The wind had dropped to a calm, as I've mentioned, just before this; but
the sea was still running high, with those heavy waves that get up in a
moment in the lower latitudes as soon as it begins to blow. But I never
thought of this when I plunged in to the mate's rescue.
When I was at Dr Hellyer's, the only two things I ever really learnt
that were of any use to me in my after-life were, a substantial
grounding in mathematics--thanks to "Smiley"--which subsequently made
the study of navigation easy to me when Sam Pengelly put me under charge
of a tutor; and, secondly, the art of swimming, the place where the
school was situated and the practice of taking out the boys on the beach
for the purpose every day, offering great facilities to any one with the
least aptitude for taking to the water and possessed of a desire to
learn how to support himself in it.
Now, therefore, I found the second of these acquirements to stand me in
good stead--the consciousness of knowing how to swim, not only giving me
the courage to leap over the vessel's side after the unfortunate man,
but also enabling me to decide what to do when I found myself battling
with the waves on my errand of succour.
The _Esmeralda's_ quarter was a good height from the sea level; so, on
my diving off, what with this and the impetus of my leap, I went
considerably below the surface, coming up panting for breath some
distance away from the ship, which, having still a little way on her,
besides offering a considerable surface of hull for the waves to act
upon, was drifting further and further off each instant.
I had no concern about this, though, the only impression on my mind
being the necessity of getting hold of Mr Macdougall as soon as I
could; and when I had recovered from the half-suffocating feeling
produced by my impromptu long dive beneath the Atlantic rollers, I
raised myself on the top of one of these, and proceeded to look for the
first mate, who ought, I thought, to be pretty close to me.
The water struck bitterly cold, as I trod it down in order to elevate
myself as much as I could and so have a wider view around, for it made
my limbs feel as if cramp was coming on; but I kicked out vigorously,
and the sensation passing off I began to feel more at home in the water,
and as confident as if I were bathing off the shore at Beachampton--
albeit I was now having a bath in the middle of the Southern ocean, with
my ship almost half a mile from me by this time!
I did not see Mr Macdougall anywhere at first, so I feared that the
force with which the boom sheet had come against his chest might have so
injured him as to paralyse his movements when he fell overboard; but,
presently, when I rose on the crest of another huge rolling billow that
took me up a little higher aloft, I saw him struggling in one of the
watery valleys between the ridges of the waves about half a cable's
length away to the windward of me, so that I was between him and the
ship, whose sails alone now were all I could see of her from my low
position in the water.
Catching sight of him, at once inspired me with fresh courage, making me
as buoyant as a cork; and I faced the task before me, offering up a
heartfelt prayer that I might accomplish it successfully.
"Hold up, Mr Macdougall! I'm coming to help you!" I cried out as
loudly as I could, for he seemed just then, from the look of despair I
saw on his face, to be on the point of chucking up his hands and
allowing himself to sink to the bottom, impressed probably with the
hopelessness of attempting to reach the vessel. Then, striking out with
a good strong breast-stroke, which is worth all your fancy side business
in rough water, I made towards him; although, having to go against the
set of the sea, I found it much harder work than merely keeping myself
afloat, which was all that I had previously tried to do, without
actually swimming.
He did not hear my shout, being to windward; but, when I rose presently
on another wave-crest nearer him, I could perceive that he saw me, from
the way in which he raised one of his arms in his excitement--the effect
of which was, of course, to cause his head to go under and make him
believe his last hour was come.
"Help, help!" he screamed, when he got above the surface again,
spluttering out words and water together; "I'm droonin', mon--help, mon,
help!"
I could hear him distinctly from my being to leeward, and as I was much
nearer to him now, I cried out again to encourage him--
"Hold on, Mr Macdougall! I'll be with you in a minute!"
Then, with half a dozen strong, sturdy strokes, aided by a wave that
worked him towards me, I was by his side.
He was utterly exhausted, having, like most unpractised swimmers, pumped
himself out by splashing about with short jerky movements of his hands
and legs, which only wearied him without advancing him through the
opposing billows or assisting him to keep up; and, on my coming up to
him, as all drowning men in similar circumstances invariably do, he made
a frantic clutch at me, when, if he had succeeded in grasping me, we
should both have sunk to the bottom.
