THE GALE INCREASES--FEARS FOR MR. HENLEY'S SAFETY--A BOAT IN SIGHT--
SOLON AIDS IN RESCUING THE DROWNING MEN--THE DOCTOR SAVED--HIS ILLNESS--
A SAIL IN SIGHT--VISIT OF A SLAVER--DESERTED BY OUR COMPANIONS--DEATH OF
THE DOCTOR--TOM AND SOLON ON THE ISLAND--OUR COMFORT AND CONSOLATION.
The morning came at last, wild and tempestuous as had been the night.
As soon as the beacon-fire no longer required our attention, Tom and I,
accompanied by Solon, set off to the peak to take a look round, that we
might discover if Mr Henley's boat was returning, or if any other boat
or a raft might have escaped from the burning ship. In vain we cast our
eyes on every side; a thick mist, caused by the driving spray, hung over
the ocean, and had any floating thing been on it, would have completely
hid it from our sight. Sad, indeed, we felt as we two stood on that
high solitary peak rising up amid the Indian Ocean.
"I am afraid that they are all gone in," said Tommy after a long
silence.
"I do not despair, Tom," I answered. "A raft would take a long time
driving from where the ship was burned to the island. We will wait and
see what happens. Perhaps we may get a better view from a lower point."
Accordingly we went down the hill, and walked along the high ground
above the beach, looking out from every spot among the trees where we
could get a clear sight of the sea. As the sun rose his rays penetrated
through the mist, but still no boat could we see; there was nothing
before us but dark, leaden waves, with white crests and sheets of foam
blown like driving snow from off them. We returned, therefore, with sad
hearts to the embers of the fire, where we cooked some turtle and drank
some cocoa-nut milk for breakfast. Our hearts, I believe, were grateful
that we had been preserved from the destruction which we believed had
overtaken our companions. After recruiting our strength, we again
climbed up to a high point in the neighbourhood, where we sat for a long
time without speaking, watching the foaming ocean, with Solon crouching
at our feet. Suddenly Solon sprung up, and looked seaward with his head
and neck stretched out to the utmost. Tom and I gazed eagerly in the
same direction. After looking for a little time I caught sight of a
black spot amid the white crests of the waves. It seemed like a mere
speck. I should have thought that it was merely a man's head or hat, or
nothing larger than a cask. After searching about for some time I
brought my glass to bear on it. It was a boat, and a large one; it
seemed full of men. I could scarcely hope that it was Mr Henley's. On
she came. Some of the men appeared to be rowing, but there was a small
sail set--a mere table-napkin it seemed. Still we had a prospect of
having companions, and if the boat was as large as I fancied, we might
be able to get away in her from the island. We hurried down to the
beach. If Mr Henley was in the boat he would make, we knew, for the
opening in the reef; but if there were only strangers to the place we
could not tell where they might steer for. We did our best, therefore,
to make signs to them to keep for the opening, but our telegraphing was
not, we feared, received or understood, for the boat ran on directly
towards a part of the reef over which the sea was breaking with especial
fury. We waved, we shouted, we made every sign we could possibly think
of to warn the unhappy people of their danger. They could scarcely have
seen us, much less could they have heard our voices amidst the wild
turmoil of waters.
"O Tom, how dreadful!" I exclaimed. Now the boat was lifted up by the
seas, now she was hid among the foaming surf. I scarcely think that
those on board were aware of their danger.
In an instant more we saw that they would be on the reef. Down we
rushed to the wreck. It was scarcely possible that the boat could wash
over it. We reached the edge of the calmer water of the lagoon inside
the reef, but even there the waves came rolling up with considerable
force, sufficient, at all events, to carry us off our legs had we
ventured within their power. We looked eagerly for the hapless boat.
She might still be concealed by the masses of white surf which flew high
up in the air. We looked in vain. At last we saw some dark objects
tossed up and down among the breakers. Now one, now another was cast
over the reef, but whether they were human beings or merely fragments of
the wreck we could not at first tell. We watched--now we saw an arm
lifted up, then a head emerged from the foam--there could be no longer
any doubt about the matter. At last we could almost see the features of
the unfortunate wretches. Had it even been smoother in the lagoon we
had no means of going out to the assistance of our drowning
fellow-creatures. Oh, how dreadful it was to see people thus perishing
before our eyes and to be unable to assist them! Still we could not
withdraw our gaze from the spot where we had last seen the boat.
Presently a larger wave than any of the previous ones came rolling in.
