CHAPTER VII.
Thou art the same, eternal sea! The earth has many shapes and forms, Of hill and valley, flower and tree; Fields that the fervid noontide warms, Or winter’s rugged grasp deforms, Or bright with autumn’s golden store; Thou coverest up thy face with storms, Or smilest serene,--but still thy roar And dashing foam go up to vex the sea-beat shore:
Lunt.
We shall now advance the time eight-and-forty hours. The baffling windsand calms that succeeded the tornado had gone, and the trades blew intheir stead. Both vessels had disappeared, the brig leading, doublingthe western extremity of the reef, and going off before both wind andcurrent, with flowing sheets, fully three hours before the sloop-of-warcould beat up against the latter, to a point that enabled her to do thesame thing. By that time, the Swash was five-and-twenty miles to theeastward, and consequently but just discernible in her loftiest sails,from the ship’s royal yards. Still, the latter continued the chase; andthat evening both vessels were beating down along the southern marginof the Florida Reef, against the trades, but favoured by a three or fourknot current, the brig out of sight to windward. Our narrative leads usto lose sight of both these vessels, for a time, in order to return tothe islets of the Gulf. Eight-and-forty hours had made some changes inand around the haven of the Dry Tortugas. The tent still stood, and asmall fire that was boiling its pot and its kettle, at no great distancefrom it, proved that the tent was still inhabited. The schooner alsorode at her anchors, very much as she had been abandoned by Spike. Thebag of doubloons, however, had been found, and there it lay, tied buttotally unguarded, in the canvas verandah of Rose Budd’s habitation.Jack Tier passed and repassed it with apparent indifference, as he wentto and fro, between his pantry and kitchen, busy as a bee in preparinghis noontide meal for the day. This man seemed to have the islet all tohimself, however, no one else being visible on any part of it. He sanghis song, in a cracked, contre alto voice, and appeared to be happy inhis solitude. Occasionally he talked to himself aloud, most probablybecause he had no one else to speak to. We shall record one of hisrecitatives, which came in between the strains of a very inharmoniousair, the words of which treated of the seas, while the steward’sassistant was stirring an exceedingly savoury mess that he had concoctedof the ingredients to be found in the united larders of the Swash andthe Mexican schooner.
“Stephen Spike is a capital willian!” exclaimed Jack, smelling at aladle filled with his soup--“a capital willian, I call him. To think,at his time of life, of such a handsome and pleasant young thing as thisRose Budd; and then to try to get her by underhand means, and by makinga fool of her silly old aunt. It ‘s wonderful what fools some old auntsbe! Quite wonderful! If I was as great a simpleton as this Mrs. Budd,I’d never cross my threshhold. Yes, Stephen Spike is a prodigiouswillian, as his best friend must own! Well, I gave him a thump on thehead that he’ll not forget this v’y’ge. To think of carryin’ off thatpretty Rose Budd in his very arms, in so indecent a manner! Yet, the manhas his good p’ints, if a body could only forget his bad ones. He’sa first-rate seaman. How he worked the brig till he doubled the reef,a’ter she got into open water; and how he made her walk off afore thewind, with stun’sails alow and aloft, as soon as ever he could make ‘emdraw! My life for it, he ‘ll tire the legs of Uncle Sam’s man, afore hecan fetch up with him. For running away, when hard chased, Stephen Spikehas n’t his equal on ‘arth. But, he’s a great willian--a prodigiouswillian! I cannot say I actually wish him hanged; but I would ratherhave him hanged than see him get pretty Rose in his power. What hashe to do with girls of nineteen? If the rascal is one year old, he’sfifty-six. I hope the sloop-of-war will find her match, and I think shewill. The Molly’s a great traveller, and not to be outdone easily. ‘Twould be a thousand pities so lovely a craft should be cut off in theflower of her days, as it might be, and I do hope she’ll lead thatbloody sloop on some sunken rock.
