocking to draw my attention. - -I hoisted my legs out of the bunk with very great difficulty, and -having got my feet upon the deck, drew myself to the port-hole, but -with much trouble, it being to windward, and the deck sloping to a -considerable angle. Not a glimmer of light penetrated my cabin from the -cuddy: and whether the sky outside was clear or not, I only know that -the prospect seen through the port-hole, buried in the thickness of the -ship's wall, was pitch dark. - -I untwisted the screw that kept the dead-light closed, and it blew -open, and a rush of wind, concentrated by the narrowness of the -aperture through which it penetrated, blew damp with spray upon my face. - -Fearful of my voice being heard in the cuddy--for this was the hour -when the spirits were put upon the table, and it was quite likely that -Coxon or Duckling might be seated within, drinking alone--I muffled my -voice between my hands and asked who was there? - -The fellow jammed his face so effectually into the port-hole as to -exclude the wind, so that the whisper in which he spoke was quite -distinct. - -"Me--Stevens, the carpenter. I've come from the crew. But you're to -take your solemn oath you'll not split upon us if I tell you what's -goin' to happen?" - -"I am not in a position to split," I replied. "But I can make no -promises until I know your intentions." - -The man was a long time silent. Several times he withdrew his face, as -I knew (for I could not see him) by the rush of wind that came in, to -shake himself free of the spray that broke over him. - -"It's just this," he said, bunging up the port-hole again. "We'd rather -take a twelvemonth imprisonment ashore, in the worst jail in England, -than work this wessel on the rotten food we're obliged to eat. What we -want to know is, will you take charge o' the ship and carry her where -we tells yer, if we give you command?" - -I was too much startled by this question to reply at once. Influenced -by the long term of confinement before me, if Captain Coxon remained -in control, by my bitter dislike of him and his bully factotum, by -the longing to be free, and the hundred excuses I could frame for -co-operating with the crew, my first impulse was to say yes. But there -came quickly considerations of the danger of mutiny on board ship, of -the sure excesses of men made reckless by liberty and freed from the -discipline which, though their passions might protest against it, their -still stronger instincts admitted and obeyed. - -"Give us your answer," said the man. "If the chief mate looks over, -he'll see me." - -"I cannot consent," I replied. "I am as sorry for the crew as I am for -myself. But things are better as they are." - -"By----!" exclaimed the man in a violent, hoarse whisper, "we don't -mean to let 'em be as they are. We've put up with a bit too much as it -is. We'll find a way of making you consent--see to that! And if you -peach on us we're still too strong for you--so mind your life!" - -Saying which he withdrew his head; and after waiting a short time to -see if he remained, I closed the port, and shuffled into my bunk again. - -I tried to think how I should act. - -If I acquainted the captain with the carpenter's disclosure the men -would probably murder me. And though they withheld from bloodshed, my -putting the captain on his guard would not save the ship if the men -were determined to seize her, because he could not count on more than -two men to side with him, and the crew would overpower them immediately. - -However, I will not seem more virtuous and upright than I was; and -I may therefore say, that after giving this matter some half-hour's -thinking, I found that it would suit my purpose better if the crew -mutinied than if the captain continued in charge, because it might -open large opportunities for my future, and relieve me from the -disgraceful position in which I was placed by the malice and injustice -of my two superiors. The one thing I heartily prayed for was that -murder might not be done; but I did not anticipate great violence, as I -imagined that the crew had no other object in rebelling than to compel -the captain to put into the nearest port to exchange the stores. - -The night wore away very slowly, and I counted every bell that was -struck. The wind decreased at midnight, and I heard Duckling go into -the captain's cabin and rouse him up, the captain evidently having -undertaken my duties. Duckling reported the weather during his watch, -and said, "The wind is dropping, but it looks dirty to the south'ard. -If we lose the breeze we may get it fresh from t'other quarter, and -she can't hurt under easy sail until we see what's going to do." - -They then went on deck together, and in about ten minutes' time -Duckling returned and went into his cabin, closing the door noisily. - -A little after one o'clock I fell into a dose, but was shortly after -awakened by hearing the growl of voices close against my cabin, my -apprehensions making my hearing very sensitive, even in sleep. - -In a few moments the voices of the men were silenced, and I then heard -the tread of footsteps in the cuddy going aft, and some one as he -passed tried the handle of my door. - -Another long interval of silence followed; and as I did not hear -the men who had entered the cuddy return, I wondered where they had -stationed themselves, and what they were doing. As to myself, the irons -on my legs made me quite helpless. - -The time that now passed seemed an eternity, and I was beginning to -wonder whether the voices I had heard might not have been Coxon's and -the steward's--all was so quiet--when a step sounded overhead, and -the captain's voice rang out, "Lay aft, some hands, and brail up the -spanker!" - -Instantly several men ran up the starboard poop-ladder, proving that -they must have been stationed close against my cabin, and their heavy -feet clattered along the deck, and I heard their voices singing. Scarce -were their voices hushed when a shrill whistle, like a sharp human -squeal, was raised forwards, and immediately there was a sharp twirl -and scuffle of feet on the deck, followed by a groan and a fall. At the -same moment a door was forced open in the cuddy, and, as I might judge -by what followed, a body of men tumbled into the chief mate's cabin. A -growling and yelping of fierce human voices followed. "Haul him out of -it by the hair!"