WALTER AND THE MATE'S VOYAGE ON THE RAFT CONTINUED--FLYING-FISH CAUGHT--
A THUNDER STORM--MEETING OF ALICE AND WALTER--THE RAFT INCREASED--IS IT
AN ISLAND!--REACH AN ENORMOUS DEAD WHALE OF A NEW SPECIES.
The raft glided on over the smooth surface of the ocean. The old mate
was standing up steering, while Walter, already feeling the pangs of
hunger, was lying stretched at his length in the shade cast by the sail;
for the intense heat of the sun, which was striking down from an almost
cloudless sky, was almost insupportable. Mr Shobbrok constantly looked
around on every side.
"Any vessel in sight?" asked Walter, sitting up. A shake of the head
was the answer he received; and lying down again, he closed his eyes.
Once more he sat up, and seeing the mate casting an eager glance around,
he asked him what he saw.
"Dolphins or bonitoes playing about. If we had a harpoon, we might
chance to get hold of one."
"Could we manage to manufacture something that would answer the
purpose?" asked Walter.
"Nothing that would be of use, I am afraid," said the mate. "But see,
Walter, see! there comes what I have been praying for."
Walter looked in the direction the mate was pointing out, and saw a
large covey of flying-fish darting towards them. First a couple, then
three, then four more, fell directly on to the raft. Walter and the
mate quickly secured them. As most of them appeared to be directing
their course some way ahead, the mate allowed the raft to glide on, by
that means being able to knock down four more, which would otherwise
have flown over it--the remainder quickly disappearing beneath the
surface. The two voyagers collected the fish which lay on the raft.
"I wish we could keep them alive," said Walter.
"That's more than we can do. We must be thankful that we have got
these; and He who sent them to us may send us more when we require them.
And now, my lad, the sooner we get some of them down our throats the
better, for you want food, and so, I confess, do I."
"What! eat them raw?" exclaimed Walter.
"Ay, lad; and for my part I could almost eat them alive. But I will try
how I can make them more fit for you to swallow. Hand me that bit of
board and the axe. Now, just get out some biscuit and the oil."
Walter gave the articles to the mate, who, kneeling down, cut off the
heads and tails of the fish, and separated the flesh from the bones. He
then mashed it up with some biscuit, moistening it with some oil till he
had made a thick paste.
"Now, try this. But first let us thank God for sending us the food; and
may He feed our souls as well as He feeds our bodies." Saying this, he
put a large lump into his own mouth, and quickly swallowed it, adding
another portion in like haste, for he was in truth famishing. Walter
found the mixture far more tolerable than he had expected, for he had
got accustomed to the taste of the oil. The meal was soon finished, and
was washed down with some wine and water. Both the mate and Walter
found themselves much stronger after the meal, and did not fail again to
return thanks to God for sending it to them. They then collected the
rest of the fish, which they cut open, and, at the mate's suggestion,
hung up in the sun to dry; reserving two to eat fresh at their next
meal. The heat of the sun and the nature of their food made them very
thirsty, and Walter especially was much inclined to drink freely from
the water-barrel.
"Remember, my lad," said the mate, "that won't last for ever, and we
must take care to economise it. Just take a little now and then when
you feel overcome with thirst. To my mind, under our circumstances it
would be as wrong to keep drinking away at our water-barrel as it is for
a man to spend his fortune without thinking of the future. That's our
chief wealth just now."
Walter, after this, followed the mate's example, and only took a
mouthful at a time, when he felt his throat unusually dry.
Onward they sailed, not always in a straight course; for they were
obliged to keep before the wind, which occasionally shifted a few points
of the compass. They were several times tantalised by seeing other
coveys of flying-fish rising out of the water, and darting fifty feet,
and sometimes even one hundred feet, over the surface; but none came
near them. They saw also dolphins and bonitoes swimming near them, and
occasionally caught sight of a large shark, with its black fin just
above the water. Now and then a bonito came so near to the raft, that
had they possessed a harpoon they could easily have caught it. The
mate, indeed, could not resist the temptation of giving one of them a
blow on the head with his oar, hoping to stun it; but the creature,
notwithstanding the heavy thump it had received, darted off, and was
lost to sight. "If I had been wise, I should have had a running bowline
ready, and we would have caught the fellow," said the mate. "I will
have one for the next, and if we are quick about it we may get him on
board." The rope was prepared, and Walter kept eagerly on the watch;
but the wished-for opportunity, as is often the case when once a chance
has been lost, did not return. Two or three big fish came swimming by
them, however, but too far off to be caught--apparently to have a look
at the strangers passing across their domain.
The end of another day was approaching, and the weather, hitherto calm
and fine, gave indications of a change.
"Provided we get a good stiff breeze from the eastward, I shall be
thankful," said the mate.
