_ CHAPTER TWENTY TWO. WRECK OF THE DUGONG
The arrival of my uncle with his man, carrying a quantity of the light ratan rope, gave us some hopes of being able to rescue our friends on board the brig.
"To be sure, this will float as easily as a cork," exclaimed Roger; "and I see no reason why I should not tow the end off aboard the brig. You, Tanda, pay it out as you see I want it."
Again my uncle warned him of the danger.
"Very true, sir," he answered, fastening the end round his waist; "but, you see, if we seamen had to stop every time we saw danger, we should very soon have to go ashore and take to nursing babies. No, sir; my notion is that the thing is to be done. It may fail; but if it succeeds, why, we may manage to get most of those poor fellows safe on shore."
While we were speaking, the dog gave another loud howl, as if to make a signal to those on board; and we fancied it could not fail to be heard even above the roar of the breakers, although our voices could scarcely have reached them. It was heard at all events by the rest of our party; for directly afterwards the two girls and Oliver were seen coming down from the house in spite of the pelting rain, covered up in mat cloaks. The Frau followed behind, entreating them to return.
"Oh, you will be wet; you will be washed away!" she cried out. "Come back! come back! What is the matter?"
"We were afraid something dreadful had occurred," said Emily, as she reached the inner end of the rocks.
I entreated her and Grace not to come further, lest the seas, which occasionally washed up, might sweep them away. Oliver, however, clambered along to where we were.
"I may be of some use," he said. "Let me do what I can."
"Well, then, help to pay out this rope, Oliver," said Roger Trew, who was securing the end round his own waist, having thrown off his jacket and shoes, retaining only his trowsers, which he fastened round his waist. "No time to be lost!" he added. "You pray for me, Walter. It will be a difficult job, but it ought to be done, and so it must!"
Saying this, he plunged in, and bravely buffeting the sea which broke in showers round us, was in a short time free of the surf. He was not alone, however. Merlin, uttering a loud bark, plunged in directly afterwards, and soon overtook him, swimming by his side, as if wishing to afford him support or companionship. Away they went, we gradually paying out the light buoyant rope, which floated in a way no ordinary rope would have done.
"I am afraid," said Mr Sedgwick, "that its strength is scarcely sufficient to enable those on board to pass over it to the shore."
"No, sir," I said; "but if we can haul in a stouter rope by means of it, the same end will be accomplished."
In a short time we could no longer distinguish Roger and Merlin; but we knew by the way the rope continued to be dragged out that they were still making progress. Now, however, the rope seemed to stop. We knew that it could not yet have reached the vessel. After a time we felt it again drawn on. Again there was a time of great suspense. It made but little progress. Still we felt that it was drawn out, and that was all that could be said. How eagerly we looked towards the vessel, and examined the whole of the intervening space! Presently we saw an object floating on the water. Now it sank, now it appeared on the foaming crest of a sea which came rushing towards the shore. "Help! help!" exclaimed a voice. "Lend a hand!"
Passing a piece of the remaining rope round my waist, I begged my uncle and Oliver to hold it, while Tanda paid out the cable, of which but a small part now only remained. I rushed forward as the person was borne onward towards the rock. Stretching out my hand, I caught him as the next sea was about to sweep him up into the bay on one side, where he would have been dashed on the sharp rocks which lined it. I threw myself back, my uncle and Oliver hauling in the rope, when I found I had Roger Trew by the hand.
"I could not do it!" he exclaimed; "but there is another who will succeed, or I am much mistaken. Merlin saw how it would be, I have a notion, from the first; and when I found I must give in or go to the bottom, I just threw him the bight of the rope. He seized it in his mouth, and swam on as well as if he was in smooth water, and I let the sea bring me back again. If Merlin does not succeed, I will have another try at it, though; but I think he will."
While he was speaking a jerk was given, apparently at the other end of the rope. Directly afterwards we heard Tanda utter an exclamation of dismay.
"It is gone!" cried Mr Sedgwick. "The end is gone!"
"Then I'll have it!" exclaimed Roger, plunging into the water as the end of the rope glided by at a little distance.
