Then, it was nigh on to evening, we came upon a creek opening into the
greater one through the bank upon our left. We had been like to pass
it--as, indeed, we had passed many throughout the day--but that the
bo'sun, whose boat had the lead, cried out that there was some craft
lying-up, a little beyond the first bend. And, indeed, so it seemed; for
one of the masts of her--all jagged, where it had carried away--stuck up
plain to our view.
Now, having grown sick with so much lonesomeness, and being in fear of
the approaching night, we gave out something near to a cheer, which,
however, the bo'sun silenced, having no knowledge of those who might
occupy the stranger. And so, in silence, the bo'sun turned his craft
toward the creek, whereat we followed, taking heed to keep quietness, and
working the oars warily. So, in a little, we came to the shoulder of the
bend, and had plain sight of the vessel some little way beyond us. From
the distance she had no appearance of being inhabited; so that after some
small hesitation, we pulled towards her, though still being at pains to
keep silence.
The strange vessel lay against that bank of the creek which was upon our
right, and over above her was a thick clump of the stunted trees. For the
rest, she appeared to be firmly imbedded in the heavy mud, and there was
a certain look of age about her which carried to me a doleful suggestion
that we should find naught aboard of her fit for an honest stomach.
We had come to a distance of maybe some ten fathoms from her starboard
bow--for she lay with her head down towards the mouth of the little
creek--when the bo'sun bade his men to back water, the which Josh did
regarding our own boat. Then, being ready to fly if we had been in
danger, the bo'sun hailed the stranger; but got no reply, save that some
echo of his shout seemed to come back at us. And so he sung out again to
her, chance there might be some below decks who had not caught his first
hail; but, for the second time, no answer came to us, save the low
echo--naught, but that the silent trees took on a little quivering, as
though his voice had shaken them.
At that, being confident now within our minds, we laid alongside, and, in
a minute had shinned up the oars and so gained her decks. Here, save that
the glass of the skylight of the main cabin had been broken, and some
portion of the framework shattered, there was no extraordinary litter; so
that it appeared to us as though she had been no great while abandoned.
So soon as the bo'sun had made his way up from the boat, he turned aft
toward the scuttle, the rest of us following. We found the leaf of the
scuttle pulled forward to within an inch of closing, and so much effort
did it require of us to push it back, that we had immediate evidence of a
considerable time since any had gone down that way.
However, it was no great while before we were below, and here we found
the main cabin to be empty, save for the bare furnishings. From it there
opened off two state-rooms at the forrard end, and the captain's cabin in
the after part, and in all of these we found matters of clothing and
sundries such as proved that the vessel had been deserted apparently in
haste. In further proof of this we found, in a drawer in the captain's
room, a considerable quantity of loose gold, the which it was not to be
supposed would have been left by the free-will of the owner.
Of the staterooms, the one upon the starboard side gave evidence that it
had been occupied by a woman--no doubt a passenger. The other, in which
there were two bunks, had been shared, so far as we could have any
certainty, by a couple of young men; and this we gathered by observation
of various garments which were scattered carelessly about.
Yet it must not be supposed that we spent any great time in the cabins;
for we were pressed for food, and made haste--under the directing of
the bo'sun--to discover if the hulk held victuals whereby we might be
kept alive.
To this end, we removed the hatch which led down to the lazarette, and,
lighting two lamps which we had with us in the boats, went down to make a
search. And so, in a little while, we came upon two casks which the
bo'sun broke open with a hatchet. These casks were sound and tight, and
in them was ship's biscuit, very good and fit for food. At this, as may
be imagined, we felt eased in our minds, knowing that there was no
immediate fear of starvation. Following this, we found a barrel of
molasses; a cask of rum; some cases of dried fruit--these were mouldy and
scarce fit to be eaten; a cask of salt beef, another of pork; a small
barrel of vinegar; a case of brandy; two barrels of flour--one of which
proved to be damp-struck; and a bunch of tallow dips.
