The Heir of Kilfinnan: A Tale of the Shore and Ocean

  CHAPTER TEN.

  We must now return to the West Indies. At length the frigate's boatreached the line-of-battle ship. Numbers of persons were lookingthrough the ports. Denham's boat was one of the first on the starboardside.

  "We must lower the ladies first," said a voice from the entrance port."Stand ready to receive them, there is no time to be lost."

  "All right," answered Denham, looking up.

  At the same moment a chair was lowered from the entrance port. In aninstant, the occupant, a young lady, was released and placed in theboat. Again the chair ascended, and another was lowered in the sameway. Denham, giving one glance at her countenance, saw that she wasfair and young, and having placed her in security, he had to attend tothose who followed. Three others were immediately lowered together.

  "Now, my lord," said the voice of an officer, "you must go into theboat."

  "No, no, not till all the females are out of the ship," was the answer.

  "They are being placed in the other boats; there is no time to be lost;let me entreat you to descend," said the officer.

  "Well, if I must go, I will obey you," answered the nobleman who hadbeen addressed, "but I trust all on board here will escape." As hespoke he was lowered down into the boat.

  "Come, some of you youngsters, follow him," said a voice; "there will bebut little time for the boats to make many trips between the ships;come, I say, obey orders."

  At that moment five or six young midshipmen came tumbling into the boat,which now being more than sufficiently laden, pulled back to thefrigate.

  "I am very glad you are here, Lord Kilfinnan," said one of them, "and Ihope Lady Nora has not been very much frightened. It has been terriblework though, and I am afraid the old bark will not swim much longer."

  "Give way, my lads, give way," shouted Denham to his crew; "we must beback before the ship sinks, or I am afraid many a fine fellow will losehis life."

  The men rowed as hard as they could, and in a short time they againreached the frigate. No time was lost in handing up those on board.

  "Whom have we here?" asked Captain Falkner.

  "Lord Kilfinnan, and his daughter, and niece," answered Denham, "andseveral other ladies and midshipmen. But we must be back to the ship,for they expect every moment that she will go down."

  "Mr Evans," said Captain Falkner, "we must get out the launch andpinnace; the sea is calm enough now to allow us to do so."

  While the rest of the boats already in the water, having put those theycarried on board the frigate, pulled back to the line-of-battle ship,the larger boats were cleared and hoisted out, though not without therisk of being stove alongside. The smaller boats had already made acouple of trips before they were ready to shove off for the ship. Atlength away they pulled, but as they reached the side of the ship thecry arose, "She is sinking--she is sinking." Numbers of the bravefellows who had hitherto preserved their discipline now threw themselvesheadlong into the boats. The marines still remained drawn up on deck,where they had been posted to preserve order. Already all the boatswere full almost to sinking, and with their living freight theyproceeded slowly back to the frigate; she, meantime, had been drawingnearer and nearer the ship. Still the vast fabric floated above thewaves; many yet remained on board. The gallant marines stood as if onparade; the officers who had refused to quit the ship clustered on thequarter-deck. Who could have believed that all knew that in not manymoments the planks on which they stood would be engulfed by the waves,yet so it was; British discipline triumphed above the fear of death.

  With frantic haste the men in the boats sprang up the side of thefrigate, in order that they might speedily return to the ship. Alreadythey were half way between the two vessels when the line-of-battle shiplifted high her bows above the water, then down she plunged, still withmany human beings standing on her decks, numbers, alas! sinking never torise again. The boats dashed forward into the midst of the vortexcaused by her sudden descent. It seemed for a moment that they alsowould be drawn down by it. On every side were human beings, somealready dead it seemed, others crying out for assistance, while some,refusing to express their fears, were striking out boldly for lifetowards the boats. There were but few, alas! of the brave marines; itseemed as if they must have grasped their muskets to the last, and gonedown with those heavy weights in their hands. Eagerly the boats pulledbackwards and forwards among their fellow-creatures still floating inthe water; as rapidly as they could they pulled them on board, till atlength all who appeared alive were rescued. But it was too certain thata very large number both of officers and crew had gone down in thesinking ship.