But I took very good care he should not touch me, for Tom Larkyns and I
when at Hellyer's used to make a practice in fun of pretending we were
going down when out bathing, and the one or other of us who acted the
part of rescuer would always study how to approach the feigning drowner,
so as to help him effectually without incurring any risk of being pulled
below the surface; so, on Mr Macdougall stretching out his clutching
hands, endeavouring to get hold of me, I was quite on my guard to avoid
his grip.
Diving below him, I seized him by the back of the neck, his long sandy
hair, which was streaming with water, enabling me to take a firm grip.
"Don't try to hinder me," I cried hurriedly between breaths, for the sea
was very rough, and it wasn't easy to speak. "Keep perfectly quiet, and
I'll save you."
The Scotsman gave a wriggle or two, but, like most of his countrymen, he
had a good deal of common sense and self-command, which made him remain
passive after a bit; when, throwing myself on my back, I floated,
dragging his head across my body, so that he might rest awhile and
recover himself before trying to swim towards the ship.
Presently he endeavoured to look round, so as to see who it was that had
come to his assistance.
"Hold hard!" I said. "You mustn't move, or I'll have to let you go;"
for, I can state, it was a difficult job supporting him in that way, and
it took all my paddling to keep our united weight up.
"Ah!" he exclaimed, "I ken the voice--eet's you, Leigh, eesn't it?"
"Yes, Mr Macdougall, it's me," said I. "Do you feel better now?"
But he did not answer me for a moment, although I felt a tremble go
through his frame.
A moment afterwards, with what sounded like a sob, he cried out, "You
brave laddie! To theenk that you of all ithers should ha' coom to save
a reckless loon lik' me, the noo! It's a joogement on me for me cruel
leeing again' you, boy; you've heapit coals o' fire on me head!"
"Never mind that now, Mr Macdougall," I said. "We've got to see about
getting back to the ship, and then we can let bygones be bygones! Have
you got your breath back now?"
"Eh?"
"Do you think you can manage to put a hand on my shoulder, and rest
quiet in the water while I tow you along?"
"Aye, I'll try it, laddie."
"Mind, you mustn't clutch hold of me too hard," I cried; and, easying
him off from my chest, I turned round again in the water.
He sank about a foot at first from the change of position, but, keeping
strict heed to my injunctions, and gripping my shoulder with a grasp of
iron, he was presently floating half alongside and half behind, with his
head well out of the water, as I struck out to where I could still see
the ship as we rose every now and then at intervals on the crests of the
following waves; although, when we descended again between the
intervening hollows, we seemed shut in by a wall of sea.
The pampero having blown off from the pampas inland--whence the local
name for these tornadoes--had come from the westwards, and, of course,
the set of the waves, even after the wind had ceased to move them,
continued in a south-westerly direction, whither the _Esmeralda_ had
also been carried away from us, the exposed surface of her hull drifting
her more rapidly away than such tiny atoms as we presented to the
influence of the rollers. When, therefore, Mr Macdougall was so far
recovered as to permit of my attempting to regain the ship, she was
already quite a mile off, if not more!
As I looked at her distant sails, which came in sight when we got atop
of the billows, they seemed to be gliding further and further away each
fresh time that I saw them, showing that there was no wind; so, knowing
that a boat would have to pull all that distance against a heavy head
sea in order to fetch us, I almost despaired of our being picked up.
No one but those who have undergone a similar experience, can imagine
the utter loneliness that strikes upon the heart of a solitary swimmer,
struggling in the middle of the ocean for dear life. The sea never
looks so terribly wide and vast as then, the sky never so far off, as he
gazes upwards in piteous entreaty; while the elements appear to mock his
puny efforts to reach the receding vessel containing his comrades of a
moment ago, who now seem basely leaving him to perish!
These thoughts flashed through my mind as I struck out in the direction
of the _Esmeralda_. All the sins and omissions of my past life then
rose before my mental kaleidoscope, making me conscious of my
unpreparedness to die, and yet want of justification to live; but I
struck out bravely nevertheless, and I need hardly say, I did not
whisper a word of my fears to the mate, who kept silent and motionless
the while, without incommoding my efforts.