As it broke several pieces of the wreck seemed as it were to fall out of
it. To one of them a human form was by some means secured, but whether
it was that of a living or a dead person we could not tell. He
appeared, at all events, to be making no effort to save himself. He was
at first washed some way across the lagoon, and then carried swiftly
back again. It became soon evident that if not already drowned he very
soon would be, when Solon, who had been earnestly watching what was
taking place, uttering a loud bark, plunged fearlessly into the waves,
and swam boldly out towards him. The next wave again set him in. Solon
with wonderful sagacity at that moment seized his arm, and directing his
course towards the shore, brought him within our reach before the force
of the wave had time to force him out again. Tom and I rushed in, and
grasping his clothes, ran with him with all our might up the beach, and
placed him beyond the power of the waves before the next rolled in on
us.
"Why, it is Dr Cuff!" exclaimed Tom.
So it was, indeed, but till that moment I had not observed the man's
features. Now, as I looked at his pallid countenance, with a blue tinge
over it, and saw that his eyes were closed and teeth clenched, I feared
that he was indeed gone. We took off his neckcloth, and I bethought me
of putting some of the hot white sand round his feet, and some on his
stomach, which I rubbed gently, while Tom brought some grass and leaves,
which we placed under his head. While we were thus employed Solon
dashed again into the water, and we saw that he had seized another
person who was clinging to an oar. We discovered a third also
struggling in the waves. We waited till Solon had brought the person of
whom he had now got hold within our reach, and then, leaving Dr Cuff
for a moment, we rushed down to his assistance. Solon, the moment he
had given him into our charge, darted off to the relief of the other
drowning men. We at once recognised the man he had now rescued as one
of the crew of the _Orion_. We dragged him up out of the reach of the
sea, and hurried back to resume our efforts to resuscitate Dr Cuff, for
the sailor, though unconscious, gave evident signs of life. While we
were rubbing away at the doctor's body, every now and then looking to
see if an eyelid moved, and feeling if his heart beat, we kept watching
Solon's proceedings. Wearied by his previous exertions, he swam out to
the struggling person, who was further off than the other two had been,
and, waiting till he had ceased to fling his arms about, he seized him
by the collar, and swam on towards the beach. The man seemed to float
much lighter than had either of the other two, and the cause of this we
discovered, when we got hold of him, to be owing to a life-buoy round
his waist. He would, however, notwithstanding this, have been drowned,
had not Solon gone to his assistance, and had we not been ready to drag
him up the beach, for he was quite unconscious when we got hold of him,
and unable to help himself. On looking at his face I discovered that he
was my messmate Sills. Believing that he would soon recover without our
help, we again returned to the doctor. We rubbed and rubbed away with
the greatest energy, till Tom said he felt that there was some warmth
coming back into the body. I felt the same, and this encouraged us to
persevere, till at length, to our great joy, the doctor partly opened
his eyes and looked up at us.
"He's alive! he's alive!" cried Tom, clapping his hands.
At last he sat up and looked about him, trying to recover his power of
thinking, and to ascertain what had happened.
"Thank you, lads, thank you," were the first words he uttered; "I see
what you have done for me. Now go and help those other two who have
been saved. They will want your aid. I will come presently and assist
you, when I am a little stronger. But, lads, where is Mr Henley and
the others who were left here with you?"
I did not like to agitate him by telling him that I feared they were
lost, so I said that they were not on that part of the island.
We had some difficulty in recovering Sills and the seaman, but at length
they came entirely to themselves. The seaman took all that had happened
to him as a matter of course, but Sills seemed to be somewhat horrified
when he found how narrowly he had himself escaped death, and that so
many of his companions had lost their lives. When all the party were
sufficiently recovered to walk, we set off for our huts, which were at
no great distance. I felt very sad, for the doctor told me that they
had seen nothing of Mr Henley's boat, so that I feared she must have
foundered without even reaching the _Orion_. He said that he fully
believed the burning of the ship was a judgment on those who had
deserted us. He had little doubt, from what afterwards transpired, that
treachery was from the first intended us, though, ill as he thought of
the captain and first mate, yet he could not, when he saw us leaving the
ship, believe that they would be guilty of such an atrocity.
During the day they had abused us for not returning, though they did not
propose to fire a gun, or to make any other signal to recall us; and
when night came on the first mate observed that he concluded we should
not attempt to come back till the morning, but that he would keep a
bright look-out for us. This disarmed any suspicions which were rising
in the doctor's mind, and he turned in, expecting to see us soon after
daybreak. What, then, was his astonishment, on going on deck, to find
the ship under all sail, standing away from the island, and to be told
that we had not come back. The captain might have been a party to the
act, but he was already perfectly tipsy, and could make no coherent
remark; and when the first mate came on deck, he said that the ship had
been driven off the island by a sudden squall, and that he had no doubt
our boat had been swamped in attempting to come off. The doctor had in
vain entreated him to beat back, and to send another boat on shore to
ascertain our fate. He made all sorts of excuses, till at length when
the island could no longer be seen the _Orion_ was once more becalmed.
