A DOUBLE DELIVERANCE
Hour after hour wore on, while many of the men, in spite of their
fears, slept soundly. Rube, indeed, seemed unable to realise that
there was any danger at all. Having joined in the general prayer for
deliverance he appeared to regard the matter as quite settled, and
as not requiring any more care on his or anyone else’s part except
the Father’s. Most of the men, over-borne with weariness both of
body and brain, slept fitfully in many uncouth attitudes, some half
reclining upon banks of grease-exuding blubber gently heaving with
the motion of the ship, others twisted into comfortable corners,
apparently impervious to cold, or wet, or fear. But the Captain, more
at peace with his surroundings than he could understand, and dimly,
subconsciously wondering why, sat on the little deck aft listening to
the angry roar of the baffled sea far outside the engirdling groves
of kelp. The sullen boom of the rollers against that unseen mass to
leeward, the hissing, swishing sound of the great leaves restlessly
sliding over each other and against the ship, and the ever-deepening
roar of the gale overhead made up a concert truly terrifying in its
effect upon the heart. And yet Captain Hampden felt little terror.
Knowing his utter helplessness, he was driven to as utter a dependence
upon a kindly Power which he knew was not merely capable of saving his
ship and all hands, but was always benevolently disposed towards man,
and never more so than in his hour of deepest distress.
So he sat calmly and wished for the day. Several times he made the
beginning of a move, feeling that action of some kind, even though only
in the direction of clearing the decks, would be better for all than
quietly enduring this season of suspense. But each time he realised
how hopeless such an attempt would be in the present condition of the
deck and the state of all hands. Therefore, he waited with wonderful
patience until the cook’s head appeared at his side above the break
of the house, and a deferential voice said, ‘Wun’t yo hab drop ob
hot coffee, sah? I got it yah, all ready, sah.’ ‘Yes, cook, think I
will. Jest wut I ben needin’ fur a long time ’n’ didn’t know it.’ And
as he took the cup from the delighted black man he thought how good
a thing was service done whole-heartedly, and how well and willingly
it was rendered by such men as these. A smile may rise at the thought
of any shipmaster considering his cook like this, but it would be the
smile of ignorance. For if a cup of cold water given in the Master’s
name shall in no wise lose its reward, there is little doubt that a
cup of coffee on a bitter night, prepared with much difficulty, by a
man who, although only doing his duty, is doing that duty with all
his might, will in like manner gain him a reward. I remember when I
was lamp-trimmer on board the _Wentworth_, running between Sydney and
Melbourne, I used to be called at daybreak to duty. After taking in
the lamps, my first thought was to make a cup of coffee--it being some
time before the cooks were at work. And it was my practice, though
in no sense my duty, to take a cup and a piece of toast up to Mr.
Wallace, the chief officer, on the bridge, whom I used to picture as
burdened with the care of the ship up there in the bleak night. He was
a brusque, almost coarse, sailor, but I know he was grateful. A word
of thanks from him set my heart dancing (I was barely fifteen years
of age), but my chief reward was in the knowledge of having done a
kindness. And this is the spirit that moves the world to-day. Everyone
should take courage, whatever their creed, in the thought that the
Christ ideal, which is unselfishness raised to its highest power, is
becoming universal, and that the many exceptions have no contradictory
force at all.
By the time Captain Hampden had finished his coffee he found that there
was a perceptible lightening of the gloom around, although the wind had
increased so much that it was evident, unless something was speedily
done to ease the strain upon them, the masts would certainly go. So,
rising stiffly to his feet, the skipper sought the mate, finding him
ready, standing near the compass, and apparently endeavouring to get a
bearing of the land, which was becoming more visible, and, if possible,
more horribly threatening in appearance as it did so. ‘Good morning,
sir,’ said Mr. Pease, as soon as he saw the skipper; ‘pipin’ up, ain’t
she, sir?’ ‘Yaas; guess she is, an’ ef we want to carry any of our
sticks eout o’ this, we’ll hev t’ git thet canvas off her as quick ’s
it kin be did. I don’t think it matters much, anyway, whether she hez
canvas on her or not--she can’t make much, if any, headway through this
weed, an’ it looks ’s if th’ Lord wunt let her go ashore. Go ahead,
Mr. Pease, git th’ rags off her, ’n’ by thet time, please God, it’ll be
daylight good.’