--"You blackguard! you'll show fight, will yer! Take -that for yourself!"--"Over the eyes next time, Bill! Let me get at -the----!" - -But, as I imagined, the muscular, infuriate chief mate would not fall -an easy prey, fighting as he deemed for his life. I heard the thump of -bodies swung against the panelling, fierce execrations, the smash of -crockery, and the heavy breathing of men engaged in deadly conflict. - -It was brief enough in reality, though Duckling seemed to find them -work for a good while. - -"Don't kill him now! Wait till dere's plenty ob light!" howled a voice, -which I knew to be the cook's. And then they came along the cuddy, -dragging the body which they had either killed or knocked insensible -after them, and got upon the main-deck. - -"Poop, ahoy!" shouted one of them. "What cheer up there, mates?" - -"Right as a trivet!--ready to sling astern!" came the answer directly -over my head, followed by some laughter. - -As I lay holding my breath, scarcely knowing what was next to befall, -the handle of my door was tried, the door pushed, then shaken -passionately, after which a voice, in tones which might have emanated -from a ghost, exclaimed-- - -"Mr. Royle, they have killed the captain and Mr. Duckling! For God -Almighty's sake, ask them to spare my life! They will listen to you, -sir! For God's sake, save me!" - -"Who are you?" I answered. - -"The steward, sir." - -But as he said this one of the men on the quarter-deck shouted, -"Where's the steward? He's as bad as the others! He's the one what -swore the pork was sweet!" - -And then I heard the steward steal swiftly away from my cabin door and -some men come into the cuddy. They would doubtless have hunted him down -there and then, but one of them unconsciously diverted the thoughts of -the others by exclaiming-- - -"There's the second mate in there. Let's have him out of it." - -My cabin door was again tried, and a heavy kick administered. - -"It's locked, can't you see?" said one of the men. - -As it opened into the cuddy it was not to be forced, so one of them -exclaimed that he would fetch a mallet and a calking-iron, with which -he returned in less than a couple of minutes, and presently the lock -was smashed to pieces, and the door fell open. - -Both swinging-lamps were alight in the cuddy, and one, being nearly -opposite my cabin, streamed fairly into it. I was seated erect in my -bunk when the men entered, and I immediately exclaimed, pointing to the -irons, "I am glad you have thought of me. Knock those things off, will -you?" - -I believe there was something in the cool way in which I pronounced -these words that as fully persuaded them that I was intent upon the -mutiny as any action I could have committed. - -"We'll not take long to do that for you," cried the fellow who held the -mallet (a formidable weapon, by the way, in such hands!). "Get upon -the deck, and I'll swaller this iron if you aren't able to dance a -breakdown in a jiffy!" - -I dropped out of the bunk, and with two blows the man cut off the -staple, and I kicked the irons off. - -"Now, my lads," said I, beginning to play the part I had made up my -mind to act whilst listening to the onslaught on the captain and -Duckling; "what have you done?" - -The fellow who had knocked off the irons, and now answered me, was -named Cornish, a man in my own watch. - -"The ship's ourn--that's what we've done," he said. - -"The skipper's dead as a nail up there, I doubt," exclaimed another, -indicating the poop with a movement of the head; "and if you'll step on -to the main-deck you'll see how we've handled Mister Duckling!" - -"And what do _you_ mean to do?" exclaimed a man, one of the four who -had accompanied me to the wreck. "_We_'re masters now, I suppose you -know, and so I hope you aren't agin us." - -At this moment the carpenter, followed by a few others, came shoving -into the cuddy. - -"Oh, there he is!" he cried. - -He grasped me by the arm and led me out of the cabin, and bidding me -stand at the end of the table, with my face looking aft, ran to the -door, and bawled at the top of his voice, "Into the cuddy, all hands!" - -Those who were on the poop came scuffling along, dragging something -with them, and presently rose a cry of "one--two--three!" and there -was a soft thud upon the main-deck--the body of the captain, in fact, -pitched off the poop--and then the men came running in and stood in a -crowd on either side the table. - -This was a scene I am not likely ever to forget, nor the feelings -excited in me by it. - -The men were variously dressed, some in yellow sou'westers, some -in tight-fitting caps, in coarse shirts, in suits of oil-skin, in -liberally patched monkey-jackets. Some of them, with black beards and -moustachios and burnt complexions, looked swarthy and sinister enough -in the lamplight; some were pale with the devilish spirit that had -been aroused in them; every face, not excepting the youngest of the -ordinary seamen, wore a passionate, reckless, malignant look. They ran -their eyes over the cuddy as strangers would, and one of them took a -glass off a swinging tray, and held it high, saying grimly, "By the -Lord! we'll have something fit to swaller now! No more starvation and -stinking water!" - -I noticed the boatswain--named Ferroll--the only quiet face in