When daylight came, through the exertions of Ben Boltrope, the
carpenter, and a couple of the crew sent to aid him, the cuddy offered a
more presentable appearance than it had done just immediately after the
midnight scare; for, the table and seats were fixed back in their
original positions, the debris cleared away, and a portion of the
skylight restored--all of which so brightened up the interior that what
had passed but a few hours before seemed but a dream, at first, to those
of the passengers who turned out early. The continuous sustained roar
of the wind and waves had so drowned the noise of the men hammering and
moving about that the repairs appeared to have been accomplished by
magic.
As soon as Mr Meldrum went on deck, however, he could see little
alteration for the better there.
The great rolling billows, as Maury has described them, were running
high and fast, tossing their white caps in the air, looking like the
green hills of a western prairie capped with snow, and chasing each
other in sport; while the wind was still blowing a hurricane, and the
ship, resembling a crippled bird with her foretop-mast gone, was running
now before the gale under a single storm-staysail, that looked no bigger
than an ordinary sized pocket-handkerchief, at a greater rate of speed
than she would have done in a stiff breeze with all her canvas spread.
The outlook around, too, was by no means cheering.
The horizon was piled up with masses of blue-black clouds, whose ragged
edges meant mischief, and scraps of greyish white scud were flying
across the sky in all directions--now towards the same point as the
wind, now against it, as if there were contending currents aloft and
they could not decide what precise course to travel.
Captain Dinks, who, with the other officers, had been on deck all night,
looked haggard and care-worn. The men, too, seemed worn-out, which
could not be wondered at, as no sooner had the watch whose turn it was
to be relieved, got below than they were roused up again at the call of
"All hands"--when, of course, they had to tumble on deck again, without
a moment's time for the rest and repose they needed after the exposure
they were subjected to in battling up and down the rigging in the
tempest of wind and rain and hail that had lasted through the livelong
night.
"Not a very bright look-out!" said the captain, trying to speak
cheerily, but failing miserably in the attempt. "Old Boreas, too, I'm
afraid, is going to put on a fresh hand to the bellows, for the
barometer has fallen again."
"Indeed?" answered Mr Meldrum.
"Yes," continued Captain Dinks; "it stood at 29.50 at three o'clock this
morning, and when I looked just now it was at 29.25."
"That's bad," said the other; "it shows we've not got the worst of the
cyclone yet."
"No," replied the captain; "we've got that all to come! Luckily, I sent
down the topgallant-masts yesterday evening, or we'd have had every
stick out of her by now:-- they would have been safe to go when the
foretop-mast went, if not before. However, there they are, all lashed
together by the longboat, not gone yet; and I hope we shall have some
use for them yet bye and bye."
"I only hope so," said Mr Meldrum sadly, the despondent way in which
Captain Dinks spoke affecting him too.
The ship seemed easier running before the wind than when lying-to,
although there was the risk of the heavy following seas pooping her, a
contingency that had already happened when a portion of the bulwarks
were carried away at the time the saloon skylight was smashed, leaving
an ugly gash in the ship's side; but a spare hawser had been triced up
and secured fore and aft to prevent the men being washed overboard
through the aperture, and life lines were rove and passed along the deck
for the same purpose.
"It's safer to carry on," observed Captain Dinks, seeing the anxious
glance Mr Meldrum bent to windward. "I've heard of a ship outrunning a
hurricane before; and so might we again."
"So have I," said Mr Meldrum; "but not a cyclone! Look there, ahead,
at that bank of storm-clouds; perhaps we're running into a worse gale
than the one we've got."
"Well, we can only act for the best," replied the captain curtly,
apparently not relishing this criticism of his seamanship from a
landsman--as he thought--who knew nothing about the matter; and he then
moved back to his post by the binnacle, leaving Mr Meldrum standing by
the head of the companion, where he was presently joined by Frank
Harness, the first and second mates being both forward, superintending
the bending of preventer stays to secure the masts, which seemed to be
ready to jump out of the ship from the leverage exercised even by the
little sail she was carrying.
By noon, when it was utterly impossible to take an observation, the
heavens being black all round, with showers of hail and snow coming down
at intervals, and the wind, blowing over the Antarctic ice-fields,
seemed to cut the face as with a knife--the temperature of the air had
become bitterly cold, while the barometer fell to 29 inches. The very
spirit of destruction appeared to brood over the ill-fated _Nancy Bell_.
