In consequence of so many of the officers being on shore, the boatswain
had charge of a watch. He trod the deck with considerable dignity, and
a stranger coming on board would undoubtedly have taken him for the
captain.
I was in his watch, and as there was nothing to do, when it occurred at
night, except to see that the sentries were on the look-out, that the
anchors were not dragging, or the ship on fire, I always got him into
conversation; and one evening, Grey and Spellman having joined us, we
begged him to go on with the account of his adventures at the North
Pole, of which for a long time we had heard nothing.
"I would oblige you with all my heart, young gentlemen, if I could but
recollect where I left off," he answered, in a well-pleased tone. "Let
me see. Was I living on the top of an iceberg, or dancing reels with
polar bears, or--"
"No, Mr Johnson, you had just found your old shipmates, and were living
quietly with them in their winter quarters, waiting for a ship to take
you off."
"So I was--ah--well--" said the boatswain. "As I was telling you, when
I last broke off in my most veracious narrative, after we had talked on
for a week, our tongues began to get somewhat tired, and we then
remembered that it would be necessary to make preparations for our
departure from this somewhat inhospitable shore, for as to a vessel
touching there to take us off, that event was not likely to occur. I
found that my companions had commenced building a boat, but as they did
not understand carpentering as I did, it was fortunate for them that I
arrived in time to lend them a hand, or they would infallibly have gone
to the bottom as soon as they had ventured out on the foaming waves of
the Polar Sea. June was advancing, and the ice began to move
perceptibly at a distance from the shore; and as the icebergs knocked
and fell against each other, the crash was truly awful. I can only
liken it to what we might suppose produced by a set of monster ninepins
tumbled about by a party of gigantic Dutchmen. I must relate one more
event, which served to convince my companions of the perfect correctness
of my statements. One night, as I was retiring to rest, I heard
footsteps approaching our hut, and, looking out, I saw an immense white
bear, sniffing up the air as if he smelt something he fancied for
supper. Rousing my companions, who had already turned in, I seized my
gun, with the intention of knocking him on the head, when, as he turned
his face, I recognised an expression I had met before. On his nearer
approach I saw that he had but one eye, and I felt convinced that he was
the identical bear I had knocked over close to the Pole and left for
dead, with a steak out of his rump. He made towards me, grinding his
teeth and flashing his one eye terrifically, with thoughts of vengeance;
but I retreated backwards, and had just time to slam the door in his
face, jamming in one of his paws, before he could grasp me in his deadly
embrace. Thus he was caught in a trap, but his struggles to free
himself were so tremendous that I thought he would have carried away the
whole hut with him, but my friends coming to my aid, we made fast a
strong rope round the lower joint of his paw and secured it to a stout
piece of timber which formed part of the foundation of the structure.
We then opened the door a little, when he, of course, put in the other
paw, which we secured in the same way, and thus had him fast. At first
he was very furious and growled tremendously, but by giving him a piece
of roasted meat to suck at the end of a ramrod, we tamed him by degrees,
and he must have seen that we had no evil intentions towards him. By
slacking the ropes we were in a short time able to shut the door,
keeping him outside. We then went to sleep, and he only now and then
disturbed us by an angry growl as he felt the ropes cutting his wrists.
"By a judicious system of starvation, and by gently administering food,
we so tamed him that we were able to examine him for a further
verification of my suspicions. Had my companions before entertained any
doubts as to the truth of my story, all such vanished when they
discovered that, though the wound had perfectly closed where I had cut
out the steak, the cicatrice was there, and skin perfectly denuded of
hair. By our pursuing the system I have described for some time, Bruin
became so tame that he would follow us about like a dog, while he
exhibited his affection by every possible means. I shall never forget
the grief he exhibited when he saw us working away at our boat and
making preparations for our departure. Tears fell from his eyes and
trickled down his shaggy breast, his bosom heaved with sighs, and he
hung his paws as he stood before us, watching our proceedings in the
most sentimental manner.
