CHAPTER XXXIV
SECOND VOYAGE TO THE WRECK--FUMIGATING AGAIN--MORE MINUTEEXAMINATION--RETURN--ACCIDENT--DANGERS OF HELPING A DROWNINGPERSON--RECOVERING A PERSON APPARENTLY DROWNED
Next morning our young marooners endeavoured to make as early a start ason the day before; but there being now more persons to go, each of whomhad some preparation to make; and besides that, encumbered by anotherclumsy float of logs, their arrival at the wreck was fully an hourlater. Securing the two rafts to the vessel's side, Robert and Haroldclambered to the hole they had cut, by the help of a rope tied there forthe purpose; then making a slipknot at the end, they drew up Sam, Frank,and finally, Mary. The new comers were so anxious to enter the vesselthat they could scarcely wait for the lighting of a candle, but slid atonce into the hold, and began rummaging by means of the imperfect lighttransmitted through the scuttle.
The examination of the hold on the day before had been so thorough, thatfew more discoveries of importance remained to be made; and the newcomers, burning with curiosity, begged to be conducted to the roomsbelow. Entering the cabin, Mary and Frank were repelled by theunpleasant odour that, notwithstanding the former fumigation, stillcontinued; but the smell was on this occasion mingled more with that ofmud, and Robert managed by a quick allusion to the river slime, and thenauseous odour of the mangroves, to prevent Mary's suspicion of the realcause.
"We burnt some sugar here, on yesterday," said he, "but the tide hasbeen up since, and we shall have to burn more. Or stay--we can trysomething else. I recollect hearing father say that burning coffee isone of the best fumigators in the world."
He brought some coffee from the hold, and wrapping it in paper, tried toburn it, as he did the sugar; but it was not so easily ignited; andMary, in her impatience, took some sugar, and setting it on fire whilehe was experimenting with the damp coffee, so thoroughly impregnated theroom with its fragrant fumes, that they were ready to begin theirexamination.
The first thing they noticed on entering the cabin, was a handsome sofaand set of chairs. Overhead, screwed fast to what had been the floor,was an extension table, capable of seating from four to twelve persons.Mary clapped her hands at this welcome sight, exclaiming:
"O, now we can sit and eat like decent people again!"
To their right was a little room, with its door open. On entering it,they saw a boy's cap and pair of shoes. Frank pounced upon these, andtried them on, with several merry jests, to which the others made noreply, for the larger boys thought immediately of the little skeleton towhich these had belonged. A trunk was there too, perched upon theupturned bottom of what had been the lowest berth, containing the usualwardrobe of the boy; and beside it, the trunk and carpet bag of thegirl. These last were locked. On forcing them open, Mary found many ofthe articles in a state of perfect preservation; though the linen andcotton were sadly mildewed, and almost spoiled. She saw at a glancethat the silk dresses, and other parts of attire, were nearly all thesame size with her own. But though greatly in need of clothing, andfitted almost exactly in what she found, she manifested more sadnessthan pleasure at the sight; her mind reverted irresistibly to the formerwearer, who was no doubt as fond of life as herself.
"Poor thing!" she said, as tears came into her eyes, after turning overseveral articles, "and her name was Mary, too. See here, 'Marie DeRosa,' written so neatly on this white handkerchief. What a beautifulname! I wish I knew her."
Fastened to the wall was a neat looking-glass, and beside it a handsomehair-brush, hung by a blue ribbon to a small brass knob; but the waterhad dissolved the glue, and the rosewood veneering had separated fromthe brush. On the floor were two ivory combs, and the fragments ofpitcher, bason, and tumblers, lying with the towels. In the berths weretwo hair mattresses, whose ticking was mouldy and mildewed, but theywere otherwise good; and in each, with the damp sheets, was a pair ofblankets as good as new.
Next to this room was another, whose door was jammed and swollen tight.Forcing it open, they found two trunks and travelling bags, with variousarticles of male and female attire--a hat and pair of boots, a bonnetand rich shawl, the little boy's boots and best cap, and the girl'sparasol and cloak; new evidences these, to the boys, to prove that thefour skeletons belonged to one family. There were also several books,but they were in Spanish, and so perfectly soaked and blackened as to beuseless, even had they been in their own language. The De Rosas wereevidently a family of wealth and education.
The other rooms were furnished with the usual appendages of warlike men,and beside these there was little else to tell who or what they were.Their papers and valuables were probably locked up in the iron chest, orleft behind where they had concealed their treasures.
