ON BOARD THE WRECK.
"Jack, what shall we do now?" asked Marion, as with a blanched face she
gazed into the empty boat.
"Wait--the oars may be close at hand," he replied. "I will make a
search."
"And so will I. Oh, we must find them!"
They ran up and down the rocky shore, looking far and near for the oars,
but without success. Presently they came to a halt, out of breath with
running.
"Gone, sure enough!" groaned the boy. "What a pickle we are in now!"
"We can't stay here, Jack."
"We'll have to stay here, Marion, unless I can find the oars or make
substitutes."
"How are you going to make substitutes?"
"I might take some planks from the wreck."
"But you have no tools."
"I have a stout jack-knife."
"It will take a long time, and see, it is already beginning to rain."
Marion was right, the rain had started, and as it grew heavier they
withdrew to the shelter of the wreck.
"I wouldn't mind staying here until the shower was over, only I wouldn't
want mother to worry about us," went on Marion, when they were safe
under cover.
"That's just it. But we do not know if she is home yet."
The rain soon increased, while the thunder rolled in the distance. But
they felt fairly safe in the cabin of the wreck, and sat down on a bench
running along one of the walls.
"This looks as if it was going to keep up all night," observed Jack, an
hour later, after another look at the sky from the top of the companion
way.
"Oh, you don't mean we'll have to remain here all night!" exclaimed
Marion.
"Perhaps, Marion."
"But I do not wish to remain in such a place all night."
"Are you afraid of ghosts?" and Jack gave a short laugh.
"No, Jack; but you'll admit it isn't a very nice place."
"I know that. But that isn't the worst of it."
"Not the worst of it?"
"No. You must remember that we have nothing to eat or to drink here."
"That is true, but I do not feel much like eating or drinking just now."
"Yes, but you'll be hungry and thirsty before morning, Marion."
"Perhaps. We can drink rain water, if we wish."
Another hour passed and the storm grew more violent. The lightning
flashed across the sky and lit up the wreck from end to end. Then a
blackness as of night followed.
"We could not row ashore now, even if we had oars," observed Marion, as
she listened to the howling of the wind.
"You are right, Marion. My, how it does blow!"
Suddenly, the sounds of footsteps on the deck of the wreck reached their
ears.
"Somebody is coming!" said Jack, and looked up the companion way. "Why,
it's Old Ben!"
He was right; it was Ben the fisherman who had put in an appearance,
market basket in hand.
"Marion! Jack! Am dat yo'?" came in an anxious voice.
"Yes, Ben!" cried both.
"What brought you?" continued the boy.
"I dun thought yo' was a-wantin' ob Ole Ben," grinned the colored man.
"I seed yo' rowin' off an' I didn't see yo' cum back, so I says to
myself, 'Da is stuck fast on de wreck.' An' den I says, 'Da aint got
nuffin to eat.' So ober I comes, an' wid a basketful of good t'ings from
de plantation." And he held up the market basket. He was soaked from the
rain, and the water ran from his clothing in a stream.
"Ben, you are a jewel!" burst out Marion and patted his wet coat-sleeve
affectionately.
At this the old negro grinned broadly. He had always been a privileged
character on the Ruthven plantation, and being set free had not ended
his affection for his former mistress and her children.
"It was very kind to come over," said Jack. "Does mother know we are
here?"
"I dun left word dat I was comin' ober an' dat I thought yo' was yeah,
sah," answered Ben.
He had brought all the good things necessary, along with plates, cups,
knives and forks, and soon had the spread ready for them. Then he went
off to another part of the wreck to wring out his wet garments.
"It was very nice of Old Ben to come to us," said Marion, while eating.
"It must have been no easy matter to row from the shore to the rocks."
"Ben is as good a boatman as there is in these parts, Marion. It was
kind, and he ought to be rewarded for it."
"Mamma will reward him, beyond a doubt."
The storm kept increasing in violence, and before the strange meal was
disposed of the thunder and lightning were almost incessant. Ben had
brought a candle along--knowing the darkness inside of the wreck--and
this was all the light they possessed, outside of what Nature afforded.
Ben was just putting the dishes back into the basket when there came an
extra heavy flash of lightning, followed immediately by a rending clap
of thunder which almost paralyzed Marion and Jack. There was a strange
smell in the air, and both found their blood tingling in a manner that
was new to them.
"The wreck--it's been struck by lightning!" gasped Jack, when he could
speak.
"Dat's a fac'!" came from Old Ben. "It was jess like de crack ob doom,
wasn't it?"
He ran on deck, and Jack followed him, with Marion on the bottom of the
companion way, not knowing whether to go up or remain below.
The bolt had struck the wreck near the stern, ripping off a large part
of the woodwork, and had passed along to one side. Just below the deck
line a lively fire was starting up.
"De wrack am gwine to be burnt up at las'!" ejaculated Old Ben. "We has
got to git out, Massah Jack!"
"Come, Marion!" called back the boy. "It's too bad we've got to go out
in the rain, but I reckon we can be thankful that our lives have been
spared."
"Yes, we can be thankful," answered the girl. "Oh, what a dreadful crack
that was! I do not believe I shall ever forget it."
She came on deck all in a tremble, and with the others hurried to the
bow of the wreck. It was much easier to climb down than to climb up, and
soon all three stood upon the rocks below, where the driving rain pelted
them mercilessly.
"I t'ink I can find yo' a bettah place dan dis to stay," said Old Ben.
"Come down to de shoah," and he led the way to where he had left his
boat. With Jack's assistance the craft was hauled out of the water and
turned upside down between two large rocks, and then the three crawled
under the temporary shelter.
Thus the night passed, and by morning the storm cleared away. Looking
toward the wreck they saw that only a small portion of the upper deck
had been burned away, the rain having put the fire out before it gained
great headway.
It did not take Old Ben and Jack long to launch the former's craft
again, and this done, they all entered and the fisherman started to row
them to the mainland. Jack's boat was taken in tow.
"That was certainly quite an adventure," observed Jack, as they landed.
"Marion, I reckon you don't want another such."
"No, indeed!" replied the girl, with a shiver. "I don't believe I'll
ever go over to the old wreck again."
"It's a wondah dat wreck aint busted up long ago," put in Old Ben.
"It's a wonder the poor people around here haven't carried off the
wreckage for firewood, Ben," said Jack.
"Da is afraid to do dat, Massah Jack--afraid some ob de sailors wot was
drowned might haunt 'em."
"I see. Well, I don't think the wreck will last much longer," and with
these words Jack turned away to follow Marion to the plantation mansion,
to interview his foster mother concerning the particulars of the past.
Little did the lad dream of what an important part that old wreck was to
play in his future life.