CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.
THE BACHELORS AT SEA--THE IONIAN ISLANDS--RETURN TO MALTA--SAD NEWS--HOMEWARD-BOUND--HORRIBLE SUSPICIONS--THE PIRATE'S HANDIWORK--A BURNINGSHIP--TRACES OF OUR FRIENDS--THE RESCUE--THE BACHELORS BECOME BENEDICTS,AND THUS TERMINATES IN THE MOST SATISFACTORY MANNER IMAGINABLE THECRUISE OF THE "FROLIC."
It took nearly two months before Hearty recovered even partially fromhis wound; and at the end of that time, the "Frolic" being ready forsea, the surgeons insisted that to re-establish his health he must takea trip away for a few weeks in her. This proceeding became somewhatmore necessary, as the "Zebra" had been ordered off to the Levant, andhe could not well remain the guest of Mrs Mizen during CaptainRullock's absence. Among the lovely isles of Greece, then, it wasresolved we would take a cruise. Both Carstairs and Bubble joined us:the former, in his usual way, had been carrying on with Mrs Skyscraper;but the widow had been unable to hook him firmly; indeed, as Bubbleobserved, he was somewhat a big fish to haul on shore. He, on his part,also, could not tell whether the lady cared for him or not. In myopinion she did, but could not quite make up her mind to lose herliberty.
Once more we five jolly bachelors were afloat together, on our passageto Greece. Hearty was in fair spirits. The fresh air after theconfinement of a sick-room, raised them, in spite of himself; indeed,considering that he was certain of Laura's affection, and hoped in a fewmonths to be united to her, though parted from her for a brief space, hehad no reason to be melancholy. We had a fine run to the eastward.What words can describe the picturesque beauties of Corfu and theAlbanian Coast--the classic associations of Athens and the varied formsof the isles and islets scattered over the Aegean Sea! Bubble and Irevelled in them; but it must be owned that Carstairs, and even Hearty,thought more of the wild fowl and snipes and woodcocks to be shot in themarshy valleys or thyme-covered heights, than of their pictorialeffects, or classic association.
Whenever we were at sea our people kept a very sharp look-out forSandgate's polacca-brig, in the hopes that she might be cruising inthose parts. After, however, the various pranks he had played in theMediterranean, I suspected that he would have shifted the scene of hisexploits to some other part of the globe.
Greece and her islands, lovely and interesting as they are, have been sooften described by more graphic pens than mine, that I do not think myreaders would thank me for filling my pages with an account of what wesaw.
We had not much personal communication with the Ionians. What we sawand what we heard of them did not raise them especially in ourestimation. However, what could be expected of a race so long under thedominion of Venice, during the worst times of her always nefarioussystem of policy? By the Venetian system discord was fermented amongall the states subject to Turkish rule, and miscreants of all classeswho could help to effect that object were protected and supported.Crime was thus openly encouraged; the assassin who had committed tenmurders was only sent to the galleys for the same number of years; andany one speaking disrespectfully of any person high in office wasactually punished with the infliction of a like sentence. The young menof the noble families were brought up in Italy, and while they learnedall her vices, were taught to despise their native land, and to forgettheir mother-tongue. Falsehood, revenge, a foolish vanity, a love ofpolitical intrigue, were but some of their most glaring vices; justicewas openly sold; public faith was unknown; their peasants were grosslyignorant; their nobles were without honour; and their merchants weredestitute of integrity; while their priests were generally illiterateand immoral in the extreme. _Heu mihi_! a pretty picture of a people.Well, I fancy they have improved somewhat under British protection; andwhen I was among them I do not believe they were so bad as all that.Still they were in an unsatisfactory state, and a very difficult peopleto govern. They may have improved still more now; and I hope they have.
We sailed about from island to island, and visited them all in theirturn. First we went to that of the ancient Teleboans; once conquered byKing Cephalus, who gave it his name, and whose descendants for manygenerations reigned over them--so Bubble informed us; and we were not alittle interested in visiting various cyclopic remains, and among themthose of the ancient city of Cranii. The island is very rugged andmountainous; the highest mountain, that of Montagna Negra, being upwardsof three thousand feet above the level of the sea. We spent a couple ofdays also at the handsome city of Zante, the capital of the island ofthat name, famous for the longevity of its inhabitants, and itscurrants, oil, wine, and fragrant honey. Santa Maura, once known asLeucadia, was our next resort. Little cared we for its classicalrecollections, but far more interested were we in visiting the tomb ofthe gallant Clarke, who fell under the walls of its fortress, which wasattacked by the English in 1810, under General Oswald. The island isseparated from the main land by a narrow channel. There is a curiousnatural mole running out from the island, which has exactly theappearance of being the work of art. We all anticipated much pleasurein visiting Ithaca, the birth-place and patrimony of Ulysses; but whenwe got there none of us felt inclined to envy him his rugged,inhospitable-looking territory, and were not surprised that he wasanxious to get a footing in a more fruitful portion of the globe. Stillit is a very romantic and picturesque spot; and produces the vine,orange, lemon, and other fruits in abundance.