"When at length all was ready to make sail, we had to secure him, as we
had before done, to the beam in our hut, lest he should scramble into
our boat and insist on accompanying us. We knew that with his usual
sagacity he could very easily release himself after we were gone. We
then hurried on board, shoved off, and stood out to sea. We soon found
that we had numberless dangers to encounter. Sometimes huge whales rose
up and nearly capsized us, and there was always a terrible risk of
running foul of icebergs. One day, indeed, there was a thick fog, and
we were standing on with a fair breeze, when the bow of the boat came
with such terrific impetus against one that she slid right up it for
thirty feet at least, and did not stop till she sank into a deep hollow
from which it seemed impossible to extricate her. There we were, like
three young birds in a nest, floating about at the mercy of the winds
and waves. My companions were in despair, but I cheered their spirits
by assuring them that all would come right at last, as I knew it would,
though, as it turned out, not in the way I expected.
"Leaving my companions to cut a channel in the ice to launch our boat, I
ascended to a higher part of the berg to look out for a sail, hoping
that some whaler might be in the neighbourhood. While there I heard a
cry of despair, and to my dismay I beheld our boat rapidly gliding down
the iceberg. She reached the water in safety, and with canvas set,
which it was, I own, lubberly to have allowed, she sailed off before the
wind, leaving us on our treacherous island.
"Fortunately my companions had taken the fish-hooks and other things out
of the boat to lighten her or we might have perished; but we managed
with the hooks to catch an abundance of fish to supply our wants. We
had to eat them raw, but that was nothing. Why, once upon a time, I
paid a visit to one of the South Sea Islands, where the king, queen, and
all the court devour live fish; and, what is more, they are taught when
brought up to table to jump down the throats of their majesties of their
own accord, so as to give them as little trouble as possible. It is one
of the strongest marks of devotion with which I ever met.
"When my companions saw the boat sailing away, they were in despair, and
I had great difficulty in preventing them from throwing themselves into
the sea, and in restoring their spirits. Certainly, an iceberg is not
the pleasantest spot for a location. At length, one day, I saw
something like a ship's longboat in the distance. It approached the
iceberg in the most mysterious manner. We watched it eagerly. It was
not a boat after all, but a log of timber, and--you need not believe me
if you'd rather not, but it's a fact--there was our pet bear Bruin
towing the timber at the rate of six knots an hour. I hurried down to
the bottom of the berg to receive him. Poor fellow! he was so tired
with his exertions that he could scarcely climb up out of the water, and
when, to exhibit his affection, he attempted to embrace us, he fell
forward on all fours, and very nearly rolled over into the sea again.
As we sat by his side, all he had strength to do was to lick our hands
and moan mournfully. Talk of the affection of a dog! I should think
that was as strong a mark of affection and sagacity as any dog could
give. Let others beat it if they can. Having loosed Bruin from the
ropes and secured the log of timber, which was the one, it must be
understood, to which we had secured him in the hut, and which he had
dragged out with main force, we set to work to catch him a dinner of
fish. This was the least we could do, and we were so fortunate in our
sport that we were able to give him an abundant meal. He enjoyed it
much, and quickly revived. To show his gratitude he soon began to play
off his usual extraordinary antics for our amusement, such as dancing a
jig, standing on his head, or rolling himself up into a ball. Suddenly
it struck me that he had brought the log of timber to enable us to
escape from our perilous situation. I consulted with my companions, and
they agreed with me that if we harnessed Bruin to the log, he would
undoubtedly tow us to a place of safety. We made signs to him, and he
evidently understood our purpose, for he allowed the ropes to be thrown
over his shoulders and secured to the log of timber, and when we had
placed our stores on it and taken our seats, he slipped gently into the
water, and, I holding the reins, off he bravely swam with his snout to
the southward. It was far from agreeable work, for our feet were wet,
and we were obliged to sit perfectly quiet; but still it was better than
remaining on the iceberg, and we contrived to pass our time tolerably
well with smoking, eating, and catching fish. The seas in those
latitudes abound in fish, so that we were able to feed poor Bruin
abundantly on them, or he would never have performed the hard work he
had got through.
