had beautifulweather for some days, and as our spirits rose in the pure fresh air, weforgot all our former fears, and fully believed that we were going tohave a prosperous cruise.
"An event, however, soon occurred, to make us think differently. Wewere within sight of land, with the sky overhead bright and blue, andthe sea calm as a millpond, when on a sudden a tremendous squall struckthe ship, carrying away our topgallant masts, sails, and yards, andthrowing her on her beam ends. The topsails were clewed up, and the menwere sent on the yards to furl them. I was at the weather earing, onthe main-topsail-yard, when just as she was righting, a second squallstruck and hove her down again so suddenly that three of our best handswere shaken from their hold and hurled into the hissing waters under ourlee. Their loud shrieks reached our ears, but when we looked for themthey were nowhere to be seen. At that moment, I, as well as every manon board, beheld as clearly as I do you, right to windward of us, theold witch, in her skiff, skimming over the frothy waters, and pointingjeeringly at us with her bony hand.
"There was not much sea on, and as soon as we could we hove the ship to,and Captain Derick ordered a boat to be lowered to look for the men.Now I believe our crew were as brave men as any fellows of their class,but when they prepared to lower the boat, instead of flying as usual onsuch occasions, to try and be the first in her, they all hung back, andnot one of them would go. They did not like the look of the old woman,even when they were comparatively safe on the deck of the vessel, butthe idea of finding her close to them in the boat, perhaps of feelingthe touch of her staff or the gripe of her bony fingers, was toodreadful to be thought of.
"`What, you cowards, are you afraid of?' shouted the captain, in afurious rage. `Your shipmates will be drowned while you're skulkingthere--lower away the boat, or I'll shoot some of you.'
"These words had the desired effect. Three hands sprang into the boatto be lowered in her, the third mate and another were following, whenthrough the fright and carelessness of some of the people, one of thefalls was let run too soon, the boat was swamped alongside, and thethree hands were washed out of her before they could get hold ofanything to save themselves. A loud cackling peal of laughter was heardas this second catastrophe occurred, and the witch was seen whirling herstaff round on the other side of the ship.
"I thought most of the crew would have jumped overboard in their frightas they saw what she was about. The captain all the time was as cool asif nothing out of the way had happened, though his wife, who wasunfortunately on deck at the time, and saw it all, had fallen down againin a swoon from terror. He scarcely heeded her; he was intent onsomething else.
"`Lower the starboard quarter-boat,' he sang out. `I shall go in her;who'll follow me?'
"I and three hands declared our readiness, and this time more cautionbeing used, the boat was got safely into the water with us in her.
"`Take care of my wife, Mr Tanner,' cried the captain to the firstmate, as he sprang over the side; `see if you can bring her to.'
"We got clear of the ship, and with very misdoubting hearts pulled awayin the direction where we hoped to find any of our shipmates who mightstill have kept themselves afloat. By this time there was a good dealof sea running, stirred up by the violence of the squall, though not somuch as there would have been had we not been under the lee of the land.As the boat rose to the top of a wave we fancied that we could see oneof the poor fellows who had been cast off the yard struggling in thedistance, but when we got up to the spot he had disappeared. A cry froma drowning man was heard in another direction, and away we pulledtowards it, but before we could clutch the poor fellow he had sunkbeneath the waves.
"A third man was seen at a distance still striking out boldly--now herose to the top of a wave, now he sank into the trough of the sea. Wemade sure that we at least should save him. Every nerve was strained aswe bent to our oars to reach the swimmer. He saw us coming--he feltcertain of being saved; but a power greater than his or ours was hisenemy, and when we were within twenty yards of him we saw him throw uphis arms in despair, his eyeballs started from his head, and with ashriek of agony he sank beneath the foaming waves. He was the last--theothers had disappeared, and no trace of them was to be seen.
"Our search had been fruitless. Intent upon our object, we had notobserved where we were going. Now, as we looked up to search around forour other shipmates, we saw directly before us the ill-looking witch inher skiff, turning her countenance, with a malignant scowl, over hershoulder to look at us. The hideous sight seemed to drive the captainmad.