Pasco also we saw, once noted as a retreat for pirates, and Cerigo andCerigotto; and thus, having made the tour of the Septinsular republic,we sailed back to Malta, with the anticipation of a hearty welcome fromthe friends we had left behind there. How glittering white looked thehouses of the city! how blue the water, how gay the caps and sashes andjackets of the boatmen as they pulled about in their fancifully paintedboats, and came vociferating alongside as we beat up the harbour ofValetta, and dropped our anchor not far from the landing-place. We allof us hastened on shore; Hearty to see his betrothed, and I to take careof him; Carstairs to throw himself at the feet of Mrs Skyscraper;Bubble, as he himself said, to see that no one got into mischief; andPorpoise to order certain stores for the cutter. Hearty and I walked upat once to Mrs Mizen's lodgings. He knocked hurriedly at the door.Perhaps some of my readers know how a man feels under similarcircumstances--I don't.
An Italian servant appeared, a stranger. "Que vuole, signori?" heasked.
"Are Mrs or Miss Mizen at home?" inquired Hearty, in an agitated voice,not heeding the man's question. "Do you understand me? An English ladyand her daughter?"
"Oh, capisco, capisco!" answered the Italian, running away up stairs.
I thought he was going to announce our arrival; but he speedily returnedholding a letter. I saw that the address was in a lady's handwriting ashe delivered it to Hearty. Hearty opened it with a trembling hand. Hiscountenance assumed a look of blank disappointment as he read itscontents. As soon as he had glanced hurriedly through it, he began andread it over again; and then as he held it in his hand his eye stillrested on it.
"What has occurred, my dear fellow?" I asked, anxiously.
I must confess--and oh! my fair readers! don't be angry with me, an oldbachelor--I did truly suspect that it was the old story, and that thefair Laura had for some reason or other thought better of it; that shehad heard something against her intended's character, and believed it;or that Sir Lloyd Snowdon, or somebody else, whose metal was moreattractive, had stepped in and cut him out. I say these ideas glancedthrough my mind. They were very wrong and very disparaging to the sex,and most unjustifiable, and I was quite angry with myself forentertaining them, but I had seen so much that was bad in the world thatthey came in spite of me--I crave for pardon. I had also seen much thatwas good, and noble, and excellent; examples of the most devoted,self-sacrificing, all-enduring affection, and I ought at once to haveremembered those examples and balanced them against all my evilsuspicions. I did not, however, at that time; so I waited with no smallamount of anxiety for Hearty's answer.
"They are gone," he replied; "gone away to England."
Then my suspicions are corre
ct, I thought.
"It is a very sad case, I fear. Soon after we sailed, Mrs Mizenreceived notice of Tom Mizen's illness, and the next post brought outsuch alarming accounts that she and her daughter resolved at once toreturn home. A fine fast-sailing merchant-brig, the `Success,' was onthe point of sailing, so, as a journey by land through Italy and Francewould be injurious to Laura, they determined to go by her. What wastheir surprise on going on board to find the other berths occupied byMrs Seton and her daughter, and Mrs Skyscraper, who, for some businessmatters connected with property left them, had to go England. MissMizen wrote as they were on the point of sailing, and the people of thehouse took charge of the letter to deliver to me. She speaks infavourable terms of the brig and of the master, Captain Hutchins, so Itrust that they may have a good passage home. But it is disappointing.You'll not mind, my dear fellow, sailing at once to follow them? I amafraid there is no chance of catching them at Gibraltar, but if the`Frolic' behaves as well as usual, we may get to England almost as soonas they do. Not that I wish that either--I would far rather the`Success' had a speedy passage. I am certain also Carstairs will beready to start; and as for Bubble, he'll wish to do what is reasonable;so I suppose there is nothing to prevent our sailing as soon as we havegot a fresh supply of water, and a few more provisions on board."
I assured my friend that I was perfectly ready to go to sea that veryhour, if the necessary preparations for the voyage could be made; andvolunteered at once to go in search of Porpoise, to hasten what wasrequired to be done; while he himself went to his bankers, and settled afew bills he had left unpaid. On my way I encountered Carstairs, whohad received no notice of the widow's departure, and was therefore stillengaged in searching for her, as much puzzled as Hearty had at firstbeen. I never saw a fellow more taken aback than he was when Icommunicated the truth to him, and he directly became all eagerness toput to sea. What his feelings were I cannot exactly tell. I suspectthat his confidence in the durability of Mrs Skyscraper's regard forhim was not quite up to the mark of Hearty's for that of his intended.
"Why hasn't she written to me, to tell me what she was going to do, andwhy has she hurried away to England? Hang it, they are all alike, Isuppose, and delight to make fools of us poor men. Now let us go andhunt up Porpoise. Bubble said he should tend to him while I was payingmy visit to my--my--hang it, to the widow, I mean."