"At last a sail hove in sight, towards which I guided Bruin. I believe
otherwise he would have carried us safely to some southern coast,
towards which he was steering. When the people in the vessel first saw
us they would not believe that we were human beings, though, after we
had hailed pretty lustily in English, they hove their craft to, and told
us to come on board.
"Accordingly, securing the timber astern, we three climbed up the side,
followed by Bruin, and were not a little amused by hearing the mate tell
the captain, who was ill in his cabin, that there were four men just
picked up. He had taken the bear for a human being--there was so little
difference in appearance between any of us. Ha, ha, ha! It was some
time, too, before the mistake was discovered. The mate was
disappointed, for they were short-handed, and he fancied Bruin would
prove a fine heavy-sterned fellow for pulling and hauling. So he did
when I taught him, and he would fist the end of a rope, and run the
topsails up the masts with as much ease as half a dozen of the crew
could together. The vessel was the Highland Lass, bound from Halifax to
Greenock, where we arrived in three weeks in perfect health and spirits.
One of my companions, James Hoxton, took care of honest Bruin, who, not
being accustomed to a civilised country, would have been rather adrift
by himself, and would scarcely have been treated as a distinguished
foreigner. Hoxton carried him about the country as a sight, and used to
give an account of our adventures, which very much astonished all the
people who heard them. Bruin liked the amusement, for he was fond of
travelling; but I was very sorry to part with him, for he had become the
most amiable and civilised of bears, though on our first introduction to
each other, I should not have supposed that such would ever have been
the case."
"Is that all, every bit of it, true, Mr Johnson?" asked Spellman, with
mouth agape.
"Did you ever see a polar bear, Mr Spellman?" demanded the boatswain in
an offended tone. "Yes," answered Spellman, "once, at a show."
"Then let me ask, young gentleman, why you should have any doubts as to
the truth of my narrative?" said Mr Johnson, drawing himself up and
casting an indignant glance at the midshipman.
"Let me tell you that a thousand things have occurred to me, a hundred
thousand times more wonderful than that, during every part of my life;
and some day, if you catch me in the humour for talking, perhaps I will
tell you about them. I've only time just now to tell you of another
somewhat strange adventure which befell me.
"Not finding a ship at Glasgow to suit my fancy, I went to Liverpool,
where I shipped on board a South Sea whaler, called the Diddleus. She
was a fine craft, measuring full six hundred tons. I won't tell you
just now some of the curious events which occurred before we reached the
South Seas. Our success was not very satisfactory. We met with various
accidents, and among others we lost our first mate, who was killed by a
blow from a white whale's tail in a flurry, and as the captain had the
discernment to perceive that there was not a man on board equal to me,
he appointed me to the vacant berth. I little thought how soon I should
get a step higher. The captain, poor fellow, was enormously fat, and as
he was one day looking into the copper to watch how the blubber was
boiling, his foot slipped on the greasy deck, and in he fell head
foremost. No one missed him at the moment, and he was stirred up and
turned into oil before any one knew what had happened. The accident
indeed was only discovered by our finding his buttons and the nails of
his shoes at the bottom of the copper. In consequence of this sad
catastrophe, I became master of the good ship Diddleus. Either through
my judgment, or good luck, it does not become me to say which, we very
soon began to fill our casks at a rapid rate.
"We had, of course, always our boats ready to go in chase of a fish at a
moment's notice. One day two of them were away, and had killed, dead to
windward of us, a large whale, towards which I was endeavouring to beat
up, when the look-out man from the crow's nest, a sharp-sighted fellow,
Jerry Wilkins by name, hailed the deck to say that there was land in
sight on our lee bow. I knew very well that there wasn't, and couldn't
be, but when I went aloft and looked out myself, I was dumbfoundered,
for there I saw a dark long island, with what I took for a number of
trees growing on it like weeping willows. Presently the island began to
grow larger and larger, and to extend all round the horizon to leeward.