Passing from the cabin, their attention was arrested at the door by asmall closet under the companion-way. Harold stood upon a stool andexamined it. There were silver cups, of various figures, a basket ofchampagne wine, and many bottles and decanters, or rather theirfragments, which appeared to have held different kinds of liquors.
"Bah!" said Harold, "liquor in the hold--liquor in the rooms--liquor inthe closets--there is more liquor than anything else aboard, except gunsand pistols."
"They naturally go together," responded Robert. "I suspect the poorfellows needed the liquor to fit them for their wicked works."
From the cabin they went to the carpenter's room. Sam decided in amoment that he must have the grindstone, and the rest of the tools--theywere too good to be lost. He also looked wistfully at the work-bench,with the iron vice attached, and said he thought they could force itfrom the wall, and float it behind the rafts. But the boys mistrustedhis partiality for tools, and decided that it was not so important assome other things.
Next to the carpenter's room was another, into which they forced anentrance with the ax. This was the gunner's. Here they foundcartridges in abundance, of all sorts and sizes, bomb-shells, clustersof grape-shot, canisters of balls, a profusion of cannon shot of severalsizes, and two small cannons of brass, with balls to suit. There werealso several large kegs of powder, but the powder appeared to be spoilt,for the kegs were damp.
When the time came to prepare for loading, the boys united with Sam toenlarge the scuttle. They put upon one raft a keg of rice, and anotherof flour, the firkin of butter, two cheeses, six loaves of sugar, thegrindstone, the chest of tools, Sam's box of tobacco, and more of thehams and beef. On the other, they put the extension-table and leaves,six chairs, the sofa, the trunks of the De Rosas, five mattresses, withtheir clothing, the looking-glass, &c.
The return voyage was made in all safety until they reached the landing;but there occurred one of those misadventures that appear to comeoftenest in seasons of greatest security.
As the rafts neared the shore, Sam hobbled to the hindmost end, to lookafter his darling tobacco, and having for some reason stooped as oneraft struck the other in stopping, he lost his balance, and fellheadlong into the water. No one knew of the accident, until hearing agreat splutter, they looked around, and saw him blowing the water fromhis nose and mouth, and wearing a most comical expression of surpriseand fear. They ran, of course, to his assistance, but knowing him to bea good swimmer, they apprehended no serious consequences, and wererather disposed to jest than to be alarmed. But Sam, who had beenalready strangling for a quarter of a minute, so as to be unable toutter a word, and who discerned at a glance that they did not apprehendhis situation, stretched out his hand imploringly, and gasped.
"He is drowning!" exclaimed Harold. "Here, Robert, help me!" then ranto obtain something buoyant, to which Sam might cling. When hereturned, bringing with him a pair of oars (the nearest thing withinreach), he saw his cousin, heedless of danger, and moved only bysympathy, swimming just over the place where Sam had sunk.
"Robert! Robert! COME AWAY!" he called in a voice of thunder; "he istoo strong for you, and will drown you!"
Robert turned at this earnest and even imperative call, and began toswim back; but it was too
late. Sam rose within reach, grasped his arm,drew him up close, pinioned him firmly, and again sunk out of sight.Mary and Frank shrieked as they saw their brother go down, and Haroldstood a moment, with clasped hands, exclaiming, "My God! What shall Ido?"
At this moment an idea occurred to him. Calling to Mary, "Bring me thathat" (it was De Rosa's, and water-proof), he threw off his coat andvest, then spreading his handkerchief over the mouth of the hat, so thathe could grasp the corners under the crown, he plunged into the water,swimming with one hand, and holding the hat as a temporary lifepreserver with the other. As he expected, Robert rose to the surfaceand grasped him. Harold did nothing at first but hold firmly to the hatto prevent his own sinking, and in that short interval Robert recoveredsufficiently to know what he was about.
"Thank God for _you_, Robert!" said Harold. "I was afraid you weregone; here, take the hat and swim to the raft, while I dive after Sam.Has he ceased struggling?" Robert replied, "Yes."
Joining his hands high over his head, Harold rose as far as he couldfrom the water, and sank perpendicularly with his feet close together.He succeeded in finding the body, but not in time to seize it, before hewas compelled to rise for the want of breath. He came to the surface,panted for a quarter of a minute, then descended a second time, and rosewith the body. Robert reached him one of the oars, dragged him to theraft, and then to the shore.
