The excited party burst into a hearty cheer as the rings of wet rope
flew glistening through the sunshine, and a fresh burst broke forth as
they saw the outermost deftly caught by Roylance. But the cheer changed
to a yell of horror as it was seen that in his effort to cast the line
far enough, the old boatswain had overbalanced himself and fallen
headlong down the cliff, which was, fortunately for him, sufficiently
out of the perpendicular where he fell to enable him to save himself
here and there by snatching at the rugged blocks of coral, checking his
fall cleverly enough till, as his companions breathlessly watched, he
stopped altogether, hanging, almost, on a ledge about six feet above the
waves, and only keeping himself from going farther by grasping the
stones.
The intense interest was divided now between Roylance on the slowly
drifting boat and the boatswain clinging for dear life.
"Who can climb down to him," cried Syd, "before the rope tightens and he
is dragged off? Here, I will."
"No, sir; I'll go," said Rogers, eagerly; and without waiting further
orders he began to lower himself down as actively as a monkey, now
hanging by his hands and dropping to a ledge below, now climbing
sidewise to get to a better place before descending again.
"Give the rope a turn round one of the blocks as soon as you get hold of
it, Rogers," cried Syd.
"Ay, ay, sir."
"Can you hold on, Strake?"
"Ay, my lad, I think I can," growled the boatswain. "Nuff to make a man
hold on with them sharks down below."
"The rope--the rope!" shouted Roylance from the derelict boat.
"Yes. We're trying," cried Syd. "Here, what are you doing? Don't
tighten that; you'll have Strake off the rock."
He yelled this through his hands as he saw Roylance stooping down and
hauling away at the rope hand over hand.
"Perhaps he knows what he's doing," thought Syd; and he turned his
attention to the boatswain and the man going to his help.
"Can any other man go down to assist?" he said. "I'm afraid that Rogers
will not be able to hold on, and the boat will go."
"You'd better go, Belton," whispered Terry. "I'll take command here.
Mustn't lose poor Roylance."
Syd turned upon him sharply, and was about to follow the suggestion,
when a shout came from Rogers.
"The rope--the rope!"
For a moment or two Syd stood there half-paralysed as he grasped the
fresh trouble that had come upon them, and saw the explanation of
Roylance's action. It was plain enough now: in the boatswain's headlong
fall he had either loosened his hold of the end of the rope, or retained
it so loosely, that as he clung to the rock for his life it had dropped
into the waves, and by the time Syd quite realised what was wrong,
Roylance had hauled it on board, and was standing with it in his hand,
fully awake to the peril of his position, and seeing that no help could
come now from the rock.
Syd's throat felt dry, and a horrible sensation of fear and despair ran
through him as he stood there motionless watching his friend and
companion drifting slowly away. Another minute and his position would
be hopeless unless some vessel picked him up. So desperate did it seem
that Syd felt as if he could do nothing. Then he was all action once
more, as he saw what Roylance intended. His lips parted to cry out
"Don't! don't!" but he did not utter the words, for it was Roylance's
only chance; and all on the rock stood with starting eyes watching him
as he seemed to be examining the rocky wall before him, and they then
saw him turn his back, bend down, lift a loose coop, bear it to the side
of the boat furthest from them, raise it on high, and heave it with a
tremendous splash into the smooth sea.
Before Syd could more than say to himself, "Why did he do that?"
Roylance was back to his old place, had let himself down softly into the
water, and was swimming hard for the rock.
"It was to attract the sharks," said a voice behind him, as some one
else grasped the meaning of the act, and to Syd's intense delight he
heard a panting sound, and another of the sailors came toiling up with a
fresh ring of rope which he had been to fetch.
"Can you save Strake, Rogers?" shouted down Syd.
"Ay, ay, sir. I'll help him all right."
"Come on, then," panted the young midshipman, and setting off he led the
way, climbing along the edge of the rock so as to get level with
Roylance, who was rapidly drifting to the end of the rock.
"He is bringing the rope ashore," said Syd to himself, as he saw the end
in his companion's teeth; and they climbed on, encouraging each other
with shouts, and steadily progressed; but as they climbed it was in
momentary expectation of hearing a wild shriek, and seeing Roylance
throw up his hands, as one of the ravenous monsters dragged him under.
And as they climbed to get level with him, Roylance swam steadily on
through the clear blue water; and though every eye searched about him
for a sight of some shark, not one was visible, though the back fins of
no less than four could be seen gliding about in the neighbourhood of
the floating hutch on the far side of the boat.
By making almost superhuman efforts the party on the rock managed to get
abreast of Roylance just as he was half-way between the boat and a patch
of rugged boulders which had seemed to promise foothold till help could
reach him from above, and still the brave fellow swam on with the rope
in his teeth, ring after ring slowly gliding out over the boat's side.
"Now," cried Syd, as he grasped mentally the spot where his companion
would land. "A man to go down."