I immediately ordered the lead to be hove, expecting to find that some
current or other had been sweeping us towards some unknown island not
down in the charts, but to the surprise of all of us there was no
bottom. I now cracked on all sail I could set, to beat out of the bay,
as it seemed to be, but the wind was so light that we made but little
way, and as I looked out I saw the line gradually encircling us more and
more, so that I must own I was altogether puzzled to know what it was.
"The whale and the boats were now about a mile off, when suddenly the
island seemed to rise close to them, forming a considerable elevation.
While we were watching what next would happen, the boats cast off their
tow lines, and pulled like mad towards us. They had good reason to pull
hard, I can assure you, for one end of what we took to be the island
rose right out of the water, full fifty feet at least, and quickly
approaching the whale, the mighty fish disappeared under it, and
immediately the elevation sank to its former level. Directly after
this, one of the crew said he saw a large fire at the end of the island,
but when I took my glass, I ascertained that it was nothing more nor
less than an immense eye. To give an idea of its size, I may state,
with due care not to exaggerate, that I saw fish, of the size of full
grown cod, swimming about in the lower lid. A short examination
convinced me that what I saw was the head of some mighty marine monster,
nothing more nor less than the great sea-serpent, and that the elevation
I had seen was his upper jaw. The crews of the boats confirmed the
opinion when they came on board, for they stated that when they were
close to what they believed was the end of a coral island, they saw it
open slowly, while formidable rows of teeth, every one of the size of a
heavy gun, and a tongue twice as large as a whale appeared. When they
saw this they thought it time to cut and run; nor could I blame them,
for had they not, they would have been swallowed with the whale.
"Some slight idea may be formed of the size of the monster from its
having swallowed a white sperm whale whole, with half a dozen harpoons
in her, and yet it did not even blink its eyes. I confess that I did
not like the position we were in, for, as I had no doubt that it must
possess a very considerable appetite, I thought it just possible that it
might take it into its head to swallow us up also. To my great
satisfaction, however, the monster remained stationary--probably it
found the harpoons in the whale's back rather indigestible.
"I also considered that, without any vicious intention, should it take
it into its head to be frisky, it might do us considerable damage.
"After consulting with my mates, it was agreed that at all events we
should, if possible, avoid the jaws of the monster. We accordingly
steered for the point where we believed its tail was to be found, but
after standing on for an hour or more we appeared to be no nearer it
than we were when we were within a mile of its head. Not only was this
the case, but there could be little doubt that it was curling its tail
round so as completely to encircle us.
"You, I dare say, have all heard of the dreadful passage between Sicily
and the coast of Italy. On one side there are some frightful rocks,
over which the sea roars like thunder. They are called the rocks of
Scylla, and if a ship gets on them she is dashed to pieces in a quarter
less than no time. On the other side is the awful whirlpool of
Charybdis, which draws ships from miles towards it, and sucks them under
the water like straws; so I've heard say, but, as I've not seen it done,
I can't vouch for the truth of the story. If you keep on one side
you've a chance of being cast away on the rocks; if on the other, of
being sucked down by the whirlpool. We were now much in the same
condition. If we stood on too long on one tack, we ran a risk of
sailing down the serpent's mouth; if on the other, of getting an ugly
slap with his tail--supposing that he had got a tail anywhere in the
distance to slap us with.
"As I swept the horizon with my glass, his monstrous body appeared on
every side of us, except dead to windward, where there was a clear
opening, towards which point we were doing our best to beat up. Even
that small space appeared to be narrowing. I watched it with no little
anxiety--so did the mate, and so did Jerry Wilkins. Jerry was the first
to discover that the serpent had a tail.
"`I see it--I see it,' sang out Jerry. `For all the world like the
Falls of Niagara dancing a hornpipe.'
