Charley Laurel: A Story of Adventure by Sea and Land

  CHAPTER FIVE.

  AT DEATH'S DOOR.

  "How many years have we been here, Dick?" asked Charley. "It seems tome a great many, for I was a very little fellow when you first tookcharge of me, and now I am a strong big chap."

  "Bring me the bundle of sticks and I will tell you," said Dick; "for Ihave not thought of reckoning lately, though I have kept the score ascarefully as at first." Charley went and brought several sticks tiedtogether and notched all over. Dick examined them.

  "It's three years to-day, according to my reckoning, since we were puton shore. To my mind we ought to thank God, who has taken such care ofus all this time. I should not mind, however, getting away soon, foryour sake. It's time you should be having some book-learning. I don'twant you to grow into a poor ignorant fellow like me."

  "You are not ignorant, Dick," said Charley. "You taught me all I know,and I have no greater fancy for books than you have."

  "But, Charley, I have another reason for wishing to get away," saidDick. "You see our clothes are pretty nearly worn out, and I have onlystuff enough to make one more suit for you and one for myself, and youwill grow out of yours pretty fast, as you have done the others. Thenwe may not always find provisions as plentiful as we have generally upto this time; birds don't come to the island as they did once, and Ifancy that even the fish don't bite as freely along shore as they usedto do. I have been thinking of building a larger boat, so that we maygo farther off. That wreck which drove on the reef six months ago hasgiven us plenty of stuff for timbers and planking, as well as canvas forsails, and now you are big enough to help me, I shall get on faster thanwhen I built the small one."

  Charley replied that he should be glad to do whatever Dick wished, andwould try to learn carpentering. Dick accordingly set to work to builda large boat. The undertaking was, however, more difficult than he hadexpected, and at last he had to abandon his design, and, instead, to tryand enlarge the little punt, or the coracle rather, which he hadconstructed some time before.

  The two carpenters laboured away every day, when not engaged in shootingor fishing, or otherwise providing for their support.

  Dick had husbanded his ammunition, but even that was coming to an end,and though eggs were still to be found, he could not hope longer toshoot many birds, which had become wilder in consequence of hearing thereport of his gun.

  Among the treasures sent on shore by the pirates was a small keg oftobacco. Dick had used it pretty freely for the first year or two, butlatterly, finding that it must also come to an end, he put himself on anallowance, and only smoked a pipe occasionally when his day's work wasover, and he took his seat with Charley on the bench under the porch infront of their hut. Charley had asked one day why he should not smoketoo.

  "A very good thing for grown men like me," answered Dick, "but very badfor little boys. When you have been at sea a dozen years or so, you maytry if you like it. If it was to do you good I would share my last plugwith you--you know that, Charley."

  "Yes, indeed I do," was the answer, and Charley never again asked fortobacco.

  They were seated, as I was saying, within the porch one evening, whenDick, whose eyes were turned towards the boat, drawn up on the beach inthe little bay in front of them, observed--

  "I have a fancy for taking a cruise farther out than we have been yet;we shall get bigger fish, and not lose so many lines and hooks. I amafraid we shall soon have nothing else but fish to live upon, and thoughthey are not bad food, yet, if there was to come a spell of foulweather, such as we have had now and then, we should not be able to geteven them. Now what I want is to catch a good quantity, that we maysalt them down for a store, should there be nothing else to be got."

  Charley was well pleased with the thoughts of a longer cruise, and earlyin the morning, having carried down some cocoa-nuts and boiled roots,with a few eggs and fish, which they cooked over night, they launchedtheir curiously-built boat. She was, as Dick observed, a good one torun before a breeze, but where it came to sailing with the wind abeam,she was apt to go as fast to leeward as she did ahead. He, however, hadmade three oars, two of which he pulled himself, while he had taughtCharley to steer with the third.

  Though the wind blew off the land, it being light, Dick had no doubt heshould easily be able to pull back again. Having examined the reefsfrom a height in the neighbourhood, and easily making his way amongthem, he reached the outer circle. Here he let down a big stone, toserve as an anchor, attached to a long rope; but he found the waterdeeper than he had expected, though, as the stone touched the bottom, hehoped that it would hold the boat.

  The lines had not been long over the side before Charley hooked a bigfish, larger than he had ever before seen. Dick helped him to haul itin, though, as he was so doing, it nearly broke away. Dick caught twoor three, then Charley got another bite; he was again obliged to cry outfor Dick's assistance. Dick saw that, from the size of the fish, skillwould be required to capture it, and he continued playing it aconsiderable time, before he ventured to haul it up to the boat. Ongetting it on board he found that the hook was twisted, and some moretime was employed in putting on a new one. Thus eager in and occupiedwith the sport, Dick did not observe that the boat was slowly driftingalong the reef, away from the entrance, by which alone he could regainthe shore. The wind was also increasing, though as the sea was smoothhe did not discover this. At length, looking up, he observed theposition of the boat, and on going to the bows, found that the cable wasslack and the stone no longer at the end of it. It had been cutthrough. Quickly hauling in the cable and the fish-lines, and tellingCharley to take the oar to steer, he began pulling hard to regain thepassage through the reefs. A strong current was, however, against him,as was the wind, which had shifted slightly, and though he exertedhimself to the utmost, he could make no way.