The doctor said that he endeavoured to get a boat, and, in spite of the
heat and the distance, offered to pull back to look for us; but the
first mate refused, and at length grew perfectly furious on his
persisting in making the offer. At dinner the first mate drank more
wine and spirits even than usual, and towards the evening was in no
better a condition than the captain.
At this juncture dense masses of smoke were seen to burst suddenly out
of the captain's cabin. The crew, part of whom were below, and part
lying about the decks nearly asleep, were hurriedly summoned to
extinguish the flames, but they obeyed lazily. The third mate got
completely bewildered, and gave nothing but contradictory orders, so
that the fire had taken complete possession of the whole after-part of
the ship before any strenuous efforts were made to extinguish it. Some
few of the men exerted themselves to the utmost, under the doctor's
orders, but the greater number did nothing effectual, for want of being
properly directed. At length he saw that there was no possible chance
of saving the ship, and called all those he could get to obey him to
lower a boat, that they might endeavour to preserve their lives. What
was his dismay to find just then a heavy squall strike the ship; but her
after-rigging being already burned, while her head sails were all set,
she paid off before the wind. Away she flew. In what direction they
were going no one could tell. To lower a boat with any chance of saving
her from being swamped seemed now impossible, when suddenly the squall
ceased. The opportunity was taken advantage of, the boat was lowered,
and he with about a dozen more leaped into her. The mast was stepped
and the sail hoisted, and the gale once more commencing with far greater
fury than before, away flew the boat over the foaming waves. Few if any
could have remained alive on board the _Orion_ after they had left her.
Some thought that a boat or a raft had been launched, by which means the
rest might have prolonged their lives.
The doctor concluded his account by saying that when morning came and he
saw the distant line of breakers ahead, he had given up all hopes of
their lives being saved; and when he had first opened his eyes on the
sand, while Tom and I were by his side, he had not expected to find
himself still an inhabitant of this world.
Solon ran alongside us and licked the doctor's hand, and seemed highly
delighted at having been the means of saving him; and I believe that the
doctor was very grateful to him for what he had done.
We soon had a fire lighted. I had a box of lucifers, and also a
burning-glass. The latter no one should be without in those regions
where the sun is always shining in the day, as a light can thus be
instantly produced. Some turtle was quickly cooked, and the strength of
all the party was much restored. After this they lay down, as did Tom
and I, and we all went to sleep. It was evening before I awoke, when,
accompanied by Solon, I went up to the rock to look out for Mr Henley's
boat. After sweeping my glass round in every direction, I returned,
sick at heart, to our hut. Indeed, as I gazed over that stormy sea, I
felt that there was but little chance of a frail boat such as she was
escaping its fury. The doctor slept all the night, but I was sorry to
find the next morning that he appeared weak and ill. He said that he
felt he had received some severe injury from being dashed against the
rocks. He could still walk about a little, though evidently with much
pain. For several days I observed no change either for the better or
the worse on our kind doctor. He probably knew what was the matter with
himself, and I suspect that his sufferings were aggravated by being
aware of the medicines which might have benefited him, and having none
to take. I sat and walked with the doctor for the greater part of each
day. He could do little more, however, than stroll out on the beach and
gaze with anxious eyes over the sea, in the hope of catching sight of
some ship which might carry us away from our island. Tom and I at other
times used to wander about and collect all the fruits, and roots, and
leaves of every description which we thought were likely to prove
wholesome for food, and when we brought them to him he was able to tell
us which were the most nutritive, and to point out to us those which
were poisonous. I thus discovered the very great advantage of
possessing a thorough knowledge of botany, and wished that I had paid
more attention to the subject before I left home. Strange as it may
seem, the days passed away very rapidly. Tom and I had always an
abundance of work with which to employ ourselves. The poor doctor
could, indeed, do little for himself, and Sills and Brown would do
nothing. I had tried at first to make a companion of Sills, but after
the effect produced by his narrow escape had worn off, he became very
much what he had been before, and as now there was nobody over him, he
gave himself up to perfect idleness. He and Brown, whom he made his
companion, found a leaf which, when dried, served the purpose of
tobacco, and from that time they spent the greater part of every day in
smoking and eating. I induced them now and then at night to get up and
turn a turtle, which gave us fresh meat when we grew tired of our salted
and dried provisions. They seemed to have no wish to leave the island.
"We have nothing to do and plenty to eat--what more do we want?" said
Sills, throwing himself back on the grass, when one day I asked him to
take his turn in looking out for any ships which might be passing. "For
my part, I am ready to remain here till I want a new rig out; it will
then be time enough to think of getting away."