"`Give way my men, give way,' he shouted, in a voice trembling withearnestness; `give way; we'll overtake the cursed hag, and I'll punishher for haunting us in this way.'
"With a strange species of infatuation we bent to our oars as ordered,in the hopes of catching her. We might as well have attempted toovertake the whirlwind. The more we strained at our oars, the louderand more insulting became her cackling shrieks of derisive laughter.
"`You hell-born hag, stay and speak, and tell me whence you come andwhere you are going!' shouted Derick, but the witch did nothing but grinmore maliciously, and jeer and laugh the louder. Still we continued thepursuit, but we never got an inch nearer to her, though she was goingaway with her sail set, right in the wind's eye. The harder we pulledthe faster she went, and at last disappeared in a squall of thick rain,which drove down upon us. This was fortunate for us, for so mad had thecaptain become, that I believe he would have followed her till we alldropped down from fatigue, and he was not the man, in his present mood,the boldest of us dared disobey. We now looked round for the ship. Shewas nowhere to be seen.
"I cannot describe to you the feelings which took possession of ourhearts. It was the blankest despair: Derick alone seemed indifferent toour fate, and only felt enraged at not having been able to overtake thewitch. I believe we were capable of jumping overboard, or of rushing ateach other with our knives and fighting till we had stabbed each otherto death, when, as I was standing upon the thwarts to look around, I sawthe ship dead to leeward. I pointed her out to the captain and men.
"`We'll return on board then,' he answered, coolly, as if nothing hadhappened. `And mind, let none of you talk about our chase after thataccursed old hag--we shall have the people fancying next, I suppose,that the ship is doomed.'
"`Ay, ay, sir,' we answered; but though I said nothing about it, Ibelieve the men did not hold their tongues a moment after, they got downinto the fore-peak. As the sea went down after this we had littledifficulty in getting on board again. When we did so, we found that forsome time they had given us up as lost.
"Fortunately, poor Mrs Derick did not return to consciousness till justas her husband got on board, so that she was spared the misery ofbelieving him lost. He had her taken below, and sat up watching hermost tenderly till she recovered. In two days she was better, and ondeck again, but I observed a great change in her. She looked pale andanxious, and all her life and spirits were gone. I fear she began tosuspect that there was good reason for the old witch to haunt us. Theloss of six of our best hands was very serious, especially as we had noprospect of supplying their places in any port at which we were likelyto touch. On, however, we must go, and make the best of it. The windnow came ahead, and we were obliged to make tack and tack, scarcely evergetting a fair slant till we reached the latitude of Cape Horn.
"One would have supposed that we had had enough of storms and accidentsfor one voyage, but we had soon to learn that we had something more togo through. Mrs Derick had by this time become something like herselfagain, and as for the captain, though he felt more than any one, henever changed. He sang and joked as much as ever, and even sneered atthe old woman and her jolly-boat, as he called it. I cannot describewhat happened every day of the voyage, so I must merely mention the mostremarkable events. It was in the afternoon watch, when, as I wassweeping the horizon with my glass, I observed an unusual darkappearance on the water. Some said that it was a sand-bank, others anisland, some a sh
oal fish, but I saw that it was a heavy squall drivingfuriously over the hitherto smooth unruffled sea. I was not mistaken.I called Captain Derick on deck, and the hands were sent aloft to lowertopgallant yards and to furl every sail, except the fore-topsail, whichwas closely reefed. The men sprang to their duty, for they saw that nota moment was to be lost. The ship was put before the wind just in time.Down came the squall upon us, roaring, and tearing, and hissing alongthe ocean. Away we flew before it like a sea-bird on the wing. Ouronly danger was lest we should not be far enough to the south to clearthe land of the Patagonians--the renowned Cape Horn.
"Every moment the fury of the gale increased, the waves rose higher, andthe wind roared louder. Everything on deck was secured, and preventerbraces were put on the fore and fore-topsail yards to assist in securingthem. As night