“Well, there’s the other bag of doubloons. It seems Stephen could notget it. That’s odd, too, for he’s great at grabbin’ gold. The man bearshis age well; but he’s a willian! I wonder whether he or Mulford madethat half-board in the narrow channel. It was well done, and Stephen isa perfect sailor; but he says Mulford is the same. Nice young man, thatMulford; just fit for Rose, and Rose for him. Pity to part them. Canfind no great fault with him, except that he has too much conscience.There’s such a thing as having too much, as well as too littleconscience. Mulford has too much, and Spike has too little. For him tothink of carryin’ off a gal of nineteen! I say he’s fifty-six, if he’sa day. How fond he used to be of this very soup! If I’ve seen him eat aquart of it, I’ve seen him eat a puncheon full of it, in my time. Whatan appetite the man has when he’s had a hard day’s duty on ‘t! There ‘sa great deal to admire, and a great deal to like in Stephen Spike, buthe’s a reg’lar willian. I dare say he fancies himself a smart, jauntyyouth ag’in, as I can remember him; a lad of twenty, which was about hisyears when I first saw him, by the sign that I was very little turnedof fifteen myself. Spike was comely then, though I acknowledge he’sa willian. I can see him now, with his deep blue roundabout, hisbell-mouthed trowsers, both of fine cloth--too fine for such awillian--but fine it was, and much did it become him.”
Here Jack made a long pause, during which, though he may have thoughtmuch, he said nothing. Nevertheless, he was n’t idle the while. On thecontrary, he passed no less than three several times from the fireto the tent, and returned. Each time, in going and coming, he lookedintently at the bag of doubloons, though he did not stop at it or touchit. Some associations connected with Spike’s fruitless attempts toobtain it must have formed its principal interest with this singularbeing, as he muttered his captain’s name each time in passing, thoughhe said no more audibly. The concerns of the dinner carried him backand forth; and in his last visit to the tent, he began to set a smalltable--one that had been brought for the convenience of Mrs. Budd andher niece, from the brig, and which of course still remained on theislet. It was while thus occupied, that Jack Tier recommenced hissoliloquy.
“I hope that money may do some worthy fellow good yet. It’s Mexicangold, and that’s inemy’s gold, and might be condemned by law, I dosuppose. Stephen had a hankerin’ a’ter it, but he did not get it. Itcome easy enough to the next man that tried. That Spike ‘s a willian,and the gold was too good for him. He has no conscience at all to thinkof a gal of nineteen! And one fit for his betters, in the bargain. Thetime has been when Stephen Spike might have pretended to Rose Budd’sequal. That much I’ll ever maintain, but that time’s gone; and, what ismore, it will never come again. I should like Mulford better if he had alittle less conscience. Conscience may do for Uncle Sam’s ships, butit is sometimes in the way aboard a trading craft. What can a fellowdo with a conscience when dollars is to be smuggled off, or tobaccosmuggled ashore? I do suppose I’ve about as much conscience as it isuseful to have, and I’ve got ashore in my day twenty thousand dollars’worth of stuff, of one sort or another, if I’ve got ashore the valieof ten dollars. But Spike carries on business on too large a scale, andmany’s the time I’ve told him so. I could have forgiven him anything butthis attempt on Rose Budd; and he’s altogether too old for that, to saynothing of other people’s rights. He’s an up-and-down willian, and abody can make no more, nor any less of him. That soup must be near done,and I’ll hoist the signal for grub.”
This signal was a blue-peter of which one had been brought ashore tosignal the brig; and with which Jack now signalled the schooner. If thereader will turn his eyes toward the last named vessel, he will findthe guests whom Tier expected to surround his table. Rose, her aunt, andBiddy were all seated, under an awning made by a sail, on the deck ofthe schooner, which now floated so buoyantly as to show that she hadmaterially lightened since last seen. Such indeed was the fact, and hewho had been the instrument of producing this change, appeared on deckin the person of Mulford, as soon as he was told that the blue-peter ofJack Tier was flying.