So quick was he that he caught it; and though he was carried to another point of the rock, a few yards from where we were standing, he was able once more to climb up and regain a safe position. With the quickness of a practised seaman he carried it up to a point, where he made the end fast in such a way that it was not likely again to slip.
We now all stood anxiously watching to see what would next occur. We could do no more, unless we found the end of our rope slackening, as a sign that another had been fastened to it. We should then haul away on it. The minutes seemed hours as we stood on the shore anxiously looking out towards the brig. Bits of timber came floating on shore; now a piece of a broken spar; now parts of the bulwarks. We were afraid that ere long the brig would begin to break up. Meantime Frau Ursula had been urging the girls to go back to the house; but they were too deeply interested in what was taking place to listen to her entreaties. They thought not of the pelting rain; they thought not of the driving spray or furious wind. Their hearts were with our friends on board--with Mr Hooker, kind Mr Thudicumb, honest Dick Tarbox, and the faithful Potto Jumbo. Presently we saw a round object floating towards us.
"It is a man's head!" cried Oliver. "Let me go this time."
"No, no," I answered; "I am not at all tired from my other swim, and I will try and help him."
I was getting ready to plunge in, in spite of Oliver's entreaties, when, on looking again, a flash of lightning at the moment lighting up the top of the wave, we saw the head of Merlin as he bravely swam towards us. We rushed into the water to help him, lest the send of the sea might have driven him against the rock before he had gained a footing. Instead of shaking himself, as a dog generally does, as soon as he was clear of the water, he stood perfectly still. We then saw that he had got a bottle round his neck.
"A letter from Hooker; I am sure of it!" said Mr Sedgwick. "It will give us important information. We cannot read it here, however. Come, young ladies, I must take you up to the house, and comfort the Frau's heart. She is afraid you will catch ague or fever, or cold at all events; and she has reason for her fears--so come along."
Very unwillingly the two girls left the scene; Emily entreating me, as she went away, not to run any more risks of being drowned. Curiously enough, Merlin, having performed his duty, accompanied Mr Sedgwick and the girls up to the house. In a short time Mr Sedgwick returned, saying, that the note was from Mr Hooker, to the effect that he hoped the vessel would hold together till the hurricane was over, as she gave no signs of breaking up, while there was a sufficient space free of water below, to afford shelter to all who remained on board. "I am sorry to say," he added, "that several of the crew have attempted to swim on shore. Two of them we saw lost before they had gone many fathoms from the ship; but we hope the others have arrived safely. We, however, will make a hawser fast to the rope you sent us by that noble creature Merlin, that in case we are mistaken about the brig holding together, we may have a better prospect of saving our lives."
On hearing this we again went to the end of the point, and found that we could haul in upon the rope; and by the resistance it made, it was evident that a hawser had been secured to it. It was very heavy work; but at length, by our united efforts, we got the hawser secured to a point of the rock. We had now a communication with our poor brig, but we trembled to think of the danger to which Mr Hooker would be exposed should he attempt to make use of it in his present weak health.
"A short time ago he would have come along that rope without the slightest difficulty," observed Oliver; "but now I am afraid that, were he to make the attempt, he could scarcely resist the strength of the waves, and would be washed off."
"I am afraid so too, Oliver," said Roger Trew. "Sooner than he should do that, I would go out and try to help him ashore."
Attached to the end of the hawser, I should observe, we found a light rope. This was evidently sent that we might get another stout one on shore. We found on trying it that we were right in our conjecture, and hauling away as before, we got a second strong rope united to the vessel and the land. Mr Sedgwick now wanted us to go back to the house, but we could not think of leaving the shore till our friends were in safety. He himself said that he would remain to watch, should any change take place. It was an anxious time, for instead of decreasing, the wind was blowing even harder than before. It seemed a wonder that the _Dugong_ could stand so much battering. Still, we could dimly see her through the gloom, her masts yet standing, though heeling over towards the land. Every now and then a huge sea swept over the larger portion of the wreck; and numerous pieces of plank thrown on the rocks showed us that already her bulwarks at all events were giving way.
"I suspect that Dick Tarbox and the others will not desert Mr Hooker; and they are afraid of his suffering should he attempt to come ashore," I observed to Roger Trew.
"That is it, Master Walter," he answered. "Depend on it they will not leave him till they are washed out of the ship. I should like to go on board and see how they are getting on."