"We shall the sooner reach shore or fall in with a ship; and although
our raft will stand a good deal of sea, I would rather be in a good
whale-boat under such circumstances," said Walter.
"So would I, lad; but we must be contented with what we have got.
That's my opinion, and it's about the best a man can have. Now, Walter,
I want you to take the helm," said the mate. "I expect to have a pretty
long watch at night, and a few winks of sleep will enable me to stand
it. Call me if it comes on to blow harder than at present--as I expect
it will--or if you see anything which you cannot quite make out."
Walter quickly went to the helm, for the food he had taken had greatly
restored his strength, and enabled him to stand up firmly. The mate lay
down, and before Walter could count thirty the old sailor was fast
asleep.
Walter steered on. Although clouds were already gathering in the sky,
the wind continued moderate, and he hoped that the mate would be able to
take a longer spell of sleep than he had expected to do.
The sun went down with a fiery red appearance, and scarcely had it sank
beneath the horizon when the gloom of night came sweeping over the deep.
The wind shortly afterwards began to increase; but still, as the raft
did not tumble about much, Walter considered that he was right in not
calling the mate. Presently, however, a vivid flash of lightning darted
from the clouds, followed almost immediately by a crashing peal. Mr
Shobbrok started up. "Why, Walter," he said, "you should have called me
when the weather changed."
"The storm has only this instant burst on us," answered Walter. "I
wished you to have as much rest as possible. I do not feel myself
inclined to go to sleep."
"I suppose not, my lad," said the mate; "but I will take the helm, at
all events, and you can stand by the halliards. We must take a reef in
our sail, if it comes on to blow much harder."
The wind, however, did not greatly increase, and they stood on. The
lightning continued to flash and the thunder to roar, but the sea
remained calm. Frequently the whole heavens were lighted up altogether;
then only in one direction, and now in another. Walter, who had never
seen such vivid lightning or heard the thunder roar so loudly, very
naturally felt somewhat alarmed.
"Is the lightning likely to strike us?" he asked at length.
"I think not, my lad. We have but little iron about our raft; and
though iron is said to attract it, we are so low down on the surface
that I believe it will pass harmlessly over our heads. A large ship,
with her taunt masts, would be in much greater danger than this small
raft. We must trust to Him who rules the winds and seas, and the
lightning also. It won't do to be sometimes trusting Him and sometimes
not. It's as easy for Him to save us out of a great danger as out of
what we call a small one. Not that I think we are in any especial
danger now; nor shall we be as long as the sea remains calm."
Walter's anxiety was greatly relieved by the mate's assurances. He sat
down on the raft. They had been steadily running on for some time, when
a vivid flash lighted up the sky and all the ocean to the westward.
"I saw something floating on the water, right ahead," said Walter.
"What it was I cannot exactly say, though it seemed to me to be like a
piece of wreck, and I thought for the moment that I saw people on it."
"Keep a bright lookout then, my lad," answered the mate. "We shall
probably have another flash presently, and then you will see clearly.
Stand by to lower the sail, that I may have a look at it too."
Walter cast off the halliards, and tried with all his might to pierce
the gloom.
"There! there!" he exclaimed, letting go the halliards as another flash
darted from the sky. "It's a raft with two people on it. We are close
upon them."
A hail came from the raft uttered by two voices.
"O Mr Shobbrok, that was Nub's voice, and Alice's too! I am sure of
it," exclaimed Walter, scarcely able to speak from excitement. He then,
lifting up his own voice, shouted in return--"Is that you, Alice? Is
that you, Nub?"
"Yes, yes," answered Nub; "praise Heaven, we all right! Is dat you,
Massa Walter?"
"Yes," answered Walter.
"O Walter! O Walter! is it you?" cried Alice.
"I am Walter, and Mr Shobbrok is with me," he shouted.
"Here, Walter, take the helm," cried the mate, "but work away on the
starboard side; I will get a rope ready to heave to Nub."
Walter did as directed, and their raft was soon brought up alongside the
other, when Nub, having secured the rope hove to him, in his eagerness
forgot the difference of their rank, and sprang forward with delight to
embrace the old mate. Walter sprang on to the other raft, and quickly
had his dear little sister in his arms. They no longer thought of the
thunder roaring or the lightning flashing around them as they eagerly
recounted to each other their adventures. It seemed for the moment,
indeed, that all danger to them was over. They soon, however, inquired
of each other news of their father, and the fear that he might be lost,
or might be hopelessly searching for them, soon made them feel the
reality of their position. Nub in the meantime had told the mate all
that had happened on board, and his belief that a large raft had been
formed, and that the rest of the people had got away from the ship. He
told him also that he had seen nothing of it. It was possible, however,
that the captain's boat might have fallen in with it; and if so, they
would certainly have proceeded together towards the land.
