THE RESCUE.
The tide has ebbed away;
No more wild surging 'gainst the adamant rocks,
No swayings of the sea-weed false that mocks
The hues of gardens gay;
No laugh of little wavelets at their play!
No lucid pools reflecting Heaven's brow--
Both storm and cloud alike are ended now.
The gray, bare rocks sit lone;
The shifting sand lies so smooth and dry
That not a wave might ever have swept by
To vex it with loud moan.
Only some weedy fragments blackening grown
To dry beneath the sky, tells what has been;
But desolation's self has grown serene.
--_Anon_.
We must now relate what happened to Ishmael and his companions after
they were deserted by the lifeboats. When they were out of sight he
dropped his eyes and bent his head in prayer for himself and his
fellow-sufferers, and thus awaited his fate.
But, oh, Heaven of heavens! what is this? Is it death, or--life?
The wreck that had been whirling violently around at the mercy of
the furious sea was now lifted high upon the crest of a wave and
cast further up upon the reef, where she rested in comparative
safety.
So suddenly and easily had this been done that it was some minutes
before the shipwrecked men could understand that they were for the
present respited from death.
It was Ishmael who now inspired and confirmed their hopes.
"Friends," he exclaimed, in a deep, earnest, solemn voice, as he
looked around upon them, "let us return thanks to the Lord, for we
are saved!"
"Yes; saved from immediate death by drowning, but perhaps not saved
from a slow death of starvation," observed a "doubting Thomas" of
their number.
"The Lord never mocks his servants with false hopes. We are saved!"
repeated Ishmael emphatically, but with the deepest reverence.
For some hours longer the wind raved and the sea roared around the
wreck; but even the highest waves could not now wash over it. As the
sun arose the mist cleared away and the wreck gradually dried. About
noon the sea began to subside. And at sunset all was calm and clear.
Ishmael and his companions now suffered from only two causes-hunger
and cold-the sharpest hunger and the most intense cold; for every
single atom and article that could be possibly used for food or
covering had been washed out of the wreck and swept off to sea. And
all day long they had been fasting and exposed to all the inclemency
of that severe season and climate. And during the ensuing night they
were in danger of death from starvation or freezing. But they
huddled closely together and tried to keep life within them by their
mutual animal heat; while Ishmael, himself confident of timely
rescue, kept up their hopes. It was a long and trying night. But it
ended at last. Day dawned; the sun arose. Then Ishmael saw some
fragments of the wreck that had been tossed upon the rocks and left
there by the retiring waves. Among them was a long spar. This he
directed the men to drag up upon the deck. The men, who were weak
from hunger and numb from cold, could scarcely find power to obey
this order. But when they did, Ishmael took off his own shirt and
fastened it to the end of the spar, which he immediately set up in
its position as a flag-staff. They had no glass, and therefore could
not sweep the horizon in search of a sail. But Ishmael had an
eagle's piercing glance, and his fine eyes traveled continually over
the vast expanse of waters in the hope of approaching rescue.
At last he cried out:
"A sail from the eastward, friends!"
"Hurrah! but are you sure, sir?" broke from half a dozen lips, as
all hands, forgetting cold and hunger, weakness and stiffness,
sprang upon their feet and strained their eyeballs in search of the
sail; which they could not yet discern.
"Are you quite certain, sir?" someone anxiously inquired.
"Quite. I see her very plainly."
"But if she should not see our signal!" groaned "doubting Thomas."
"She sees it. She is bearing rapidly down upon us!" exclaimed
Ishmael.
"I see her now!" cried one of the men.
"And so do I!" said another.
"And so do I!" added a third.
"She is not a sail-boat, she is a steamer," said a fourth, as the
ship came rapidly towards the wreck. "She is the 'Santiago,' of
Havana," said Ishmael, as she steamed on and came within hailing
distance.
Then she stopped, blew off her steam, and sent out a boat. While it
was cleaving the distance between the ship and the rocks a man on
the deck of the former shouted through his trumpet:
"Wreck ahoy!"
"Aye, aye!" responded Ishmael, with all the strength of his powerful
lungs.
"All safe with you?"
"All safe!"
As the boat was pushed up as near as it could with safety be brought
to the wreck, the frozen and famished men began to climb down and
drop into it. When they were all in, even to the professor, Ishmael
stepped down and took his place among them with a smile of joy and a
deep throb of gratitude to God, For, ah! the strong young man had
loved that joyous and powerful life which he had been so prompt to
offer up on the shrine of duty; and he was glad and thankful to
return to life, to work, to fame, to love, to Bee!
The boatmen laid themselves to their oars and pulled vigorously for
the steamer. They were soon alongside.