So the mate obediently roared out his message to the crew, who
responded with a phenomenal cheerfulness, clambering over those
slimy, greasy masses on deck as if they cared nothing at all for the
difficulty of their passage. In half an hour they had shortened her
down to the three close-reefed topsails, and besides had cleared up the
gear so that no ropes should be in the way of the whale-matter lying
about. And having done this they stood by, waiting, oh, so anxiously,
the whole of that ship’s company; with just one exception--Rube. He it
was who wore always a beaming smile, and sidled up to first one and
then the other with some cheering word. Just as a doctor who is always
hoping for the best, while taking precaution against the worst, is the
most likely to pull his patient through, so this Divine teaching of
cheerfulness in the presence of dangerous and depressing circumstances
does really seem to win the battle before it is fought. In any case, if
the warrior does fall he falls with his face to the foe, and with the
high satisfaction thrilling his soul that he has behaved in that last
dread hour as became a _man_.
To this little waiting crowd came suddenly the blessing of light.
As if some mighty angel’s hand had grasped the swart veil of cloud
closing them darkly in, and had rent it in sunder from horizon to
zenith, the whole western quadrant of the sky was suddenly lighted up
by the brilliant beams of the newly risen sun. So splendid was this
enlightening that for a few moments all hands stood awe-stricken,
watching the rapidly glancing sabres of glorious flashing colour
thrusting the encompassing gloom through and through. Then as if by
one impulse all turned to leeward to see how near was the fateful
rock. As if it had just leapt out of the gloom, Gough Island was
revealed, within a mile (which looks at sea less than a hundred yards
does ashore), and every heart for a moment stood still. But after that
tribute to human weakness hope instantly reasserted her lovely self.
Had they not been kept from perishing all through the blackness of that
terrible night? Was it not certain that they were now no nearer the
land than when they last saw it clearly, in spite of the stress of the
gale upon the ship’s broadside? Undoubtedly it was; and more--some of
them began to take mental bearings and compare them with the position
they could remember the previous evening, finding that at any rate if
they were not gaining ground they were certainly not losing.
Suddenly the Captain shouted to the mate, ‘Mr. Pease, turn the hands
to on the tryin’ out. We kain’t do nothin’ with the ship as she is,
an’ we mout so well ’muse ourselves doin’ somethin’ useful.’ This
pronouncement was hailed with the utmost delight by all hands, and like
a swarm of ants they were soon busy cutting, slicing, mincing, boiling,
and getting out the bone--so busy, indeed, as well as interested
in their work, that they scarcely ever paused to look at the great
precipices to leeward of them.
Meanwhile, the Captain had very carefully taken his cross bearings, and
had no sooner completed the simple operation than he felt certain that
his vessel was drifting south in almost imperceptible fashion. Hope
revived, and he joined his workers with a heart greatly lightened.
There by his tremendous exertions and cheery voice he encouraged all
hands to attend to present duties, and thus exclude forebodings for the
future. And two hours later when he again took his bearings his hopeful
supposition became a definite certainty: she had drifted through that
hindering kelp, in apparent defiance of the fateful pressure of the
gale striving to thrust her on shore, quite two miles nearer safety.
Now he felt impelled to shout the glad news to his splendid men who had
so nobly responded to the call made upon them. So raising his voice to
its fullest compass he roared: ‘She’s gettin’ eout ov it, boys. Praise
God we’ll be all right yet. There isn’t any shipwreck coming off this
time. She’s gettin’ raound th’ corner ov th’ island in great shape. So
peg away, men--while yew’re workin’ she’s a-dreeftin’, an’ as soon ’s
ever she gits clear we’ll give her every rag she’ll drag, an’ git away
fr’m this uncomf’ble neighbourhood.’