the -crowd. He met my eye, and instantly looked down. - -"Now, Mr. Royle," said the carpenter, "we're all ekals here, with a -fust-rate execootioner among us (pointing to the big sailor, Johnson), -as knows, when he's axed, how to choke off indiwiduals as don't make -theirselves sootable to our feelin's. What we're all here collected for -to discover, is this--are you with us, or agin us?" - -"With you," I replied, "in everything but murder." - -Some of them growled, and the carpenter exclaimed hastily-- - -"We don't know what you call murder. We aren't used to them sort o' -expressions. What's done has happened, ain't it? And I _have_ heerd -tell of accidents, which is the properest word to conwey our thoughts." - -He nodded at me significantly. - -"Look here," said I. "Just a plain word with you before I am asked any -more questions. There's not a man among you who doesn't know that I -have been warm on your side ever since I learnt what kind of provisions -you were obliged to eat. I have had words with the captain about your -stores, and it is as much because of my interference in that matter as -because of my determination not to let a woman die upon a miserable -wreck, that he clapped me in irons. I don't know what you mean to do -with me, but I'll not say I don't care. I do care. I value my life, -and in the hope of saving it, I'll tell you this, and it's God's -truth--that if you take my life you'll be killing a man who has been -your friend at heart, who has sympathized with you in your privations, -who has never to his knowledge spoken harshly to you, when he had the -power to do so, and who, had he commanded this vessel, would have -shifted your provisions long ago." - -So saying, I folded my arms and gazed fixedly at the carpenter. - -They listened to me in silence, and when I had done broke into various -exclamations. - -"We know all that." - -"We don't owe _you_ no grudge." - -"We don't want your life. Just show us what to do--that's what it is." - -I appeared to pay no attention to their remarks, but kept my eyes -resolutely bent on Stevens, the carpenter, that they might see I -accepted him as their mouthpiece, and would deal only with him. - -"Well," he began, "all what you say is quite correct, and we've no -fault to find with you. What I says to you this evenin' through the -port-hole I says now--will you navigate this here wessel for us to the -part as we've agreed on? and if you'll do that you can choose officers -out of us, and we'll do your bidding as though you was lawful skipper, -and trust to you. But I say now, and I says it before all hands here, -that if you take us where we don't want to go, or put us in the way of -any man-o'-war, or try in any manner to bring us to book for this here -job, so help me, Mr. Royle, and that's your name, as mine is William -Stevens, and I say it before all hands here, we'll sling you overboard -as sartin as there's hair growin' on your head--we will; we'll murder -you out an' out. All my mates is a followin' of me--so you'll please -mind that!" - -"I hear you," I replied, "and will do your bidding, but on this -condition--that having killed the captain, you will swear to me that no -more lives shall be sacrificed." - -"By Gor, no!" shouted the cook. "Don't swear dat! Wait till by-um-by. - -"Be advised by me!" I cried, seizing the fellow's frightful meaning, -and dreading the hideous scene it portended. "We have an old man and a -young girl on board. Are they safe?" - -"Yes," answered several voices; and the cook jabbered, "Yes, yes!" -with horrid contortions of the face, under the impression that I had -mistaken his interruption. - -"We have the steward and the chief mate?" - -"Dat's dey! dat's dey!" screamed the cook. "No mercy upon 'em! Hab no -mercy upon us! Him strike me on de jaw and kick me! T'oder one poison -us! No mercy!" he howled, and several joined in the howl. - -"Look here! I am a single man against many," I said; "but I am not -afraid to speak out--because I am an Englishman speaking to Englishmen, -with one bloodthirsty yellow savage among you!" There was a shout of -laughter. "If you wish it, I will go on my knees to you and implore you -not to stain your hands with these men's blood. You have them in your -power--you cannot better your position by killing them--be merciful! -Mates, how would you kill them?--in cold blood? Is there an Englishman -among you who would slaughter a defenceless man? who would stand by and -see a defenceless man slaughtered? There is an Almighty God above you, -and He is the God of vengeance! Hear me!" - -"We'll let the steward go!" cried a voice; "but we want our revenge -upon Duckling, and we'll have it. Damn your sermons!" - -And once again the ominous growling of angry men muttering altogether -arose; in the midst of which the fellow who was steering left the wheel -to sing out through the skylight-- - -"It's as black as thunder to leeward. Better stand by, or the ship 'll -be aback!" - -"Now what am I to do?" I exclaimed. - -"We give you command. Out with your orders--we'll obey 'em," came the -answer. - -In a few moments I was on the poop. By the first glance I threw upwards -I saw that the ship was already aback. - -"Port your helm--hard a port!" I shouted. "Let go the port-braces fore -and aft! Round with the yards smartly!" - -Fortunately not only was the first coming of the wind light, but the -canvas on the ship was comparatively small. The mainsail, cross-jack, -the three royals, two top-gallant sails, spanker, flying and outer -jibs were furled, and there was a single reef in the fore and mizzen -topsails. The yards swung easily and the sails filled, and not knowing -what course to steer, I braced the yards up sharp and kept her close. - -The sky to the south looked threatening, and the night was very dark. -I ran below to look at the glass, and found