The men made a rush for her decks. They wanted to be warmed and fed.
Ishmael let them all go before him, and then he followed and stepped
upon the steamer.
And the next moment he found himself seized and clasped in the
embrace of--Mr. Brudenell!
"Oh, my son, my brave and noble son, you are saved! God is kinder to
me than I deserve!" he cried.
"One moment, Brudenell! Oh, Ishmael, thank Heaven, you are safe!"
fervently exclaimed another voice--that of Judge Merlin, who now
came forward and warmly shook his hand.
"Ant dere ish--von more--drue shentlemans--in te vorlt!" sobbed the
German Jew, seizing and pressing one of Ishmael's hands.
Captain Mountz, Doctor Kerr, and in fact all Ishmael's late fellow-
passengers, now crowded around with earnest and even tearful
congratulations.
And meanwhile dry clothes and warm food and drink were prepared for
the shipwrecked passengers. And it was not until Ishmael had changed
his raiment and eaten a comfortable breakfast that he was permitted
to hear an explanation of the unexpected appearance of his friends
upon the deck of the steamer.
It happened that the passengers in the lifeboats, after suffering
severely with cold and with the dread of a slow death from exposure
for twelve hours, were at last picked up by the "Santiago," a
Spanish steamer bound for Havana. That after their wants had been
relieved by the captain of the "Santiago" they had told him of the
imminently perilous condition In which they had left the remnant of
the crew and passengers. And the captain had altered the course of
the ship in the forlorn hope of yet rescuing those forsaken men. And
the Lord had blessed his efforts with success. Such was the story
told by Mr. Brudenell and Judge Merlin to Ishmael.
"But, oh, my dear boy, what a fatal delay! Just think of it! This
steamer is bound for Havana. And this very day, when we ought to be
landing on the shores of England, we find ourselves steaming in an
opposite direction for the West India Islands," said Judge Merlin.
"Oh, sir, trust still in Heaven," answered Ishmael. "Think how
marvelously the Lord has delivered us from danger and death! This
very delay that seems so fatal may be absolutely necessary to our
final success."
The words of Ishmael proved prophetic. For had it not been for their
shipwreck and the consequent alteration in their course, their
voyage to England would have been taken in vain.
The "Santiago" steamed her way southward, and in due course of time,
without the least misadventure, reached the port of Havana.
It was Sunday, the first of January, when they arrived.
"We shall have no trouble with the Custom House officers here,"
laughed Ishmael, as he gave his arm to Judge Merlin and went on
shore, leaving all the passengers who had not been shipwrecked, and
lost their luggage, to pass the ordeal he and his friends had
escaped.
They went at once to the hotel which had been recommended to them by
the captain of the "Santiago."
And as this was Sunday, and there was no English Protestant church
open, they passed the day quietly within doors.
On Monday Judge Merlin's first care was to go to the American consul
and get the latter to accompany him to a banker, from whom he
procured the funds he required in exchange for drafts upon his own
New York bankers.
While Judge Merlin was gone upon this errand Ishmael went down to
the harbor to make inquiries as to what ships were to sail in the
course of the week for Europe.
He found that he had a choice between two. The "Mary," an English
sailing ship, would leave on Wednesday for London. And the "Cadiz,"
a screw steamer, would sail on Saturday for the port whose name she
bore.
Ishmael mentally gave preference to the swift and sure steamer,
rather than the uncertain sailing packet; but he felt bound to refer
the matter to Judge Merlin before finally deciding upon it.
With this purpose he left the harbor and entered the city. He was
passing up one of the narrow granite-paved streets in the
neighborhood of the grand cathedral where lie the ashes of Columbus,
when he was startled by hearing quick and heavy footsteps and a
panting, eager voice behind him:
"Marse Ishmael! Marse Ishmael Worth! Oh, is it you, sir, dropped
from the clouds to save me! Marse Ishmael! Oh, stop, sir! Oh, for de
Lord's sake, stop!"
Ishmael started and turned around, and, to his inexpressible
amazement, stood face to face with old Katie.
"Oh, Marse Ishmael, honey, is dis you? Is dis indeed you, or only de
debbil deceiving of me!" she exclaimed, panting for breath as she
caught him by the greatcoat, and grasping him as the drowning grasp
a saving plank.
"Katie!" exclaimed Ishmael, in immeasurable astonishment. "Yes,
honey, it's Katie. Yes, my dear chile, ole Katie an' no ghose, nor
likewise sperit, dough you might think I is! But oh, Marse Ishmael!
is you, you? Is you reely an' truly you, and no, no 'ception ob de
debbil?"
"Katie!" repeated Ishmael, unable to realize the fact of her
presence.