"It was a fact. There was no doubt of that; and what did the monster do
but finish by clapping his tail into his mouth, and then he lay just
like a big codfish on a fishmonger's stall. It was a fashion we
concluded he had when he wished to bask in the sun, but a very
inconvenient one to us just then.
"We were, indeed, in a pretty fix, for we could not tell how long he
might take to sleep; judging by his size, a year or so would have
sufficed merely for a morning's nap, and we might all be starved before
we could hope to get free. We were in a complete lake, do ye see, and
the Diddleus was like a child's toy floating in the middle of it. It
made us feel very small, I can assure you. I considered that the best
thing we could do, under the circumstances, would be to heave-to near
his head, so that, should he in his sleep let his tail slip from between
his teeth, we might have time to beat round his jaws.
"When, however, we got near his head, the crew were so frightened with
its terrific appearance, that I saw that there would be a regular
mutiny, or that in their terror they would all be jumping overboard, if
I did not bear up again pretty quickly.
"We had an old fellow on board, Joe Hobson by name, who was considered
an oracle by the crew, and he added to their fears by telling them that
he had often heard of these big sea-serpents before, and that, as they
usually slept a dozen years or so on a stretch, we should be certainly
starved before we could get out. I had, however, no fear about
starving, because I knew we could catch fish enough for our support, and
I had a plan by which I hoped, if he did sleep on, we might escape. To
occupy the time I ran down alongside the head and shoulders, and then
beat up again round by the tail end, and this survey, though we had a
strong breeze, occupied fully three days.
"I now resolved to put into execution my plan, which was simply to cut a
channel for the ship right through the serpent's back. I considered
that one deep enough to float the ship would be like a mere scratch on
the skin to him, and would not wake him. I took, however, a precaution
few would have thought of. The surgeon had a cask of laudanum, so,
lowering it into a boat, with a few brave fellows as volunteers, we
pulled right up to the serpent's mouth. I had a line fast to the bung.
Watching our opportunity, when the serpent lifted his jaws a little, we
let the cask float into his mouth. I then pulled the line--the bung
came out, and the laudanum, of course, ran down his throat.
"Now, I do not mean to say that under ordinary circumstances that
quantity could have had any effect on so large a beast, for there was
only a hogshead of it; but the doctor observed he placed some hopes of
the opiate working from the creature being totally unaccustomed to such
a dose.
"I had reason to think that it took immediate effect, for before an hour
had elapsed, he snored so loudly that we could scarcely hear ourselves
speak, though we were fully a mile distant from his head. I now made
sail for the middle of his body, where I judged that there would be more
fat and less sense of feeling. It took us a day to reach the spot; then
heaving the ship to, we lowered the boats to land on the serpent's back.
It was, I assure you, nervous work at first, and we had no little
difficulty in climbing up his sides, which were uncommonly slippery; but
we succeeded at last, and forthwith set to work with knives and saws to
cut into his back. At first we made but little progress, in consequence
of the barnacles, which covered his skin to the depth of some feet, but
when we got fairly through the skin we found to our great joy that there
was as good blubber as we had ever cut out of a fat whale. We,
therefore, made up our fires, and as we cut out the flesh we sent it on
board to be boiled. So hard did we work, that in ten days we had cut a
channel deep enough to admit the ship, and had besides got a full cargo
of the finest oil that had ever been seen.
"We accordingly hoisted in the boats, made all sail, and ran smack on to
the very centre of the serpent's back. We had, however, not got quite
over when, our keel tickling him, I suppose, he awoke partially, and
letting his tail slip out of his mouth, off he went in a northerly
direction, at the rate of forty knots an hour, with the good ship
Diddleus on his back.
"We quickly clewed up the sails, or our masts would to a certainty have
gone over the side. On we went in this way for three days, when the
opium again making him drowsy, he put his tail into his mouth, as a
little child does its thumb, and once more went off to sleep. The
movement caused the ship to glide off into the sea outside the circle,
and there being a strong southerly wind, you may be sure we lost no time
in making all sail to get clear of so awkward a customer. The people
set up a shout of joy when they saw him like a large island floating
astern of the ship. I ordered them to be silent lest they should wake
him up, and told them not to be too sure that we were yet altogether
clear of him. As it turned out, I was right.