Poor fellow, he was sadly put out I saw. Porpoise was soon found; andwhen he heard the state of the case, he set to work as if life and deathdepended on it, in getting the cutter ready for a long voyage. He hadplenty of lieutenants in us three gentlemen; and while one went off inone direction another started away in an opposite one to order what wasrequired, and to see the orders executed, while the crew did their partwith right good will. Water and coals, and stores and provisions, weresoon alongside, and quickly hoisted on board and stowed away below.Hearty was surprised and highly gratified when he got on board and foundwhat was done.
"Where there's a will there's a way," is a very true saying; and "If youwant a thing done, go and do it yourself," is another. The Portuguesesay, "If you want a thing _go_, if you don't want a thing _send_."
That very evening, with a fair wind, we were running out of MaltaHarbour. Away glided the "Frolic" over the moonlit Mediterranean, withevery stitch of canvas she could carry set alow and aloft. We had asharp look-out kept ahead so that we might avoid running down any boat,or running into any vessel; while the three landsmen agreed to keepwatch with Porpoise and me, to add to the number of hands on deck.Porpoise prognosticated a very rapid passage home, and certainly, fromthe way we commenced it, we had reason to hope that he would not prove afallacious seer. We speedily lost sight of Malta, and its rocks andfortifications; with its scanty soil and swarthy population, and noisybells, and lazy monks, without any very great regret on our part. Wehad altogether passed a pleasant, and not unexciting time there; and I,for my part, look back to those days with fewer regrets as to the way Ispent them than I do to some passed in other places. I am somewhatinclined to moralise. I must own that often and often I wish that Icould live my early days over again, that I might employ them verydifferently to what I did. Deeply do I regret the precious timesquandered in perfect idleness, or the most puerile frivolities, if notin absolute wickedness; time which might have been spent in acquiringknowledge which would have afforded the most intense and pure delight inbenefiting my fellow-creatures; which would have assuredly afforded mehappiness and peace of mind in the consciousness that I was doing myduty. But ah! time has gone by never to be recalled; but happily it maybe redeemed while health and strength and vigour of mind remain. Oftenhave I thought to myself, "Why was I sent into the world? Why was Iendued with an intellect--with a heart to feel--a soul to meditate onthings great and glorious--with powers of mind which I am conscious arebut in embryo, and which but await separation from this frail body tocomprehend some, if not all, the great mysteries of nature! Surely Iwas not placed here merely to kill time--to amuse myself--to employ myfaculties in trifles; still less, to indulge myself in mere animalgratification. No, no; I am certain of that. I was sent here as aplace of trial--as a school where I might learn my duties--as apreparation for a higher sphere." When I understood this, the greatproblem of existence was at once solved; difficulties vanished; thewhole government of the world at once seemed right and just andreasonable; and my thoughts, feelings, tastes, and aspirations becamechanged. I was led to look upward as to the only source of happiness,and a pure and unfailing source it has ever since proved to me.
Brother yachtsmen who may glance your eye over these pages, meditateseriously on this matter. As you walk the deck on your midnight watch,looking up ever and anon into the dark sky where flit countless numbersof brilliant stars to guide you on your path across the ocean, askyourself the question, "Why was I sent into this world?" and do not besatisfied till you have found an answer, and resolved to profit by it.
I do not pretend that I thought much about this matter when I was onboard the "Frolic," yet now and again some thoughts of the sort didflash across my mind, but my companions rallied me on my seriousness andthey vanished.
But to my history: away sailed the saucy little "Frolic" over the bluewaters of the Mediterranean. We laughed and sang and chatted, much asusual, and Carstairs quoted to as good effect as in days of yore; but wefailed entirely in our long stories, for our pens had been idle, and ourimaginations were much at fault. What we might have done I do not know,had not a reality occurred which effectually put all fiction to flight.
We were about half-way between Malta and Gibraltar, a succession oflight winds having made old Snow confess that he was afraid hisprognostications of a rapid passage were not likely to be realised, whenone forenoon when I came on deck, I found Porpoise scrutinising throughhis glass an object which he had discovered on the water nearly rightahead of us.
"What is it, do you think?" I asked.
"I can't quite make out," he answered, handing me the telescope. "Itlooks to me like the hull of a dismasted ship--an ugly thing to run foulof on a dark night with a heavy gale blowing."
"You are right as to its being a ship's hull, I am pretty certain," Ianswered. "We shall be up to it soon, and that will settle thequestion."
Some of the people, however, declared that what we saw was a rock or anisland, and others that a dead whale had floated in through the Straits.As we approached, however, our opinion was found to be the correct one,and then it became a subject of discussion as to what she could be.
"She is a good-sized craft, whatever she is," observed Hearty, who hadjoined us on deck. "Is she an English or foreign vessel do you think?"
"English by her build," replied Porpoise, observing her narrowly throughthe glass; "I cannot make it out. I see no one on board. How she cameinto that state puzzles me."
"My dear fellow, have you any idea what sort of a vessel the `Success'is? Does any one on board know her?" exclaimed Hearty, suddenly turningpale, a
nd literally trembling from head to foot, as all sorts ofhorrible suspicions and fears flashed through his mind.