In a little while we had all these things up in the big cabin, so that
we might come at them the better to make choice of that which was fit for
our stomachs, and that which was otherwise. Meantime, whilst the bo'sun
overhauled these matters, Josh called a couple of the men, and went on
deck to bring up the gear from the boats, for it had been decided that we
should pass the night aboard the hulk.
When this was accomplished, Josh took a walk forward to the fo'cas'le;
but found nothing beyond two seamen's chests; a sea-bag, and some odd
gear. There were, indeed, no more than ten bunks in the place; for she
was but a small brig, and had no call for a great crowd. Yet Josh was
more than a little puzzled to know what had come to the odd chests; for
it was not to be supposed that there had been no more than two--and a
sea-bag--among ten men. But to this, at that time, he had no answer, and
so, being sharp for supper, made a return to the deck, and thence to the
main cabin.
Now while he had been gone, the bo'sun had set the men to clearing out
the main cabin; after which, he had served out two biscuits apiece all
round, and a tot of rum. To Josh, when he appeared, he gave the same,
and, in a little, we called a sort of council; being sufficiently stayed
by the food to talk.
Yet, before we came to speech, we made shift to light our pipes; for the
bo'sun had discovered a case of tobacco in the captain's cabin, and after
this we came to the consideration of our position.
We had provender, so the bo'sun calculated, to last us for the better
part of two months, and this without any great stint; but we had yet to
prove if the brig held water in her casks, for that in the creek was
brackish, even so far as we had penetrated from the sea; else we had not
been in need. To the charge of this, the bo'sun set Josh, along with two
of the men. Another, he told to take charge of the galley, so long as we
were in the hulk. But for that night, he said we had no need to do
aught; for we had sufficient of water in the boats' breakers to last us
till the morrow. And so, in a little, the dusk began to fill the cabin;
but we talked on, being greatly content with our present ease and the
good tobacco which we enjoyed.
In a little while, one of the men cried out suddenly to us to be silent,
and, in that minute, all heard it--a far, drawn-out wailing; the same
which had come to us in the evening of the first day. At that we looked
at one another through the smoke and the growing dark, and, even as we
looked, it became plainer heard, until, in a while, it was all about
us--aye! it seemed to come floating down through the broken framework of
the skylight as though some weariful, unseen thing stood and cried upon
the decks above our heads.
Now through all that crying, none moved; none, that is, save Josh and the
bo'sun, and they went up into the scuttle to see whether anything was in
sight; but they found nothing, and so came down to us; for there was no
wisdom in exposing ourselves, unarmed as we were, save for our
sheath-knives.
And so, in a little, the night crept down upon the world, and still we
sat within the dark cabin, none speaking, and knowing of the rest only by
the glows of their pipes.
All at once there came a low, muttered growl, stealing across the land;
and immediately the crying was quenched in its sullen thunder. It died
away, and there was a full minute of silence; then, once more it came,
and it was nearer and more plain to the ear. I took my pipe from my
mouth; for I had come again upon the great fear and uneasiness which the
happenings of the first night had bred in me, and the taste of the smoke
brought me no more pleasure. The muttered growl swept over our heads and
died away into the distance, and there was a sudden silence.
Then, in that quietness, came the bo'sun's voice. He was bidding us
haste every one into the captain's cabin. As we moved to obey him, he ran
to draw over the lid of the scuttle; and Josh went with him, and,
together, they had it across; though with difficulty. When we had come
into the captain's cabin, we closed and barred the door, piling two great
sea chests up against it; and so we felt near safe; for we knew that no
thing, man nor beast, could come at us there. Yet, as may be supposed, we
felt not altogether secure; for there was that in the growling which now
filled the darkness, that seemed demoniac, and we knew not what horrid
Powers were abroad.
And so through the night the growling continued, seeming to be mighty
near unto us--aye! almost over our heads, and of a loudness far
surpassing all that had come to us on the previous night; so that I
thanked the Almighty that we had come into shelter in the midst of so
much fear.