"For two days we sailed on without anything unusual happening, and the
crew had begun to recover their usual spirits, when, just as it had gone
two bells in the middle watch, the first mate called me up, in great
alarm, to say that there were two glaring lights right astern of us,
coming up fast with the ship. A strong hot wind, and an almost
overpowering smell of sulphur, convinced me of the dreadful truth:--we
were pursued by the big sea-serpent. I saw that there was nothing to be
done but to run for it, so we made all sail, studden sails alow and
aloft, and as the Diddleus was a good one to go, away we bowled with the
monster in hot chase after us. And now, young gentlemen, as my watch is
up, and Mr Fitzgerald will be on deck presently to relieve me, I must
bring my tale of the big sea-serpent to an end for the present. What
happened next I'll tell you another night: I think you'll agree that
there are not many men afloat who have seen stranger sights than I have;
and yet I don't say, mind you, that the one I have just told you about,
is the strangest by very far--ha! ha! ha! I should think not."
When the watch was relieved, we all turned in, and, though I went to
sleep quickly enough, I must own that I was all night long dreaming that
I was on board the Diddleus, chased by the big sea-serpent. The next
day I got leave to go on shore to pay my respects to the governor's
family. I had never been made so much of as I was by those Dutch
ladies, even during my last visit home, and Miss Essa and I became more
and more intimate. I thought her, indeed, the most charming young lady
I had ever seen, and I do not know how affairs would have ended, had I
not had cause to suspect that, though she treated me with very sisterly
regard, she still looked upon me only as a young midshipman, and a mere
boy. At first I was very indignant, and thought her very ungrateful;
but when I told my griefs to Grey he laughed, and assured me that when I
went home I should consider my own sisters very far superior. I must
own he was right.
We held the whole island of Curacoa in subjection for six months without
any reinforcements, and at length were relieved by the arrival of troops
from Jamaica. We sailed shortly after for that island. Having refitted
at Port Royal, we were once more at sea on the look-out for enemies.
I had read and heard of so many gallant things being done, that I became
very anxious also to do something to distinguish myself. I talked the
matter over with Grey. He had the same feeling, and we agreed that we
would seize the first opportunity of doing something, though what we
would do would depend upon circumstances. Week after week passed away,
and the opportunity we looked for did not occur. At last, one day, when
close in with one of the numerous small islands of those seas, Mr Bryan
called me up, and ordered me to take command of the second cutter, with
six seamen and a couple of marines, and to go on shore to collect sand
for the use of the ship. I asked if Grey might accompany me.
"To keep each other out of mischief, I suppose," he observed. "Yes, he
may go, but, remember there's an order against taking arms with you. It
is feared that you youngsters will be running your heads into danger if
you have the means of fighting."
There was nothing very romantic or interesting in prospect for us, but
still it was something to get away from the ship, and to feel that, in a
certain sense, we were to be our own masters for a few hours. Billy
Wise, the captain's steward, was also sent in the boat. I have not
mentioned Billy for some time. He had not, however, improved in sense
since he came to sea this time, but was continually committing some
extraordinary blunder or other. Toby Bluff also accompanied us. The
boat was manned and ready to shove off, but Grey had not appeared, so I
ran up the side to call him, leaving Billy in charge. I was not gone a
minute, for Grey, who was waiting for a basket to collect shells, at
once joined me. The wind was light, and while the frigate, under easy
sail, stood off shore, we pulled towards it.
We had not got far from the ship, when a piece of sail-cloth being
kicked aside, I saw under it several ship's muskets. I counted five of
them. I found also that there was a supply of ammunition and half a
dozen cutlasses. How they came there was a mystery. No one knew, at
least no one would tell. Billy Wise said that all sorts of things had
been handed into the boat, and that the men had told him that they were
spades to dig sand. Grey and I agreed that, though we could not have
ventured to disobey orders and take arms, since the muskets were there,
if we should meet with an enemy, it would of course be our duty to use
them. The chances, however, of our falling in with one seemed very
remote.