A wild cheer answered him, and all hands immediately redoubled their
efforts to clear that grease-encumbered deck. Perhaps the gentle reader
may feel a little nausea at the idea of a whole crew of men wallowing
about in a deck full of dripping--for really it is no exaggeration
to call it by that homely name--but I dare make no apology for being
as literal and realistic as possible in this matter, since by such
methods alone is it possible to make the land-living reader understand
what manner of men these were who wrested such gigantic spoil from
the depths of the mighty ocean, and under what circumstances they
lived. Here you have men involved in toil of the most strenuous kind
under conditions which to the majority of mankind would preclude any
action whatever except for self-preservation. And in addition thereto
destruction to all waits grimly by the vessel’s side, unveiling all its
possibilities of horror and inviting man’s heart to quail, his muscles
to grow flaccid, his mind to become unhinged. And in spite of all you
find this lonely group of seafarers steadfastly setting their strength
to the accomplishment of their unpoetic task in the highest frame of
heroism, which is to do what lies before you with a single eye, not
looking for the commendation of your fellow men, but because of the
inherent joy involved in just doing one’s duty.
So hour by hour slipped by, the mincing-machine clattered incessantly,
the flame from the twin chimneys of the try-works soared palely into
the keen air, and was swept off at right angles to leeward by the wind
as if it were some angelic sword stabbing at the grim mass to eastward
of them. And the effect of their labours was manifest in that a clear
gangway along the deck was now made right fore and aft. Into the midst
of the toil came the clear, cheerful voice of the skipper calling,
‘Dinner, men, an’ befo’ y’ go remember she’s gittin’ cl’ar’s fast ’s
ever th’ weed’ll allow her. She’s made quite four miles of southin’
sence eight bells--thet’s a mile an hour. An’ ef she keeps thet goin’
through the afternoon as she has this forenoon we’ll be cl’ar o’ th’
whole thing by sundown.’ ‘Hooray! bully fer th’ skipper,’ shouted the
crew, and seizing such rags, wads of oakum, and the like, as they
could get hold of they sauntered forward, wiping down as they went.
They were saturated from head to heel with oil, they looked like a
gang of piratical scarecrows, but I make bold to say that they were as
heroic a crowd as ever came out of the most hardly contested battle.
And on reaching the dim chamber, reeking with a foul combination of
evil smells, they squatted around on the greasy deck and received each
man in his little tin dish a portion of salt pork, a few spoonfuls of
haricot beans, and a little loaf. Everyone doffed his cap, everyone
felt thankful for this portion of coarsest food, and Reuben only
focussed the general sense of the company when he said, holding one
hand out before him, ‘Lovin’ God, we’re alive t’ eat, an’ work, an’
thank Thee. We do, an’ ask You t’ make us thankful men, keep us good
men, not ashamed of one another or of Thee. For Christ’s sake. Amen.’
The ‘Amen’ was so heartily echoed that Rube looked around startled. He
could hardly believe his ears. With all his beautiful, childlike faith
in God, he had, like most of us, but little faith in man, and when he
found how mightily God was working in the crowd around him he was, as
most of us would be, moved to profoundest wonder. Like most of us, he
had not believed ’according to your faith be it unto you,’ or that when
man’s faith fails, God, who cannot be disheartened, steps in and does
in His own way His own work at His own appointed time.
Little was said during the meal--all were too ravenous with hunger
for that; but when the last scrap of food had been eaten up, and the
utensils cleared away by the cook of the mess, pipes were stuffed with
greasy tobacco and lighted, and although each pipe emitted a peculiar
frizzling sound as of frying, and the odour of the oily weed would
certainly have driven an ordinary smoker frantic, each man’s face wore
a perfectly satisfied expression, and a desultory conversation began.