a slight fall, but nothing -to speak of. This being so, I thought we might hold on with the -topsails as they were for the present, and ordered the top-gallant -sail to be furled. The men worked with great alacrity, singing out -lustily; indeed, it was difficult for me, standing on the poop and -giving orders, to realize the experiences of the last hour: and yet I -might know, by the strange trembling and inward and painful feeling of -faintness which from time to time seized me, that both my moral and -physical being had received a terrible shock, and that I should feel -the reality more keenly when my excitement was abated and I should have -no other occupation than to think. - -The only food I had taken all day was the two ship's biscuits, and -feeling the need of some substantial refreshment to relieve me of the -sensation of faintness, I left the poop to seek the carpenter, in order -to request him to keep watch whilst I went below. - -When on the quarter-deck, and looking towards the cuddy, I perceived -two figures huddled together just outside the cuddy door. There was -plenty of light here from the lamps inside, and I at once saw that the -two bodies were those of Duckling and Coxon. - -I stepped up to them. Coxon lay on his back with his face exposed, -and Duckling was right across him, breast downwards, his head in the -corner and his feet towards me. There was no blood on either of them. -Coxon had evidently been struck over the head from behind, and killed -instantly; his features were composed, and his grey hairs made him look -a reverend object in death. - -Some men on the main-deck watched me looking at the bodies, and when -they saw me take Duckling by the arm and turn him on his back, one -of them called: "That's right; keep the beggar alive! he's cookee's -portion, he is!" - -These exclamations attracted the attention of the carpenter, who came -aft immediately and found me stooping over Duckling. - -"He's dead, I reckon," he said. - -"Dead, or next door to it," I replied. "Better for him if he is dead. -The captain's a corpse, killed quickly enough, by the look of him," I -continued, gazing at the white, still face at my feet. "You had better -get him carried forward and covered up. Where's the body of the sailor -I brought on board?" - -"Why, pitched overboard like a dead rat, by orders of this Christian," -he answered, giving the captain's body a kick. "He had a good deal of -feelin', this pious gentleman. Why do you want him covered up? Let him -go overboard now, won't 'ee? Hi, mates!" he called to the men who were -looking on. "Here's another witness agin us for the Day o' Judgment! -Heave him into the sea, my hearties! We don't want to give him no -excuse to soften the truth for our sakes when he's called upon to spin -his yarn!" - -The men flocked round the bodies, and whilst three of them caught up -the corpse of the skipper as if it had been a coil of rope, others of -them began to handle Duckling. - -"Him too?" asked one. - -"What do you say, Mr. Royle?" demanded the carpenter. - -"It ain't Mr. Royle's consarn--it's cookee's!" cried one of the men. -And he began to bawl for "cookee!" - -Meantime the fellows who held the captain's body, not relishing their -burden, went to leeward; and two of them taking the shoulders and one -the feet, they began to swing him, and at a given word, shot him over -the bulwarks. They then came back quite unconcernedly, one of them -observing that the devil ought to be very much obliged to them for -their handsome present. - -The cook now approached, walked aft by some men who held him by the -arms. They were laughing uproariously, which was explained when I saw -that the cook was drunk. - -"Here's your friend, Mr. Cookee," said Stevens, stirring Duckling with -the toe of his boot. "He's waitin' for you to know wot's to become of -him." - -"Him a berry good genelman," returned the cook, pulling off his cap -with drunken gravity, and making a reeling bow to the body. "Me love -dis genelman like my own son. Nebber knew tenderer-hearted man. Him -gib me a nice blow here," holding his clenched fist to his jaw, "and -anoder one here," clapping his hand to his back. Then, after a pause, -he kicked the dying or dead man savagely in the head, yelling in a -hideous falsetto, "Oh, I'll skin um alive! Oh, I'll pull his eyes out -and make um swaller dem! He kick an' strike honest English cook! Oh, -my golly! I'll cut off his foot! Gib me a knife, sar," looking around -him with a wandering, gleaming eye. "Gib me a knife, I say, an' you see -what I do!" - -One of the ruffians actually gave him a knife. - -I grasped the carpenter's arm. - -"Mr. Stevens," I exclaimed in his ear, "you'll not allow this! For -God's sake, don't let this drunken cannibal disgrace our manhood by -such brutal deeds before us! Living or dead, better fling the body -overboard! Don't let him be tortured if living; and if dead, is not -your revenge complete?" - -The carpenter made no answer, and sick with horror and disgust I was -turning away, feeling powerless to deal with these wretches, when, the -cook already kneeling and baring his arm for I know not what bloody -work, Stevens sprang forward and fetched him such a thump under the -chin, that he rolled head over heels into the lee-scuppers. - -The men roared with laughter. - -"Now then, overboard with this thing!" the carpenter shouted; "and if -cookee wants more wengeance, fling him overboard arter him!" - -They seized Duckling as they had seized Coxon, and slung him overboard, -just as they had slung the other. Some of them ran to the cook, and -it was impossible to judge whether they were in earnest or not when -they shrieked out, "Overboard with him, too! We can't separate the -friends!" The cook at all events believed they meant no joke, for -uttering a prolonged yell of terror, he wriggled