Day after day, the brig floated on the motionless ocean. The water was
almost exhausted, so also was the cask of claret. There was still some
food remaining, but, without water, it would be of little avail in
keeping those on board the brig alive. Grimshaw had hitherto kept up
his spirits, as well as the rest of the party, but he and Tommy Rebow
declared that they would work no more, that the vessel was doomed to
destruction, and that sink she would in the course of a few days.
"But before that time, perhaps, a breeze will spring up, and we shall be
slipping along merrily through the water," observed Sunshine Bill.
"We shall be slipping down to the bottom, rather," said Old Grim.
"Though we have been pumping away till we have nearly pumped our arms
off, the water has been gaining upon us for the last two days, to my
knowledge. It comes in all round the vessel, and human power can no
longer keep her afloat."
Even Mr Collinson looked graver than he had done for some time. He was
now able to take an occasional spell at the pumps, and, as if to shame
Grimshaw, he took hold of the brake. After working away for some time,
he sounded the well His countenance showed that there was more water in
the vessel than he liked.
"My lads," he said at length, "I am afraid, after all, that we shall be
unable to keep the brig afloat. At all events, in case she should go
down, it will be wise to have some means of saving our lives. Our raft
is small for a long voyage: we will, therefore, haul it up alongside,
and enlarge and strengthen it. It will enable us to keep afloat till
some vessel passes, though I cannot promise you that we should be able
to reach Jamaica on it."
Several empty bottles had been found in the cabin, and into these all
the water that remained was put, as was also the claret into others.
They, with the remainder of the biscuit and meat which had been found,
were put ready to place on the raft. In the mean time, following Mr
Collinson's directions, they increased and strengthened the raft. This
being done, it was once more dropped astern. The heat and the anxiety
they underwent was now telling on all hands. Mr Collinson again became
ill; indeed, none of the party were in a much better condition. Still
they had to keep their watch at night as usual. Bill was forward,
looking out over the ocean, and wishing that a breeze would come, when
he cried out--
"See! See! She's coming towards us! I see her white canvas shining in
the moonlight. She's coming on fast. Look, Jack, look! Can't you make
her out?"
Jack Windy at first declared he could see nothing, but when Bill more
clearly described the vessel, he also asserted that he saw her. Yet not
a breath of wind had reached them. On came the stranger.
"Shall we call up Mr Collinson?" asked Bill.
"No, no, boy, I can't make it out. Don't say anything. I fancied I
heard a voice hail us; yet I don't know. Why, there she goes, not two
cables' length off from us. I could almost declare I saw the people on
her deck. Yet I have never before seen a vessel sailing head to wind,
as some say they do, or in a calm like this."
Rapidly the vessel glided away to the east, till she was lost to sight.
"Boy, this is the strangest thing I ever saw in my life," said Jack
Windy. "It's not a thing I should like to talk about--no more will you,
I have a notion--yet both of us saw it, I'll swear to that."
On calling Grimshaw and Tommy to relieve the deck, they could not resist
telling them what they had seen.
"Maybe we shall see something of the same sort," said old Grim. "I
don't like those sort of things, but I am not surprised."
When daylight broke, old Grim declared that he also had seen a vessel
passing rapidly by, and disappearing to the east. They determined to
tell Mr Collinson.
"I am not surprised," he answered, "at what you tell me, my lads; but I
have to assure you that the vessels you think you have seen have been
all the time inside your own brains. Bill thought he saw a vessel, and
that made Jack think he had seen one; and when they told Grimshaw and
Tommy Rebow, it made them fancy the same; but, depend upon it, you have
not, in reality, seen a vessel of any sort. If God should wish to
relieve us, He will send one in His own good time; but if not, He has
His reasons for leaving us alone."
"That I am sure He will have, sir," said Bill.
They waited the whole of the day, anxiously looking out for the sight of
a breeze, but still round them was the same unbroken surface of water,
blue and shining in the day, and dark and leaden at night. The water in
their cask was decreasing fearfully; their provisions, also, were nearly
exhausted. Though they kept lines overboard, and Bill was constantly
fishing, no fish were caught. At last they gave up even attempting to
catch them. As their strength decreased from want of food and water,
they were less able to work the pump. The consequence was, the leak
again gained upon them. All but Bill began to despair. He, true to his
principles, kept up his spirits.
"Well, Bill, I do envy you," said Tommy Rebow; "but your hoping is of no
use. If the vessel does not go down, we shall all be starved in a few
days, so it will make but little difference."
"I don't say that," said Bill. "A breeze will some day or other spring
up, and then, in this narrow sea, some vessel must surely pass us, and
it's not likely that they would leave us to perish; and if not, we may
still be able to carry the vessel to some land or other, even if we
can't carry her to Jamaica, where we shall find provisions and water. I
think it's wrong, therefore, to despair. Let's trust in God. He has
taken care of us up to this time, do not you think He can take care of
us still longer? He can't be tired of looking after us, and if He cared
for us once, He will care for us still."