I urged him, however, not to make the attempt.
"It is far more easy for them to come to us than for you to go on board," I observed. "Let us wait patiently; perhaps as the night advances the gale will abate."
Still the wind blew as hard as ever. At length, just as Mr Sedgwick had gone back to the house to look after the girls and Frau Ursula, a shout reached our ears. We hurried to the point of the rock, and there we saw what looked like a huge piece of wreck being driven towards us.
"I am afraid the brig is breaking up," I observed. "Poor Mr Hooker! What can we do to help him?"
We tried to pierce the gloom to ascertain who was on the wreck. By degrees we saw that, instead of a piece of wreck, it was a small boat. Those in her were holding on to the hawsers. Now she rose, now she fell, as the waves passed under her. We could scarcely understand how she could live in that tossing sea, with the weight of several people on board. At length she seemed to stop, and turned round broadside to us.
"She must go over," shouted Roger. "Look out; help them as they come ashore."
She was at that time near enough for us to see two persons leap overboard; one, it seemed, holding on to the other. They approached. Again a voice shouted "Look out!" Roger Trew ran to the point of the rock, holding on to the rope, and stretching over into the sea. We could now distinguish the two men. Nearer and nearer they came.
"Give me your hand, Cooky, give me your hand," cried Roger, stretching out his arm; and then I saw that Potto Jumbo was working along the hawser, with Mr Hooker secured by a rope to his back. The dawn was just breaking. The cry of some sea-fowl as they passed sounded ominously in our ears. Even then I feared that Potto Jumbo would lose his hold, or that Mr Hooker, weak from his illness, might be torn away by the fury of the sea. I ran forward with another rope, the end of which Oliver held, and just as Roger caught hold of Potto Jumbo's hand, and was dragging him up, I grasped him by the arm. Mr Hooker seemed almost exhausted, and could not utter a word. With the help of Oliver and Tanda we at length got them up on the rock, though not till Potto Jumbo had severely hurt his legs against the sharp points.
"Heaven be praised, it is done! You all right soon, Mr Hooker," exclaimed Potto Jumbo, as he committed his charge to our hands.
The boat meantime was slowly drifting in, in spite of the efforts of two men on board to hold her; one indeed appeared to have been hurt, and able to exert but little strength. Who they were we could not then see, but I hoped that my old friend Dick Tarbox had escaped.
"Is the boatswain one of them?" I asked of Potto Jumbo.
"Yes, massa, yes," answered Potto; "and t'other Mr Thudicumb. But help dem, help dem; no mind me. I take care of Mr Hooker; Mr Thudicumb no help himself."
It was time indeed for us to exert all our strength, for the boat was now being driven helplessly towards the rock; and it seemed but too probable, should she strike it, that those in her would be thrown out, and very likely swept off by the sea: indeed, they were in a more dangerous position than had they held on alone to the rope. There was on one side of the rock a sort of gulf, which ran up some way towards the beach. Should the boat strike the point, she would very likely be dashed to pieces, but if we could manage to get hold of her as she drove by on one side, we might, I knew, rescue our friends and save her. This thought passed rapidly through my mind. The rest of our party saw what was likely to happen as well as I did, and together we eagerly stood waiting for the boat to reach us.
On she came. Mr Thudicumb managed to crawl to the helm, while Dick Tarbox stood in the bows. Another sea came roaring in. The boatswain held a rope in his hand. I almost shrieked with terror as I saw the boat, as I thought, coming towards the point; but the mate, moving the helm, she grazed by it, and the next instant Tarbox hove the rope. We caught it, and hauling on together as we ran along, drew the boat's head for an instant in towards us. Tarbox leaped out and seized the rope. Potto, who had placed his burden on a secure part of the rock, joined us. The following sea almost filled the boat, but we dragged her bows in, though as we did so she came with a fearful crash against the rock. Tarbox then leaping back, seized the mate, and with almost superhuman strength dragged him out over the side on to the rock, while we hauled the boat up half out of the water.
"You are safe, Mr Thudicumb, you are safe!" exclaimed Tarbox to the mate, who scarcely seemed aware of what had happened.