  "I have been so long ashore that I have forgotten my seamanship, andhave done a very lubberly thing," he said, as he tugged away. All hisefforts were of no avail to urge the heavy tub-like boat against theforces opposed to her. She drifted farther and farther away from theland, and the farther she got the more she felt the influence of thebreeze; while the sea also, though smooth near the land, began to tumbleand toss in a way which made Dick feel more uncomfortable than he hadever before been in his life. The wind at the time blew only a moderategale, but he could not help acknowledging that the craft he had been soproud of was very ill able to contend with the heavy sea which wasrapidly getting up.

  "There's no help for it, and I don't want the craft to capsize. I mustrun before the breeze, and may be it will shift, and we shall be able toget back again--but if not! well, I won't think of that," said Dick, tohimself. "I must keep my own spirits up, for Charley's sake. It willbe hard, however, for the poor little chap to lose his life after beingsaved from the sinking ship and those villainous pirates. For myself Idon't care; I have well known ever since I came to sea that any day whathappens to so many might happen to me."

  The heavy boat, though flat-bottomed, behaved better than might havebeen expected. Dick, who had taken the helm, steered carefully, keepingright before the seas. As he had not communicated his fears to Charley,the boy was delighted with the way in which she flew over the foamingwaters.

  "I didn't think you were going to give me such a sail as this, Dick," heexclaimed.

  "No more did I, Charley," answered Dick. "Maybe we shall not get backas soon as we wish, but the weather looks fine. I hope we may, some dayor other."

  Dick, however, was disappointed. The wind continued to freshen, and hewas compelled to stand on, fearing the risk of making another attempt toregain the shore.

  Night came on. He told Charley to take some food; but he was too muchoccupied himself to eat. He then, making the boy lie down near him,covered him up with a piece of canvas.

  All night long he sat steering his boat and praying that the wind mightnot further increase. As day dawned he cast a hurried glance astern;the land was not to be seen. He had no c
ompass, and even should thewind change, he would have difficulty in regaining so small a spot. Hehad not the heart to awake Charley, fearing that he would be frightenedon finding himself out of sight of land. At length, however, the boygot up and gazed about him with an astonished look.

  "Why, Dick, what has become of our island?" he exclaimed. "You nevertold me you were going to leave it!"

  "I wish I had never done so," said Dick. Charley saw that his friendlooked anxious.

  "I don't know if we are in any danger; but if we are, remember, Dick,that God took care of us on the raft, and can just as well take care ofus now. That's what you have taught me; and so I will pray to Him, andI am sure He will hear me."

  "Do, Charley, do," said Dick; "and I'll mind the ship."

  All that day the boat ran on. Charley insisted on bringing Dick somefood, and putting it into his mouth, for he could not venture to leavethe helm for an instant. Charley himself seemed perfectly happy, forafter getting accustomed to the movements of the boat, the confidence hehad in his friend prevented him from thinking of danger.

  At length the wind began to fall, and the sea went down, and in a fewhours a perfect calm came on. The boat floated without movement.

  Dick determined, after he had had a few hours' sleep, to try and pullback. He slept longer than he expected, and Charley, who sat watchingby his side, would not awake him. When at last he did open his eyes, itwas nearly dark. A thin mist spreading over the ocean and obscuring thestars, he had no means of ascertaining in what direction to pull.

  "I might be working away all night, and find that I had only gonefarther from the island," he observed. "You and I, Charley, will keepwatch and watch. You shall take one hour and I three; that will beabout the proper proportion, seeing that I am about three times as oldas you are, and want less sleep." So the night passed by.

  At last the sun rose, his beams dispersed the mist, and Dick, seizingthe oars, began to pull away lustily in the direction he supposed theisland to be. Suddenly a crack was heard--one of his oars had gone--hetook the steering oar, but that in a few minutes went also.

  "It cannot be helped, Charley," he said. "We must trust to Him whoknows well how to take care of us."

  The boat lay motionless. Hour after hour and day after day passed away.Dick, as he had before done, gave Charley the largest portion ofprovisions and water, he himself taking barely enough to support life.He felt, too, very sorrowful, thinking of the fate which he feared mightbe in store for the poor little boy, on whom he had bestowed all thelove of his big and tender heart.

  As long as he had strength he stood up and gazed around, in the hopes ofseeing a sail approaching. At length he sat down, and felt that heshould not be able to rise any more. Charley brought him some water.

  "Drink it, Dick," he said; "it will do you good; I am not thirsty."

