A ship on shore is, at all times, a melancholy spectacle; but very sad
it makes the hearts of those feel who see their own vessel lying among
rocks in strange seas, far away from any friendly ports, and surrounded
by enemies. Mr Cherry and his companions pulled away with all their
might to ascertain the worst. The frigate, during this time,
occasionally fired one of her bow guns. As they drew nearer, they
perceived that she was doing so at a fleet of war-junks clustering in
the distance, but who prudently were keeping out of range of her shot.
Still, from their remaining where they were, it was evident that they
were meditating an attack on her should another gale spring up, or any
other occurrence give them a chance of success. The boats could not be
of any great assistance, but still they would be of some use in the
exertions to be made in getting her off. The brig would be of far more
service; but where she was, it was difficult to say. When last seen,
she was in a chase of another fleet of pirates to the northward. When
they got alongside, every man of the frigate's crew was busily engaged
in efforts to get the ship off. Mr Cherry and his party were warmly
welcomed, however, and in spite of the fatigue they had gone through,
they all at once lent a hand to effect the desired object. Anchors were
got out astern, the anchors and some of the heavy guns were lowered into
the boats, and the capstan was manned. Round went the men with the
capstan bars, but the cables were soon stretched to their utmost, and
there they stood pressing with might and main, but not an inch did the
frigate move.
"We shall have to start the water and heave some of the stores and guns
overboard, I fear," observed the first lieutenant to the captain.
"We will do anything rather than lose our guns," said Captain Grant. "I
have no fancy to have our teeth drawn. The crew may rest for a spell.
See, there is a breeze coming ahead," observed the captain, after some
time. "Man the capstan again. Set the mainsail, mizen-topsail, and
topgallant-sail. Let the people run from side to side as the capstan
goes round."
The orders were put into execution. The men strained every nerve as
before. Suddenly the capstan went round an inch; then another and
another. Was it the anchors coming home? No: the ship herself was
moving. Everybody on board felt her move. "Hurrah! hurrah!" There was
a general shout. Again the men sprang round with the capstan bars; the
frigate was afloat. She was soon hauled off into deep water. The well
was sounded, but she did not appear to have received any damage. Night
was now coming on, and the master was unwilling to take the ship through
the intricate channels, among which she was entangled, without daylight
to guide him. She was therefore brought up with a spring on her cables,
ready to make sail, should any emergency arise to make this necessary.
The three old messmates were now together again, for the first time
since they left England. Jack and Adair had all their adventures to
tell to Murray, who was keeping the first watch, and so, though tired as
they were, they preferred walking the deck with him to turning in and
going to sleep. The night was very dark, but the wind fell, and it
became almost calm, so that the only sound was the splash of the water
as the swell broke over the reef ahead. All on board had reason to be
thankful that they were not on it. The young men had a good deal to
talk about; but it did not prevent them keeping their eyes about them,
or their ears open. Jack, also, did not forget his young charge, little
Harry Bevan.
"It is high time we should be thinking of turning in," he observed.
"But I must see first how Harry gets on."
He went below to the berth where the young midshipman had been placed,
and found one of the assistant-surgeons with him. The poor boy was very
feverish, and was continually crying out for lemonade, and other cooling
beverages. Jack sat with him for some time till he became calmer and
better, and then went on deck to have another look out before he turned
in for the night, as, not belonging to the ship, he had no watch to
keep. He found the officer of the watch, Murray, and others peering
through the darkness, over the frigate's quarter.
"Some suspicious sounds were heard coming from that direction," remarked
Murray. "There were voices, and creaking of blocks, and the splash of
oars. It is just to windward, and sounds travel a long distance in a
dark night. Our friends, the pirates, are about some mischief. Perhaps
they expect to find us napping, and purpose paying a visit."
Everybody on deck was on the alert, and there was not much chance of the
crew of the frigate being taken by surprise at all events. Captain
Grant was told of what had occurred; they waited and waited, but still
nothing more was seen, or rather heard, of the pirate junks. Yet Murray
and Mr Cherry, and all the officers who had been on deck, were so
certain that they had not been deceived, that it was concluded that the
pirates had been really close to them, but finding the frigate afloat,
had thought better of the matter and hauled off.
