we were so excited and exhausted by the terrific experiences which we had just gone through that a sort of frenzy possessed us. i know that word described my feelings and i think it also described my lady’s feelings. we threw the things that we had saved, or that had escaped the earthquake and the tidal wave that followed it, into the boat pell-mell, climbed in ourselves, and shoved off. we could not get away from that island quick enough and we could not get far enough away once we started.
luckily the oars had been secured to the thwarts, and i shipped them on the rowlocks forthwith, and then i rowed across the lagoon and through the opening in the reef. indeed, the tidal wave had shattered the reef in various places and for the first time in centuries the sea made clean sweeps of the beach through the many openings. it was not altogether easy to[324] row through the surf but it was child’s play to our first passage over the reef. in spite of all that i had gone through, i felt as one possessed, and the stout ash oars fairly bent to my vigorous strokes. when we cleared the entrance, and got into smoother water, i shipped the oars, stepped the mast i had made during our sojourn on the island to take the place of the broken one, set a small sail i had improvised in idle moments out of some spare canvas which i had luckily found in the after locker together with the remaining pieces left over from my tailoring, and then i came aft and seized the tiller.
my lady had sat silent most of the time, closely watching me, but now she asked a pertinent question.
“whither are we bound?”
her interrogation recalled me to myself. i had really given the matter no thought at all. all that i had permitted myself to decide upon was to get away from the island, and i had hoisted the sail and put the boat before the wind without a thought as to its direction.
it so happened—indeed, i humbly submit that[325] perhaps it did not happen by chance but was so ordered by that providence which had watched over us—that the wind blew directly off the island and the boat was headed toward the distant shores of the other islands whence the marauders had come and where the rose of devon had been wrecked. i recollected from the conversation i had had with pimball that they had somehow floated the ship and that she was seaworthy, and as my mistress questioned me the daring design of seizing the ship flashed into my mind.
indeed, the enterprise was in a measure forced upon me. we had no water in the boat, practically no provisions. we were thousands of miles away from the possibility of passing ships. unless some vessel should be blown far out of her course by continued storms there was absolutely no chance of our being picked up. that small boat with its patched-up, makeshift equipment was in no condition anyway for a long voyage, even if we had plenty of food and water. the rose of devon would provide everything we needed if we once got aboard her, and while two would be an almost impossible crew for such[326] a ship, as i had said or thought, yet if any of her spars still stood, by means of tackles i might make shift to hoist a rag of sail. if the vessel were still tight she could carry us indefinitely, and perhaps by taking advantage of every wind that was favorable we might in the end make the south american coast. of course the work would all have to be done by me, but my lady had often steered the rose of devon during the outward voyage, for her pleasure, and she could relieve me long enough for me to get the absolutely necessary sleep so long as we were aboard her. at any rate, half-naked, hungry, thirsty, as we were in a small boat stripped of everything, she was our only resource. therefore i answered briefly.
“i am going to seize the rose of devon if i can find her.”
“but there will be men aboard her,” said my mistress apprehensively.
“doubtless,” i returned, “but at most there cannot be many of them. we saw enough on the island to know that.”
“yes,” admitted the brave woman by my side, “that is true.”
[327]“no one would offer to stay on the ship when he had a chance to hunt for treasure and for you and me.”
“no, i suppose not.”
“they would have to be constrained to stay there, and as i take it that the native fighting force of the island on which the ship was cast was in the canoes, there would not be any necessity for guarding her heavily. besides, two or three with firearms could stop any attack that might be made.”
“but we have no firearms,” said my lady.
“we have weapons,” i returned. i had picked up the musket from a shelf of rock where i had laid it, and she still clung to the pistol with which she had saved my life by her adroitness. “we have firearms,” i continued, “but they are useless to us without powder and shot”—all that we had, had either been washed away or wetted so that it was of no use—“but i have my cutlass and i consider myself a match for all the murdering pirates that may be left on that ship.”
“i believe that, too,” she said, looking at me admiringly, “when i think of your determination, your feats of strength, your—”
[328]“they were nothing. they did not measure up to the inspiration i had,” said i.
but she shook her head at this and i continued, not daring to notice her overmuch.
“i take it that those islands are four or five leagues away,” i looked over the side, “and this boat is making not more than three-quarters of a league an hour. that is all we can do with such a poor makeshift for a sail.” i looked up into the sky, then at my watch. it was high noon. i had not dreamed that we had been so long in our adventures that day. “it will be dusk before we reach the nearest island. it may be that haply we shall find the rose of devon there.”
“and if we do, what will be your plans?”