  Dick took a few drops; they revived him, and once more he rose to hisfeet, holding on by the mast. As he turned his eye to the northward itfell on a sail; he gave a shout of joy, though his voice sounded hollowin his own ears. "Charley," he said, "she is coming this way; pray toGod she may not change her course."

  So eager was he that he forgot his weakness, and continued standing up,watching the vessel, which came on, bringing up the breeze. He was nowsure she would pass near where the boat lay. On and on she came.

  "She is an English ship, by the cut of her sails!" he exclaimed."Charley, my boy, we are saved. I don't think I could have held outmany hours longer, and you would not have been far after me."

  The stranger approached. It was evident, from the way she was steering,that they were seen; still Dick could not help shouting out as loud ashis weak voice would allow. The stranger hove-to, and a boat waslowered.

  "I hope they are not pirates," said Charley, "like the others."

  "I hope not; but if they are we shall soon find out, and we can but askthem to put us ashore again; for depend on it they will know thewhereabouts of our island."

  This was said while the boat was approaching.

  "What strange craft is that?" said the officer in command of the boat,examining Dick's wonderful specimen of naval architecture.

  Dick explained that he and the boy had been out fishing, and been blownoff the island, of which they had been the sole occupants for someyears.

  "We will hear more about it when we get you on board," said the officer,a fine-looking young man, in a kind voice, observing Dick's exhaustedcondition.

  With the assistance of the crew Dick was lifted into the boat, for hehad scarcely strength remaining to move, though Charley scrambled onboard by himself. Dick heard from one of the crew, as the boat pulledtowards the ship, that she was the _Dolphin_, Captain Podgers, boundround Cape Horn.

  "We've two petticoats aboard--the skipper's wife and daughter, so youryoungster won't want for nurses to look after him," said the man whotold Dick this. "To my mind, however, he'll be best off with the younglady, for t'other's a curious one, and it will depend what humour she'sin how she will treat him."

  The officer helped Charley up the side, and Dick was hoisted on deckafter him. When placed on his feet he sank down, unable to stand.

  "He is almost starved," said the doctor, who now appeared. "Take himbelow, and I will attend to him. But the youngster seems in good case."

  "Glad you say so, sir," murmured Dick. "I could not let him want whilethere was food to be had, and I hope they'll be kind to him aboard, forhis parents are gentlefolks, and he wasn't brought up to the hard lifehe's had to lead of late." Dick said this that Charley might be treatedwith more consideration than might otherwise have been the case. He wasnot disappointed; indeed, though roughly clad, the boy had the look andair of a young gentleman.

  The captain, a stout, burly man, and his wife, Mrs Podgers, a muchstouter woman, already mentioned, now appeared from below, followed by aslight, fair, delicate-looking girl, who offered a strong contrast toher parents--if such could possibly be the relationship they bore toher.

  "Let me look at the little fellow," said Mrs Podgers, as she waddled tothe gangway, where Charley was still standing near the third mate. "Hedon't seem as if he had been starved; yet I was told that he and the manwere a whole week in the boat without anything to eat. But bring himinto the cabin, Mr Falconer; I want to hear all about it." MrsPodgers, as she spoke, gave Charley a kiss, for which he seemed in noway grateful. He showed less objection, however, to the same treatmentfrom the young lady, and willingly followed her into the cabin, keepingclose to her, and at a distance from the stout captain and his wife.Finding, however, that Mrs Podgers did not again attempt to kiss him,he became more reconciled to her, and did good justice, while sittingnext to Miss Kitty, to the ample supper placed before him.

  Mrs Podgers, and more especially the young lady, listened with greatinterest to his account of his adventures, and he apparently made hisway into the good graces of the elder personage. "Well, Kitty," shesaid, "as he is too young to go and live among the men forward, andseems well-behaved, if you like to look after him, he may remain in thecabin, and you can teach him to read; which if he's the son ofgentlefolks he ought to know how to do, and it will be an amusement toyou, my dear." Miss Kitty said she should be very happy to take care ofthe boy, and asked him if he wished to remain.

  "Yes, with you," he answered, looking up in her face, "but you'll let mego and see Dick whenever he wants me?"

  "Oh, yes, as often as you like," she answered; "and I am glad to findthat you are grateful to one who seems to have devoted himself to you;for if we are not grateful to our earthly friends, we are still lesslikely to be grateful to our heavenly Friend."

  "I know whom you mean," said Charley, nodding to her. "Dick has told meabout Him; He took care of us all the time we were on the island and inthe boat, and Dick has taught me to pray to Him every night and morning,and I shouldn't be happy if I didn't."

  "I am very, very glad to hear of that," observed Miss Kitty, pressingthe boy's hand. "We shall be f
riends, Charley."

  Honest Dick, who had meantime been placed in a hammock, hearing thatCharley was in good hands, felt satisfied about him, though still hebegged the doctor to let him have a look at the boy as soon as possible,to assure himself that he was all right.