The boat of the l
ight-house, that in which Spike had landed in quest ofRose, was lying alongside of the schooner, and sufficiently explainedthe manner in which the mate had left the brig. This boat, in fact,had been fastened astern, in the hurry of getting from under thesloop-of-war’s fire, and Mulford had taken the opportunity of theconsternation and frantic efforts produced by the explosion of the lastshell thrown, to descend from his station on the coach-house into thisboat, to cut the painter, and to let the Swash glide away from him. Thisthe vessel had done with great rapidity, leaving him unseen under thecover of her stern. As soon as in the boat, the mate had seized an oar,and sculled to an islet that was within fifty yards, concealing theboat behind a low hummock that formed a tiny bay. All this was doneso rapidly, that united to the confusion on board the Swash, no onediscovered the mate or the boat. Had he been seen, however, it is verylittle probable that Spike would have lost a moment of time, in theattempt to recover either. But he was not seen, and it was the generalopinion on board the Swash, for quite an hour, that her handsome matehad been knocked overboard and killed, by a fragment of the shell thathad seemed to explode almost in the ears of her people. When the reefwas doubled, however, and Spike made his preparations for meeting therough water, he hove to, and ordered his own yawl, which was also towingastern, to be hauled up alongside, in order to be hoisted in. Then,indeed, some glimmerings of the truth were shed on the crew, who missedthe light-house boat. Though many contended that its painter must alsohave been cut by a fragment of the shell, and that the mate had diedloyal to roguery and treason. Mulford was much liked by the crew, and hewas highly valued by Spike, on account of his seamanship and integrity,this latter being a quality that is just as necessary for one of thecaptain’s character to meet with in those he trusts as to any other man.But Spike thought differently of the cause of Mulford’s disappearance,from his crew. He ascribed it altogether to love for Rose, when, intruth, it ought in justice to have been quite as much imputed to adetermination to sail no longer with a man who was clearly guilty oftreason. Of smuggling, Mulford had long suspected Spike, though he hadno direct proof of the fact; but now he could not doubt that he was notonly engaged in supplying the enemy with the munitions of war, but wasactually bargaining to sell his brig for a hostile cruiser, and possiblyto transfer himself and crew along with her.
It is scarcely necessary to speak of the welcome Mulford receivedwhen he reached the islet of the tent. He and Rose had a long privateconference, the result of which was to let the handsome mate into thesecret of his pretty companion’s true feelings toward himself. She hadreceived him with tears, and a betrayal of emotion that gave himevery encouragement, and now she did not deny her preference. In thatinterview the young people plighted to each other their troth. Rosenever doubted of obtaining her aunt’s consent in due time, all herprejudices being in favour of the sea and sailors; and should she not,she would soon be her own mistress, and at liberty to dispose of herselfand her pretty little fortune as she might choose. But a cypher as shewas, in all questions of real moment, Mrs. Budd was not a person likelyto throw any real obstacle in the way of the young people’s wishes; thetrue grounds of whose present apprehensions were all to be referredto Spike, his intentions, and his well-known perseverance. Mulfordwas convinced that the brig would be back in quest of the remainingdoubloons, as soon as she could get clear of the sloop-of-war, thoughhe was not altogether without a hope that the latter, when she foundit impossible to overhaul her chase, might also return in order toascertain what discoveries could be made in and about the schooner. Theexplosion of the powder, on the islet, must have put the man-of-war’smen in possession of the secret of the real quality of the flour thathad composed her cargo, and it doubtless had awakened all their distruston the subject of the Swash’s real business in the Gulf. Under all thecircumstances, therefore, it did appear quite as probable that one ofthe parties should reappear at the scene of their recent interview asthe other.
Bearing all these things in mind, Mulford had lost no time in completinghis own arrangements. He felt that he had some atonement to make to thecountry, for the part he had seemingly taken in the late events, and itoccurred to him, could he put the schooner in a state to be moved, thenplace her in the hands of the authorities, his own peace would be made,and his character cleared. Rose no sooner understood his plansand motives, than she entered into them with all the ardour andself-devotion of her sex; for the single hour of confidential and frankcommunication which had just passed, doubled the interest she felt inMulford and in all that belonged to him. Jack Tier was useful on boarda vessel, though his want of stature and force rendered him less so thanwas common with sea-faring men. His proper sphere certainly had been thecabins, where his usefulness was beyond all cavil; but he was now veryserviceable to Mulford on the deck of the schooner. The first two days,Mrs. Budd had been left on the islet, to look to the concerns of thekitchen, while Mulford, accompanied by Rose, Biddy and Jack Tier, hadgone off to the schooner, and set her pumps in motion again. It waslittle that Rose could do, or indeed attempt to do, at this toil, butthe pumps being small and easily worked, Biddy and Jack were of greatservice. By the end of the second day the pumps sucked; the cargothat remained in the schooner, as well as the form of her bottom,contributing greatly to lessen the quantity of the water that was to begot out of her.
