CHAPTER FORTY ONE.
The night was now coming on; the rolling waves changed from the yellowtinge given by the sand to green, and then to purple: at last all wasblack except the white foaming breakers.
Exhausted with fatigue, it had not been dark more than two hours, when Ifelt an irresistible desire to sleep, and I have no doubt that I didslumber in this position, half in and half out of the water, for sometime; for when I was roused up by losing my balance, I looked above andperceived that the sky was clear, and the stars shining brightly. Ithen looked around me, and it was evident that the water was not soagitated as it had been; the wind too had subsided; its roaring hadceased, although it still whistled strong.
"Cross!" said I.
"Here I am, Captain Keene, close under your lee."
"The gale is broke; we shall have fair weather before the morning."
"Yes, sir; I have thought so some time."
"Thank God for His mercy; we must trust that He will not leave us hereto perish miserably."
"No, I hope not," replied Cross; "let us trust in Him, but I confess Isee but little chance."
"So have many others, yet they have been saved, Cross."
"Very true, sir," replied he: "I wish it was daylight."
We had, however, three or four hours to wait; but during that time thewind gradually subsided, and then went down to a light and fitfulbreeze. At dawn of day the mast rose and fell with the swell of thesea, which still heaved after the late commotion, but without any run inany particular direction, for it was now calm. I had been sitting onthe mast with my back against the futtock-shrouds; I now rose up withdifficulty, for I was sorely bruised, and stood upon the mast clear fromthe water, to look around me. About thirty yards from us was the wreckof the foremast with many men clinging to it. The mizen-mast had brokenadrift. The fore part of the frigate was several feet above water, andthe bowsprit steeved in the air; of the after part there were but threeor four broken timbers to be seen clear of the water, so deep had itbeen buried in the sand.
Cross had risen on his feet, and was standing by me, when we were hailedfrom the wreck of the fore-mast, "Main-mast, ahoy!"
"Halloo!" replied Cross.
"Have you got the captain on board?"
"Yes," replied Bob; "all alive and hearty;" a faint huzzah which was thereturn, affected me sensibly. That my men should think of me when insuch a position was soothing to my feelings; but as I looked at them onthe other mast and those around me, and calculated that there could notbe more than forty men left out of such a noble ship's company, I couldhave wept. But it was time for action: "Cross," said I, "now that it iscalm, I think we shall be better on the fore part of the frigate thanhere, half in and half out of water. The forecastle is still remaining,and the weather bulwarks will shelter the men; besides if any vesselsshould come in sight, we should more easily be able to make signals andto attract their attention."
"Very true, sir," replied Cross; "and as there are many men here whocannot hold on much longer, we must try if we cannot haul them on board.Do you feel strong enough to swim to the wreck?"
"Yes, quite, Cross."
"Then we'll start together, sir, and see how matters are."
I dropped into the sea, followed by Cross; and as the distance from uswas not forty yards, we soon gained the wreck of the fore part of thefrigate; the lee gunnel was just above the water; we clambered over it,and found the deck still whole; the weather portion as white as snow,and quite dry: we gained the weather bulwarks, and looked in the offingin case there should be any vessel, but we could see nothing.
"Now, sir, we had better hail, and tell all those who can swim to cometo us."
We did so, and six men from the main-mast and nine from the fore-mastsoon joined us.
"Now, my lads," said I, "we must look after those who cannot get here,and try to save them. Get all the ends of ropes from the belaying pins,bend them on one to another, and then we will return and make the menfast, and you shall haul them on board."
This was soon done; Cross and I took the end in our hands, and swam backto the main-mast. One of the top-men, with a broken, arm was the firstthat was made fast, and, when the signal was given, hauled through thewater to the wreck; six or seven more followed in succession. Two menswam back every time with the rope and accompanied those who were hauledon board, that they might not sink. There were many more hanging todifferent parts of the main-mast, but on examination they were found tobe quite dead. We sent on board all that showed any symptoms of life,and then we swam to the fore-mast, and assisted those who were hangingto it. In about two hours our task was completed, and we musteredtwenty-six men on the wreck.
We were glad to shelter ourselves under the bulwark, where we all layhuddled up together; before noon, most of the poor fellows had forgottentheir sufferings in a sound sleep. Cross, I, and the man with thebroken arm, were the only three awake; the latter was in too much painto find repose, and, moreover, suffered from extreme thirst.
A breeze now sprang up from the southward, which cheered our spirits, aswithout wind there was little chance of receiving any assistance. Nightagain came on, and the men still slept. Cross and I laid down, and wereglad to follow their example: the night was cold, and when we lay downwe did not yet feel much from hunger or thirst; but when the morningdawned we woke in suffering, not from hunger, but from thirst.Everybody cried out for water. I told the men that talking would onlymake them feel it more, and advised them to put their shirt sleeves intheir mouths, and suck them; and then I climbed upon the bulwarks to seeif there was anything in sight. I knew that the greatest chance wasthat the cutter would be looking after us; but, at the same time, it wasnot yet likely that she would come so near to the sands.
I had been an hour on the gunnel, when Cross came up to me. "It'sbanking up, sir to the southward: I hope we are not going to have anymore bad weather."
"I have no fear of a gale, although we may have thick weather," repliedI; "that would be almost as bad for us, as we should perish on the wreckbefore we are discovered."
"I am going to lower myself down into the galley, Captain Keene, to seeif I can find anything."
"I fear you will not be successful," replied I, "for the coppers andranges are all carried away."
"I know that, sir; but I have been thinking of the cook's closet we hadbuilt up above the bowsprit. I know that he used to stow away manythings there, and perhaps there may be something. I believe theshortest way will be to go to leeward, and swim round to it."
Cross then left me, and I continued to look out. About an hourafterwards he returned, and told me that he had easily opened it withhis knife, and had found eight or nine pounds of raw potatoes, and abucketful of slush. "We are not hungry enough to eat this now, sir; butthere is enough to keep the life in us all for three or four days atleast; that is, if we could get water, and I expect we shall feel thewant of that dreadfully in a short time. I would give a great deal if Icould only find a drop to give that poor fellow Anderson, with hisbroken arm; it is terribly swelled, and he must suffer very much."
"Did you find anything in the closet to put water into, Cross; in casewe should get any?"
"Yes; there's two or three kids, and some small breakers, CaptainKeene."
"Well, then, you had better get them ready; for those clouds rise sofast, that we may have rain before morning, and if so, we must not losethe chance."
"Why, it does look like rain, sir," replied Cross. "I'll take one ortwo of the men with me, to assist in getting them up."
I watched the horizon till night again set in. We were all very faintand distressed for water, and the cool of the evening somewhat relievedus; the breeze, too, was fresh. The men had remained quietly in theshade as I had advised them; but, although patient, they evidentlysuffered much. Once more we all attempted to forget ourselves inrepose. I was soundly asleep, when I was woke up by Cross.
"Captain Keene, it is raining, and it will soon rain much harder; now,i
f you will order the men, they will soon collect water enough."
"Call them up immediately, Cross; we must not lose this providentialsuccour. It may save all our lives."
The men were soon on the alert: the rain came down in a steady shower;and as soon as they were wet through, they took off their shirts, anddabbling them into the water as it ran down to leeward, squeezed it outinto their mouths, until their wants were satisfied, and then, under thedirection of Cross, commenced filling the three breakers and four tubswhich had been brought up. They had time to fill them, and to spare,for the rain continued till the morning. The tubs and breakers weresecurely slung under the fore-bitts for future use, and they thencontinued to drink till they could drink no more.