"Our poor, poor father! how unhappy he will be at not finding us,"
ejaculated Walter and Alice together.
"He will not give up all hopes of your being restored to him; so don't
fret too much about it, my dear Miss Alice," said the mate, anxious to
comfort her. "He will know very well that Nub would not have deserted
you; and he will have heard from the people on board that Walter went
off with me; and very likely he will guess something like the truth.
And not knowing our boat was destroyed, he will fancy that I picked you
up, and that we have made our way in a well-found whale-boat towards the
shore."
"I hope he may think so," answered Alice. "I will try not to be too
anxious about him; and perhaps we shall meet each other before long."
"That's it, Miss Alice," said the mate. "Hope for the best. `Hope
still in God,' as He Himself in the Bible tells us to do, and don't be
cast down."
The night had been much further spent than those on the raft supposed.
The thunder gradually rolled away to the southward, and soon afterwards
the sun arose in the clear sky, shedding a brilliant glare across the
water. Directly the light appeared the mate exclaimed, "Now, Walter,--
now, Nub, as we have doubled our numbers, we must turn to and increase
the size of our raft."
"As you think best, Mr Shobbrok," answered Walter.
"Anything you tell me do, I do," said Nub.
"Well, we will pull your raft to pieces, and put the bow and stern on to
ours, and raise our bulwarks."
"Ay, ay, mate," answered Nub; and they immediately set to work. It was
an operation requiring a good deal of skill, as it was necessary to lash
the fresh timbers very securely, or they would prove a source of much
danger; for should the sea get up, and should they break loose, they
would be thrown upon the raft, and thus endanger the safety of those on
it. A portion of Nub's raft was composed of spars, one of which was
found long enough to serve as a mast, instead of the two oars which had
hitherto done duty as such; and they would now be of much use in
impelling on the raft. The mast was securely fixed between the two
cross spars, fastened at either end to the raised sides, and it was then
well stayed up, so that the whole sail bent to a yard could now be
hoisted up. The casks were then lashed securely to the two sides of the
raft as well as to the bow and stern; and when all was finished, the
mate declared that he believed their craft would weather out a heavy
gale as well as many a ship at sea. He might have said much better than
many, which, over-laden and leaky, go helplessly down into the depths of
the ocean without any land in sight or help near, the hapless crew
perishing miserably.
It was nearly mid-day when all was completed. Nub had not uttered a
complaint. At last he could not help exclaiming, "Oh, Mr Shobbrok, can
you give me just one mouthful of water? I give de last to Missie Alice,
and she not know I go all de time without any."
"Of course, my lad, of course," answered the mate, filling a cup from
the cask. "We must be careful of it; but I know what you are feeling,
and there would be no use in giving you just one mouthful."
Nub drank the water, and, heaving a sigh as he smacked his lips, he
exclaimed, "Dat is delicious!"
"Now I think of it, we have not breakfasted. Miss Alice and Walter must
be pretty hungry, and thirsty too," said the mate.
"I am not very thirsty, but I should like to have a few of the biscuits
Nub and I brought," answered Alice.
Nub looked downcast. There were only two remaining. He had not let
Alice discover this, that she might not know how close run they were for
food. For many hours he, honest fellow, had eaten nothing. The mate,
suspecting this, gave Alice the biscuits with a cup of wine and water,
and then beat up some more fish, oil, and pounded biscuit, which he
shared with Walter and Nub. The latter thought the food especially
good, and would have been perfectly ready to eat twice as much of it had
it been given to him. Some more wine and water restored the strength of
all the party, but poor Nub wanted something besides food. For many a
long hour he had not closed his eyes. He told the mate so, and asking
his leave, threw himself down on the deck. Almost before his head
reached the piece of wood Walter had placed for a pillow, he was fast
asleep. Alice was very nearly as sleepy as poor Nub; and the mate
saying he would steer, Walter sat down on the deck, and taking her in
his arms, she also in less than a minute closed her eyes, feeling far
happier than she had done since she had left the burning ship. Having
perfect confidence in the mate, it seemed to her that they had now only
to sail on till they reached the shore. Happily, she little thought of
the dangers before them, or knew that the scanty stock of provisions
they possessed would not last long, and that before many days were over
famine must overtake them.
The wind remained light but variable, and now coming from the southward,
they could only steer a north-westerly course. The mate feared that it
might shift to the west; if so, they would have to lower the sail and
trust to their oars. Their progress in that case would be very slow, as
neither Walter nor Nub had much strength for rowing. As before, he
himself intended to steer during the night; so, on the approach of
evening, telling Walter to take the helm, he lay down, making his arm
serve as a pillow for Alice. Before closing his eyes, he gave the usual
charge to Walter to call him should there be any alteration in the wind;
which, of course, Walter faithfully promised to do. Walter stood
bravely to his post till he found his head nodding, and the stars at
which he was gazing dancing before his eyes; and reluctantly he was on
the point of calling Mr Shobbrok, when the mate, lifting up his head,
told him to take charge of Alice, while he resumed his place at the
helm.
