CHAPTER III
ABANDONED
Hastily assuring the helpless Mr. McKay that they would soon return andtell him how things really stood, the three lads rushed on deck.
It needed no seaman's instinct to tell that the _San Martin_ wasdoomed. Scudding before the lessening gale, she had been lifted on thecrest of a huge roller and dropped fairly on the rocks. Her forwardpart, trembling under the tremendous blows of the waves, was hard andfast aground, while her after part, lifting to the heave of the ocean,assisted, like a gigantic lever, in the destruction of her bows.
Above the roar of the waves, the howling of the wind, and theshattering of iron plates, arose the frantic shouts of the crew.
Already demoralised by their trying experiences in the gale, the lastvestiges of discipline had vanished. In the darkness, for now nofavouring lightning flash came to throw a light upon the scene, thePeruvian crew rushed madly for the boats, fighting, cursing,entreating, and imploring the saints.
For'ard a succession of rapid cracks, as the trysail, having burst itssheets, was flogging itself to ribbons, added to the din, till theforemast, buckling close to the deck, crashed over the side.
"Come on," shouted Andy, and even then his voice sounded faint in themidst of the terrifying uproar, "let's get the pater on deck."
Ellerton shook his head.
"Better stop where he is. What chance do you think these fellows willhave?" and he pointed to the struggling mass of frenzied seamen as theyclambered into the boats.
Already the cutter, still in the davits, was crowded, the men strivingto swing her clear with oars and stretchers, while others werescrambling up the boat ladders.
Round swung the foremost davit. The men who had already climbed intoher began to lower away the boat-falls. A sudden lurch sent thecutter, already at a dangerous angle, crashing into the ship's side.The lower block of the foremost fall became disentangled, and, amidst achorus of shrieks, the boat swung stern in the air, shooting its humanfreight into the surging waters.
The next instant a huge wave dashed the swaying cutter into matchwood,the wind drowning the death shouts of a score of hapless victims.
Heedless of the fate of their comrades, the remainder of the crew madea headlong rush for one of the quarter boats. Being more to lee'ard,for the _San Martin_ had struck with the wind on her starboard quarter,this boat seemed to stand little chance.
Ellerton could hear the captain's voice, urging the men to swing theboat clear. The apprentice sprang towards the falls.
"You are not going to throw away your life, are you?" shouted Andy,grasping him by the shoulder.
"No; but I'm going to give those fellows a chance. Stand by that rope,take a turn round that cleat, and lower when I give the word."
The last of the Peruvian seamen had scrambled into the boat. Not oneof these cared who was left; all that they knew was that a few remainedto man the falls, but in the darkness they were unaware that it was theBritish lads who stayed to help them.
"Lower!" yelled Ellerton.
Swiftly the ropes ran through the blocks. The crest of a wave receivedthe frail boat, and, more by luck than by good management, the seamencontrived to disengage the falls. Then the oars splashed, and the nextinstant the boat was lost to sight in the darkness.
For a brief instant the chums stood in silence, grasping one of the nowburdenless davits. They were alone--a crippled man, three lads, and anative boy--upon an abandoned vessel that threatened every moment topart amidships.
Where they were they had no possible knowledge. The ship was aground,but whether on an isolated rock, or, what was more than likely, uponthe edge of an encircling reef, they knew not. They must wait tilldaylight--if they were fated to see the dawn of another day--but theywere determined that the anxious period of waiting should not be passedin idleness.
Returning to the cabin where Mr. McKay was lying in suspense, awaitingnews of their hazardous position, the lads briefly explained what hadhappened during their absence on deck.
"We must hope for the best," observed the invalid. "And, after that,we stand a better chance than those in the boat. Even if those poorfellows escape being dashed to death upon a rock-bound shore, or beingengulfed in the waves, they'll have a terrible time. No water orprovisions, no compass--a thousand tortures before they reach land orare picked up by a passing craft."