Then it was that the doubloons fell into Mulford’s hands, along witheverything else that remained below decks. It was perhaps fortunate thatthe vessel was thoroughly purified by her immersion, and the articlesthat were brought on deck to be dried were found in a condition to giveno great offence to those who removed them. By leaving the hatches off,and the cabin doors open, the warm winds of the trades effectually driedthe interior of the schooner in the course of a single night; and whenMulford repaired on board of her, on the morning of the third day, hefound her in a condition to be fitted for his purposes. On thisoccasion Mrs. Budd had expressed a wish to go off to look at her futureaccommodations, and Jack was left on the islet to cook the dinner, whichwill explain the actual state of things as described in the opening ofthis chapter.
As those who toil usually have a relish for their food, the appearanceof the blue-peter was far from being unwelcome to those on board of theschooner. They got into the boat, and were sculled ashore by Mulford,who, seaman-like, used only one hand in performing this service. In avery few minutes they were all seated at the little table, which wasbrought out into the tent-verandah for the enjoyment of the breeze.
“So far, well,” said Mulford, after his appetite was mainly appeased;Rose picking crumbs, and affecting to eat, merely to have the air ofkeeping him company; one of the minor proofs of the little attentionsthat spring from the affections. “So far, well. The sails are bent, andthough they might be never and better, they can be made to answer. Itwas fortunate to find anything like a second suit on board a Mexicancraft of that size at all. As it is, we have foresail, mainsail, andjib, and with that canvas I think we might beat the schooner down to KeyWest in the course of a day and a night. If I dared to venture outsideof the reef, it might be done sooner even, for they tell me there is afour-knot current sometimes in that track; but I do not like to ventureoutside, so short-handed. The current inside must serve our turn, andwe shall get smooth water by keeping under the lee of the rocks. I onlyhope we shall not get into an eddy as we go further from the end of thereef, and into the bight of the coast.”
“Is there danger of that?” demanded Rose, whose quick intellect hadtaught her many of these things, since her acquaintance with vessels.
“There may be, looking at the formation of the reef and islands, thoughI know nothing of the fact by actual observation. This is my first visitin this quarter.”
“Eddies are serious matters,” put in Mrs. Budd, “and my poor husbandcould not abide them. Tides are good things; but eddies are verydisagreeable.”
“Well, aunty, I should think eddies might sometimes be as welcome astides. It must depend, however, very much on the way one wishes to go.�
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“Rose, you surprise me! All that you have read, and all that you haveheard, must have shown you the difference. Do they not say ‘a man isfloating with the tide,’ when things are prosperous with him--and don’tships drop down with the tide, and beat the wind with the tide? Anddon’t vessels sometimes ‘tide it up to town,’ as it is called, and isn’t it thought an advantage to have the tide with you?”
“All very true, aunty; but I do not see how that makes eddies any theworse.”
“Because eddies are the opposite of tides, child. When the tide goes oneway, the eddy goes another--is n’t it so, Harry Mulford? You never heardof one’s floating in an eddy.”
“That’s what we mean by an eddy, Mrs. Budd,” answered the handsome mate,delighted to hear Rose’s aunt call him by an appellation so kind andfamiliar,--a thing she had never done previously to the intercoursewhich had been the consequence of their present situation. “Though Iagree with Rose in thinking an eddy may be a good or a bad thing, andvery much like a tide, as one wishes to steer.”
“You amaze me, both of you! Tides are always spoken of favourably, buteddies never. If a ship gets ashore, the tide can float her off;that I’ve heard a thousand times. Then, what do the newspapers sayof President--, and Governor--, and Congressman--? Why, that they all‘float in the tide of public opinion,’ and that must mean somethingparticularly good, as they are always in office. No, no, Harry; I’llacknowledge that you do know something about ships; a good deal,considering how young you are; but you have something to learn abouteddies. Never trust one as long as you live.”
Mulford was silent, and Rose took the occasion to change the discourse.
“I hope we shall soon be able to quit this place,” she said; “for Iconfess to some dread of Captain Spike’s return.”
“Captain Stephen Spike has greatly disappointed me,” observed the aunt,gravely. “I do not know that I was ever before deceived in judginga person. I could have sworn he was an honest, frank, well-meaningsailor--a character, of all others, that I love; but it has turned outotherwise.”
“He’s a willian!” mutttered Jack Tier.
Mulford smiled; at which speech we must leave to conjecture; but heanswered Rose, as he ever did, promptly and with pleasure.