‘Don thatt wass a narr’ squeak, hey,’ muttered a square-built little
Italian, who lay coiled up by the pawl-bitt. ‘I thinkin’ I promesso
giva candela thosa sainta, onlee I carn faget thees name thata time.’
‘Mean yew cuddent ’member, I ’spose,’ grumbled a Down Easter by his
side. ‘Si, grazie,’ eagerly responded the Italian. ‘Don’t can memb’.
Nev’ mine. Savea one dolla. ’Sides, how I know ef thatt Sancta goin’
elpa me bord una barca eretico lika thees?’ ‘Look here,’ Antone,’ said
a deep voice out of the gloom across the fo’c’sle, ‘You better pay fur
thet candle, annyhow. Give it as a thank-offrin’ ’at yew wuz aboard a
heretic ship. I guess ’fore th’ machinery of your crowd c’d a-got in
working order we sh’d all a-ben gone up. Wut d’ ye say, boys?’ A hoarse
murmur of approval ran round, while poor Antone grew hot as if feeling
that it was incumbent upon him to defend his faith. But suddenly
realising that as he had never understood what his faith was except
doing just what he was told (when it was easy) by the priest, he fell
back upon common-sense, and replied, ‘Well, ’corse I don’ know anyt’ing
about ’cept I’m eatina dinner, smokina pipe. Ef I say Dio Grazie thatt
goin’ be alia righta, no Rube, eh, whatt?’ The deep, cheerful voice of
Reuben immediately chimed in, ‘Of course, Antone, if you reelly are
thankful to God. But if He’s spared your life, you ought to remember it
an’ see if you can’t do somethin’ with it for Him. An’ when you come
to think of it--it ain’t much to ask--that you shall be clean in mind,
an’ tongue, that you shall be kind and helpful, an’ true, an’ that you
shall remember not now and then, but always, the gentle, loving Jesu
Christo, your every-day and all-day Friend.’ The impressionable little
Italian’s face was all awork as this little talk fell from Rube’s lips.
It went, in spite of his disability in language, right home to his hot
southern heart, and the bright drops of sensibility’s precious dew
glistened on his russet beard.
But Mr. Pease’s stentorian voice was heard shouting, ‘Turn-to!’ and on
the instant pipes were laid aside, belts were tightened, caps pressed
down upon tanned brows, and a rush upwards was made from those fœtid
quarters into the bright, invigorating air, which really seizes upon
a man newly emerged from the foulness below like a pleasant vertigo,
making him wonder whatever can be the matter with him. The first thing
each man did upon reaching the deck was to give a swift glance to
leeward. And as each did so a very real sense of gratitude flooded his
heart. For it no longer needed the skipper’s cheery assurance that
all was well to satisfy the most ignorant of them that they were now,
humanly speaking, out of danger. True, they were not yet past the
fringe of kelp, their vessel was as yet quite unmanageable, and the
gale blew with undiminished vigour. But still it was evident that the
steady stress of that invisible force beneath them would not allow them
to be driven any farther shoreward, and, quite satisfied, they turned
to their work with as much lack of concern for the safety of the ship
as if no land had been in sight.
Seeing that all was proceeding so cheerily, Captain Hampden called
the mate, and said, ‘Mr. Pease, I ain’t quite ’s young’s I wuz, ’n’
after last night I begin t’ feel the flesh pullin’ a bit. So if you’ll
jest give an eye t’ her, I’ll go ’n’ hev an hour’s caulk. Maybe I’ll
need it to-night, though I hope all will be in good shape ’fore
dark. ’N’ ’s soon ’s ever yer git th’ decks cl’ar o’ blubber, set
yer watches--blubber watches, o’ course. Le’s give this grand lot er
fellows all th’ rest we kin.’ ‘Aye, aye, sir,’ cheerily answered the
mate; ‘ef I hadn’t ’a felt it ’d be persoomin’ I’d ’a’ asked yew to
go ’n’ hev a spell long ago. We kain’t afford t’ hev yew crackin’ up,
y’ know, sir. An’ yew c’n be quite sure ’at everythin’ ’ll go like
clockwork. I don’t believe they’s a spouter afloat to-day ’s got such a
bully crowd ’s we hev, an’ I’m sure yew think the same, Cap’n.’ ‘I dew
jest thet,’ sleepily murmured the old man as he swung off towards the
companion and disappeared.