The sailor who had been his other companion on the day when Syd had
attempted to explore the rock stepped forward, a loop was made in the
rope, the man threw it over his head, and passed it below his hips.
"Ready," he cried, and he was lowered down over the edge to be ready to
give Roylance a helping hand, and try to make fast the line the latter
was bringing ashore.
"Ah!" shrieked Syd, suddenly, for it seemed to him that the end had
come. For as he gazed wildly at his messmate, he saw that he was
swimming with all his might, but making no way. Worse: he was being
drawn slowly and surely out to sea, and the reason was plain; the rope
that should have continued to give over the side had caught somewhere in
the broken edge of the bulwarks, and all Roylance's risks and efforts
had been thrown away.
"Let go, and swim for it!" yelled Syd, and Roylance answered by throwing
up a hand.
"Can you see the sharks?" said Syd, half-aloud.
"No, sir, not yet," said one of the sailors. "They're cruising about
the boat."
"Roylance--Roy! Let go of the rope and swim," cried Syd, in an agony of
dread.
But the young middy turned on his back, loosened the rope all he could,
and gave it a shake so as to send a wave along it. This had no effect,
for it was too tight, and to the honour of those on the rock they saw
him deliberately turn and take a stroke or two back toward the boat
before giving the rope another shake. This time it had its due effect,
for the wave ran along the line and shifted it out of the rugged spot
where it had caught, so that it once more ran out freely as Roylance
turned to swim for the shore.
"Hist! Don't make a sound," whispered Syd, as a murmur of horror ran
through the group on the top of the cliff.
For something had caught the eyes of all at the same moment. To wit,
one of the triangular back fins, which had been gliding here and there
about the coop on the far side of the boat, was seen to be coming round
her bows, and the next thing seemed to be that the monster would detect
the position of the midshipman, and then all would be over. In
imagination Syd saw the voracious creature gliding rapidly toward
Roylance, dive down, turn over showing its white under-parts, and then
there was the blood-stained water, the wild shriek, and disappearance.
But only in imagination, for as he made an effort all this cleared away
from his excited brain, and the midshipman was there still swimming
vigorously, and with a slow steady stroke, toward the rock, towing the
line. But there was the shark between him and the boat, quite round on
his side now.
"Hadn't you better let go?" said Syd, in a voice he did not know for his
own.
"No," came back rather breathlessly, "there's plenty of line, Belt. I
made the other end fast and--can't talk now."
A sudden thought struck Syd.
"I must not say any more," he said to himself; "a word would frighten
him and make him lose his nerve. Here, quick! My lads," he whispered,
"get some big lumps of rock ready to throw down."
The men scattered, and in less than a minute they were back, and a
little heap of stones from the size of a man's head downwards were ready
at the edge of the cliff, where Syd was gazing down fifty feet or so at
his friend, who still swam on toward where the sailor was waiting, and
in happy ignorance of the nearness of one of the sharks. Syd could see
right down into the clear water whenever the disturbance made by the
lad's strokes did not ruffle the surface, and his starting eyes were
plunged down into the depths in search of fresh dangers.
"Oh!" he said to himself, "if he only knew how near that savage beast
is! Swim, Roy, swim, lad! Why don't you let go of the rope and save
yourself?"
He dare not shout aloud; and though he was high up in safety, he felt
once more all the agony of horror and fear which had come over him when
he was himself escaping from a shark, and he shuddered as he heard a
murmur about him, and the men stood ready each with a great stone.
"Couldn't no one go and help him with a knife?" whispered one of the
men. "Oh! look at that."
"Hullo! Caught again?" cried Roylance, as the rope jerked.
No one replied. It was as if their mouths were too dry to utter a word,
for the party on the top of the cliff plainly saw the shark thrust the
rope up with its muzzle and glide under it.
Just then the horrible secret was out, for the sailor down below at the
end of the rope shrieked out--
"Swim, sir! swim for it. One of those devils is coming at yer."
Roylance was not a dozen feet from the speaker now, and they saw him
give a violent start, and glance wildly over his shoulder.
The fright did it. He could no longer swim calmly now, but began to
throw out his arms hand over hand to reach the rock, splashing the water
up into foam, and in an instant this brought the shark in his track.
"Ready with the stones?" cried Syd, seizing one himself, and poising it
above his head.
The others obeyed, and what followed seemed afterwards almost momentary.
The shark scented its prey, and came on steadily now toward where
Roylance was struggling desperately. In another minute the poor fellow
would have been seized, but a shower of great stones came whirling down
in dangerous proximity to the swimmer, only one of which struck the
shark, but that one with so good effect that it was for the moment
disconcerted, and turned round as if puzzled. But directly after it saw
its prey, went down, and rose in the act of turning over to seize its
victim.
But there's many a slip between the cup and the lip, even in the case of
sharks. Many a one has had a knife ripping it open just as it has
anticipated enjoying some juicy black; and others have had their prey
snatched from their lancet-studded jaws, or tasted with it a hook.