Inquiries were made, but no one recollected to have seen the brig inwhich our friends had taken their passage. We did our best to calmHearty's apprehensions, but under the circumstances they were verynatural, and in spite of all we could say, they rather increased thandiminished, as we approached the wreck. Carstairs shared them, but,being of a far less excitable temperament, in a much less degree;indeed, Hearty seemed to look on him as being very callous andinsensible, for not making himself as miserable as he felt.
The breeze was very light, and our progress seemed terribly slow to theimpatient feelings of our kind-hearted host. His glass was never for amoment off the wreck; indeed we were all of us constantly looking ather, in the hopes of seeing some one appear. The afternoon was drawingwell on, before we got up to her. The instant we approached her, twoboats were lowered, and Hearty and I jumped into the first, and away wepulled as fast as the men could bend to their oars--the men evidentlyentering fully into the feelings of their master. I went with him thatI might really look after him, should his worst anticipations berealised. We were soon alongside, and in an instant scrambled on board.
The masts, and rigging, and sails, hung over the side; the former intheir fall having carried away the bulwarks and smashed the boats. Isaw before we got on board, that she had lost her masts with all sailset, in some unaccountably lubberly way it seemed. The sea had washedaway some of her spare spars and the caboose, but she had apparentlyrighted directly her masts went, and there seemed no reason why sheshould have been deserted by her crew. As we pulled up under the stern,we looked out for a name painted there, but a sail hung over it, and ifthere was a name it was not perceptible. Hearty, the moment he was onboard, rushed with frantic haste along the deck, to ascertain theimportant fact, and very nearly fell overboard in his attempt to removethe sail, till others could aid him. The sail was soon dragged aside,and as we hung down over the taffrail, a large S appeared, there couldbe no doubt of it. There was the word "Success" of London. I had tohelp my friend on board again.
"What can have happened! What can have happened!" he exclaimed, as soonas he could find words to speak.
"Why, I trust that they fancied the brig in a much worse condition thanshe appears to us to be, and that they quitted her in the boats, or someother craft which was fortunately passing soon after the catastrophe."But as I spoke, our eyes fell on the shattered boats, and I recollectedthat the former hypothesis could not be correct. "They must have fallenin with some vessel," I remarked to Hearty. "The ladies were happilyconveyed on board her, but why the crew deserted the ship I cannot say."
"But where can they have gone to--what port can they have put into--whatsort of vessel can they be on board?" exclaimed Hearty, almost franticwith agitation. "It's very dreadful."
By this time the other boat had got alongside, with Carstairs, Bubble,and Porpoise in her. Together we commenced a search over the desertedvessel. The appearance of the cabin again raised our doubts as to thereason of the desertion. The ladies had evidently been at work justbefore the catastrophe. Their work-baskets were on the floor, withtheir work, in which needles were sticking; and needle-cases, thimbles,and reels of cotton, skeins of silk and worsted, and similar articles,were strewed about.
As I looked more minutely into the state of affairs, I observed thatevery thing of value had been carried off; not a silver spoon or fork,not a piece of plate of any description remained. The ladies' jewelswere all gone. This was what was to be expected, but I was also certainthat they would not leave their daily work behind. I did not increaseHearty's apprehensions by pointing this out to him. Carstairs all thetime, though he took matters in a very different way, seemed to be muchalarmed and anxious. I saw the chronometer, sextants, charts,compasses, and every thing in the captain's cabin had been carried off.The ship's log and manifest could nowhere be found, nor indeed could anyof her papers.
From the cabin we went to the hold, and there also the cargo hadevidently been disturbed, and I judged that a considerable quantity hadbeen carried away; a few bales of silk and velvet only remaining. Thiswas a very suspicious circumstance. Still, had there been time toremove any thing, the captain would of course have carried away what waslikely to be of most value. The forepeak was next searched. Theseamen's chests had been broken open, and the contents of many of themwere strewed about--why the men did not use their keys was surprising.Still, in their hurry they might not have had time to find them. Heartywent about looking into every hole, and making his observations on allhe saw. He had collected every thing belonging to the ladies astreasured relics, and had them packed and conveyed on board the"Frolic," while Carstairs took charge of all Mrs Skyscraper's property,and sighed over it with a look of despair, and we were about to quit thevessel, when one of the men declared that he heard a voice proceedingfrom the fore-hold. Forward we all went again. Certainly there was agroan. Guided by the sound, and by removing some of the cargo, wearrived at a space where lay a human being. We lifted him up, andcarried him out of the dark noisome hole, and the fresh air speedilyrevived him. At first his startled look showed that he did not knowwhat to make of us, but by degrees he recovered his senses, though hisfirst words increased our apprehensions.
"What! are you come back again? Don't murder me!--Don't murder me!" heexclaimed, with a look of terror.
"Murder you, mate! What should put that into your head?" asked one ofour men who was supporting him.
By pouring a little brandy and water down his throat, he in a short timerecovered altogether. He told us that he had been the cook of the brig.He was an old man, and almost worn out, and that this was to have beenhis last voyage.