My strokes got slower and slower, for the wash of the sea over us every
now and then was terribly fatiguing; for, although I was very strong for
my age, and powerfully built, still the strain of supporting Mr
Macdougall besides myself, was more than I was able to manage--the
strongest man couldn't have done it.
He saw this even before I did, and took away his hand from my shoulder.
"Let me bide, laddie," he said. "You've doon your best to save me, but
you canna do't mair; gang awa' and save your ain sel'."
"No I won't, Mr Macdougall," I cried, stopping and treading water for a
minute or two, while he imitated my example. "If I'm saved, you shall
be saved; and if you drown, I'll drown too!"
"That's bravely said, laddie," he replied, "but your streength will na
let you bear my lumpy karkus. I'm a meesereeble sinner, ye ken, and
it's na richt as a brave lad lik' you should lose his ain life for a
worthless loon lik' me!"
"No more of that, Mr Macdougall!" I cried, stoutly. "I made up my
mind to try and save you when I jumped overboard after you; and save you
now I will, with God's help--so there's no use trying to prevent me!
Now put your hand on my shoulder again, for it's time for us to be
moving on after our rest."
The short "spell off" from swimming had rested me, and I struck out once
more with renewed vigour, my progress with the mate in tow being now
much more rapid, for the sea was calming down, beginning to feel the
cessation of the wind.
"We'll reach the ship, never fear!" I said presently, seeing her still
in the distance when we rose upon a wave from the watery abyss in which
the previous dialogue had taken place.
"I hope so, laddie, I hope so," said Mr Macdougall, but his words did
not sound very cheering, and I went on swimming hard, saying nothing
further. By-and-bye, just when my strength began to fail again, and I
felt that I could never get over the distance that separated us from the
vessel, I saw to my joy a large object floating near.
"Hullo!" I cried, "here's a boat, or raft, or something in sight; cheer
up, Mr Macdougall, we're saved!"
But, he was so worn out with the exposure, and his previous efforts to
keep up before I went to his assistance, that he had now almost lost the
power of speech, only moaning something like "Eh, laddie?" behind me.
I saw, therefore, that I must now trust entirely to my own exertions for
our joint safety--the more so since that, as the mate lost his
consciousness, although still keeping hold of me in the way I had
directed him, his limp, passive weight pressed me down lower and lower
in the water; so, putting out all my energies for a final effort, and
clenching my teeth together with grim determination, I struggled
forward, swimming as hard as I could towards the floating object I had
seen, and which I had caught sight of only just in time.
One stroke--two--three--and a roller throws me back again. I renew the
contest--another stroke, accompanied by as vigorous a kick out as I can
manage, with Mr Macdougall's prostrate body touching my legs; and
then--I clutch hold of the thing at last--hurrah!
It was a large hencoop, which used to be fixed on the starboard side of
the _Esmeralda's_ poop; so I suppose some one must have pitched it
overboard after me the moment I gave the alarm.
But, no matter when it was sent adrift or why, it now saved both our
lives; for I don't believe I could have swum a stroke further, while as
for Mr Macdougall, he was already like a man dead.
There was a piece of rope lashed round the coop, and with this I at once
made the mate fast to it, raising his head well up, and shouting in his
ears to revive him.
In a minute or two, he opened his eyes, and appeared more like himself,
a smile spreading over his face, as if in thankfulness for escaping
death.
As for me, I was as right as a trivet now that I had come across such a
splendid raft; and, climbing on top, and balancing myself so as not to
let it lurch over, I proceeded to look for the ship--which I had almost
forgotten while striving to reach this nearer haven of refuge.
No sooner, however, had I mounted the hencoop, which floated nearly a
foot above the surface, even with my weight on it--for it was a big
piece of woodwork, with plenty of timber in it, and as light as a cork--
than I felt a faint current of air blowing in my face from a direction
quite opposite to that of the drift of the waves, the tops of which now
began to curl and break off.
"Hullo, the wind has changed!" I sang out to Mr Macdougall, as he
looked up at me to hear my report; and then, glancing round, there I saw
the _Esmeralda_, with her yards squared, approaching us rapidly, the
breeze having caught her up long before it reached us.