It was so here. Syd had hurled his stone, and was watching its effect
before stooping for another, when he realised what the sailor in the
loop below was about to do.
"No, no," he cried, quick as thought. "No more stones, stand by with
the rope."
Syd threw himself down upon his chest and strained over the edge to
watch what was going on, while, with the rapidity taught by discipline,
the sailors seized the rope, and stood ready and waiting the next order.
It was not for them to think for themselves, but to act as their
officers bade, and Syd was already one whom they trusted and flew to
obey.
All this takes long to describe, but the action was quick enough.
The sailor at the end of the rope had, as Roylance drew nearer, spun
himself round rapidly till the loop was tight about him as he sat
astride in the bight, and then he began to swing himself to and fro,
describing a longer and longer arc till he found that he could reach.
Then with a sudden desperate movement he flung himself forward and
grasped Roylance round the waist, seizing the line the midshipman held
with his teeth, too; and then as, with the horror of despair, Roylance
exerted his failing strength to get a grip of the bight of the hanging
rope, Syd loudly shouted--
"Now, my lads, run them up." It was just in time.
In spite of the rocks and dangerous nature of the top of the cliff, the
men, who had been waiting, started away from the edge, the rope hissed
in running over the limestone, and Roylance and his brave rescuer were
literally snatched up ten feet as the shark made its second attack, but
only to fall back into the sea with a mighty splash.
"Haul now!" cried Syd, excitedly, for the men could go no farther.
"No, no, avast! avast!" came up hoarsely from between the sailor's
teeth, as he and Roylance swung to and fro just above the maddened
shark, which began to swim in a circle.
"Stop!" roared Syd. "Can you hold on, sir?" said the sailor. "Yes,"
said Roylance. "Then here goes. Loose the line, sir." His hands were
free, and he had taken the tow-rope now from his teeth.
Hardly knowing what he did Roylance obeyed, and with the rapidity taught
by much handling of hemp, the sailor passed the end of the tow-rope
through the bight of that which supported them, and then sent it through
again, and secured it with a knot.
It was just in time, for as he drew through the end and tugged at it,
the line began to tighten, and draw them out of the perpendicular, then
more and more away from the rock as the boat still glided away.
"All right, sir, I've got you now," cried the sailor, clasping Roylance
about the waist. "Now then, get your legs 'cross mine, and put your
arms round my neck and the rope too. That's your sort. Glad I saved
your end from going after all that trouble."
"Ready below?" cried Syd, as he looked down. "Well, no, sir," said the
sailor, "I wouldn't haul yet, or t'other line might part.--Did you make
it well fast aboard the boat, sir?" he continued to Roylance.
The latter nodded his head, and sat gazing down, shuddering, at the
shark.
"Then you'd best wait, sir," shouted the man, as they were drawn up
higher and higher, swinging gently like a counterpoise. "You see our
weight eases it off like on the boat, and we may get her yet."
It seemed possible, for its rate was checked, but the slow deliberate
glide still went on a little, flattening the curve formed by the two
lines extending from the deck of the boat to the top of the rocks, fifty
feet above the sea.
"One moment, Mr Roylance, sir," said the man, as coolly as if he were
in the rigging of the ship, and not suspended by a thin rope over the
jaws of a monstrous shark. "I want to get my legs round facing that
cliff there. That's your sort. Now if your line gives way, as I'm
feared it will--one minute: yes, the knot's fast; that won't draw--I
say, if the rope gives way we shall go down again the rocks with a
spang, but don't you mind; it'll only be a swing, and I'll fend us off
with my feet. My! we're getting tight now. Look out, sir, we're
going."
But the rope did not break, for seeing how dangerous the strain was
becoming, Syd ordered the men behind him to ease off a little, and then
a little more and a little more, till the progress of the water-logged
vessel was gradually checked, and as they felt that the worst of the
strain was over, the men on the cliff gave a cheer.
"Steady there, steady!" cried Terry, angrily, and the men murmured.
"Silence there!" cried Syd. "Now, my lads, I think you may begin to
haul."
The men obeyed, and by the exercise of a great deal of caution the first
rope was drawn slowly hand over hand up the cliff till Roylance's head
appeared. Syd extended his hands to his help, and the midshipman
climbed over the edge and sat down in the hot sunshine in his drenched
clothes, looking white and haggard, as one looks after a terrible escape
from death.
The next minute the sailor was on the cliff, looking none the worse for
his adventure, but pretty well drenched by contact with Roylance's
dripping clothes.
Then a little more hauling took place, till the men could get a good
hold of the line Roylance had brought ashore, in the midst of which the
latter suddenly sprang up, looked over the edge of the cliff, and
catching sight of his enemy, he picked up the biggest piece of stone he
could lift and hurled it down. It fell with a mighty splash in the
water, and as chance had it, for little could be said for the aim, right
down upon the shark, which turned up directly after, and then recovered
itself and swam laboriously away.