"You are with me, dear Mark, and all will be well," she answered, as,
supporting her in my arms, and followed by Nutmeg, I carried her to the
upper cabin. Having deposited her there, I rushed back to learn what
progress the water had made. It had already reached the floor of the
cabin, and I fancied that I could even see it rising during the few
minutes I stood there. At first I thought we might keep the vessel
afloat by bailing. As two of us only could be spared for the work, I
soon saw how futile such an attempt must prove. With a sad heart I
returned on deck. I told Blount the state of affairs, and we agreed
that our only chance of being preserved was to form a raft, and to lash
ourselves to it, so that, when the junk went down, we might have
something to keep us afloat. Not a moment was to be lost; so he and
Hassan, as the most expert, set to work, while Kalong and I went to the
helm. Neither of us could be spared, for, as it was, we had the
greatest difficulty in steering. A couple of hatchets had been
discovered, and with these they cut away all the planking most easily
got at, and lashed it to a few spars remaining on deck. I could now
feel the difference perceptibly in the motion of the junk; and as she
sank lower in the water, I feared that the waves would leap over the
decks, and thus more speedily bring on the catastrophe we expected. The
time appeared very long, though Blount and Hassan worked as hard as they
could.
I was hoping that the raft was finished, when Blount sprang up the
ladder to me. "We have not a moment to lose," he exclaimed; "the water
is almost awash with the deck, and the junk cannot swim a minute
longer."
"Take the helm, then, while I bring out my sister," I answered. Eva was
prepared, and I was about to descend with her to the deck, where we
expected to find the yet unfinished raft, when a huge wave, rising
alongside, swept over the vessel, and I saw a large object carried away
on its crest.
"There goes the raft!" cried Blount, with almost a shriek of despair.
Another huge wave followed, and the whole centre of the junk seemed to
be under water.
"She is sinking!--she is sinking!" burst from the lips of all; "Heaven
have mercy on us!"
I clasped Eva in my arms, and fully expected that our last moment had
arrived.