with incredible -activity out of their hands, and rushed forward like a steam-engine. -They did not offer to pursue him; and, ill with these scenes of horror, -I called to the carpenter and asked him to step on the poop whilst I -went into the cuddy. - -"What to do there?" he inquired suspiciously. - -"To get something to eat. I have had nothing all day but two of the -ship's bad biscuits." - -"Right," he said. "But, before I go, I'll tell you what's agreed among -us. You're to take charge, and sarve with me and the bo'sun, turn and -turn about on deck. That's agreeable, ain't it?" - -"Quite." - -"You're to do all the piloting of the ship, and navigate us to where -the ship's company agrees upon." - -"I understand." - -"We three 'll live aft here, and the ship's company forrards; but all -the ship's stores 'll be smothered, and the cuddy provisions sprung, -d'ye see? likewise the grog and whatsomever there may be proper to eat -and drink. We're all to be ekals, and fare and fare alike, though the -crew 'll obey orders as usual. You're to have the skipper's berth, and -I'll take yourn; and the bo'sun he'll take Duckling's. That we've all -agreed on afore we went to work, and so I thought I'd let you know." - -"Well, Mr. Stevens," I replied, "as I told you just now, I'll do your -bidding. I'll take the ship to the place you may name; and as I shan't -play you false (though I have no notion of your intentions), so I hope -you won't play me false. I have begged for the steward's life, and you -have promised to spare him. And how are the two persons we saved to be -treated?" - -"They're to live along with us here. All that's settled, I told yer. -But I'm not so sure about the steward. I never made no promise about -sparing of him." - -"Look here!" I exclaimed sternly. "I am capable of taking this ship -to any port you choose to name. There is not another man on board who -could do this. I can keep you out of the track of ships, and help you -in a number of ways to save your necks. Do you understand me? But I -tell you--on my oath--if you murder the steward, if any further act of -violence is committed on board this ship, I'll throw up my charge, and -you may do your worst. These are my terms, easier to you than to me. -What is your answer?" - -He reflected a moment and replied, "I'll talk to my mates about it." - -"Do so," I said. "Call them aft now. But you had better get on deck, as -the ship wants watching. Talk to them on the poop." - -He obeyed me literally, calling for the hands to lay aft, and I was -left alone. - -I went into the steward's pantry, where I found some cold meat and -biscuit and a bottle of sherry. These things I carried to the aftermost -end of the table. Somehow I did not feel greatly concerned about the -debate going on overhead, as I knew the men could not do without me; -nor did I believe the general feeling against the steward sufficiently -strong to make them willing to sacrifice my services to their -revengeful passions. - -I fell to the meat and wine as greedily as a starving man, and was -eating very heartily, when I felt a light touch on my arm. I turned -hastily and confronted the girl whom I had brought away from the -wreck. Her hair hung loose over her shoulders, and she was as pale -as marble. But her blue eyes were very brilliant, and fired with a -resolved and brave expression, and I thought her beautiful as she stood -before me in the lamplight with her hair shining about her face. - -"Are you Mr. Royle?" she asked, in a low but most clear and sweet voice. - -"I am," I replied, rising. - -She took my hand and kissed it. - -"You have saved my father's life and mine, and I have prayed God to -bless you for your noble courage. I have had no opportunity to thank -you before. They would not let me see you. The captain said you had -mutinied and were in irons. My father wishes to thank you--his heart is -so full that he cannot rest--but he is too weak to move. Will you come -and see him?" - -She made a movement towards the cabin next the pantry. - -"Not now," I said. "You should be asleep, resting after your terrible -trials." - -"How could I sleep?" she exclaimed with a shudder. "I have heard all -that has been said. I heard them killing the man in that cabin there." - -She clasped her hands convulsively. - -"Frightful things have happened," I said, speaking quickly, for I every -moment expected the men to come running down the companion-ladder, near -which we were conversing; "but the worst has passed. Did not you hear -them answer me that you and your father were safe? Go, I beg you, to -your cabin and sleep if you can, and be sure that no harm shall befall -you whilst I remain in this ship. I have a very difficult part before -me, and wish to reflect upon my position. And the sense that _your_ -security will depend upon my actions," I added, moved by her beauty -and the memory of the fate I had rescued her from, "will make me doubly -vigilant." - -And as she had kissed my hand on meeting me, so now I raised hers to my -lips; and obedient to my instructions, she entered her cabin and closed -the door. - -I stood for some time engrossed, to the exclusion of all other -thoughts, by the picture impressed on my mind by the girl's sweet face. -It inspired a new kind of energy in me. Whatever qualms my conscience -may have suffered from my undertaking to navigate the ship for the -satisfaction and safety of a pack of ruffians, merely because I stood -in fear of my life, were annihilated by the sight of this girl. The -profound necessity enjoined upon me to protect her from the dangers -that would inevitably come upon her, should my life be taken, so -violently affected me as I stood thinking of her, that my cowardly -acquiescence in the basest proposals which the crew could submit, would -have been tolerable to my conscience for her lonely and