Mr Meldrum, after a brief visit below to look after his daughters and
see how the American passenger was progressing since his accident, had
returned on deck, accompanied by Kate, who pleaded so earnestly to be
allowed to come that he could not resist her entreaties. She now stood,
sheltered behind him, in the mouth of the companionway, watching the
brewing of the fresh storm with which the vessel was about to be
assailed--Frank Harness close to her side as if for additional
protection, although the captain had told him he might go below and have
a spell off after being up all night. The young sailor, as soon as she
came up, had taken off his own monkey-jacket and fastened it round her
shoulders to protect her from the wind and hail, despite all Kate's
protests, to which he was obliged to turn a deaf ear by reason of the
force of the gale.
Suddenly, the dark looming mass of clouds in front of the ship appeared
to split asunder, showing gaping ragged edges fringed with white, just
like a shark's mouth.
Mr Meldrum at once rushed to where Captain Dinks was standing close to
the wheel-house, where two men had all they could do to control the
helm, although they were the strongest hands on board, the one being Ben
Boltrope, the ex-man-o'-war's-man, and the other Karl Ericksen, the
Norwegian sailor who had been rescued from the boat, and who was a
perfect giant now that he was restored to health and strength--standing
over six feet, and with long brawny arms that seemed as powerful as
those of a windmill when he threw them about.
"For God's sake, Captain," exclaimed Mr Meldrum, "round the ship to, if
you can! If that squall that's coming right forward catches her in the
teeth, she will go down stern foremost in a second!"
"Nonsense, Mr Meldrum!" answered Captain Dinks hotly. "Who are you? a
landsman, to give orders to a trained seaman! I don't allow passengers
to interfere with me in working my own ship."
"Considering I have been in the royal navy all my life, and left the
service with the rank of commander," said Mr Meldrum quietly, not a
whit angered by the captain's somewhat reasonable indignation, "I think
I am something of an authority on the point. But, don't let us argue
that matter now, Captain Dinks. I apologise for interfering; but I have
seen and been through a good many cyclones in the China seas, when I was
in command of a gunboat there, and I advise you to do as I've said."
"Trust his honour, Capting, sir," chimed in Ben Boltrope, for once
forgetting his sense of discipline, and speaking to his superior officer
without leave; "I've sarved with Commander Meldrum, and knows what he
is."
"I'm sure, sir, Mr Meldrum, I hardly know how to address you," said
Captain Dinks, his old polite sell again, and smiling as if there was no
storm near. "I beg your pardon for not recognising that you were of the
same craft; but what could I think, or how could I judge?"
"Oh, never mind that now," said Mr Meldrum eagerly. "Put her about at
once, as you value all our lives."
"All right!" replied Captain Dinks; "down with the helm there, sharp!"
The men strained every sinew to get the wheel round, the muscles on the
Norwegian's arms standing out in relief like wire ropes, and Ben
Boltrope using his utmost strength and assisting him with a will.
"Look out forward!" shouted the captain in the meantime, to warn
McCarthy and the men what was going to be done so that they might hold
on; "were going to 'bout ship." And although they could not hear a word
he said, they judged what he meant by his motions and prepared
themselves accordingly.
The manoeuvre was executed at last, but very nearly a moment too late.
As the ship came round, she met the sea full butt, and was for the
instant almost buried--the water coming in high over the forecastle and
falling like a cataract into the waist, engulfing the men there in a
well of green wave and foam; while, at the same moment, the squall ahead
struck her on the port bow, the vessel, between the two opposing forces,
being like a piece of iron 'twixt hammer and anvil. The concussion was
tremendous, knocking everybody off their feet just as if the ship had
struck on a rock.
Crash went the remains of the foremast over the side, carrying with it
the maintop-mast and the solitary scrap of sail that was set; and for a
moment the ship broached to, heeling over as if she were going to
founder.
However, the same expedient that had been tried in the night, that of a
tarpaulin in the weather-rigging, was again resorted to; and the helm
being kept down, the vessel's head was got to the sea, the wreck of the
foremast, which had swung clear of the ship although still kept attached
by the gear forwards, acting as a sort of breakwater, and tempering down
the strength of the waves, so that after a time she rode somewhat easy.
Meanwhile, Kate had a terrible fright.