“The schooner is ready, and this must be our last meal ashore,” he said.“Our outfit will be no great matter; but if it will carry us down to KeyWest, I shall ask no more of it. As for the return of the Swash, I lookupon it as certain. She could easily get clear of the sloop-of-war,with the start she had, and Spike is a man that never yet abandoned adoubloon, when he knew where one was to be found.”
“Stephen Spike is like all his fellow-creatures,” put in Jack Tier,pointedly. “He has his faults, and he has his virtues.”
“Virtue is a term I should never think of applying to such a man,” returned Mulford, a little surprised at the fellow’s earnestness. “Theword is a big one, and belongs to quite another class of persons.” Jack muttered a few syllables that were unintelligible, when again theconversation changed.
Rose now inquired of Mulford as to their prospects of getting to KeyWest. He told her that the distance was about sixty miles; their routelying along the north or inner side of the Florida Reef. The wholedistance was to be made against the trade-wind, which was then blowingabout an eight-knot breeze, though, bating eddies, they might expect tobe favoured with the current, which was less strong inside thanoutside of the reef. As for handling the schooner, Mulford saw no greatdifficulty in that. She was not large, and was both lightly sparred andlightly rigged. All her top-hamper had been taken down by Spike, andnothing remained but the plainest and most readily-managed gear. Afore-and-aft vessel, sailing close by the wind, is not difficult tosteer; will almost steer herself, indeed, in smooth water. Jack Tiercould take his trick at the helm, in any weather, even in running beforethe wind, the time when it is most difficult to guide a craft, and Rosemight be made to understand the use of the tiller, and taught to governthe motions of a vessel so small and so simply rigged, when on a windand in smooth water. On the score of managing the schooner, therefore,Mulford thought there would be little cause for apprehension. Shouldthe weather continue settled, he had little doubt of safely landingthe whole party at Key West, in the course of the next four-and-twentyhours. Short sail he should be obliged to carry, as well on account ofthe greater facility of managing it, as on account of the circumstancethat the schooner was now in light ballast trim, and would not bear muchcanvas. He thought that the sooner they left the islets the better,as it could not be long ere the brig would be seen hovering around thespot. All these matters were discussed as the party still sat at table;and when they left it, which was a few minutes later, it was to removethe effects they intended to carry away to the boat. This was soon done,both Jack Tier and Biddy proving very serviceable, while Rose trippedbackward and forward, with a step elastic as a gazelle’s, carryinglight burdens. In half an hour the boat was ready. “Here lies the bag ofdoubloons still,” said Mulford, smiling. “Is it to be left, or shall wegive it up to the admiralty court at Key West, and put in a claim forsalvage?”
“Better leave it for Spike,” said Jack unexpectedly. “Should he comeback, and find the doubloons, he may be satisfied, and not look for theschooner. On the other hand, when the vessel is missing, he will thinkthat the money is in her. Better leave it for old Stephen.”
“I do not agree with you, Tier,” said Rose, though she looked asamicably at the steward’s assistant, as she thus opposed his opinion,as if anxious to persuade rather than coerce. “I do not quite agree withyou. This money belongs to the Spanish merchant; and, as we take awaywith us his vessel, to give it up to the authorities at Key West, I donot think we have a right to put his gold on the shore and abandon it.”
This disposed of the question. Mulford took the bag, and carried it tothe boat, without waiting to ascertain if Jack had any objection; whilethe whole party followed. In a few minutes everybody and everything inthe boat were transferred to the deck of the schooner. As for the tent,the old sails of which it was made, the furniture it contained, and sucharticles of provisions as were not wanted, they were left on the islet,without regret. The schooner had several casks of fresh water, whichwere found in her hold, and she had also a cask or two of salted meats,besides several articles of food more delicate, that had been providedby Se¤or Montefalderon for his own use, and which had not been damagedby the water. A keg of Boston crackers were among these eatables, quitehalf of which were still in a state to be eaten. They were Biddy’sdelight; and it was seldom that she could be seen when not nibbling atone of them. The bread of the crew was hopelessly damaged. But Jack hadmade an ample provision of bread when sent ashore, and there was stilla hundred barrels of the flour in the schooner’s hold. One of thesehad been hoisted on deck by Mulford, and opened. The injured flour waseasily removed, leaving a considerable quantity fit for the uses of thekitchen. As for the keg of gunpowder, it was incontinently committed tothe deep.
