I climbed with slow and nervous step. I should have gone much slower
but that I was forced upward by Le Gros, who followed me with the rope's
end, with which he struck me behind whenever I made a stop. He
delivered his blows with fiendish spite, striking me about the legs and
over the posteriors, and trying to hurt me as much as possible. In this
he succeeded, for the hard-knotted rope pained me exceedingly. I had no
alternative therefore but to keep on upward or submit to his lashing. I
kept on.
I reached the topmast crosstrees, and mounted upon them. Oh! it was a
fearful sight to look down. Below me was nothing but the sea itself,
for the masts, bent over by the breeze, were far from being
perpendicular. I felt as if suspended in the air, with not even the
earth beneath me--for the surface of the sea was below, glittering like
the sky itself.
Beneath me, however, at my feet, was the dark, scowling face of Le Gros,
who, with threatening voice and gestures, ordered me upward--still
upward!
Upward! how could I climb father? Above me extended the topgallant
rigging. Upon this there were no rattlins, nothing to rest the foot
upon--nothing but the two black rigid ropes converging until they met at
the head of the mast. How could I ascend them? It seemed beyond my
power to do so.
But I was not even allowed to hesitate. The brute swung himself near,
and continued plying the knotted cord upon my shins, at the same time
uttering oaths and ferocious threats that he would cut every inch of
skin off my body if I did not go aloft.
I had no alternative but to try, and, placing myself between the ropes,
I commenced drawing myself upward. After a severe effort I succeeded in
getting upon the topgallant yard, where I again paused--I could go no
further. My breath was quite gone and I had scarce strength to hold by
the rigging and prevent myself from falling.
The royal-mast still towered above, and below, threatened the dark face
of Le Gros. There was a smile upon it in the midst of its scowling--a
smile of satisfaction at the agony he saw I was undergoing at that
moment.
I could still hear the voices of the fiends below, calling out the
commands: "Up with him, Frenchy--up to the royal-yard!"
I thought I heard other voices, and that of Brace repeating the words,
"Avast there! avast! the lad's in danger."
I looked in a slanting direction toward the deck. I saw the crew
standing by the forecastle! I thought there was confusion among them,
and a scuffle, as if some were taking his part, and others approving of
what was going on; but I was too frightened to make an exact observation
at the moment, and too much occupied by the ruffian who was nearest me.
"Up!" he cried, "up, or pe Gar! I flog you to ze death for von land
lobber--I vill sacr-r-e!"
And with this threat he again plied the instrument of torture, more
sharply than ever.
I could not stand it. The royal-yard was the highest point to which
they intended to force me. If I could reach it then they would be
satisfied, and would cease to punish me. It is a perilous feat, even
for one who has had some practice in climbing, to reach the royal-yard
of a big ship, but to me it appeared impossible that I could accomplish
it. There was but the smooth rope--with neither knot nor loop to aid
hand or foot. I must go up it hand over hand, dragging the whole weight
of my body. Oh! it was a dread and perilous prospect, but despair or
rather Le Gros, at length forced me to the trial, and, grasping the
smooth stay rope, I commenced climbing upward.
I had got more than half-way--the royal-yard was almost within reach--
when my strength completely failed me. My heart grew weak and sick, and
my head swam with giddiness. I could sustain myself no longer, my grasp
on the rope gave way, and I felt myself falling--falling--at the same
time choking for want of breath.
For all this I did not lose consciousness. I still preserved my senses
through all that terrible descent; and believed while falling that I
should be killed by the fall, or, what was the same thing, drowned in
the sea below. I was even sensible when I struck the water and plunged
deeply below the surface, and I had an idea that I did not drop directly
from the royal-mast into the sea, but that my fall was broken by
something half-way down. This proved to be correct, as I afterwards
learnt. The ship chanced to be under full canvas at the time, and the
maintopsail, swollen out by the fresh breeze, had caught me on its
convex side as I came down. From this I had bounded off again, but the
impetus of the fall had been thus lessened; and the second pitch into
the sea was not so violent as it would otherwise have been. Otherwise,
indeed, I should have been crushed upon the surface of the water, never
to breathe again. Another circumstance happened in my favour: my body
had turned round as I parted from the top, and I was going head
downward; but, on striking the sail, the attitude was reversed, and I
reached the water in a perpendicular position, with my feet downward.
Consequently, the shock was less, and, sinking deeply in the waves, I
was saved. All these points I learned afterwards, from one who had
anxiously watched me in my descent.
When I rose to the surface of course it was with confused senses, and
with surprise that I still lived--for I had been certain on letting go
my hold that I was being hurled into eternity--yes, I fully believed
that my end had come.
I now perceived that I was still living--that I was in the sea--that
waves were dashing around me; and on looking up I saw the dark ship at a
cable's distance from me, still passing away. I thought I saw men
standing along the taffrail, and some clinging upon the shrouds; but the
ship appeared to be going fast away, and leaving me behind in the water.
I had learnt to swim, and, for a boy, was a good average swimmer.
Feeling that I was not hurt I instinctively struck out, though not to
follow the vessel, but to keep myself from sinking. I looked around to
see if there was anything I might cling to, as I fancied that something
might have been thrown out from the ship. I could see nothing at first,
but as I mounted upon the top of a wave I noticed a dark round object,
between me and the hull, which, notwithstanding that the sun was in my
eyes, I made out to be the head of a man. He was still at some
distance, but evidently nearing me, and as it approached I recognised
the thick curly hair and countenance of my protector Brace. He had
leaped overboard and was swimming to my rescue. In a few seconds he was
by my side.
"Ho!" cried he, as he drew near and saw that I was swimming, "all right
my lad! swim like a duck, eh?--all right--don't feel hurt, do you? Lean
on me, if you do."
I answered that I felt strong enough to swim for half-an-hour if
necessary.
"All right then," he rejoined; "we'll get a rope's end in less time than
that, though maybe you fancy you've had enough of rope's end? Hang the
inhuman scoundrels. I'll revenge you yet, my lad. Ship ahoy!" he
shouted, "this way with your rope! ahoy! ahoy!"
By this time the ship had worn round, and was returning to pick us up.
Had I been alone in the water, as I afterwards ascertained, this
manoeuvre would not have been executed; or, at all events, but very
little pains would have been taken to rescue me. But Brace having
jumped overboard rendered it necessary that the ship should be put
about, and every effort made to recover him, as he was a man of too much
importance among the crew to be sacrificed with impunity. Neither mate
nor captain dared leave him to his fate; and, consequently, the orders
were given to "wear-ship."
Fortunately the breeze was light, and the sea not very rough; and as the
vessel passed near to where we were swimming, ropes were thrown out
which both of us were able to seize, and by means of which we were soon
hauled up, and stood once more safely upon deck.
The spite of my tormentors seemed to be satisfied for the time. I saw
nothing of any of them when I got aboard, nor during the remainder of
that day, as I was permitted to go below and remain in the forecastle
during the whole of the afternoon.