While Oliver, Roger Trew, and Tanda attended to the boat, Potto Jumbo again lifted up Mr Hooker, and Tarbox and I assisted Mr Thudicumb along over the ledge towards the shore.
"Are there any others left on board?" asked Roger Trew. "If there are, we will pull back and try to bring them on shore."
"No one, no one," answered the boatswain; "all left before we did, more's the pity. They would not stop, in spite of all we could say to them."
We were soon met by Mr Sedgwick, who had returned from the house. He cordially welcomed his old friend, moved almost to tears by the condition in which he saw him.
"Rouse up, Hooker, my dear fellow!" he exclaimed. "You will soon have a roof over your head and a dry bed to lie in and willing hands to take care of you."
We soon got the party up to the house, when Frau Ursula and the girls began eagerly to busy themselves in arranging the beds for the two sick men. Mr Thudicumb had been hurt by the falling of a spar, and our uncle, who fortunately possessed considerable surgical knowledge, at once attended to his injuries.
Daylight had now returned, and as the sun rose the gale began to abate. Mr Hooker and the mate were put to bed in my uncle's room, his own couch accommodating one, and a mattress composed of mats serving as a bed for the other. The rest of the party were now assembled in what my uncle called his hall.
"And now, my good Frau, you and the young ladies must go to your roost. As you have been night-birds, you must sleep in the day, and we will look after these good fellows, who, I daresay, will not be sorry to take some of the remains of our feast of last night."
"No, indeed, sir, we shall not," said Dick Tarbox; "for the truth is, we have been far too anxious to think of grub, in the first place; and it was a hard matter to get at any, in the second."
It was amusing to see the eagerness with which the shipwrecked men set to work upon the provisions placed before them.
"The sooner you get off those wet clothes of yours the better," observed my uncle; "and though we are not very rich in garments here, we can supply you with mat petticoats and a shirt apiece while your things are drying."
In a few minutes we all appeared dressed in the costume thus furnished, and certainly we looked more like savages than civilised people as we sat round the board.
"Now, lads, there is one thing I think we ought to do," said Dick Tarbox, "and that is, thank Heaven for bringing us ashore in safety, and giving us such good quarters. If we had been driven on a coast not far from here, I suspect we should have found very different treatment. The chances are our heads would have been off our shoulders before we had been many hours in the company of the natives, and very likely, instead of enjoying a good supper like this--or a breakfast, we ought to call it--we should have been served up as a feast to the savages."
Our meal over, Tanda brought in a further supply of mats, in which we all wrapped ourselves, and were very soon fast asleep, I was awoke by hearing my uncle's voice calling to Tanda, and looking up, I saw that they were placing another meal on the table. Our clothes were then brought to us.
"There, lads," said my uncle, "you are now more fit than you were to appear before the ladies; and as they are on foot, I will bring them into the hall. I am glad also to say both Mr Hooker and the mate are very much better for their rest, and I hope in a few days they will be themselves again."
The first few hours we spent on the island appeared to me like a dream. I had been so tired on the night of the wreck, that scarcely was one meal over than I was asleep again, and only woke up to see a fresh repast prepared for us. As soon as I was somewhat recovered, I hurried out, with Tarbox and Potto Jumbo, to the shore to see what had become of the wreck. I gave a shout of joy when I saw that her masts were still standing, though she had been driven so high up on the rock that it was very evident that we should not be able to get her off again. The boat still lay where Roger Trew and Oliver had hauled her up. We hurried down to examine her. A hole had been torn in her bottom, rendering her unfit for use.
"Never fear," said the boatswain, on examining her. "We may soon repair this damage and be able to get off to the wreck in her. I hope we shall find many things on board of use to us, even though we cannot get the old barky afloat again."
The next thing to be done, therefore, was to repair the boat. We hurried back to the house to see if Mr Sedgwick was able to assist us. As soon as he heard the nature of the injury, he produced some planks and nails exactly suited for our purpose.
"I cannot supply you with pitch," he said, "but there are several gums in the island which will answer the object, and here are copper nails enough, if you use them with economy."
We of course at once set to work, and quickly patched up the little boat. At first I had a vague idea that she might enable us to get off to some civilised place, but on seeing her once more in the water, I felt that that would be hopeless, as she could only hold three or four persons at the utmost in smooth water.