Thus provided for, Mulford decided that the time had arrived when heought to quit his anchorage. He had been employed most of that morningin getting the schooner’s anchor, a work of great toil to him, thougheverybody had assisted. He had succeeded, and the vessel now rode by akedge, that he could easily weigh by means of a deck tackle. It remainednow, therefore, to lift this kedge and to stand out of the bay of theislets. No sooner was the boat secured astern, and its freight disposedof, than the mate began to make sail. In order to hoist the mainsailwell up, he was obliged to carry the halyards to the windlass. Thusaided, he succeeded without much difficulty. He and Jack Tier and Biddygot the jib hoisted by hand; and as for the fore-sail, that would almostset itself. Of course, it was not touched until the kedge was aweigh.Mulford found little difficulty in lifting the last, and he soon had thesatisfaction of finding his craft clear of the ground. As Jack Tier wasevery way competent to take charge of the forecastle, Mulford now sprangaft, and took his own station at the helm; Rose acting as
his prettyassistant on the quarter-deck.
There is little mystery in getting a fore-and-aft vessel under way.Her sails fill almost as a matter of course, and motion follows as anecessary law. Thus did it prove with the Mexican schooner, which turnedout to be a fast-sailing and an easily-worked craft. She was, indeed, anAmerican bottom, as it is termed, having been originally built for theChesapeake; and, though not absolutely what is understood by a Baltimoreclipper, so nearly of that mould and nature as to possess some of themore essential qualities. As usually happens, however, when a foreignergets hold of an American schooner, the Mexicans had shortened her mastsand lessened her canvas. This circumstance was rather an advantage toMulford, who would probably have had more to attend to than he wishedunder the original rig of the craft.
Everybody, even to the fastidious Mrs. Budd, was delighted with the easyand swift movement of the schooner. Mulford, now he had got her undercanvas, handled her without any difficulty, letting her stand toward thechannel through which he intended to pass, with her sheets just takenin, though compelled to keep a little off, in order to enter between theislets. No difficulty occurred, however, and in less than ten minutesthe vessel was clear of the channels, and in open water. The sheets werenow flattened in, and the schooner brought close by the wind. A trial ofthe vessel on this mode of sailing was no sooner made, than Mulfordwas induced to regret he had taken so many precautions against anyincreasing power of the wind. To meet emergencies, and under the notionhe should have his craft more under command, the young man had reefedhis mainsail, and taken the bonnets off of the foresail and jib. As theschooner stood up better than he had anticipated, the mate felt as allseamen are so apt to feel, when they see that their vessels might bemade to perform more than is actually got out of them. As the breeze wasfresh, however, he determined not to let out the reef; and the labour oflacing on the bonnets again was too great to be thought of just at thatmoment.
We all find relief on getting in motion, when pressed by circumstances.Mulford had been in great apprehension of the re-appearance of theSwash all that day; for it was about the time when Spike would be aptto return, in the event of his escaping from the sloop-of-war, and hedreaded Rose’s again falling into the hands of a man so desperate. Noris it imputing more than a very natural care to the young man, to saythat he had some misgivings concerning himself. Spike, by this time,must be convinced that his business in the Gulf was known; and onewho had openly thrown off his service, as his mate had done, wouldunquestionably be regarded as a traitor to his interests, whatever mightbe the relation in which he would stand to the laws of the country. Itwas probable such an alleged offender would not be allowed to appearbefore the tribunals of the land, to justify himself and to accuse thetruly guilty, if it were in the power of the last to prevent it. Great,therefore, was the satisfaction of our handsome young mate when he foundhimself again fairly in motion, with a craft under him, that glidedahead in a way to prove that she might give even the Swash some troubleto catch her, in the event of a trial of speed.
Everybody entered into the feelings of Mulford, as the schooner passedgallantly out from between the islets, and entered the open water.Fathom by fathom did her wake rapidly increase, until it could no longerbe traced back as far as the sandy beaches that had just been left. In aquarter of an hour more, the vessel had drawn so far from the land,that some of the smaller and lowest of the islets were getting to beindistinct. At that instant everybody had come aft, the females takingtheir seats on the trunk, which, in this vessel as in the Swash herself,gave space and height to the cabin.