The heat was considerable, but not quite so hot as Mr Johnson had
declared we should find it. We had a long pull, however, and as the men
were somewhat exhausted, I allowed them to take some rest and
refreshment before they began to load the boat. Of course it was not
the sand close down to the sea which was required, but that which, being
constantly exposed to the effects of the sun and wind, had become fine
and white. The operation of carrying it to the boat therefore took some
time. Grey and I had brought some cold beef and biscuit and rum and
water, and so we sat ourselves down in the shade of a clump of palm
trees to discuss our provisions, and to try and get cool. Some of the
men then asked leave to bathe, and I told them that they might do so,
warning them to beware of sharks and not to get out of their depth.
They had been frolicking about for some time, while Billy Wise was
sitting down at some little distance off, watching them. Suddenly the
thought seized him that he too would have a bathe, but he fancied some
rocks further away which might serve as a dressing-room. The other men
now began to go on with the duty we had come on. Toby Bluff, meantime,
was strolling along the shore looking for shells for Grey and me.
Suddenly we heard him shouting--
"Help--help! There's Billy Wise drowning. Some beast has got hold of
him!"
We rushed towards the spot where poor Billy had last been seen. There
was a considerable commotion in the water. Now a leg, now an arm
appeared. We ran on. Two of the men who had accompanied us dashed into
the sea, as we also did, and we all made our way up to the spot just as
poor Billy had disappeared under the water. We could see his limbs,
however, and, seizing hold of him, we all dragged away and brought him
to the surface. The cause of his disappearance was explained. Round
his right leg and arm, and indeed his neck, were entwined the long
tentaculae or arms of what I fancy was a huge squid. To clear him of
the horrible mass seemed impossible. Indeed it appeared as if the poor
fellow was already dead. We shouted for the rest of the men, and with
their assistance we dragged Billy and the creature into shallow water.
The monster would not let go, and we all set to work with our knives to
cut it away arm by arm, and feeler by feeler. Till this was done, there
was evidently no chance of our being able to restore animation. As it
was, there seemed to be very little prospect of reviving the poor
fellow. At length, however, we got him clear of the horrible mass,
which dropped into the sea, and none of us were inclined to stop and
examine it. I never have been quite certain what it really was. The
sand was hot enough to hatch a turtle's egg, so we laid Billy down on it
and set to work to rub him all over his body. After a time an eyelid
moved, and then his limbs began to twitch, and that encouraged us to rub
harder and harder, till at length, to my infinite relief, he breathed,
and, getting rid of some of the salt water he had swallowed, he sat up
and stared round him, exclaiming, "Hallo, mates, have you caught the big
fish? I thought as how I'd a grip of him myself." Billy never heard
the end of his big fish. When he attempted to put on his clothes, he
complained that he was stung all over, and so the men carried him just
as he was to the boat. They had, however, no little difficulty in
keeping him there, for when his hitherto impeded circulation was
completely restored, the stinging sensation increased, and made him feel
that only a plunge in the sea would cure him. This event had delayed us
considerably. We ought to have taken our departure from the island even
before Billy had begun to bathe, and so, when I looked at my watch, I
found that we were two hours at least behind our time. At last we
shoved off, but where the frigate was we could not tell. Grey thought
that she must have drifted round to the other side of the island. We
had been directed to keep a look-out for her, but had neglected to do
so. Then it became a question to which side she had drifted. To
ascertain, we lay on our oars, and found a current running to the east,
and so decided that she must have gone in that direction. We now pulled
merrily along, sure of soon falling in with her. Billy Wise was the
only unhappy one of the party. He could not tell what was going to
happen to him, till the men told him he must have fallen into a hedge of
sea-nettles, and that he would soon get well again. This comforted him
considerably, and so he consented to put on his clothes and sit quiet.