When Emily and Grace heard that we were going off to the vessel, they entreated us to be cautious.
"I do so dread the sea," said Emily. "I should be very thankful if I thought I had not again to cross it."
"But you would not like to live in this island for ever," observed Mr Sedgwick. "You will soon be wishing yourself back in the old country, as I have done, I can assure you, very often."
Oliver and I, with Tarbox and Roger Trew, had arranged to go off in the boat. The oars had fortunately been thrown on shore. Although one of them was broken, two had been preserved uninjured. I did my best to reassure my sister and Grace, and they and the Frau came down to see us off. Tarbox and Oliver pulled, while I steered, and away we went over the now blue sea towards the wreck.
As we drew near we saw the fearful injuries she had received.
A coral rock had forced itself completely through her side; and had she not been thrown high up on the reef, she must inevitably have sunk, as the water flowed in and out with the tide. It was now fortunately low water, and by getting on to the reef, which appeared above the surface, having made our boat secure, we were able to scramble on board. Everything with the exception of the masts had been swept from the deck, while the hold was still nearly full of water. In the cabin, however, we found a variety of useful articles, besides a good supply of provisions. All sorts of things, however, had been thrown out of their places, and lay scattered about the wreck. Having collected, however, as many things as we could carry, we were about to return with them to the boat.
"Stay," said the boatswain, "we have forgotten the arms. See, here are four muskets against this bulkhead, and Mr Hooker's fowling-pieces. If we could get some ammunition, we should be able to defend ourselves in case any of the piratical fellows in this neighbourhood should find us out and pay us a visit."
We were almost giving up the search for ammunition in despair, when we discovered a couple of tins of powder in one of the lockers, evidently placed there by Mr Thudicumb for immediate use. The powder, fortunately, from having been carefully packed in tins, had escaped injury.
We now, laden with our prizes, got back to the boat, and without much difficulty steered clear of the surf to the shore. We were received on landing by Frau Ursula and the two girls, who had been standing for a long time anxiously watching the boat, afraid that some accident had happened. They now assisted us in landing our goods, and carrying them up to the house.
"We must not live idle lives here," said Emily, laughing; "and as we have no fancy work, we cannot employ our time better than in making ourselves useful."
I saw the Frau eagerly examining the articles we had brought on shore.
"What! you no think of our clothes?" she exclaimed at length. "You leave the frocks, and gowns, and shoes, and all the little girls' things? Oh, you thoughtless men!"
We felt ourselves rebuked.
"Well, we must go back at once, Frau," I answered. "I confess that we ought to have recollected that you would require clothing, and that mat-made garments, however suited to the climate, are not so becoming as those you had on board. We will go back and fetch them."
"Oh no, no!" exclaimed Grace. "It is already late, and you have had a long row to-day--some accident may be happening."
"Not much fear of that, miss," observed Tarbox. "You shall have your duds, even though we had twice as far to pull for them. Just take care that no one shakes his pipe over those tins there," he observed, pointing to the cases of powder. "They might chance to send the house flying up over the trees, and the unfortunate smoker with it."
We had by this time landed all the articles we had brought on shore. They were somewhat miscellaneous, but all likely to prove useful. Besides the fire-arms and ammunition, we had found some cases of preserved meat and hams, a cask of biscuit, some tins of pepper and salt and mustard, a case of wine, a cask of pork, a box of cigars, and a couple of Mr Hooker's cases. We thought it would do his heart good to see them; and I knew they were among those he valued most for their contents.
"That was indeed thoughtful of you," observed Emily, when she saw the cases.
"It was not I who thought of them," I answered; "it was Oliver. He said he thought it would cheer up Mr Hooker to know that some of his things had been saved; and we must try and get some more on shore if we can."
"Oh yes, yes!" exclaimed both the girls together. "Bring his treasures rather than ours. Many of them, probably, he cannot replace; and we can dress, I daresay, in mats, or the cloth I have seen made out of the paper mulberry-tree."
"Well, well, young ladies," said Tarbox. "We can find room, I daresay, in the boat for your light things, as well as Mr Hooker's chests; so I hope, if we can get hold of the things, you will not have to rig up in any outlandish fashion."