"Well, gentlemen," he continued, "when I see a number of young ladiescome on board, and their mothers to look after them, and no parson tomake Davy Jones angered like, which he always is when any on 'em getsafloat, says I to myself, we shall have a fine run of it home, and thechances are that the `Success' will make a finer passage than she everdid before. Well, we hadn't been two days at sea before we falls inwith a polacca-brig, which speaks us quite civil like, and a man aboard,though he was rigged like a Greek, asks us in decent real English, quitecivil like, what passengers we'd got aboard. So, thinking no harm, wetold him, and he answered `that he'd keep us company, and protect us,for that to his knowledge there was a notorious pirate cruisingthereabouts, and that if he fell in with us he might do us an injury.'The captain did not seem much to like our new friend, and would ratherhave been without his company, but as he sailed two knots to our one, wecouldn't help ourselves, do ye see. For two days or more he kept closeto us, and then it fell almost to a calm, and what does he do, butquietly range up alongside with the help of some sweeps he had, andbefore we knew where we were, he had thrown some two-score or more ofcut-throats aboard of us, who knocked some of our crew down, droveothers overboard, and very soon got possession of the brig. I was illbelow, but I popped my head up to see what was happening, and when Ifound how things were going, thinks I to myself, the best thing I can dois to be quiet; if they cut my throat, they may as well do it while I'mcomfortably in bed as struggling away on deck. Instead, however, ofturning into my berth again, I thought that I'd just go and stow myselfaway in the hold under the cargo, where they wouldn't be likely to lookfor me, so there I went, and there I've been ever since. I felt theship some time afterwards thrown on her beam-ends, and thought she'd begoing down, but she very soon righted. I felt the masts shaken out ofher, but I could not tell what else had happened. I tried to get out tosee, but the cargo had shifted and jammed me in so tight that I couldn'tbreak my way out. I suppose I should have died if you hadn't come tohelp me, gentlemen."
"But can you not tell what became of the passengers and crew?" exclaimedHearty, interrupting him.
"No more than the babe unborn, sir," answered the old man; "I supposethey were all carried aboard the pirate. From wh
at I know of some ofour crew, I don't think they would have much minded joining thevillains, and several I myself saw killed and hove overboard."
This fearful information gave us still more concern than we had feltfrom what we had already discovered. There was some cause for hopebefore, now there was none. There was no doubt whatever that ourfriends had fallen into the power of the villain Miles Sandgate. Growndesperate, it was impossible to say to what extremes he might notventure to go. Still I had less apprehension for the fate of Mrs andMiss Mizen than for that of Jane Seton. It could scarcely be expectedthat he would again let her out of his power. I was offering whatconsolation I could to Hearty as well as to Carstairs on these grounds,in which I was joined by Bubble, whose heart was overflowing withcommiseration for them and those they were so deeply interested in, whenHearty suddenly exclaimed,--
"But, my dear fellow, is it not possible that the same squall whichstruck this vessel and reduced her to a wreck may have struck thepirate, and sent her and all on board to the bottom? or can you answerme that this is not possible? Still it may have preserved them from aworse fate. Oh, horrible, horrible!"
"I do not think it is probable that people so thoroughly acquainted withthese seas should not have been forewarned in time to guard against eventhe most sudden squall. There are always some indications; only thosewho do not regard them are the sufferers. Just as likely after he hadrifled the brig, Sandgate (for I doubt not that he is the culprit) mayhave put the passengers on shore somewhere or other, and made someplausible excuse for having taken them on board his vessel. I think, intruth, that for the sake of making friends at court, he is much morelikely to have treated them with perfect civility than to have venturedin any way to insult or injure them."
All the time I was trying to persuade myself that I was speaking what Ithought; but I must own that I had very serious apprehensions for theirsafety. There was no object in remaining longer on board the wreck. Toprevent any vessels running into her, for that night at all events, wesecured a large lantern with a burner full of oil to the stump of themainmast. We were very unwilling to quit her, but we could not ventureto leave anybody on board to look after her till we could despatch avessel to bring her into Gibraltar, lest before this could be done agale might spring up, and she might founder. So, taking Tom Pancake,the old man we had found, on board with us, we returned to the cutter.We forthwith held a council of war, when it was resolved to steer adirect course for Gibraltar, that we might then get vessels sent out inall directions to look for the daring pirate. I never saw any onesuffer so much as did Hearty. A few nights of the anxiety he was nowdoomed to suffer would, I feared much, not only turn his head grey, butcompletely prostrate him. Carstairs suffered a good deal, but hisregard for Mrs Skyscraper was of a very different character to the deepaffection Hearty entertained for Miss Mizen; and if he was to lose her,I suspected that he would have no great difficulty in supplying herplace as the queen of his affections. No sooner had we left theunfortunate ship, than a fresh breeze had sprung up, and before sunsetwe had run her completely out of sight. For all the first part of thenight the breeze lasted, and we made good way on our course forGibraltar. For a long time poor Hearty would not turn in; but at last Ipersuaded him to lie down and take some of that rest which he so muchrequired. I also went below, but I was restless, and just as the middlewatch was set, I returned on deck. Porpoise and Bubble were there. Ifound them watching a bright glare which appeared in the sky. Iconsidered a moment our whereabouts.