"Hi! what I tell you? Oh, Marse Ishmael, chile, don't go for to 'ny
your old Aunt Katie, as nussed you good when you lay out dere for
dead at Tanglewood! don't!" said the poor creature, clinging to his
coat. "Katie!" reiterated Ishmael, unable to utter another word.
"Laws a massy upon top of me, yes! I keep on telling you, chile, I
is Katie! don't 'ny me; don't 'ny me in my 'stress, Marse Ishmael,
if ebber you 'spects to see hebben!" she said, beginning to cry.
"I do not deny you, Katie; but I am lost in amazement. How on earth
came you here?" asked Ishmael, staring at her.
"I didn't come on earth at all. I come by de sea. Oh, Marse Ishmael!
I done died since I lef' you! done died and gone to the debbil! been
clar down dar in his place, which it aint 'spectable to name! done
died and gone dere and come to life again, on a ship at sea."
"Who brought you here, Katie?" questioned Ishmael, thoroughly
perplexed.
"De debbil, honey! de debbil, chile! Sure as you lib it was de
debbil! Oh, Marse Ishmael, honey, stop long o' me! Don't go leabe
me, chile, don't! Now de Lor' has sent you to me, don't go leabe me.
You is all de hopes I has in de world!" she cried, clinging with
desperate perseverance to his coat.
"I will not leave you, Katie. I have not the least intention of
doing so. But all this is quite incomprehensible. Where is your
mistress? She is never here?" said Ishmael.
"I dunno. I dunno nuffin 'bout my poor dear babyship--ladyship, I
mean; only my head is so 'fused! Oh, lor', don't go break away from
me! don't, Marse Ishmael!"
"I will not desert you, Katie, be assured that I will not; but let
go my coat and try to compose yourself. Don't you see that you are
collecting a crowd around us?" expostulated Ishmael.
But Katie hung fast, saying:
"'Deed I can't! 'Deed I can't, Marse Ishmael! If I let go of you I
shall wake up an' find you is all a dream, an' I'll be as bad off as
ebber," persisted Katie, taking Ishmael more firmly into custody
than ever.
He laughed; he could not help laughing at the ludicrous desperation
of his captor. But his astonishment and wonder were unabated; and he
saw that Katie could not give a lucid explanation of her presence on
the island, or at least not until her excitement should have time to
subside.
Besides the crowd of negroes, mulattoes, and creoles, men, women,
and children, who had gathered around them, with open eyes and
mouths, was still increasing.
"Katie," he said, "we cannot talk in the middle of the street with
all these people staring at us. So come with--"
"Oh, lor', Marse Ishmael," interrupted Katie, "don't you mind dese
poor trash! Dey can't speak one word o' good Christian talk, nor
likewise understand a Christian no mor'n dumb brutes. Dey is no
better nor barbariums, wid dere o's and ro's ebery odder word. Don't
mind dem herrin's."
"But, Katie, they have eyes. Come with me to the hotel. You will
find your old master there."
"Who? My ole--" began Katie, opening her mouth, which remained open
as if incapable of closing again, much less of uttering another
syllable.
"Yes, Judge Merlin is here."
"My ole--Well, Lor'!"
"Come, Katie."
"My ole--If ebber I heard de like! What de name o' sense he doin'
here? An' same time, what you doin' here yourself, Marse Ishmael?"
"Katie, it is a long story. And I fancy we both, you and I, have
much to tell. Will you come with me to my hotel?"
"Will I come, Marse Ishmael? Why wouldn't I come den? Sure I'll
come. I don't mean to do nuffin else; nor likewise let go of you,
nor lose sight of you, de longest day as eber I lib, please my 'Vine
Marster, don't I; so dere!" replied the old creature, tightening her
clasp upon Ishmael's coat.
"Oh, Katie, Katie, but that would be too much of a good thing," said
Ishmael, smiling.
"Dey done sent me arter pines. Fetch pines! I don't care as ebber I
see a pine again as long as ebber I lib. I gwine to my own ole--, De
Lor'! but de thought o' he being here!" cried Katie, breaking off in
the middle of her speech again to give vent to her amazement.
"Now, Katie, you must walk by my side; but, really, you must let go
my coat," said Ishmael kindly, but authoritatively.
"If I do, you promise me not to run away?" said Katie half
pleadingly and half threateningly.
"Of course I do."
"Nor likewise wake me up to find it all a dream?"
"Certainly not, Katie."
"Well, den, I trust you, Marse Ishmael--I trust you," said Katie,
releasing her hold on him. "'Dough, 'deed and 'deed," she added
doubtingly, "so many queer things is happened of since I done left
my ole--Goodness gracious me! to think o' he being here!--marster;
and so many people and so many places has 'peared and dis'peared,
dat, dere! I aint got no conference in nothing."