helpless sake. - -The voices of the men overhead, talking in excited tones, awoke me to a -sense of my situation. I took another draught of wine, and entered the -captain's cabin, wishing to inspect the log-book that I might ascertain -the ship's position at noon on the preceding day. - -The shadow of the mizzen-mast fell right upon the interior as I opened -the cabin door. I looked about me for a lamp, but was suddenly scared -by the spectacle of a man crawling on his hands and knees out of a -corner. - -"Oh, my God!" cried a melancholy voice. "Am I to be killed! Will they -murder me, sir? Oh, sir, it is in your power to save me. They'll obey -you. I have a wife and child in England, sir. I am a miserable sinner, -and not fit to die." - -And the wretched creature burst into tears, and crawled close to my -legs, and twined his arms around them. - -"Go back into your corner," I said. "Don't let them hear or see you. I -can make no promises, but will do my best to save your life. Back with -you now! Be a man, for God's sake! Your whining will only amuse them. -Be resolute; and should you have to face them, meet them bravely." - -He went crawling back to his corner, and I seeing the log-book open on -the table, carried it under the lamp in the cuddy. There I read off the -sights of the previous day, replaced the book, and mounted to the poop. - -The dawn was breaking in the east, and the sky heavy, though something -of its threatening character had left it. There was a smart sea on, -but the ship lay pretty steady, owing to the wind having freshened -enough to keep the vessel well over. We were making no headway to speak -of, the yards being against the masts, and but little canvas set. The -fellow steering lounged at the wheel, one arm through the spokes, and -his left leg across his right shin, letting all hands know by this free -and easy attitude that we were all equals now, and that he was only -there to oblige. He was watching the men assembled round the forward -saloon skylight, and now and then called out to them. - -There were eight or nine of the crew there and on the top of the -skylight, and in the centre of the throng were squatted the boatswain -and the carpenter. - -Many of them were smoking, and some of them laid down the law with -their forefingers upon the palms of their hands. I saw no signs of the -cook, and hoped that the fright the evil-minded scoundrel had undergone -would keep him pretty quiet for a time. - -Not thinking it politic to join the men until they summoned me, I -walked to the compass to see how the ship's head lay; whereupon the -man steering, out of a habit of respect too strong for him to control, -drew himself erect, and looked at the sails, and then at the card, as a -man intent upon his work. I made no observation to him, and swept the -horizon through my hands, which I hollowed to collect the pale light, -but could discover nothing save the rugged outline of waves. - -Just then the men saw me, and both the carpenter and the boatswain -scrambled off the skylight, and they all came towards me. - -A tremor ran through me which I could not control, but strength -was given me to suppress all outward manifestation of emotion, and -I awaited their approach with a forced tranquillity which, as I -afterwards heard, gave the more intelligent and better disposed among -them a good opinion of me. - -The carpenter said, "Most of us are for leaving the steward alone; but -there's three of us as says that he showed hisself so spiteful in the -way he used to sarve out the rotten stores, and swore to such a lie -when he said the pork was sweet, before it went into the coppers, that -they're for havin' some kind o' rewenge." - -"None of you want his life, do you?" - -"Damn his life!" came a growl. "Who'd take what ain't of no use even to -him as owns it?" - -"Which of you wants revenge?" I asked. - -There was a pause; and Fish, projecting his extraordinary head, said, -"Well, I'm one as dew." - -"Suppose," said I, "you were to see this wretched creature grovelling -on his hands and knees, weeping and moaning like a woman, licking the -deck in his agony of fear, and already half dead with terror. Would not -such a miserable sight satisfy your thirst for revenge? What punishment -short of death that you can inflict would make him suffer more dreadful -tortures than his fear has already caused him? Fish, be a man, and -leave this hunted wretch alone." - -He muttered something under his breath, though looking, I was glad to -see, rather shame-faced, and the boatswain said-- - -"There's something more, Mr. Royle. He knows where to lay his hands on -the cuddy provisions, and if we knock him on the head we shan't be able -to find half that'll be wanted. What I woted was that we should make -him wait upon us, and let him have nothen but the ship's stores to eat, -whilst he sarves us with the cuddy's." - -"Won't that do?" I exclaimed, addressing the others, at the same time -receiving a glance from the boatswain which showed me that I should -have an ally in him: as indeed I had expected; for this was the only -one of the forecastle hands who had come from London with us, and I was -pretty sure he had joined in the mutiny merely to save his life. - -"Oh yes, that'll do!" some of them answered impatiently; and one -said, "Wot's the use of jawing about the steward? We want to talk of -ourselves. Where's the ship bound to? _I_ don't want to be hanged when -I get ashore." - -This sensible observation was delivered by Johnson. - -"Now then, if you like, we'll come to that," said I, immensely -relieved; for I not only knew that the steward's life was safe, -but that in their present temper no further act of violence would -be perpetrated. "Mr. Stevens, you told me that all your plans were -prepared. Am I to have your confidence?" - -"Sartinly," replied the