Thoroughly wearied as he was, and with a great weight lifted from his
mind, the good old man sank at once, as soon as he lay down, into a
deep sleep. But although it was in reality fully two hours since he
lay down, when he suddenly realised that he was wide awake he seemed
certain that he had but just dozed off. It is a curious sensation, but
fairly common among seamen, this of suddenly passing from the depths
of sleep to uttermost clearness of thought and readiness for action.
For a moment he waited, listening intently for some recurring sound,
explaining why he should thus have awakened, as he thought, so soon.
But except for the creaking of the old ship’s timbers and the deep
murmur of the gale there was no sound noticeable, and these lullabies
would certainly have kept him sleeping. However, the feeling that
something had happened which needed his attention forced itself upon
him, and rising stiffly from the hard cushions of the transom locker,
he snatched his cap and climbed on deck. One swift glance forward
showed him how strenuously his men had been toiling while he slept,
for the deck was clear to the try-works, and the latter were smoking
furiously, while the attendant gnomes came and went, tirelessly
carrying on their great task. He looked overside and saw that the weed
was perceptibly less in quantity; he looked at the land and--surely it
could not be--and yet--his hawk-like vision could not play him false.
He grabbed his glasses and focussed them on what he saw--a rag of
fluttering white among the sombre rocks, immediately satisfying himself
that someone needing help was there. Instantly all the powers of his
mind were busy devising means for the assistance of any unfortunate
stranded in so wild a spot. Again and again he surveyed that tiny
flutter of white; again and again he took an undecided step forward as
if to give an order, until at last he said aloud, ‘Wall, God he’pin’
us, we ort to do something, though how is more than I can see. All
hands on deck!’ he roared, and in two minutes the mate was by his side,
his big eyes staring full of inquiry at his commander. ‘Wut is it,
sir?’ he gasped. ‘It’s a wrecked crew, I reckon, Mr. Pease. D’ ye see
yonder flicker of white in that cleft between those two big rocks--no,
a bit to starboard, so?’ ‘Yes, sir, I see it,’ said the mate; ‘d’ ye
make it out to be a signal, sir?’ ‘I do, jest that, Pease, an’--but
here kems the boys. Naow, then, m’lads, thar’s life to be saved. Lower
away starboard quarter-boat, ’n’ yew, Mr. Peck (it’s yewr boat anyhow)
make the best way yew kin to whar yew see yon white flicker among th’
rocks. Yew’ll hev to warp yewr way along through the kelp as best yew
can, and when yew git cluss to it, be keerful--be jest as keerful as
yew know how; fur we kain’t spare either yew er yewr boat’s crew.
Thar’ll be an all-fired heavy swell on the beach (if they is any beach)
fur all it looks so smooth frum here. Thish yer kelp stops the sea
rollin’ in, but it kain’t stop th’ swell, y’ know. Now, give way, and
God go with yew t’ save.’
At the word the boat left the ship, the crew plying their oars with
great difficulty, because of the encumbering weed. So they soon shipped
oars, and took their paddles--every whaleboat having five of these
primitive but exceedingly useful propellers stowed in their beckets
under the thwarts--and with much laborious effort urged their boat
shoreward. As they neared the black, forbidding cliffs the officer’s
heart sank, for he saw how apparently inaccessible they were, and
how the gigantic southern swell, with never a foamy break, rose and
fell against those awful precipices. The long streamers of kelp like
multitudinous serpents writhed around the bared rock bases, then
disappeared as the whole mighty body of water lifted, lifted, lifted
until it seemed as if it must submerge the mountain tops. And still
that tiny white rag fluttered forth its agonising message: ‘Come and
save us.’