"That must be from a ship on fire," I exclaimed.
"There is no doubt about it," replied Porpoise. "She has been blazingaway for the last hour or more, I fear, for all that time I haveobserved that ruddy glow in the sky. I hope we may be in time to rendersome assistance to the unfortunate crew."
The wind freshened even still more as we advanced towards the burningship, but not enough for our impatience. Hearty and Carstairs werecalled, and when they came on deck they exhibited equal eagerness withthe rest of us; indeed, Hearty seemed for a time almost to forget hisown anxiety in his zeal in the cause of humanity. Surely we seldom knoweven our most intimate friends without seeing them tried under a varietyof circumstances. Sometimes I must own that I have been sadlydisappointed in them; at other times I have been as agreeably surprisedby the exhibition of self-denial, courage, warmth of heart, andjudgment, which I did not believe to exist in them. Such was the casewith my friend Hearty.
We got the boats ready to lower the instant we should be close enough tothe vessel. The interval which elapsed before we drew up to her was oneof great anxiety. All sorts of ideas and fears crossed our minds, andat all events we felt that many of our fellow-creatures might beperishing for want of our assistance. Through our glasses, as we drewon, we discovered that the greater part of the vessel was enveloped inflames; the poop alone was not entirely consumed, though the devouringelement had made such progress that the people were already seeking fora momentary safety by hanging on to the taffrail quarters.
"Stand by to shorten sail!" sang out Porpoise.
The square-sail and gaff and square-topsail were taken in, and theforesail being hauled up to windward, and the jib-sheets let fly, thecutter was hove-to and a boat instantly lowered. As before, Hearty andI went in her, while the other gig immediately followed us.
Our appearance took the poor wretches by surprise, as from the darknessof night our approach had not been perceived. They raised a cry toimplore us to hasten to their assistance. Our men shouted in return.They needed no cry to urge them to exertion. By the bright glare of theflames we saw that the men clinging to the wreck were by their costumeGreeks, while the hull itself had a foreign appearance. The vessel wasa brig, we observed. The foremast had already fallen, the flames weretwisting and twining in serpentine forms along the yards and up to thevery maintop-gallant masthead. Some, as I said, were still clinging tothe wreck, others had leaped overboard, and were hanging on to spars andoars and gratings, and a few were in a boat floating near the vessel;but she appeared to be stove in, and to have no oars or other means ofprogression.
With all these people, blinded with terror and eager to save theirlives, it was necessary to use much precaution to prevent ourselves frombeing swamped by too many leaping on board at a time. The first thingwas to rescue those who were in the most imminent danger of beingburned. While we pulled under the stern, and as the people dropped intothe water picked them up, the other boat hauled those on board who werealready floating, and seemed most to require help. We had got most ofthe people off the burning wreck, but two still hung on to the burningtaffrail, and seemed unwilling to trust themselves in the sea.
"Never fear, jump, jump, my lads!" sung out our men; then turning to theGreeks whom they had saved, added, "Tell them to jump in your own lingo;they don't understand us."
The Greeks said something about "Inglesi," but I did not understand whatthey meant. At last, however, the flames rushing out from the sternports and along the deck, gave them no alternative, and they had tothrow themselves into the water, whence we quickly picked them out, andwith a boat loaded almost to sinking, returned on board the cutter. Iwas especially struck by the appearance of the two men last saved.Certainly they were much more like Englishmen than Greeks. No sooner,however, did the old man we had saved from the "Success" see them thanhe exclaimed, "What mates! is that you? How did you get aboard there?Why, as I live, that craft must be the Greek pirate which plundered us,and carried off the ladies."
The worst suspicions which had been floating through my mind wereconfirmed by these remarks. Poor Hearty seemed thunderstruck.Carstairs had not yet returned. The men could not deny their identity,and they instantly began to offer excuses for having been on board theGreek.
"Never mind that!" exclaimed Hearty. "Tell me, my men, where are theladies? what has become of them? Help us to find them, and all will beoverlooked. They could not have been left to perish on board theburning vessel."
"We
can't say much about it, sir," answered one of the men, who seemedto be the most intelligent. "We were forward when the fire broke out,and it was with great difficulty that we managed to crawl aft. When wegot there we found that a raft had been built and lowered into thewater, and that the boats had been got out, and that several people werein them. Some got away, and we don't know where they went, but we towedtwo of them after us. One was swamped and went down, and the other, asyou saw, was stove in. What became of the other two we don't know; webelieve that the ladies were in them, but we can't say for certain; allwe know is, that we did not see them on the deck, or in either of theother two boats, when we got aft; still we believe that nearly half thepeople on board, in one way or another, have been lost."