"I hope that you will recover your faith with your happiness, Katie.
And now come on, my good woman," said Ishmael, who felt extremely
anxious to get from her, as soon as they should reach the hotel,
some explanation of her presence on the island, and some news of her
unfortunate mistress.
They walked on as rapidly as the strength of the old woman would
allow, for Ishmael would not permit her to put herself out of
breath. When they reached the hotel Ishmael told Katie to follow
him, and so led her to her master's apartments.
They stopped outside the door.
"You must remain here until I go in and see if the judge has
returned from his ride from the bank. And if he has, I must prepare
him for your arrival here; for your master has aged very much since
you saw him last, Katie, and the surprise might hurt him," whispered
Ishmael, as he turned the doorknob and went in.
The judge had just returned. He was seated at the table, counting
out money. "Ha, Ishmael, my boy, have you got back?" he asked,
looking up from his work.
"Yes, sir; and I have the choice of two packets to offer you. The
brig 'Mary' sails for London on Wednesday; the steamer 'Cadiz' sails
for the port of Cadiz on Saturday. The choice remains with you,"
said Ishmael, putting down his hat and seating himself.
"Oh, then we will go by the 'Cadiz'; though she sails at a later
day, and for a farther port, we shall reach our destination sooner,
going by her, than we should to go in a sailing packet bound direct
for London."
"I think so too, sir; there is no certainty in the sailing packets.
I hope you succeeded at the bank?"
"Perfectly; our consul, Tourneysee, went with me, to identify me and
vouch for my solvency, and I got accommodated without any difficulty
whatever. And now I must insist upon being banker for our whole
party until we reach England."
"I thank you, sir, in behalf of my father as well as myself," said
Ishmael.
"Now, let me see--nine hundred and seventy, eighty, ninety, an
hundred--that is one thousand. I will lay that by itself," muttered
the judge, still counting his money.
"I met an old acquaintance down in the city," said Ishmael,
gradually feeling his way towards the announcement of Katie.
"Ah!" said the judge indifferently, and going on with his counting.
"An old friend, indeed, I may say," added Ishmael emphatically.
"Yes," replied the judge absently, and continuing to count.
"Judge Merlin," inquired Ishmael, in a meaning tone, "have you no
curiosity to know who it was that I met near the quays?"
"No," said the old man, counting diligently; "some fellow you knew
in Washington, I suppose, my boy. Why, the Lord bless you, I
stumbled over half a dozen acquaintances on my way to the consulate
and the bank. Among them Frank Tourneysee, who is staying here with
his brother for the benefit of his health. He is a consumptive, poor
man! crossed in love; or something;
"Sir, it was no casual acquaintance or ordinary friend that I met,"
said Ishmael, in so grave a voice that the judge looked up from his
work and stared in wonder, not at the words, but at the manner of
the speaker.
"It was no man, but a woman, sir," continued Ishmael, fixing his
eyes wistfully upon the face of the old man.
"It was Claudia!" cried the judge, in an ear-piercing voice, jumping
at once at the most improbable conclusion, as he started up, pale as
death, and gazed with breathless anxiety upon the grave face of
Ishmael.
"No, Judge Merlin," answered the young man, as he gently replaced
him in his seat; "no, it was not Lady Vincent; but it is one who, I
hope, can give us later news of her."
"Who--who was it then?" gasped the old man, trembling violently.
Ishmael poured out a glass of water and handed it to the judge,
saying calmly:
"It was old Katie whom I met."
"Katie!" cried the judge, in astonishment, and holding the glass of
water suspended in his hand.
"Katie. But drink your water, Judge Merlin; it will refresh you."
"Katie! But where is her mistress?" demanded the old man, in burning
anxiety.
"I do not know, sir; Katie was too much excited by the shock of her
meeting with me and hearing that you were on the island to give any
coherent account of herself."
"But--how came she here if not in attendance upon her mistress?
And--what should have brought Claudia here?--unless she should have been
on her voyage home to me, and got wrecked and brought here, as we
have been, which is not likely."
"No; that is too improbable to have happened, I should think. But
drink the water, sir, let me beg of you."
"I will. I will, Ishmael, when I have qualified it a little!" said
the judge, tottering to his feet and going to a buffet upon which
stood some Jamaica rum. He mixed a strong glass of spirits and
water, drank it, and returned to his seat, saying, as he sank into
it with a deep sigh of refreshment:
"I feel better. Where is Katie? And how in the world came she here?
And what news does she bring of her mistress?"
"Katie is outside that door, sir, waiting for you to receive her."
"Let her come in, then, Ishmael."