Be it noted that while Mr. Peck was fully alive to the tremendous
danger awaiting him and his brave fellows, the possibility of his not
being able to fulfil his errand of mercy never occurred to him. He
was one of those wonderful fellows who never calculate beforehand the
chances of defeat. And these are the men who do great deeds, although
it be accounted criminal in war to neglect the keeping open of a line
of retreat. So by every encouraging word he could speak he urged the
toiling crew to greater effort, until the kelp became so thick that
paddling was no longer possible, and they had perforce to haul the
boat along by grasping the long strands of black vegetation that rose
and fell rhythmically around them. Nearer and nearer they drew, near
enough to distinguish a forlorn little company of people clambering
precariously over the rocks and making (as yet) unintelligible signs to
them. Nearer and nearer yet, until it became evident that the refugees
were waving them towards a gigantic escarpment which rose fully five
hundred feet almost perpendicularly from the sea, and at one angle
seemed to present an edge just like a jagged sabre. They altered their
course in obedience to these frantic signallings, and presently found
themselves fighting for life against the heave and hurl of the swell,
which suddenly seemed to have found force that was lacking before
when they were farther from the land. The ropes of kelp slithered
through their bleeding hands, great fronds arose mysteriously from
the blackness and swept across the boat, scourging them as with giant
whips; they cowered and groaned, and begged for mercy in undertones,
but toiled on. And then, when all their efforts appeared to have
failed because the poor human machines could no longer respond to the
merciless call made upon them, came a blessed lull, the boat swept
round the sabre-edge of the cliff, and there, free from kelp, was a
tiny crevasse with deep blue water just gently rising and falling,
and a ledge of clean rock running all round it. Upon this ledge was
clustered a strange company, savage and weird-looking, long elf-locks
bleached by wind and storm, garments of every imaginable material and
shape. Ten of this company were crouching at the edge nearest the boat
with uplifted hands and streaming eyes.
But when the boat came near enough for them to leap in there was a
pause. Even in here the outer swell made itself felt, and without
careful handling a calamity was imminent at the last moment. Therefore
Mr. Peck shouted to the little group to watch when the swell came
gently, as it did after every three rolls, when he would let the
boat almost graze the rocks, and four, no more, at a time, must jump
into the middle of the boat. Then it was seen that the refugees were
encouraging three smaller figures, patting them, pointing to the boat,
making signs as they talked, until one voice rang out sharply from
the shore: ‘Dear boys, these three are women--do try and catch them,
they’ve suffered so much.’ Ah! had any stimulus been wanted this would
have supplied it, for it is the glory of the Anglo-Saxon race, and
especially of the American branch of the old tree--its reverence for
woman, whether mother, wife, or sister. The boat rose gently shoreward,
the officer shouted, ‘Now,’ and three shrinking figures half jumped,
half fell, into the outstretched arms of the boatmen. ‘Safe, thank
God!’ shouted the former speaker from the shore. The rest was easy. The
remaining seven took careful bearings and leaped at the right moments
until the whole ten were snugly bestowed, and it was time to turn the
boat’s head seaward again.
But now she was overloaded. If it had been a heavy task coming in with
her light before the swell, what would it now be going out deeply
laden--not six inches of freeboard amidships--against that awful surge?
For one moment Peck’s heart failed him as he weighed the possibilities.
Then--and this was a miraculous thing, seeing that never before had
he entertained such an idea--he lifted his cap and said, or rather
shouted, for the roar of the swell was almost deafening: ‘Boys, le’s
ask God t’ he’p us out of this hole. Keep her steady with the paddles.
“O God, we’re all in Your han’s. We’re tryin’ t’ save life, we’re doin’
our best, we b’lieve we _kain’t_ go under without You lets us. Naow
save our lives so’s we k’n praise You all the days ov our life.” Naow
let her have it, boys. Paddle fur yer lives, an’ as soon ’s we strike
the kelp, gather it in an’ haul fur all yer wuth. Passengers, lie still
in th’ bottom o’ th’ boat.’