"I think the seas are getting less heavy," said Andy. "Is it becausethe tide is falling?"
"The tide may have something to do with it," replied Mr. McKay; "thoughthe rise and fall is barely four feet."
"Our stern seems to be settling," said Ellerton. "The ship doesn'tappear quite so lively."
"That may be because the water is pouring into the after-hold,"remarked Andy.
"In that case the vessel is settling on the bottom; otherwise she wouldsink. That's another point in our favour, and it often happens thatthere is deep water close to the reef," said the apprentice. "Butlet's to work. Terence, you know where the steward's pantry is. Takea lamp and fetch up as much stuff as you can carry. Andy, will youplease take Quexo with you and bring up a couple of barricoes of water?"
While they were thus engaged, Ellerton collected five lifebelts, one ofwhich he proceeded to fasten round Mr. McKay's body.
"We may want them, sir; but, on the other hand, we may not. In anycase, if there is an island under our lee we had better wear these,especially if we have to land through the surf."
"I fancy I shall have some difficulty in getting through the surf,"replied Mr. McKay with a grim smile.
"Never fear, sir; we'll pull you through," was the determined assurance.
Presently Andy and the mulatto returned, having found and secured asupply of the precious fluid.
"The fore-hold and the engine-room are flooded," reported the former,"and I think there's a hole on the starboard quarter. But I believethere's some of the crew up for'ard--I heard them groaning."
"Let's go and see," replied Ellerton, buckling on a lifebelt andpicking up a lantern.
"Be careful, lads," cautioned Mr. McKay.
"Trust us," answered Andy, likewise putting on a belt. "We need notwait for Terence."
"Why, it's not half so rough," he continued as they gained the deck,which had settled to a list of less than ten degrees, and no longerlifted as the rollers swept past. "See, very few of the waves breakover the ship."
"It's a bad job those cowardly beggars pushed off," replied Ellerton."They would have done better to have waited. But listen!"
Above the moaning of the wind came the unmistakable sound of a groan.
"It's down there," exclaimed Andy, pointing to a battened-down hatchway.
"There's no harm in opening it now," replied his companion, casting offthe lashings and unbolting the heavy iron slide. "Now, then, down yougo."
Andy, holding the lantern well behind his head, slowly descended, butat two steps from the bottom of the ladder his feet encountered water.At the same time a deafening bellow echoed in the confined space.
"Great snakes!" he exclaimed, "it's an ox!"
"Poor brute, it's nearly drowned, and half starved into the bargain.And here is a pen full of sheep. I wonder where they keep the fodder?"
"Here's some pressed hay," announced Andy after a short examination."And I don't think the salt water has touched it."
"Throw some down in that corner," continued his companion, pointing toa part of the flat that the sea, by reason of the ship's list, had notreached. "We'll let the brutes loose; they can't do much damage."
"Now set to, lads," exclaimed Mr. McKay, when they returned to thesaloon, and found Terence with a regular store of provisions--the lootof the steward's pantry. "Make a good meal, for our future movementsare uncertain."
"It will be light in another hour," remarked Andy.
"And the sea's going down," chimed in the apprentice.
"And our spirits are rising," added Terence.
"You speak for yourself,
Terry, my boy," replied Andy, laughing. "Yourspirits were low enough a few days ago."
All hands set to with a will, for even Quexo had recovered his formerappetite.
"This storm has lasted longer than usual," remarked Mr. McKay. "It wasof more than ordinary severity. Still, I've known similar instances,and within three hours of the height of the hurricane the wind has diedaway to a flat calm."
"Then we shall be able to take to the boat almost immediately afterdaylight."
"Is there one left?"
"Two. I think one is stove in, but the other seems sound."