As the shock came when the _Nancy Bell_ was put about, Frank Harness
threw his arm round Kate's waist to prevent her from being thrown down,
holding on himself at the same time like grim death to the rail of the
companion; and on the ship steadying, he released the girl and let go
his hold. At that moment, however, a wave came over the poop, and he,
being taken off his guard, was rolled over on the deck and washed
towards the opening in the broken bulwarks.
Kate instantly, without hesitating for a second, made a snatch at his
collar; and, clutching hold of it, in the very nick of time, saved him
by a miracle--had he been carried overboard, no earthly power could have
rescued him!
"Oh, Frank!" she exclaimed, "I thought I had lost you!" And, as he
scrambled to his feet, pale with the suddenness of his peril and her
effort to rescue him, the brave girl sank down, apparently lifeless, on
the deck--all of a heap.
"Good heavens, she is dead!" cried Frank. "She has been killed in
trying to save me!" and in the desperation of grief he looked as if he
were going to throw himself into the sea.
"No, no, my boy," said Mr Meldrum, who had witnessed the incident from
the wheel-house, and had now come to his aid; "she has only fainted from
revulsion of feeling and the strain on her nerves. Help me to carry her
below."
And, as the two descended the companion-way with their apparently
inanimate burden, the young sailor could not help furtively kissing the
floating tresses of dark brown hair that swept across his face as he
tenderly supported Kate's head on his shoulder, guarding it jealously in
the passage below. His anxiety was soon afterwards relieved by Mr
Meldrum coming out from the cabin where they had deposited poor Kate,
and telling him that she was getting better.
It was a bad case with the ship, however; worse than anyone thought.
Soon after Frank and Mr Meldrum had left the deck, Ben Boltrope, who
was still in the wheel-house with the Norwegian, called out to Captain
Dinks:-- "I think there's something wrong with the rudder, sir," he
said.
"Wrong with the rudder!" repeated the captain. "What do you mean?" and
he came nearer to look himself at the steering gear.
"Why; the wheel goes round either way, just as you please, without any
strain at all, as if the ropes were parted, or the rudder gone adrift!"
"Mercy on us! That would be a calamity!" exclaimed Captain Dinks; and,
watching his opportunity, when the stern of the ship rose up in the air,
he looked over the rail below. "It is really the case!" he said, in
grave accents. "The rudder and rudder-post have both been carried away.
What a blessing that they did not go before we got her about; if they
had, nothing could have saved us."
"True for you, sir," responded Ben in acquiescence; while the Norwegian
nodded his head and said, "Ja! ja!"
"Come away from there, my men," presently said the captain after a long
silence, as if he were thinking to himself what should be done; "it's no
use your stopping there any longer. But, stay, it is best not to alarm
the crew too soon. You stop, Norwegee," calling that sailor by the name
the men had dubbed him; "and you, carpenter, go and sound the well to
see what water we have taken in. Mind and do it quietly, now, so as not
to be seen; and you need not tell any of the hands about the loss of the
rudder, you know."
"Aye, aye, sir, I twig," said Ben, going forwards and then down the main
hatchway, slipping off the cover for the purpose.
Presently he returned aft, looking very serious.
"There's four feet water in the hold, sir," said he.
"Only four feet?" replied Captain Dinks, pretending to treat the matter
with great unconcern; "why, I thought she would have had ever so much
more in her, with all the straining she has gone through in the last
twenty-four hours, besides the lot of seas she took in before we had the
hatches battened. Still we'd better get rid of it, carpenter, as
there's no use our carrying more cargo than we are obliged, eh?"
"No, sir," said Ben somewhat dubiously, not taken in by the captain's
manner.
"Just what I think," said Captain Dinks. "Here, McCarthy," he cried out
to the first mate, who, ever intent on duty, was busily engaged in
trimming matters amidships, having the lashings of the longboat and
spare spars overhauled in readiness for the next sea that might flood
the decks--for nothing could be done about the wreck of the foremast
till the gale moderated, as to loose it now would be to lose their
sheet-anchor. "McCarthy, just have the chain-pumps rigged and pump out
the hold to get rid of all that water we have taken on board."
"Aye, aye, sorr," was the hearty response, and the "cling, clang" of the
pumps was soon heard resounding with a will through the ship, the men
encouraged by the mate to do their best.
Still, it was a bad look-out.
The ship had first been scudding due east, and then to the northward,
goodness only knew how many miles off her course; and now, here she was,
drifting southwards, dismasted and rudderless, a hopeless wreck in
unknown waters, at the mercy of the elements!