All night long the old sailor stood steering the raft, allowing his
young charges and Nub to sleep on.
"The black deserves his rest," he said to himself; "and it's much better
that those two dear young ones should forget their sorrow and troubles;
they will have enough of them, I am afraid, before long."
Again the sun rose--another day, which promised to be like the last.
The remainder of the flying-fish was eaten in the same manner as before.
Alice could not manage to get down the unsavoury compound, and
contented herself with some hard biscuits soaked in wine and water.
Though they were saved from the suffering which thirst would have caused
them, hunger stared them in the face. In vain they watched the shoals
of flying-fish in the distance; none came near them. They had no hooks
or lines, nor any means of replenishing their stock of provisions. The
mate did not allow the rest of the party to discover how anxious he
felt; indeed, he blamed himself for feeling anxious, and continually
kept saying, "God cares for us. He will take care of us, I am sure. He
won't let these young ones perish." Still the thought arose, "How is
that to be? It's more than I can tell, unless He sends a ship to pick
us up." No sail, however, appeared in sight. Hour after hour passed
away. The mate looked round and round the horizon, in the hope that one
would appear; but again the sun went down, and the raft floated slowly
on amid the darkness of night.
Except a little biscuit reserved for Alice and Walter, no substantial
food remained for the next day, though the oil, wine, and spirits might
assist to keep them alive for some time longer. The mate and Nub
steered on watch and watch during the night, as they agreed to let the
young people sleep as long as they could. The mate felt perfect
confidence while Nub, who was an excellent sailor, was at the helm, and
he was thus able to take more rest than heretofore. The latter part of
the night was darker than usual, for a thick mist rested on the calm
ocean. Morning was approaching, when Walter awoke, and springing to his
feet, offered to take the helm, that his companions might have more
rest.
"No, thank you, lad; Nub and I have had sleep enough, and we wish that
you and Miss Alice should have as much rest as possible," answered Mr
Shobbrok.
Alice, on hearing her name, started up, and inquired if anything had
happened. But before the mate could reply, Nub shouted out, "Land!
land!--land right ahead!"
All the party, naturally highly excited, looked out, endeavouring to
pierce the gloom; but either the mist had risen for a moment, enabling
Nub to see the land, or his eyes, still heavy with sleep, had deceived
him. A light breeze was still driving on the raft. They got out the
oars, and endeavoured to impel it faster. They had not gone far when
Nub again cried out, "There! there! There it is!"
"Is it an island, or is it the back of an enormous whale?" exclaimed
Walter. "I see a flag flying on the highest part, and people moving
about."
"Are you sure that those are people?" asked the mate. "I see a
flagstaff and flag clearly enough; but if those are human beings, the
flag must be a very large one, such as no whale-boat carries."
"Can papa be there?" exclaimed Alice, who was seated on a piece of
timber in the centre of the raft.
"Little doubt about dat," said Nub, turning round to her. "Cheer up,
Missie Alice; cheer up. We soon get dere. But whether it is land, as
Massa Walter says, or one bery big whale, is more dan I can tell. It
look to my eye like a whale; but I cannot see its head or its tail,--and
whales got both, unless dey are cut off." Nub, in fact, was greatly
puzzled at the appearance of the seeming island. He did not take into
consideration the deceptive effect produced by the light mist which
pervaded the air, making objects seen through it magnified and
distorted, as it floated imperceptibly by.
"I cannot quite make it out even now," observed the mate. "There's a
flag, there is no doubt about that; and there are creatures of some sort
moving about--but to my eyes they look more like birds than men. The
curious mist which hangs over the water plays strange tricks; and I have
over and over again been deceived, and so have many others; but I see
the flag as clearly as if it was not more than a cable's length from
us."
"It seems to me that the people are stooping down or carrying huge
bundles on their backs," observed Walter. "Perhaps they are digging or
building huts. I suspect, from their numbers, that the whole crew, whom
we supposed embarked on the big raft, are there. We are near enough for
them to hear our voices, though, as they are so busy, they have not as
yet made us out." On this Walter shouted and waved his hands.
"I thought so. There go your men, who were so busy digging and
building!" exclaimed the mate. As he spoke, a number of birds rose in
the air and flew shrieking away, soon being lost to sight in the clouds
of mist which hung over the ocean to the west; and revealing, scarcely a
quarter of a mile off, an enormous whale, or marine monster of some
sort, floating on the surface, with a small flagstaff and flag sticking
in its back.