fellow, looking around upon the assembled faces -fast growing distinguishable in the gathering light. "You're a scholard -and can sail the ship for us, and we look to you to get us out o' this -mess, for we've treated you well and made you skipper." - -"Go ahead," I exclaimed, seating myself in a nonchalant way on one of -the gratings abaft the wheel. - -"This here mutiny," began the carpenter, after casting about in his -mind for words, "is all along o' bad treatment. Had the capten acted -fair and proper, _we_'d ha' acted fair an' proper. He as good as swore -that he'd put in for fresh stores, but never altered the ship's course, -and we wouldn't starve no longer. So we up and did the business. But we -never meant to kill him. We was afraid he'd ha' had pistols on him, and -so some of us knocked him down unaweers, and knocked too hard, that was -all. And t'other one he struggled so, instead of givin' up when he saw -we was too many for ten o' the likes of him, that he died of his own -doin'; and that's a fact, mates, ain't it?" - -"Ay," responded a gruff voice. "He'd ha' gouged my eye out. He had his -thumb in my mouth workin' away as if he thought my tooth was my eye. He -drawed blood with his thumb, and I had to choke it out of my mouth, or -he'd ha' tore my tongue out!" - -So saying, he expectorated violently. - -"To come back to wot I was saying," resumed the carpenter; "it's this. -When me and my mates made up our minds to squench the skipper and his -bully mate for their wrongful dealings with us, one says that our plan -was to run the ship to the North Ameriky shore somewheeres. One says, -Floridy way; and another, he says round into the Gulf o' Mexico, within -reach o' New Orleans; and another, he says, 'Let's get south, mates, -upon the coast of Africa;' and another, he says he's for making the -ice, right away north, up near Baffin Land. But none was agreeable to -that. We aren't resolved yet, but we're most all for Ameriky, because -it's a big place, pretty nigh big enough to hide in." - -Some of the men laughed. - -"And so," continued the carpenter, "our plan is this: as easy as -sayin' your prayers. We'll draw lots and choose upon the coast for -you to run us to; and when we're a day's sail of them parts, leavin' -you to tell us and to keep us out o' the way of ships, d'ye mind, Mr. -Royle?"--with stern significance: I nodded--"some of us gets into the -long-boat and some into the quarter-boats, and we pulls for the shore. -And wot we do and says when we gets ashore needn't matter, eh, mates? -We're shipwrecked mariners, destitoot and forlorn, and every man's for -hisself. And so that's our plan." - -"Yes, that's our plan," said one: "but it ain't all. You're not putting -everything to Mr. Royle, mate." - -"Look here, Bill," answered the carpenter savagely. "Either I'm to -manage this here business or I'm not. If _you_'re for carryin' of it -on, good and well--say the word, and then we'll know the time o' day. -But either it must be you or it must be I--there ain't room for two -woices in one mouth." - -"_I_'ve got nothen to say," rejoined the man addressed as "Bill," -extending his arms and turning his back; "only I thought as you might -ha' forgot." - -What the carpenter was holding back I could not guess; but I exhibited -no curiosity. Neither did I tell them that our course to the "American -shores," as they called it, would bring us right in the road of vessels -from all parts of the world. My business was to listen and to act as -circumstances should dictate, with good judgment, if possible, for the -preservation of my own and the lives of the old man and his daughter. - -The carpenter now paused to hear what I had to say. Finding this, I -exclaimed-- - -"I know what you want me to do; and the sooner you fix upon a point to -start for the better." - -"Can't you advise us?" said one of the men. "Give us some place easily -fetched." - -"I was never on the North American coast," I answered. - -"Well, Ameriky ain't the only place in the world," said Fish. - -"You'd best not say that when you're there," exclaimed Johnson. - -"Most of the hands wants to go ashore in Ameriky, and so that's -settled, mates," said the carpenter sharply. - -"Let's keep south, anyhow, say I. If we can make New Orleans there's -plenty of vessels sailing every day from that port, paying good wages," -said Johnson. - -"And every man can choose for hisself where he'll sail for," observed -Fish. - -"Make up your minds," I exclaimed, "and I'll alter the ship's course." - -So saying, I got off the grating and walked to the other end of the -poop. - -I was much easier in my mind now that I had observed the disposition of -the men. They were unquestionably alarmed by what they had done, which -was tolerable security against the commission of further outrages. -Their project of quitting the ship when near land and making for the -shore, where, doubtless, they would represent themselves as shipwrecked -seamen, was practicable and struck me as ingenious; for as soon as they -got ashore they would disperse, and ship on board fresh vessels, and -so defy inquiry even should suspicion be excited, or one of them peach -upon his fellows. These I at least assumed to be their plans. But how -far they would affect my own safety I could not tell. I doubted if they -would let me leave the ship, as they might be sure that on my landing -I should hasten, to inform against them. But I would not allow my -mind to be troubled with considerations of the future at that time. -All my energies were required to deal with the crisis of the moment, -and to guard myself against being led by too much confidence in their -promises, into any step which might prove fatal to me and those I had -promised to protect. - -The dawn was now bright in the east and the wind strong from the -southward. The ship was chopping on