  Such has been the fate of many a gallant crew in every part of theworld. The survivors were carried on board the frigate, and treatedwith every kindness which the officers and crew were able to bestow.The gallant captain of the line-of-battle ship, two of his lieutenants,and several inferior officers, with nearly half of the marines, werelost. The frigate having once more hoisted her boats on board, madesail for Port Royal.

  The Earl of Kilfinnan, on discovering the name of the frigate by whichhe had been rescued, inquired at once for his son. His cheek turnedpale when he did not see him with the midshipmen of the ship. The truthwas told him that he had been wounded.

  "But he is doing well, my lord," said the surgeon to whom he wasspeaking; "before long I hope he will be able to return to his duty."

  Lady Sophy could with difficulty conceal her feelings when she heardthat Captain Falkner commanded the ship to which she had been conveyed,while it would be impossible to describe the satisfaction which sheexperienced. Nora insisted at once on going down and seeing poor Barry,who was still unable to leave his cot. At first he would scarcelybelieve who it was who stood before him, and for some time he fanciedhimself in a dream, and asked whether he had not got an increase offever.

  "O no, dear Barry," answered Nora, "in a short time you will be well,and it will be a good excuse for you to come and live on shore with us.I hear the place we are going to is very beautiful, high up on the sideof a mountain, far above all the mists and vapours which bring theyellow fever into this part of the world. And papa, you know, is to bethe governor, so that he will not feel the change from Kilfinnan Castleso great as he might have done, for, of course, the people will treathim with great respect, and that you know he likes, although he does nottalk about it; and we shall have horses to ride about the country, andplenty of people to attend upon us, and there are a number of curiousfruits and animals, and creatures of all sorts which we shall have tosee. Now I fully expect to be very interested, and so must you be,Barry, and I daresay Captain Falkner will occasionally come and see dearSophy, and that will make her very happy."

  Thus Nora ran on in her light-hearted way, anxious to raise herbrother's spirits. She felt somewhat sad, however, when she looked athim, for the bright glow in his cheeks was gone, and he looked pale andthin, that she began to fear he might be worse than the doctor said hewas. After the hurricane the frigate had a fine passage to Port Royal.There, having landed all her supernumeraries by the orders of theadmiral, she once more sailed to carry the Earl to his destination. Hewas received with the usual honours of a Lieutenant-Governor, andcarriages were in waiting to convey him to his country seat, on the sideof the mountain which had been described by Nora. It was a lovely spot,with streams gushing down from the side of the steep heights above thehouse, while the wide terrace in front afforded ample room for exercise.

  Far below the white buildings of the chief town was to be seen theintermediate country, covered with the richest tropical vegetation,while in the distance was the deep blue sea, dotted here and there withthe white sails of vessels of various sizes. Barry of course had leaveto accompany his father on shore, and he begged that his friend Denhamshould be allowed to pay them a visit.

  "He has been watching over me so carefully while I was sick on board,that it would seem ungrateful in me if I did not ask him to come withus. Besides, he is so excellent a f
ellow--so brave, and daring, andgenerous. I do not mean to say in the matter of money, because he hasnone of that, for he was only a few years ago placed on thequarter-deck, but I mean in his behaviour. He never takes offence, andnever thinks ill of anybody, and he will never allow any of the youngerfellows to be bullied by the elder, whom he is strong enough to keep inorder, and there are not many who can beat him in any way."

  The next day, accordingly, the Earl wrote a note to Captain Falkner,requesting that Mr Denham might be allowed to pay him a visit. CaptainFalkner, who had been much pleased with the conduct of the youngmidshipman, was glad to accede to the Earl's request, and told Denham toprepare for a visit on shore. Denham made some excuse with regard tohis outfit.

  "Oh, I will settle all that," answered the captain kindly, "I must beyour banker, remember, and just go on shore at once, and we will get MrTruefit to rig you out in the course of a few hours. They do not takelong to do that sort of thing out here."

  Thus all difficulties were overcome, and the following day Denham foundhimself on his way to the new Governor's house.