“i propose to douse the sail when we get near enough to see her, which will be long before she can see us, then wait until nightfall, take to the oars, row alongside, fasten the boat aft, and clamber aboard. if there are only two or three on her there will probably be but one on watch. i can throttle him without arousing the attention of the others. perhaps i can confine the others below. then we can cut the cable, hoist a rag[329] of sail somehow, and be away before morning.”
“but if there are savages aboard?”
“i do not think there will be any, but if there are i must even chance it.”
“it sounds terribly dangerous.”
“it is dangerous, but it is our only chance. how long do you think we would last in this open boat? in two or three days we would be mad for food and drink, burning up under this tropic sun.”
“could we not land on one of the other islands?”
“they are all populated, i take it, and our end would be certain.”
“and what do you propose that i should do while you are fighting for me on the ship?”
“you will stay in the boat which i shall make fast to the ship, and if i should fail—”
“oh, don’t say that!”
“but i must say it. it is not beyond possibility that i shall, although i do not think it, because i believe god who has preserved us hitherto does not intend that we shall finally fail. but if i should be overpowered or killed, there is a plug in the bottom of the boat. all you have[330] to do is to cast off the painter and pull out the plug and—drift away.”
“i understand,” she said. “and if anything happens to you,” she looked at me directly as she spoke, “i would rather drift away and drown—than live without you.”
“let us not dwell upon that,” said i. “let us hope that nothing will happen.”
she nodded her head.
“now,” i continued, “i am going to ask you a strange thing.”
she looked at me fearlessly and the trust and confidence of her next words repaid all my efforts a thousandfold.
“you can ask me anything you like,” she said instantly.
“i am frightfully weary. i shall need what strength i have for the work of the night. the breeze is gentle and fair. there is no likelihood that it will change. all you have to do is to keep the boat on its course and awaken me if anything should change. will you try it and help me thus far? i must have some sleep.”
“i understand perfectly,” was her brave and direct reply, “and you can go to sleep with perfect[331] confidence. i will watch over you and the boat as best i can, god helping me. you know, i slept most of the night, myself, and i feel in no need of rest now.”
with my cutlass i broke open a cocoanut, the milk and meat of which refreshed us both, and then, as i was, i threw myself down on the bottom of the boat, a hard bed, but one made soft by great weariness and want of sleep. the last thing i remember was the picture of mistress wilberforce, beautiful in her disarray, sitting in the stern sheets, holding the tiller in one hand and the sheet in the other, looking down upon me with a gaze i did not dare to think upon. i had no idea how weary i was, for i was asleep almost instantly, and it was five o’clock according to my watch before she awakened me with a touch of her little foot.
although i was strained and stiff from the cramped position and the hard planking on which i lay, i knew that a stretch or two would fix me and i was greatly refreshed by my sleep and ready for a giant’s work.
“i had to wake you,” she said, reluctantly i thought, “because the island is in sight, and—”
[332]“the ship!” i cried.
“yes, you may see it dead ahead.”
whereat i got to my knees and shaded my eyes, for the sun had not yet set, and stared over the water.
sure enough, there lay the rose of devon. she was still hull down in the shadow, but we could see the masts, that is, what was left of them. the mizzenmast was gone at the deck and the main topmast at the hounds, but the foremast still stood and the fore-topmast. the mainyard was still across, as were the two yards of the foremast. that was all i could make out then.
the island merited no particular description, for it was like hundreds of other south seas pacific islands. it was low and hilly and surrounded by a reef, but there was a broad opening through the reef, at least we thought so because the breakers suddenly ceased and there was a long stretch of smooth black water before they began again.
we had no time for many details, and indeed i came instantly to action. the breeze had practically died out and although the earthquake[333] and tidal wave still caused a heavy sea, it was gradually quieting down to long, gentle undulations. i turned aft, unstepped the mast and doused the sail, carefully placing both where they might be of use in an emergency. then i decided to let the boat drift for a while, until it grew dark enough to enable me to approach the ship without danger of observation.
we made a good meal off the scanty provisions we had left. my mistress was for saving them, but i bluntly pointed out that either we should have plenty in a few hours or be in no need of anything to eat forever after, so we satisfied our hunger and thirst abundantly, and then as it wanted an hour or two of night, i made my lady lie down, using the sail and my waistcoat to soften the planking, and rest in her turn. she obeyed me without question and, in spite of her declaration that she was not tired, i had the satisfaction of seeing in a few minutes that she had fallen asleep.
i sat silently watching her through the hours while the sun sank, while the dusk was followed by darkness, until the stars came out and then i stepped across her, seized the oars and started on[334] my long pull toward the ship. we had drifted southward i opined, but i had taken my bearings carefully by the stars and i knew exactly in what direction to send the dinghy. the noise of the oars in the rowlocks finally awakened my lady. she got to her feet, went aft, took the tiller and, upon my giving her directions, steered a true course for the ship.