Then, supposing the seaman spoke the truth, there was still hope; buthow dreadful at the best must be the condition of our friends, exposedin open boats with the most lawless of companions! While we were stillexamining the men, Carstairs and the rest returned on board. He hadalso with him one of the crew of the "Success," who, on being examined,corroborated the statement of the other two. The character of the menwhose lives we had preserved was now clear; but, wretches as they were,and deserving of the heaviest punishment, we could not have avoidedsaving them from drowning, even had we known the worst at first.Scarcely were they all on board before every portion of the burningvessel was enveloped in flames. Porpoise all the time was fortunatelynot forgetful of the safety of the cutter, and, having let draw theforesail, we had been standing away from her. Suddenly there was afiercer blaze than before--a loud, deafening report was heard, theremaining mast and deck lifted, the former shooting up into the air likea sky-rocket surrounded by burning brands, and then down again came thewhole fiery mass, covering us, even at the distance we were, withburning fragments of wreck, and then all was darkness, and not a remnantof the polacca-brig remained together above water. After the characterwe had heard of the rescued crew, without giving them any warning, wesuddenly seized them, and, lashing their arms behind them and their legstogether, made them sit down in a row under the bulwarks. They seemedto be very much surprised at the treatment, but we did not understandtheir expostulations, and should not have listened to them if we had.We, however, served out provisions to them, and they very soon seemedreconciled to their fate. The three English seamen vowed that they hadbeen kept on board the brig by force, and, as we would fain havebelieved this is to be the case, we did not treat them as prisoners,though we kept a very sharp eye on their movements; so, especially, didold Pancake, who appeared to have no little dread lest they should playhim some scurvy trick in return for his having betrayed them.
These arrangements were very quickly made. The most importantconsideration, however, was the best method to pursue in order todiscover what had become of the raft reported to have been made, and themissing boat. Unless by those who have been placed in a similarsituation, the nervous anxiety and excitement which almost overcameevery one of us would be difficult to be conceived. Hearty thought ofsending the boats away to range in circles round the spot, in the chanceof falling in with the raft or boat; but Porpoise overruled thisproposal by assuring him that the raft could only have gone to leeward,and that the boat probably would be found in the same direction.Keeping, therefore, a bright lookout, with a light at our masthead, wekept tacking backwards and forwards so as to sweep over every foot ofthe ground to leeward of the spot where the fire first burst out. Wehad hinted to the English seamen taken from the pirate that their futureprospects depended very much on the success which might attend oursearch. They accordingly gave us all the information and assistance intheir power, by showing us how the pirate had steered from the momentthe fire was discovered, and how far she had gone after her captain hadplaced the ladies on the raft. Nothing could we discover during thenight. Hearty was in despair; so was Carstairs; only he was ratherinclined to be savage than pathetic in his misery. Daylight came; asthe dawn drew on nothing could be seen but the clear grey watersurrounding us. Then, just as we had gone about and were standing oncemore to the westward, the sun rose from his ocean bed, his beamsglancing on a small object seen far away on our port bow.
"Huzza! huzza!" shouted Bubble, who was the first to bring his glass tobear on it. "Some people on a raft! There is no doubt on the subject.White dresses, too! It may be the ladies! It must be! Oh, it can't beotherwise! Keep up your spirits, Hearty, my dear fellow; all will gowell! It will, Carstairs, I tell you! Don't be cast down any more! Ithink I see them waving!"
Thus the worthy Bubble ran on, giving way to the exuberance of hisfeelings and sympathy for his friends. Every yard of canvas the cuttercould carry was pressed on her, and each moment rapidly decreased ourdistance from the raft; for that a raft it was, or a piece of a wreck,there could be no doubt. Our telescopes were kept unchangeably fixed onit. It was with no little apprehension, however, as we drew nearer,that I perceived that there were but three persons on it. One wasstanding up; the other two were seated on benches, or chests, orsomething of the same size, secured to the raft. The figure standing upwas that of a man in the Greek costume; the other two were females. Ihad little doubt in my own mind who they were. As we got still nearer Ifancied that, under the Greek cap, I could distinguish the features ofMiles Sandgate. The features of the ladies were more difficult to makeout, but I heard Hearty exclaim, "Yes, it is her--it is her!" meaningMiss Mizen; and I felt sure he was right. But who was the other person?The figure was not like that of either Mrs Mizen or Mrs Seton, butwhether it was Jane Seton or Mrs Skyscraper was the question. PoorCarstairs, he must have felt that, in all probability, it was MissSeton. What would Sandgate do when he found himself thus completelybrought to bay? It was a serious question, for he had the two ladiesentirely in his power, and, had he chosen, might, holding them ashostages, make any terms with us he pleased. I saw him watching theapproaching cutter. He must have recognised her as soon as she hove insight. Yet he did not quail, but stood up boldly confronting us. Thenhe seemed to be addressing one of the ladies. I looked again; I wascertain she was Jane Seton; and I clearly recognised Miss Mizen. Janehad given her hand to Laura. The pirate seemed to be urging her tofulfil some request; he half knelt before her with uplifted hands; thenhe sprang up, with a look of bitter reproach. By this time the cutterwas close up to the raft, and a boat was on the point of being lowered.Again, with an imploring gesture, the pirate urged his suit. Miss Setonshook her head. He seized her hand. She struggled violently. Itappeared that, in his rage, he was about to drag her into the water. Hewould have succeeded, had not Miss Mizen held her hand and drawn herback.