And now what was to be done? Robert knew well that when a person hasbeen under water four minutes and more it is exceedingly difficult torestore life, and that whosoever would render aid must do it quickly.His preparations were few and simple.
Begging Mary and Frank to make a fire as soon as possible, and to heatone of the blankets, he laid the body with the head lowest, to allow thewater to run from the mouth and throat, while he hastily unloosed theclothing. Then laying the body with the head highest, as in sleep, heand Harold rubbed the skin with all their might, for the double purposeof removing the moisture and restoring the heat.
This friction was continued for several minutes, when Robert, requestingHarold to keep on, tried another means. He inserted a reed into one ofSam's nostrils, which he pressed tightly around it, and closing also theother nostril and the mouth to prevent the egress of the air, he blewforcibly until he felt the chest rise, when, by a gentle pressure, heexpelled the air as in natural respiration.
By this time Mary and Frank had warmed one of the blankets brought fromthe vessel. This Robert wrapped closely around the body, and while Maryand Frank were engaged in warming still another, Harold greatlyincreased the effectiveness of his friction by tearing a third blanketinto strips, and using the hot pieces as rubbers.
Persisting for an hour in these simple means, the anxious company wereat last rewarded by the signs of returning life. Sam's heart began tobeat softly, and shortly after he gave a sigh. The boys were nearlyexhausted by their protracted efforts, but still they kept on; and itwas well they did, for many a person has been lost by neglect after lifeseemed to have been restored. When the patient was sufficientlyrecovered to swallow, Robert poured down his throat some warm water andsugar, remarking it was a pity they had brought none of the wines orspirits which were so abundant on shipboard.
"There is some in the box of tobacco," observed Frank. "I saw Sam put abottle there; and when I asked him what it was, he said it was rum torub on his weak leg."
Robert and Harold exchanged a significant smile; for though Sam mighthave intended only what he professed, they knew that he loved rum aswell as tobacco. It was fortunate, however, that the spirits werethere, for it was the best stimulant they could administer. Sam soonopened his eyes, and began to speak. His first words, after lookingaround, were, "Bless de Lord! Poor Sam here again!"
Leaving him now to recover slowly, the boys brought each a chair fromthe raft, and sat down to rest.
"Why, Robert," said Harold, "you seem to know by heart the whole rulefor restoring a drowned person."
"And why not? There is nothing mysterious in it?"
"So it seems, and I wish you would teach it to me."
"I can do that in half a breath," replied Robert. "In father's words,all that you have to do, is to _restore the warmth and excite therespiration_."
"That, certainly, is simple."
"Father always said," continued Robert, "that he did not see why boysshould not all be taught how to help one another on such occasions.'Send for a doctor,' he said to me, 'but don't wait for him. Go to workat once before life is gone. If you can do nothing else strip off thewet clothes, and rub, rub, RUB, and blow into the lungs. Start thebreath, and you will start the blood, or start the blood, and that willstart the breath, for each comes with the other. Apply heatinwardly--outwardly by friction, by clothing, by fire, by hot bottles,by sand-bags, by any means, and keep trying for hours.' That is therule."
"A good one it is," said Harold. "But it is a pity your father did notgive you some rule also about keeping out of the way of drowning peopleso that you might put your knowledge to some use, instead of gettingdrowned yourself."
"He did," replied Robert, laughing, "but I forgot it. It wasexceedingly thoughtless in me to do as I did. However, I tried to makeup for it in another way; for after Sam had pinioned my arms, I made noeffort whatever, except to take a long breath, and retain my presence ofmind. When we were going down, I learned exactly what kind of a grip hehad taken, and by the time we reached bottom, I had drawn up my knees,and put my feet against the pit of his stomach. When that was done Ifelt safe, for I knew that my legs were stronger than his arms, and thatI could break his hold. But what did you intend to do when you called meto help you?"
"I had no exact plan," Harold answered, "except to keep you from puttingyourself in danger, and then to throw or reach Sam something by which tohelp himself. I had seen drowning people before, and knew very wellthat unless you had something to prevent your own sinking, as I had whenyou seized me, or unless you were strong enough (as in this case youwere not) to hold him at arm's length, he would be almost sure to drownyou."
This untoward accident delayed the work of transportation until neardark, and then it was only the lighter and more necessary articles thatthey carried. Sam gradually recovered, and about dusk, supported by theboys, he staggered slowly to the tent.
The Young Marooners on the Florida Coast Page 37