i suppose it was close on to nine o’clock when we reached her vicinity. i could not see my watch. we had no means of making a light, if we had dared upon the experiment. the night was dark and moonless and, save for the stars, as black as egypt was fabled to be. the waves rolling through the opening of the reef and crashing on the shore drowned the noise of the oars in the rowlocks. the tide was in full flood, i judged, in fact just beginning to ebb, and the breeze which had sprung up after sunset was, as usual, offshore, two things greatly to our advantage.
we did not see the ship until we were almost upon her. suddenly she loomed blackly out of the darkness, like a smudge of soot of darker hue than the rest. there was not a light upon her.[335] i rowed close to her, rounded her counter, and discovered the jacob’s ladder which usually hung there still in place. i fastened the boat with a turn of the painter around the ladder and belayed it to a cleat aft, drew my sword from my sheath, and then turned for a last word.
“you know what to do if i don’t come back?” i whispered.
she nodded. i put out my hand and she took it in both of hers. i was standing at the time and she was sitting, and before i could stop her she bent and kissed my great hand. i could not trust myself any further. with a prayer, silent but none the less fervent, i seized the rungs of the jacob’s ladder and slowly mounted to the level of the rail abaft the trunk cabin which served as a sort of poop deck. i had taken off my shoes before i did so, and save for the creaking caused by the swaying induced by my weight on the ladder, i went up without a sound.
i swung my leg over the rail, after having taken a quick look along the deck and having seen nothing. before i disappeared over the side i turned and peered down through the blackness at her upturned face. i could see dimly its[336] whiteness. i waved my hand to her and she waved hers in turn. she had the hardest part, that of sitting still, not knowing whether success was to attend our efforts or failure. the line that was attached to the boat plug was in her hand. the next few moments would determine whether she would rejoin me on the ship or whether she would cast off the painter, pull out the plug, and drift away with the young ebb.
i had that picture in my mind’s eye, too, and if i had needed anything to nerve me to the service of my mistress it would have been that. i had carried my cutlass in my teeth as i climbed up the ladder. i instantly shifted it to my hand, peering carefully about me as i made my way along the top of the cabin. the deck was in a frightful state of confusion. one of the deck houses had been blown in by the storm and pieces of wreckage lay all about. the starboard rail had been shattered along the waist. they had made little effort it seemed to clear up the raffle and the wreckage.
i made my way forward slowly and with all the softness of a great cat until i came to the break of the cabin. everything was in shadow[337] and darkness, of course, yet i thought i detected someone leaning against the starboard rail on the quarter-deck abreast the mainmast, looking toward the land. i stared and the longer i stared the more convinced i became that someone was there. i crossed over to the port side and slipped down to the quarter-deck. silently as before, i made my way over the littered deck in the direction of the standing figure.
if the deck had been clear, i could have reached him without attracting his attention, but within a few feet of him i stepped upon a round marlinspike which slid under my feet and the effort to recover my balance aroused the watcher’s attention. he looked around suspiciously, but the next moment i was upon him. i did not know how many people were on that ship and i could not afford to make any noise. if i were to succeed i must deal with the enemy one at a time. i caught this man by the throat with one hand. the next instant i saw a flash of something in the air and i was just in time to seize his descending arm grasping his sheath knife.
i held him in an iron grip. he kicked at me[338] viciously but i lifted him higher into the air and sank my fingers tighter and tighter in his throat. thereafter i held him there waiting. god knows how i accomplished it, but i did. presently i felt him grow limp in my hands. i had broken his wrist i discovered afterward, and had nearly choked him to death. i laid him down on the deck and with a piece of rope i lashed him hand and foot. i didn’t know whether he was dead or not but i couldn’t afford to take any chances. i doubled another piece of rope and thrust it tightly between his jaws which i pried open, and so left him bound and gagged.
i thought i had worked silently, but either i had made more noise than i fancied or else it had come time for them to relieve the watch. but for whatsoever cause it may be, as i was bending over him, a ray of light suddenly shot through the darkness. it came from the companion hatchway which opened on the deck from the low break of the trunk cabin, rising a few feet above the quarter-deck. i sprang to my feet and turned instantly, sword in hand, and the next instant three figures broke out of the light. the lantern they carried illuminated me completely.[339] if i had had more time i should have jumped back into the shadows—i was quick-witted enough to think of it—but the time was lacking.