Jack and Adair at last went below. Jack did not turn in, but lay down
on one of the lockers in the midshipmen's berth, with a writing-desk for
a pillow, and a boat-cloak for a mattress. The instant he put his head
on the desk he was fast asleep. It appeared to him but a moment
afterwards that he heard the cry, "All hands on deck." Immediately
afterwards several shots were fired from the frigate. He was up in a
moment. On looking out he saw the dark shadowy forms of numerous large
war-junks gliding round the ship, and the next instant a shower of
jingall balls and round shot came rattling on deck. The salute was
returned by a broadside from the frigate, which, if it did not send
several of the pirate's junks to the bottom, must have severely crippled
a number of them. They must have thought that the frigate was still
ashore, or that she had hove her guns overboard to get off, or they
would not have ventured so near.
Still the unseen enemy showed more courage than might have been
expected, and from every direction, on each beam and ahead, and astern,
a shower of missiles came crashing in which could not fail to do a
considerable amount of damage. The cries of several poor fellows showed
that they were badly wounded, while one seaman, standing close to Jack
Rogers, fell heavily to the deck. Jack stooped to raise him, but the
man did not speak, and from the inert weight of the body, he feared too
truly that he was killed. The worst part of the business was that, from
the excessive darkness of the night and the thick mist which hung over
the water, it was only from the flashes of the enemy's guns that the
frigate's crew were able to see how to point theirs. By the cries and
shrieks which arose every now and then in the distance they had reason
to believe that their shot had told with dire effect. Still the
pirate's shot was doing them a great deal of mischief, and,
notwithstanding all their courage and power, all they could do in return
was blindly to blaze away. Still there could be no doubt that the
pirates would ultimately get the worst of it, and haul off long before
morning. Of course, in daylight they would not venture to remain near
her. After the frigate had fired several broadsides, it was discovered
that the enemy on each side did not reply, but that all the shot came
from ahead or astern. Again, the guns being loaded, Captain Grant
hauled in on the spring so as to bring the broadsides in the direction
the head and stern had before been. The word "fire!" was given.
Instantly the terrific shrieks which rent the air showed that the enemy
had there most thickly assembled. Some random shots were fire in
return, and then all was silent.
"Really it is difficult to believe that so short a time ago the ship was
surrounded by bloodthirsty enemies," observed Murray to Jack, as they
stood together looking out into the darkness. "Besides the poor fellows
who have been hit, I dare say that our running rigging and sails will
show that we have been engaged; yet now how calm and quiet everything
is."
"I, for one, would not trust them, though," said Jack; "if they can play
us a trick they will."
The night, however, wore on. The pirates had evidently a sufficient
taste of the frigate's quality, and had no wish to try it further.
Once more Jack was going below to finish his nap on the locker, when he
heard Adair sing out, "There are two big junks close aboard us."
Captain Grant was on deck in an instant, and ordered the capstan to be
manned to work the ship round as might be required.
"They are desperate fellows on board those crafts, or they would not
attempt to get so near us," observed Adair.
"They are indeed," said Jack. "See, there's another of them. I don't
like their looks. I wonder the captain has not ordered us to fire at
them."
Just then Captain Grant's voice was heard ordering the boats to be
lowered. Scarcely were the words out of his mouth than a bright light
burst out of one of the junks, and instantly she was in flames, casting
forth rockets and missiles of every description.
"They are fire-ships," cried numerous voices--a very evident fact.
Without a moment's delay, Jack and Murray and Adair, with two of the
lieutenants of the frigate, and the men nearest at hand, jumped into the
boats, and, being lowered, pulled off to tow the fire-ships away from
her; as, in consequence of the darkness, they had been brought thus
close up before they were discovered, there was little time to spare.
One in another minute would be alongside. Jack boldly sprang up her
high bow, and making fast a tow-rope, ordered the men to give way. The
spring on the frigate's cable was manned, and her broadside was turned
away from the approaching fire-ships. Scarcely had Jack got hold of his
prize than the flames burst forth from her, and he and the crew were
covered with sparks and burning fragments of wood, which several times
nearly set their clothes on fire and singed them not a little.
