CHAPTER XXXI.
"HILD UNDER HELM."
As one after another their resources seemed to fail, the courage ofmore than one of the lads sank; but there was no daunting Yaspard, andhe began to talk of lighting a big tire, or setting up the sail as asignal--of one and all of the devices which castaways use forattracting attention, till Bill cut him short by saying, "We can do allthat by-and-by, when the sea falls enough to allow a boat to come hereif our signals were seen. It isn't any good just now, for all thepeople are in their beds, and will be for hours, and while they aresleeping we are starving."
At that moment Pirate came running from the farther side of the Stackcarrying a dead rabbit, which he proudly laid at his master's feet. Hehad been amusing himself almost all the time since the landing withhunting rabbits, and had at last caught one.
"You needn't starve now. See, Bill!" and Yaspard picked up the rabbit;"a fine fat beast, thanks to Pirate. Ah, my dog, if you had Thor'swings you would use them for me, not for yourself, I know."
Harry Mitchell looked admiringly at the noble dog; and when the othersmoved away to collect wood for a fire (plenty of spars on Swarta Stack)he fell into a reverie with his eyes fastened on Pirate.
Before long a fire was burning and the rabbit was roasting in an ovenof mud. The skin was not removed, for those old young campaigners knewthe best way to cook meat when the kitchen appliances were beyondreach. While Lowrie watched the roast and Gloy fed the fire, Gibbiewent to the shore to secure some shell-fish and Bill went in search ofplovers' eggs, for all were agreed that, until absolutely driven to it,they would not kill a sheep.
Yaspard, having set them all thus to work, returned to his place byTom, who had fallen into a sort of stupor more alarming than even therestlessness and raving of the previous evening.
"In a brown study still, Harry?" the Viking asked, as he sat down andlooked sorrowfully at the invalid.
"I have an idea," was Harry's answer. "You see the wind is fallingalready, and falling fast. It never lasts long at this season. Butthere is a heavy sea that may not run off for a couple of days. And noone lives on the part of Burra Isle facing Swarta Stack. Any signal wemake will not be seen by the folk of Burra Isle, and not likely noticedby any one on Lunda, which is so much farther away. It really wouldn'tmatter for any of us except Tom; but he must be seen to soon, if hislife is to be saved. If he were all right, we could camp here as longas you please; so don't think me impatient or funking."
"No, no! I know that. What is your idea?"
"Your boat can't float, Yaspard, but your dog can swim."
Yaspard sprang to his feet and caught Harry's hands in his joyousexcitement. "That will do," he cried. "That will be better than Thor,for I can go with Pirate. I can swim like a fish; and if he sees metry it, he will go too--we could not expect him to fully understandwhat we wanted if I did not do so. I'll be off as soon as it'spossible."
"Burra Isle is three-quarters of a mile from here," answered Harrygravely.
"I'm good for it," was Yaspard's answer; "good for that, and a lotmore, in such an emergency as the present."
Harry's face dropped quickly, and he had some difficulty in keepingback the tears, as a swift thought went back to his brother Frank, whohad given his life to save another. Just as Yaspard looked had Frankstood, smiling like a hero, when he plunged into Wester-voe to savecripple Bartle. But even that gallant deed had less risk in it thanthis which Yaspard contemplated, for the distance Frank had to swim wasnot half as far, and the sea was quite calm.
"It will be a fearful thing to do, Yaspard," Harry said after a pause;"ten chances to one against your reaching the other shore. Yet--I willnot say _don't_--because--I'll try too. Did you ever hear of--whatour--Frank did?"
"Yes, I heard. It was remembering what he did made me want to do thisfor poor Tom."
"Well, old man, we will make a try with Pirate when the weather falls alittle more."
"Not you, Harry. Only myself and Pirate. It would never do to leaveTom with those duffers. And besides, poor chaps, they'd be all at seaif we failed and no relief came. With _you_ still here _something_would be thought of that had sense in it."
Harry was obliged to own the wisdom of Yaspard's words, knowing fullwell how little Bill was able to take his place as director of affairs.
The Harrisons and Gloy were not to be depended upon for anything beyondwilling service and obedience to a guiding head. Yet Harry wished toshare Yaspard's responsibility, his peril, and his daring. "Let's castlots," he suggested.