the next moment the three precipitated themselves upon me. they were half dressed, two of them had sheath knives and the third a cutlass. fortunately none of them had brought a pistol. they were courageous enough, i will say that for them. and his daring brought the first man who had the drawn sword to his fate, for as he lunged at me i spitted him with my own cutlass. i drove the blow home to the hilt. the man went down like a ninepin, dragging the sword from my hand, and as fortune would have it he fell in front of number two, staggering him so that he dropped the lantern, leaving the deck in darkness save for the light which came from the after cabin. being otherwise weaponless, i received number two with a mighty blow on the jaw from my clenched fist which temporarily accounted for him. number three wavered indecisively for a moment giving me time to draw out my cutlass from the body of the dead man. the blade was broken off about six inches from the point, but nevertheless in a hand like mine it[340] was a terrible weapon. i did not give him time to recover, for i sprang upon him. he thrust at me with his own knife half-heartedly, but in a moment i struck it out of his hand and sent it flying over the rail and into the sea.
“now,” said i, “get down on your knees and beg for your life.”
there must have been something compelling in my manner for he instantly obeyed me. he threw himself flat before me and it was not until i prodded him with my blade that he stopped howling.
“tell me quickly,” i said, “and tell me truly, who are on the ship?”
“there were four of us,” he began.
“that is enough for the present,” i answered, for i had accounted for the whole four. “any natives?”
“none.”
“come with me,” i said.
i caught him by the collar of his shirt, dragged him to his feet, marched him along the deck, and bundled him to the forepeak. i drew the hatch cover, battened it down and locked it. i knew that he could not get out until i let him.[341] then i walked back to the man i had struck with my fist but discovered no signs of returning consciousness in him. he was still helpless but i lashed and gagged him as i had the first man. having made sure that i had nothing to fear from these men i sprang to the rail on the top of the trunk cabin.
“mistress lucy,” i cried.
“oh, thank god, thank god,” came her voice in the darkness. “i heard the shouting, i saw the light. are you unharmed?”
“entirely,” i answered, “and i have the ship. leave the boat fast as it is and climb aboard. stay, perhaps i would better descend and help you.”
“no,” she said, “i can manage it myself.”
i leaned far over the rail and as soon as she came within reach i caught her arm and presently i had the satisfaction of lifting her up on the top of the trunk cabin by my side.
“safe now!” i cried triumphantly, resisting an overwhelming temptation to take her in my arms and shout for joy.
“what next?” she asked.
singular how she asked me that question in[342] every emergency. well, i had, as i generally had, an answer for her.
“i will get another lantern out of the cabin,” i answered, “and then we shall see.”
to leap down the companion ladder and fetch the lantern burning there was the work of a few seconds. i had forgot the dead man whom i had thrust through with my sword, but there he lay in full view. my mistress screamed faintly. i cursed myself for my forgetfulness. i had her turn her back and without more ado i picked the dead man up and hurled him overboard, praying that god might have mercy on his soul, but otherwise giving him little thought.
“here are two men,” said i, flashing the lantern over them, “they are still alive but bound and helpless. i must get the ship under way and i must depend upon you. if you will come forward with me we will make shift to hoist the jib or staysail, it is all we can do in this darkness. we will cut the cable, and as the wind is offshore and the tide beginning to ebb, we will get away from these horrible islands.”
hand in hand we ran rapidly forward. fortunately, the bowsprit still stood, even the flying[343] jib boom was in place. i overhauled the gear and the two of us hoisted the jib, my lady pulling on the halyards with me like a little man.
“now,” said i, “do you go aft and take the wheel. take the lantern with you. i will hold out the jib sheet, cast her head to port, and tell you in what direction to steer.”
she hesitated a moment, fearful at leaving me.
“there is no danger,” i said. “there were but four men on the ship, one is dead and overboard, another locked up in the forepeak beneath my feet, and two are as helpless as logs.”
“i will go,” said the girl resolutely, “although it is frightfully dark.”
“the least call will bring me to your side,” said i. “take the lantern with you. i need it not.”
i watched her walk rapidly along the deck, lantern in hand. when she reached the wheel i told her to cast off its lashings, put it amidships, and then with an axe, which i had found lying where they had left it after they had cut the wreckage of the masts away, i severed the cable. thereafter i called aft to my lady to put the helm hard astarboard. the bow of the rose[344] of devon slowly swung around, the sail filled and presently i had the satisfaction of seeing her slip through the entrance in the lagoon, past the reef and into the open sea.
i belayed the jib sheet, ran aft and took the helm. we were free. my mistress refused to go below, refused to leave my side in fact, so until daybreak we remained on deck, i steering, she seated close by. and so we sped on through the sweet summer night.