"A long voyage in an open boat on the ocean is no light matter,"replied Mr. McKay. "If we were in the latitude of the Trades the taskwould be easier; but here we are, I imagine, in a zone of calmsalternating with violent hurricanes. The best thing we can do is toland on the island--if we are near one, as I firmly believe is thecase--and bring ashore as many of the ship's stores as we can. Then,if not sighted by any passing craft, we can set to work and deck in oneof the boats, provision her, and shape a course for the nearest tradingstation. By the time the boat is ready I trust I shall be firmer on myfeet."
"Do you hear that, Quexo?" asked Andy. "You may be ashore in a fewhours."
Quexo grinned approvingly. He had had enough of the sea.
"Don't build up his hopes too high," continued Mr. McKay. "Even if theweather continues fine, it may be days before we can effect a landing."
"Why?"
"Because after these hurricanes, although the open sea is comparativelycalm, a heavy ground swell sets in on shore. A boat would certainly becapsized, unless there happens to be a shelter formed by a barrier reefof coral. But now, up on deck. It will be daylight in less than tenminutes."
Eagerly the lads ran up the companion, and what a sight met their gazeas the tropical day quickly mastered the long hours of darkness!
The _San Martin_ lay on the outer edge of a long, level reef of coral,against which the surf still hammered, throwing up clouds of whitespray.
Less than fifty yards from the port quarter was a gap in the barrier,giving entrance to the lagoon. The doomed ship had missed the openingby half her own length.
She lay with her bows pointed diagonally towards the reef. Her funneland foremast had gone by the board, while she showed unmistakable signsof breaking in two, for her bow and stern had "sagged" till amidshipsher port side was flush with the water, while, correspondingly, herstarboard side, owing to the ship's list, was but five feet higher.
But it was neither the ship nor the reef that attracted the castaways'attention. Barely a quarter of a mile away was an island, rugged andprecipitous, the highest point towering a thousand feet above the levelof the ocean.
In several places the ground sloped towards the sea, the valley beingthickly covered with luxuriant foliage, while for a distance of nearlya mile was a strand of dazzling whiteness, upon which the shelteredwaters of the lagoon lapped as gently as the ripples of a mill pond ina summer's breeze. Elsewhere, so far as could be seen, the rocks rosesheer from the sea.
"Any sign of the boat?" asked Andy.
"No; but I'll get a glass," replied Ellerton, and swarming up thestanchion of the bridge--for the ladder had been swept away--he gainedthe chart-house.
From his elevated position he swept the shore with the telescope, butno trace of the boat was to be seen. Neither, so far as he couldjudge, was the island inhabited.
On rejoining his comrades, the young apprentice next directed hisattention to the two remaining boats. One, a gig, was, as he hadsurmised, stove in, three of the planks being shattered. For the timebeing she was useless, though, he reflected, she might be patched up atsome future date.
The other, a 23-ft. cutter, was still secured to the boat-booms, andwas practically uninjured. Her size and weight would, he knew, be asevere drawback when the time came to hoist her outboard.
"I vote we bring your pater up on deck, Andy," said he. "We must havehim out of the saloon sooner or later. The sooner the better, I think,because he can, if we place him on a pile of cushions close to thebreak of the poop, direct operations."
It was a long and tedious task. Mr. McKay was no featherweight, andhis injured limb had to be carefully handled. Moreover, the companionladder was steep and narrow.
At length Ellerton solved the difficulty by procuring one of the men'smess tables, nailing a strut to one end, against which the victimsteadied himself by his sound leg while he was stretched at full lengthon the board. On this improvised sleigh four pairs of strong armsdragged the patient up the steep stairway and on to the poop deck.
"What do you think of that, sir?" asked Ellerton, pointing to theisland of refuge. "Isn't it superb?"
"It is," assented Mr. McKay. "I hope we'll find it so, for we willhave to throw ourselves upon its hospitality for a few weeks."
"Do you know its name, sir?" continued the apprentice.
"No; has it one?" was the astonished reply.
"The Nameless Island," announced Ellerton. "Now, lads, three cheersfor the Nameless Island!"