"No," said the Viking-boy decisively. "This quest is mine. Notanother word about it, Harry."
"Mother, mother!" Tom muttered, rolling his head uneasily, and the wordreached their ears as they sat by the boat under which he lay.
"You hear?" whispered Yaspard; "think of your mother. If I don't reachland I shall go to my mother, but yours is in the Manse of Lunda, andwould break her heart if anything happened to you."
By that time the rabbit was cooked, and some plovers' eggs alsoroasted, along with a large crab which had been taking an airing beforeGloy's gleg[1] vision, and was obliged to yield to fate on the instant.The lads were very hungry, and enjoyed their meal in spite ofeverything.
When every morsel was demolished, even to the bones, which fell toPirate's share, the lads gathered in a group beside the boat, and triedto wile away the time with supposing a great many wonderful kinds ofrescues which might take place; and it was then that Harry told theothers of Yaspard's project.
"You can never do it, sir," Lowrie exclaimed; "I ken weel ye canno',and my faither wad never forgive us if we let you try."
"Tom Holtum's life, or mine, to be risked! My life is my own andGod's, to be used by me, with His approval, as my judgment thinksbest," was the dignified answer, which silenced Lowrie.
After that they watched the sea, and spoke very little for some hours,until the wind had quite subsided and the waves were less broken. Bythat time Tom's condition made a desperate attempt more urgent still,and Yaspard rose up saying, "Pirate, old boy, it is time you and I setout. Good-bye, lads; and keep up your hearts, for if I fail the dogwon't."
They silently followed him to the low crags where they had so blithelylanded. Lowrie meekly stooped and picked up the boots Yaspard tookoff, and Gibbie was heard to sob, but no one offered the smallestremonstrance; they were in hearing of Tom's broken words and pitifulmoans, and each one thought, "I'd do the same thing if I could."
"Take care of my crew, Harry," Yaspard said, giving one glance back;and then they called out, "God preserve you." He smiled. "Thank you!that sounds good; now, Pirate, come!"
He plunged into the surf and struck out manfully; and the dog keptclose by him, evidently aware that his young master's life wasentrusted to his keeping in a great measure.
His companions watched their progress with burning anxiety, and hoperose high within them as they saw how easily the dog swam; for theywere confident that while Pirate floated Yaspard was safe.
Yaspard was not so confident himself after being in the water sometime, and he frequently found himself obliged to pause and rest hishands on the dog. They were greatly helped by the tide flowing towardsBurra Isle. Indeed, Yaspard would not have started on such a dangerousvoyage if he had not calculated that he must receive great assistancefrom the sea itself. All he had to do was to keep himself afloat anddrift with the current; but, as all swimmers know, it is often astrying to do that as to breast an opposing force.
He found infinite comfort in the companionship of his faithful dog, andfrequently spoke to him--more for the purpose of encouraging his ownheart than because Pirate needed words of cheer.
But that piece of water seemed very broad, and there seemed for eversounding in our hero's ears the refrain of an old song with which MamKirsty used to lull Signy to sleep in her baby days--
"My cradle and my grave is the deep deep sea."
Yet Yaspard was not the least afraid, and only thought, even wh
en thosedoleful words seemed to ring like a knell through the roar of thewaves, "Tom will be saved if I reach the shore, and if I don't, Pirateis sure to land and make his way to a house at once. That will tell aswell as any words of mine."
He was very nearly exhausted when at last he found himself in shallowwater; so, putting on a desperate spurt, he managed to reach a sandycreek where a landing could be easily made. But as he staggered upfrom the water, thanking God in his heart, a sudden weaknessoverpowered him, and he fell senseless on the sand. Pirate had reachedland before his master, and was shaking himself vigorously when Yasparddropped. The wonderful dog-intellect at once divined that somethingmust be very far wrong, and he sniffed around the motionless form, withdeep anxiety expressed in every gesture and in the low whining noise hemade.
At last, when he found that Yaspard did not stir, Pirate determinedupon seeking help without further delay. With a piteous howl he turnedfrom the spot and bounded up the hill, making for the nearesthabitation or human being with the unerring instinct of his race.
[1] Keen.
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