"On an island of some sort," was the answer. "Many more saved?"
Hixon replied that the captain and ten men had escaped.
Although the channel between the rock and the land might be deep, with
the help of a man on the latter, if a rope could be passed to him, they
might all cross in safety.
They waited anxiously till daylight. The wind had gone down by that
time, and the sea was much calmer. A rocky island of some height rose
before them, but as the sea rushed in and out in the intervening space,
even a good swimmer might have hesitated to cross.
The larger portion of their gallant ship had disappeared, but the
afterpart still remained entire.
Several lengths of rope were cut from the rigging of the mainmast, which
had been thrown back on the rock. They were eager to get across, for
they had no food and no water on the rock. Several attempts were made
to heave a rope to the man on the island, but in vain, the distance was
too great. At length a short piece of a spar was fastened to the end of
the signal halyards. How eagerly it was watched, as it floated now in
one direction, now in another; gradually it drew out the line; it was
hoped that it might be drifted by some surge towards the man, who was
eagerly on the watch to catch it.
"We must not despair," said Peter to Hixon, who had come to see how the
captain was getting on. "If we pray that God will send the spar to
shore He is certain to hear us, and He will do it if He thinks fit."
"What you say is true, I know," observed the old man; and together they
knelt and prayed that a way to serve them might be found.
The captain, who had returned to consciousness, looked at them with
astonishment, but said nothing. In a short time a shout came from the
men who held the line on the inner side of the rock that the spar had
reached the shore, and that Tom had hold of it. A stronger rope was
soon hauled across, and then one which could bear the weight of two or
three people at a time, if necessary. That was secured between the rock
and the mainland. First one man made his way along it, then another and
another, and all were going, with the exception of Emery and Bill, who,
with Peter and old Hixon, stayed by the captain. The latter, seeing
this, cried out, "Shame, lads; would you desert the captain when he is
unable to help himself?" The men, however, did not heed him: they were
eager to get hold of a cask of provisions which, with another of water,
Tom told them had been thrown up on the island. The news made even
Emery and Bill inclined to go.
"Go, if you wish it," said the captain; "only come back and bring me
some water, for I am fearfully thirsty."
This made the men no longer hesitate. Peter sat still.
"Are you not going?" asked the captain.
"I could not leave you, sir, while you are suffering," said Peter.
"But you want food and water as much as they do," said the captain.
"They will bring it to me, sir," answered Peter.
Notwithstanding what the captain said, neither Peter nor old Hixon would
leave him. The latter was busily hauling pieces of planking and rope.
Having collected enough for his purpose, he set to work to manufacture a
cradle sufficiently large to contain the captain. Having arranged his
plan he shouted to the other men to come and assist him. Two only,
however, responded, Bill and the black; the remainder were wandering
along the shore, looking out for whatever might be washed up. The black
set the example. Bill followed him back to the rock, but they brought
only a small piece of salted tongue and some biscuits, almost soaked
through, but no water. The captain could only taste a very little, but
there was enough to satisfy Hixon's and Peter's appetites. In vain the
poor captain cried out for water--nothing had been found to carry it in.
"The more reason we should make haste with the cradle," observed Hixon.
It was at length placed on the rope, with a line attached, which Bill
carried across. Peter volunteered to go in it, and safely passed over.
It was then hauled back, and the captain was drawn across. Hixon and
the black followed. By this time the rest of the men had disappeared.
The captain was soon sufficiently revived by the water which had been
obtained to look about him. He told his companions that he believed
they were on one of the many wild rocky islets which exist in that part
of the ocean, and that they must carefully husband the water, as
possibly no spring might be found.
As the captain wished to ascertain whether his surmises were correct,
Peter volunteered to climb to the summit of the height above them. It
was fatiguing and very dangerous work, but he succeeded at length. On
looking around him, he found that they were nearly at one end of a rocky
island, which extended for three or four miles to the eastward. Not a
tree, or scarcely a shrub, was to be seen. In every direction all was
desolation and barrenness. He returned, not without difficulty.
"I thought I was right," said the captain. "You must do your best, my
men, to collect all you can from the wreck; we shall need it; and, Gray,
I have a word to say to you. You saved my life, I am told; if we ever
get away from this, I will prove your friend."
"I only did my duty, sir," said Peter. "I thought I could save you, and
God helped me."
"You seem to have great trust in God."
"Yes, sir," said Peter. "He is a very present help in time of trouble,
and we all have reason to trust Him."
"I have never done so before," whispered the captain; "but I will try in
future."
In the meantime the other three men were collecting fragments of sails
and spars, pieces of rope, and several things which formed part of the
cargo, a bale of cloth and another of clothing--the latter was
especially acceptable to all the party, who, with the exception of Hixon
and Peter, had little on when they left the ship; but of still greater
value was a cask of biscuits, another of herrings, and a few pieces of
pork. What the rest of the crew might have discovered they could not
tell.
As the captain could not move, a hut was built of the pieces of sail and
spars, and a bed having been made up beneath it with some dry grass and
a piece of canvas for the captain to lie on, he and his companions
prepared to pass the first night of their sojourn on the desolate rock.