Hearty and Bubble were in the boat pulling rapidly to the raft. Thepirate let go Miss Seton's hand, and drew himself up to his full height;he seemed to be uttering some strong reproaches. The bows of the boatwere almost touching the raft, the oars were thrown in. At that momentthe pirate, uttering a fearful cry (and if ever I heard the cry of amadman that was one), turned round, and plunged headlong into the water.Down, down, he sank! Scarcely an eddy marked where he had sprung in,with such determination had he endeavoured to reach the bottom. Iwatched for him, but he never rose again. Such was the dreadful end ofMiles Sandgate. The next moment Hearty was on the raft, and had claspedLaura Mizen in his arms, while Miss Seton was borne fainting into theboat by Bubble. They were quickly conveyed on board, while the raft andits freight were allowed to go adrift. The two young ladies wereimmediately carried to the cabin, where Laura rapidly described toHearty all that had occurred. Poor Miss Seton, however, required theirwhole attention, and for the moment drew them off from all thoughtsabout themselves. Not that Miss Mizen for a moment forgot her motherand her other companions, and it was a relief to us all to find that shehad seen them placed in the first boat which had left the vessel justbefore they had been carried by Sandgate to the raft. He intended, itseemed, to have taken possession of one of the other boats, and when shewas swamped he managed to get on the raft, and clear away fro
m theburning vessel before any one else reached it, while he left the rest ofhis companions in crime to perish without an attempt to afford them aid.The general opinion was that the boat would be steered to thesouthward, for the purpose of making the Moorish coast, where thepirates fancied that they might find protection.
"The chances are that they will all get murdered if they reach it,"observed Porpoise; "but we must try and catch them up before they getthere."
Fortunately we had the whole day before us. All sail was again made onthe cutter; the sun rose high in the heavens; tolerably hot came downits beams on our heads. At noon a meridional observation was taken, andjust as we were shutting up our sextants, Bubble, who was keeping asharp lookout on every side, sang out that he saw a speck on the wateralmost ahead of us. I went immediately with my glass aloft. Afterwaiting a little time I made out distinctly that the speck was a boat.As we drew on we made out that the boat was strongly manned, and thatthe people in her were doing their utmost to keep ahead of us. Theycould not have known what the "Frolic" was made of to suppose that theyhad a chance of escaping. The breeze freshened. Hard as they werepulling, hand over hand we came up with them. There were women in theboat, or we should have sent a shot after her to stop her way; we ran agun out to frighten them. On we stood; the women in the boat now firstobserved us.
"Oh, help us! help us! help us!" they shrieked out.
We required no summoning, however. There were three ladies, we saw, thenumber we expected to find. We soon ran up alongside the boat, thoughit required nice steering not to sink her. Our earnest hopes and wisheswere realised. In the stern-sheets sat Mrs Mizen and Mrs Seton, and,to the very great relief of poor Carstairs, the fair Mrs Skyscraper.The pirates saw that they had not a prospect of escape, so they threw intheir oars, and quietly allowed us to get alongside them, and to hook ontheir boat to us. I need not describe the joy of the two mothers atfinding their daughters safe, or that of the daughters at seeing theirmothers; nor will I do more than touch on the effect which the risk shehad endured, and the satisfaction Carstairs displayed at having herrestored to him, worked on the heart of the widow.
We very soon got to Gibraltar, where we at once landed our verytroublesome prisoners. Mrs Mizen had written to England to desire thatletters might be sent to meet her there. In a day or so they arrived,and they gave so favourable an account of her son's health that as therewas no necessity for her hurrying home, she was able to wait till wewere at liberty to accompany her, having given our evidence against thepirates. Several of them suffered, as the papers say, the extremepenalty of the law, and it was certainly a pity, for the sake ofjustice, that Miles Sandgate had not been alive to keep them company.At length we all reached England, and not long afterwards I had thesatisfaction of seeing my friend Edward Hearty united to Miss LauraMizen, and the next week was called away to act as best-man to CaptainCarstairs on his marriage with the fair relict of the late LieutenantSkyscraper, of the Rifle Brigade.
Poor Miss Seton suffered much from the severe trial she had gonethrough. It was, I rejoice to say, not without good effects, and I hadthe opportunity of observing a great improvement in her character. Someyears passed by, during which she remained single, but on the death ofher mother she became the wife of Sir Lloyd Snowdon; and, livingconstantly on his estate in Wales, proved a blessing to her family, andto the poorer inhabitants of the surrounding district. May all thetrials any of us have to endure have a like good effect; for we maydepend on it for that purpose are they sent.
I am happy to say that, notwithstanding old Snow's prognostication,Hearty's yacht was not sold, and that many a pleasant summer cruise didI afterwards take with him on board the "Frolic."
THE END.
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