He said this as we were shoving off the boat with our oars; and now, sitting down, we again pulled out towards the wreck.
"The gentleman on shore says he has lived here for several years," said Oliver. "All that time no vessel has called off here. Now, if we are to get away, would it not be better if we were to try and build one large enough for the purpose, so that we may quit the island whenever it is thought best?"
"You are right, Oliver," said Tarbox. "If we can get hold of the carpenter's tools, and ropes and spars enough, with blocks and sails, we may build a craft out of the wreck, or of the wood we can cut down in the island. It does not take so long to dry as it does in Old England."
Roger Trew agreed with Tarbox, and so did I, that we ought to make the attempt, and thanked Oliver for his suggestion. We determined, therefore, at once to secure as much rope and as many blocks as we might want, as well as sailcloth or sails and spars.
"I have heard talk of a man out in the Pacific Islands who built a vessel with far less means than we have got," observed Tarbox. "He was a missionary gentleman, though he knew well how to work at a forge, as well as to use his saw and hammer. To the best of my recollection, he had only got a file and a saw and an old anchor to begin with. He first taught the natives how to assist him, and then set to work to cut down the trees and to saw them into planks. He next put up a forge, and made the bellows, and manufactured nails and pins, and all the work he wanted."
"Oh yes, I have read of him," said Oliver. "He was Mr Williams, the missionary. He built the vessel, I think, at Raratonga, when he was left there by himself, without another European to help him. She was called the _Messenger of Peace_, and he sailed many thousand miles afterwards on board her in his missionary voyages. If Mr Williams--who had no knowledge of ship-building except such as he obtained from observation of the vessels he visited--could do so, we, at all events, ought to be able to build a craft capable of carrying us to Singapore, even though we may not secure much more from the wreck."
"There is one thing we want, and that is iron," observed Tarbox; "and rope and blocks, and provisions, too. It would take us some time to put such a craft together."
"All I know is," said Oliver, "that Mr Williams had but the iron part of an anchor, a pick-axe, and a few garden tools, with some iron hoops. His vessel was from about sixty to seventy tons, and from the time he cut the keel until she was launched not more than four months had passed. Besides the bellows and forge, he made a lathe, and indeed manufactured everything that was required. His sails were composed of fine mats, woven by the natives; and the rope was manufactured from the hemp which grew on the island. In the same way he found substitutes for oakum, pitch, and paint, and everything he required."
"He you speak of must have been a very wonderful man," observed Tarbox. "I consider that a man who could do what he did is fit to be Prime Minister. Why, he would have made the Thames Tunnel, if he had tried."
"Very likely he would," said Oliver; "but God wanted him for His work, and that was to go out to those islands to the east of us in the Pacific, and to convert the natives to Christianity."
By this time we had regained the wreck. Our first search was for the clothing of the Frau and the young ladies. We managed to get up a trunk which contained a portion of them, though the water had got in, and had greatly spoiled the contents. We fished about for some time, and then got up another box, which had suffered in the same way.
"It cannot be helped," observed Tarbox. "We will not be particular how the old lady and little girls look; and the clothes will soon dry-- that's one good thing. The sun is not idle out in these parts."
Our next hunt was for the carpenter's tools. When I say that half the deck was under water, it may be supposed that there were very few things which had escaped soaking. Fortunately the carpenter had stowed many of his things away in a locker on the upper side of the vessel. These we secured, and then searched for his chest, which we knew contained some more of the necessary tools.
"Poor fellow! if he had stuck by us instead of attempting to swim on shore, he would have been here to lend us a hand," observed Tarbox.
Oliver was very busy hunting about. Of course, we had thrown off our jackets, and retained only our trowsers. We did not mind, therefore, plunging into the water, now and then diving down in the hopes of getting hold of something. At length Oliver cried out that he felt the handle of a chest, which he thought must be the carpenter's. We soon got a hook and rope, and hauled it up, when with much satisfaction we found he was right. It was somewhat heavy, and we doubted if we should get it into the boat. At last Oliver suggested that we should open it, and carry some of the tools separately, so as to lighten it. This we did; and by the time we had got a few coils of rope on board, and some blocks, our boat was heavily laden. _