Still neither Tom nor the rest of the party could recover their spirits.
At length one night it was Jack and Bill's watch. Jack had sat down
and dropped off to sleep, for he had little strength remaining, and all
his spirits were gone. Bill, however, kept awake. He was standing at
the helm, for though there was no wind, the sails were set ready to
catch the first breath of air which might come to them. As he was
looking round, he thought he saw a dark line on the water. It rapidly
approached.
"Jack! Jack!" he shouted out, "here comes the breeze!"
But poor Jack was fast asleep, and fancied when he heard Bill's voice
that he was only dreaming. Again Bill shouted. The vessel began to
lift with the heaving sea. Jack sprang to his feet.
"A breeze! A breeze!" he shouted out, running to the sheets; but at
that instant a strong blast struck the vessel, and before the rest of
the crew could come on deck, with a loud crash both the masts were
carried away, and the brig lay as helpless as at first on the water.
With great exertions, however, the spars and sails were saved, and got
inboard. Still, it was evident that nothing could be done that night,
and they must wait till the wind abated, before they could again get up
their masts and sails.
"We have been waiting for this breeze, lads," said Mr Collinson, "and
now it has come, we ought to make the best use we can of it. Even if we
can rig a rag of a sail forward, it will help us along."
Though weak and ill, Mr Collinson set the example, and at length a
short spar with a royal was fixed to the stump of the foremast. Aided
by this, the vessel ran on before the wind. The breeze, however, though
moderate at first, increased towards daylight, and the vessel now began
to pitch and roll greatly. In the morning, when old Grim, who acted as
cook, sent Tommy for some water, he returned with a look of dismay. Not
a drop remained in the cask. This was sad news.
"Give me a lantern," said Bill; "and, Tommy, you and I will have another
hunt, and see if there is another cask to be found."
"It's of no use," observed old Grim; "I hunted everywhere, and could not
find one."
"Maybe we shall be more fortunate," said Bill; and, taking the lantern,
he and Tommy went down into the hold. The water was washing about
fearfully inside, and he could not help fearing that a good deal more
was now coming in than during the calm. There was some danger, too, of
their being struck by various articles which were tumbling about in the
hold, having broken loose, or been washed up by the water.
"See! See!" cried Bill. "Hold up the lantern! Why, that looks like a
water-cask!"
They waited till the vessel seemed steady for a moment; then, making a
rush together, they caught hold of the cask. It was but a small one,
such as was used to bring the water off, in boats, from the shore. It
was full: there was no doubt about that. Having secured it under the
hatchway, Bill told Tommy to go and call Jack or old Grim to assist them
in getting it up. Jack soon came down with a tackle, and the cask was
hoisted up on deck. It was quickly opened. Mr Collinson praised Bill
very much for finding it.
"And now, lads," he said, "we must consider this worth its weight in
gold, and more than that, too."
The men promised to husband it with the greatest care. All hands now
went below, to search for more provisions, while Mr Collinson remained
at the helm. A few onions were discovered, and another small cask of
biscuits, but they were somewhat damaged by the salt water. Nothing
else eatable could be found. Even during the short time they had been
below, the wind had increased considerably, and the vessel was now
tumbling about more than ever. Jack's face, too, looked unusually long
as he went up to Mr Collinson.
"I am afraid, sir, the brig won't swim many hours longer, for, as she
rolls about, the water comes pouring in on both sides."
"I was afraid it would be so," said Mr Collinson. "We must have
another spell at the pumps, then."
"Very little use in that, sir," said old Grim. "I don't think if we
were to pump spell after spell we should keep the vessel afloat. To my
mind, if there's any shore near, we should steer directly for it, and
even then I doubt if we should reach it."
Under the present circumstances, Grim could venture to speak to an
officer with more freedom than on ordinary occasions. Although Mr
Collinson wished to keep up the men's spirits, he could not help seeing
that they were right. Indeed, from the peculiar motion of the vessel,
in a short time he began to fear that she would not float even as long
as they had expected. All this time the raft had been towing astern.
It was well-built, or it would have come to pieces from the tossing
about it was now receiving. Should the vessel go down, it was their
only hope. Still the lieutenant determined to try and save her; and,
going to the pump, he began working away himself. Jack followed him,
and even old Grim took a spell. He worked on for some time.
"It's of no use," he said at length; "I am sure we are not keeping the
water under."
It was too evident that he was right, as it came in faster than ever.
Mr Collinson now ordered them to bring the water-cask, and their scanty
supply of provisions, and a few other articles up on deck, ready to
lower down on the raft.