the tumbling seas with scarcely -any way upon her; but the menacing aspect of the sky was fast fading, -and there was a promise of fair weather in the clouds, which ranged -high and out of the reach of the breeze that was burying the ship's lee -channels. - -Presently the carpenter called to me, and I went over to the men. - -"We're all resolved, Mr. Royle," said he in a pretty civil voice, "and -our wotes is for New Orleans. Plenty of wessels is wrecked in the Gulf -of Mexico, as I've heerd tell; and when we're about fifty miles off, -you'll say so, and give us the bearings of the Mississippi, and we'll -not trouble you any more." - -"How's her head?" I asked the man at the wheel. - -"Sou'-west," he replied. - -"Keep her away," I exclaimed, for the weather-leeches were flat. - -"What's our true course for New Orleans?" asked the carpenter -suspiciously. - -"Stop a bit and I'll show you," I answered, and went below to the -captain's cabin to get the chart. - -"Steward!" I called. - -"Yes, sir," replied the miserable whining voice. It was still too dark -for me to see the man. - -"Make your mind easy--they'll not hurt you," I said. - -He started up and rushed towards me like a madman. - -"May God in heaven bless you!" he cried, delirious with joy. - -"Hold off!" I exclaimed, keeping him away with my outstretched hand. -"Get your wits about you and remain here for the present. Don't let -them hear you, and don't show yourself until I call you." - -I could have said nothing better to repress his violent manifestations -of delight; for he at once went cowering again into the gloom of the -corner. - -I struck a wax match, and after a short search found the chart of the -North Atlantic upon which the ship's course, so far as she had gone up -to noon on the preceding day, was pricked off. I took this on deck, -spread it on the skylight and showed our whereabouts to the men. - -"Our course," said I, "is south-west and by west." - -They bent their faces over the chart, studying it curiously. - -"Are you satisfied, Mr. Stevens?" I asked him. - -"Oh, I suppose it's all right," answered he. - -"Slacken away the lee-braces," I said. "Put your helm up" (to the man -at the wheel). - -The men went tumbling off the poop to man the braces, and in a few -minutes we were making a fair wind. - -Both the carpenter and the boatswain remained on the poop. - -"Some hands lay aloft and loose the fore and main top-gallant sails!" I -called out. And turning to the carpenter: "Mr. Stevens," I said, "I'll -navigate this ship for you and your mates to within fifty miles off the -mouths of the Mississippi, as you wish; but on the conditions I have -already named. Do you remember?" - -"Oh yes," he growled. "We've done enough--too much, I dessay, though -not more than the beggars desarved. All that we want is to get out o' -this cursed wessel." - -"Very well," I said. "But I won't undertake to pilot this ship safely -unless my orders are obeyed." - -"The men are quite willin' to obey you, so long as you're true to 'em," -he rejoined. - -"You may do what you like with the cuddy stores; though if you take my -advice you will let the steward serve them out in the regular way, that -they may last; otherwise you will eat them all up before we reach our -journey's end, and have to fall back upon the bad provisions. But I -must have control of the spirits." - -"And what allowance do you mean to put us on?" demanded the carpenter. - -"I shall be advised by you," said I. - -This was turning the tables. He pulled off his cap and scratched his -head. - -"Three tots a day?" he suggested. - -"Very well," I said; "but you'll stop at that?" - -"Well, perhaps we can do on three tots a day," he answered, after -deliberating. - -"And you engage that the steward will be protected against any violence -while serving out the men's allowance?" - -"Mates!" he suddenly called out to the men who were standing by to -sheet home the top-gallant sails; "will three tots o' grog a day keep -you alive?" - -"Are we to have it all at once?" one of them answered. - -"No," I replied; "three times a day." - -"Now then, my lads, let's know your minds," cried the boatswain. - -A young ordinary seaman answered--"Three ain't enough." But one of -the older hands turned upon him, exclaiming, "Why, you bit of a -snuffler! where will _you_ stow all that rum? Don't go answerin' for -your betters, my young scaramouch, or maybe you'll be findin' yourself -brought up with a round turn. That'll do!" he called out to us. - -"Right you are!" replied the carpenter. - -"Sheet home!" I cried, as the sails fell from the top-gallant yards, -anxious to clinch this matter of the grog. - -And so it rested. - - -END OF VOL. I. - - - LONDON: PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, STAMFORD STREET - AND CHARING CROSS. - - - - -Transcriber's Notes: - - -Punctuation and spelling were made consistent when a predominant -preference was found in the three volumes of this novel, or to remedy -simple typographical errors; otherwise they were not changed. - -Dialect and other non-standard spellings have not been changed. -Examples of unchanged spelling: "befel", "mirrowed", "dose" (for -"doze"), "jobbed" (for "jabbed"), "wessel" (for "vessel") "biled" (for -"boiled"). - -Spaces before the contraction "'ll" (for "will") have been retained. - -Ambiguous hyphens at the ends of lines have been retained. - - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Wreck of the Grosvenor, Volume 1 -of 3, by William Clark Russell - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WRECK OF THE GROSVENOR *** - -***** This file should be named 44497.txt or 44497.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/4/4/9/44497/ - -Produced by Charlie Howard and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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