It was now growing dusk, when, as we rounded a point, Grey exclaimed
that he saw a sail ahead. I jumped upon the seat, and made out that she
was a schooner standing off the land.
"She hasn't much wind," Grey remarked.
"We might overhaul her," said I.
"We ought to do so," remarked Grey; "she may be an enemy."
"We've got arms, sir," said one of the men.
"And ammunition," added another.
"Many a rich prize has been taken by a boat's crew," observed the
coxswain, the oldest man in the boat.
"Well, Grey, suppose we just pull up to her and ascertain what she is,"
said I.
"With all my heart," he answered; "it's a pity, now we have got the
muskets and ammunition, if we have the chance, that we should not make
use of them."
I fully agreed with him. My only fear was that the schooner might after
all not prove an enemy. The wind was dropping gradually--there was
little doubt that we should get up to her.
"I suppose that the captain won't mind much if she is an enemy and we
attack her," continued Grey. "He'll suspect, though, that we disobeyed
orders, and had arms in the boat."
"Not if we take her," I answered. "He'll not ask questions. If we fail
we shall get into a terrible row--we may count on that; but we must take
her, and it will stick a feather in our caps, and put some dollars in
our pockets too."
We were pulling steadily on all this time. We got the muskets up, and
ascertained that they were dry, and, loading them, placed them on the
thwarts ready for use. The schooner held her course. There was just
wind enough to fill her sails and no more. I felt convinced that she
was French. I asked the coxswain, Ned Dawlish, his opinion. He agreed
with me, and thought that she was a privateer.
"If so, she must be armed," said I. "We will keep in her wake, and as
in a short time she will not have steerage way, she will be unable to
bring her guns to bear on us."
The men were all highly delighted with our proposal. They must have
anticipated some such chance when they smuggled the arms into the boat.
Ned Dawlish took another look at the chase. "She's a French craft, and
a privateer, I'll bet any money," he exclaimed, sitting down again to
his oar.
The crew now gave way with a will. The sooner we were up to her the
better, because, of course, we knew that we must by this time be seen,
and our intentions suspected.
"She carries three or, maybe, four guns on a side," observed Ned,
looking over his shoulder. "But that's no odds, they can't reach us."
His eagerness and courage animated the rest of the crew. How many men
the chase carried we could not tell; indeed, we did not consider. Not
one of us entertained a doubt that we should take her. Our proposed
plan of proceeding was very simple. We were to pull up alongside, jump
on board, and, cutlass in hand, drive the enemy down the hatches, or
into the sea if they would not yield.
There was still some light left, and, as we drew near, it appeared to me
that the decks were somewhat crowded. I asked Grey what he thought. He
agreed with me. Still it was too late to retreat. We had not got much
farther when bright flashes of flame burst from the stern, and, what we
little expected, a shower of bullets rattled about us.
"Give way, lads, give way!" shouted Ned Dawlish. "We'll lick the Johnny
Crapeaus in spite of that."
The boat dashed on. We hoped to get alongside before another volley was
fired. In vain. Again a leaden shower rattled round our heads. Once
more Ned Dawlish shouted loudly. There was a deep groan, and he fell,
with his face bent down, to the bottom of the boat. Grey seized his
oar, and took his place. He had been shot in the back. Speed was
everything to us now. There must be a considerable number of small-arm
men on board, I saw; but even then it never occurred to me that we ought
to turn tail.
On we went. Still the enemy kept up a fire at us. Toby Bluff gave a
sharp cry. A bullet had hit him, but he answered me when I spoke, and
kept his seat. We had the muskets ready. I let go the tiller and
seized one. Grey and Billy Wise and two other men did the same, and let
fly among the enemy.
In another instant we were under the schooner's quarter. The bowman
hooked on. Without asking leave, up we scrambled, and, cutlass in hand,
in spite of boarding-pikes thrust at us, and pistols flashed in our
faces, began to play heartily about us among the very much astonished
Frenchmen.