Fortunately the rockets and other fireworks on board took an upward
flight, but they soon found themselves pulling under a complete cascade
of fire. Jack cheered them on: "Never mind, my lads," he shouted; "it's
better than having the old frigate burnt, at all events."
He could scarcely bear the heat of the fire; still he persevered. At
last he got his unpleasant captive just clear astern of the frigate, and
a little way to leeward. Still a shift of wind might send her back, so
he was towing her a little farther, when, with a loud roar, some
magazine, which had been hitherto preserved at the bottom of the ship,
exploded, sending every particle of her which remained high into the
air, and as the wreck came down, the fragments very nearly swamped the
boat and killed all in her. No one was hurt, however, and he and his
brave crew instantly pulled back to grapple with another foe. All the
other fire-ships had been seized hold of and were very nearly towed
clear of the frigate.
Jack heard Murray's voice calling to him. Alick was fast to one which
seemed heavier than the rest, and he had great difficulty, apparently,
in moving her. Had not Jack gone to his assistance, in a few seconds
she would have been alongside the frigate. When just under her stern,
she broke out into the fiercest flames, and Jack, whose clothes were by
this time very nearly done brown, was glad enough to cast loose from
her. In another moment she blew up with a violent explosion, and as
before, fragments of the burning wreck came flaming down into and around
the boats, while the other fire-ships were still burning away brightly
to leeward. Once more the boats were hoisted up, and the frigate was
made ready to get under weigh the instant daylight would allow her to be
carried free of the reefs. Just as one of the quarter boats was being
secured, a splash was heard, and instantly the cry was raised of "A man
overboard!"
Jack Rogers, who was on the quarter-deck, without stopping to ask who it
was, kicked off his shoes, and threw off his jacket, and gliding down a
rope, struck out astern. There was a strong current running, he had
before discovered, and he knew that the man who had fallen overboard
would be carried rapidly away from the ship.
"Who are you?" he sang out in a loud voice. "Tell me, that I may know
where to swim to you."
There was no answer.
"It was Mr Murray, sir," cried some one from the ship. "We are afraid
that he must have hurt himself as he fell."
This was sad news to Jack. Still he determined to persevere. The only
light he had to guide him was from the burning fire-ships now drifting
away. Should Murray come to the surface, he hoped he might see him and
be near enough to support him, till a boat could arrive and pick them
up. He heard the sounds of a boat being lowered from the frigate. He
raised himself out of the water for an instant to look around, and he
felt sure that he perceived a person's head not far off. He made
strenuous efforts to reach it. Just then also he saw, the glare of the
burning vessel being cast on it, what he would rather not have seen--a
large Chinese boat. He was certain that the head was Murray's. His old
friend was drifting rapidly down towards the pirates. He had every
reason to fear that they would strike at Alick the moment he got near.
He knew also that they would equally strike at him, but this did not
make him hesitate a moment. He clove the water with all his might,
dashing on till he was close up to the drowning man. He hoped that the
pirates might not have seen him.
"A few more strokes, and I shall have him," he exclaimed to himself.
Just then he saw some of the savage-looking pirates standing up in the
boat peering towards him. A gleam of light fell on the head of the
person in the water. It was Murray. He seized his friend by the collar
and turned him on his back, then struck out once more towards the
frigate. Of course he had but one hand at liberty, and in spite of all
his efforts he could not stem the current, but found himself and Murray
still drifting down towards their relentless foes. Some accident had,
apparently, happened to the boat, and he could not tell whether or not
she was even yet in the water. He could do nothing but keep himself and
his companion afloat. He dared not shout, as his so doing would draw
the attention of the pirates towards them, and he felt sure that, at all
events, a boat would be sent to look for him. Jack and Alick had now
another danger to encounter. They were drifting down on one of the
fire-ships, and ran a great chance of being burnt. To avoid the
fire-ship, Jack was obliged to approach nearer the pirate-boat, which
had been keeping so as to leave the burning vessel between her and the
frigate. The miscreants now saw him, and dashing their paddles in the
water, were rapidly up to him. He fully expected that the next moment
would be his last; but he still held fast the senseless form of his
friend. He looked up for an instant, and saw the hideous countenances
of the Chinamen glaring down on him over the side of their boat.