IX

_The Man Who Cried for Help_

It was, as I have said, on the following night that something further

happened. And it brought home pretty vividly to me, if not to any of the

others, the sense of a personal danger aboard.

We had gone below for the eight to twelve watch, and my last impression

of the weather at eight o'clock, was that the wind was freshening. There

had been a great bank of cloud rising astern, which had looked as if it

were going to breeze up still more.

At a quarter to twelve, when we were called for our twelve to four watch

on deck, I could tell at once, by the sound, that there was a fresh

breeze blowing; at the same time, I heard the voices of the men on the

other watch, singing out as they hauled on the ropes. I caught the

rattle of canvas in the wind, and guessed that they were taking the

royals off her. I looked at my watch, which I always kept hanging in my

bunk. It showed the time to be just after the quarter; so that, with

luck, we should escape having to go up to the sails.

I dressed quickly, and then went to the door to look at the weather. I

found that the wind had shifted from the starboard quarter, to right

aft; and, by the look of the sky, there seemed to be a promise of more,

before long.

Up aloft, I could make out faintly the fore and mizzen royals flapping

in the wind. The main had been left for a while longer. In the fore

riggings, Jacobs, the Ordinary Seaman in the Mate's watch, was following

another of the men aloft to the sail. The Mate's two 'prentices were

already up at the mizzen. Down on deck, the rest of the men were busy

clearing up the ropes.

I went back to my bunk, and looked at my watch--the time was only a few

minutes off eight bells; so I got my oilskins ready, for it looked like

rain outside. As I was doing this, Jock went to the door for a look.

"What's it doin', Jock?" Tom asked, getting out of his bunk, hurriedly.

"I'm thinkin' maybe it's goin' to blow a wee, and ye'll be needin' yer'

oilskins," Jock answered.

When eight bells went, and we mustered aft for roll-call, there was a

considerable delay, owing to the Mate refusing to call the roll until

Tom (who as usual, had only turned out of his bunk at the last minute)

came aft to answer his name. When, at last, he did come, the Second and

the Mate joined in giving him a good dressing down for a lazy sojer; so

that several minutes passed before we were on our way forrard again.

This was a small enough matter in itself, and yet really terrible in its

consequence to one of our number; for, just as we reached the fore

rigging, there was a shout aloft, loud above the noise of the wind, and

the next moment, something crashed down into our midst, with a great,

slogging thud--something bulky and weighty, that struck full upon Jock,

so that he went down with a loud, horrible, ringing "ugg," and never

said a word. From the whole crowd of us there went up a yell of fear,

and then, with one accord, there was a run for the lighted fo'cas'le. I

am not ashamed to say that I ran with the rest. A blind, unreasoning

fright had seized me, and I did not stop to think.

Once in the fo'cas'le and the light, there was a reaction. We all stood

and looked blankly at one another for a few moments. Then someone asked

a question, and there was a general murmur of denial. We all felt

ashamed, and someone reached up and unhooked the lantern on the port

side. I did the same with the starboard one; and there was a quick

movement towards the doors. As we streamed out on deck, I caught the

sound of the Mates' voices. They had evidently come down from off the

poop to find out what had happened; but it was too dark to see their

whereabouts.

"Where the hell have you all got to?" I heard the Mate shout.

The next instant, they must have seen the light from our lanterns; for I

heard their footsteps, coming along the deck at a run. They came the

starboard side, and just abaft the fore rigging, one of them stumbled

and fell over something. It was the First Mate who had tripped. I knew

this by the cursing that came directly afterwards. He picked himself up,

and, apparently without stopping to see what manner of thing it was that

he had fallen over, made a rush to the pin-rail. The Second Mate ran

into the circle of light thrown by our lanterns, and stopped, dead--

eyeing us doubtfully. I am not surprised at this, _now_, nor at the

behaviour of the Mate, the following instant; but at that time, I must

say I could not conceive what had come to them, particularly the First

Mate. He came out at us from the darkness with a rush and a roar like a

bull and brandishing a belaying-pin. I had failed to take into account

the scene which his eyes must have shown him:--the whole crowd of men in

the fo'cas'le--both watches--pouring out on to the deck in utter

confusion, and greatly excited, with a couple of fellows at their head,

carrying lanterns. And before this, there had been the cry aloft and the

crash down on deck, followed by the shouts of the frightened crew, and

the sounds of many feet running. He may well have taken the cry for a

signal, and our actions for something not far short of mutiny. Indeed,

his words told us that this was his very thought.

"I'll knock the face off the first man that comes a step further aft!"

he shouted, shaking the pin in my face. "I'll show yer who's master

here! What the hell do yer mean by this? Get forrard into yer kennel!"

There was a low growl from the men at the last remark, and the old bully

stepped back a couple of paces.

"Hold on, you fellows!" I sung out. "Shut up a minute."

"Mr. Tulipson!" I called out to the Second, who had not been able to get

a word in edgeways, "I don't know what the devil's the matter with the

First Mate; but he'll not find it pay to talk to a crowd like ours, in

that sort of fashion, or there'll be ructions aboard."

"Come! come! Jessop! This won't do! I can't have you talking like that

about the Mate!" he said, sharply. "Let me know what's to-do, and then

go forrard again, the lot of you."

"We'd have told you at first, Sir," I said, "only the Mate wouldn't give

any of us a chance to speak. There's been an awful accident, Sir.

Something's fallen from aloft, right on to Jock--"