"Now, lads," I said as we got near the vessel, "you must remember that
the best preservative against the fever is to keep up your spirits. You
must make up your minds that you have come on board to fight it, and you
don't mean to be beaten, and with God's help and protection I think that
we shall win the day. You were all cheery and confident when those
Malays were coming on to attack us; we must fight the fever in just the
same spirit."
A rope was thrown as we came alongside, and I mounted on to the deck;
just as I did so there came a cheer from _The Two Brothers_. It was a
strange sort of cheer, but we understood that while our messmates wanted
to say good-bye to us, their voices were too much choked to come out
clear and strong.
"Give them a cheer back, lads," I said; and though there were only six
men, the shout we gave was a deal louder and heartier than that of the
whole crew of _The Two Brothers_; the ladies waved their handkerchiefs.
Then we heard the skipper's voice across the water giving orders; the
yards swung round, and _The Two Brothers_ began to slip through the
water again on her course. Then I jumped down from the rail on to the
deck of the vessel. Four men were standing there. They looked ghastly
and shrunken, as if they had scarce strength enough to haul at a rope.
"Now, my lads," I said, "I have been sent on board to take the command
here. I have four hands with me, and two ladies and a clergyman have
been brave enough to come to nurse and help you. Where are the others?"
"The two who are down with the fever are in their bunks; the other man
is seeing after them."
"Are there any dead on board?"
"Yes; the captain and first mate are lying dead aft. One died
yesterday, the other two days ago. There are two or three forward. It
seemed no use to bury them."
The tone in which the man spoke showed how thoroughly he had lost heart.
"Well, my lads," I said, "now you have got to bestir yourselves. I
shall not let my men come on board till the ship's cleared of dead.
After that they will come and make things tidy and shipshape. Just
fetch up an old sail and some needles; get some shot out of the rack.
First of all I will give you each some quinine."
Two bottles were handed me up from the boat, and then I cast off the
rope.
"Drop behind a hundred yards or so," I said to the men, "and don't come
up until I hail you."
The thought that help was at hand cheered up the five sailors, and they
set about the work with a will. One of them happened to be the
sail-maker, and when the others brought up the bodies from the cabin he
sewed them up roughly in canvas, with a couple of shot at their feet.
As fast as they were done up we hove them overboard. In an hour it was
finished. Then I hailed the boat, and when it came up told the men to
come on deck.
"Mr. Williams," I said, "I shall let you tow behind for a bit until I
have got things pretty straight."
Then we set to work in earnest. I flashed off a lot of gunpowder in the
cabins and fo'castle, and then sluiced everything with vinegar and
water. We washed down the floors and decks and everything we could get
at. Then, when we had done everything we could to get the ship sweet,
we hauled the boat alongside, got our passengers up, hoisted up the
boat, squared our sails, and laid her head on her course.