“Well,” exclaimed Mrs. Budd, who found the freshness of the sea airinvigorating, as well as their speed exciting, “this is what I callmaritime, Rosy, dear. This is what is meant by the Maritime States,about which we read so much, and which are commonly thought to be soimportant. We are now in a Maritime State, and I feel perfectly happyafter all our dangers and adventures!”
“Yes, aunty, and I am delighted that you are happy,” answered Rose, withfrank affection. “We are now rid of that infamous Spike, and may hopenever to see his face more.”
“Stephen Spike has his good p’ints as well as another,” said Jack Tier,abruptly.
“I know that he is an old shipmate of yours, Tier, and that you cannotforget how he once stood connected with you, and am sorry I have saidso much against him,” answered Rose, expressing her concern even more byher looks and tones, than by her words.
Jack was mollified by this, and he let his feeling be seen, though hesaid no more than to mutter, “He’s a willian!” words that had frequentlyissued from his lips within the last day or two.
“Stephen Spike is a capital seaman, and that is something in any man,” observed the relict of Captain Budd. “He learned his trade from one whowas every way qualified to teach him, and it’s no wonder he should beexpert. Do you expect, Mr. Mulford, to beat the wind the whole distanceto Key West?”
It was not possible for any one to look more grave than the mate didhabitually, while the widow was floundering through her sea-terms. Rosehad taught him that respect for her aunt was to be one of the conditionsof her own regard, though Rose had never opened her lips to him on thesubject.
“Yes, ma’am,” answered the mate, respectfully, “we are in the trades,and shall have to turn to windward, every inch of the way to Key West.”
“Of what lock is this place the key, Rosy?” asked the aunt, innocentlyenough. “I know that forts and towns are sometimes called keys, but theyalways have locks of some sort or other. Now, Gibraltar is the key ofthe Mediterranean, as your uncle has told me fifty times; and I havebeen there, and can understand why it should be,--but I do not know ofwhat lock this West is the key.”
“It is not that sort of key which is meant, aunty, at all--but quite adifferent thing. The key meant is an island.”
“And why should any one be so silly as to call an island a key?”
“The place where vessels unload is sometimes called a key,” answeredMulford;--“the French calling it a quai, and the Dutch kaye. I supposeour English word is derived from these. Now, a low, sandy island,looking somewhat like keys, or wharves, seamen have given them thisname. Key West is merely a low island.”
“Then there is no lock to it, or anything to be unfastened,” said thewidow, in her most simple manner.
“It may turn out to be the key to the Gulf of Mexico, one of these days,ma’am. Uncle Sam is surveying the reef, and intends to do somethinghere, I believe. When Uncle Sam is really in earnest, he is capable ofperforming great things.”
Mrs. Budd was satisfied with this explanation, though she told Biddythat evening, that “locks and keys go together, and that the person whochristened the island to which they were going, must have been veryweak in his upper story.” But these reflections on the intellects of herfellow-creatures were by no means uncommon with the worthy relict; andwe cannot say that her remarks made any particular impression on herIrish maid.
In the mean time, the Mexican schooner behaved quite to Mulford’ssatisfaction. He thought her a little tender in the squalls, of whichthey had several that afternoon; but he remarked to Rose, who expressedher uneasiness at the manner in which the vessel lay over in one ofthem, that “she comes down quite easy to her bearings, but it is hardforcing her beyond them. The vessel needs more cargo to ballast her,though, on the whole, I find her as stiff as one could expect. I am nowglad that I reefed, and reduced the head sails, though I was sorry athaving done so when we first came out. At this rate of sailing, we oughtto be up with Key West by morning.”
But that rate of sailing did not continue. Toward evening, the breezelessened almost to a calm again, the late tornado appearing to havequite deranged the ordinary stability of the trades. When the sun set,and it went down into the broad waters of the Gulf a flood of flame,there was barely a two-knot breeze, and Mulford had no longerany anxiety on the subject of keeping his vessel on her legs. Hissolicitude, now, was confined to the probability of falling in with theSwa
sh. As yet, nothing was visible, either in the shape of land or inthat of a sail. Between the islets of the Dry Tortugas and the nextnearest visible keys, there is a space of open water, of some fortymiles in width. The reef extends across it, of course; but nowhere doesthe rock protrude itself above the surface of the sea. The depth ofwater on this reef varies essentially. In some places, a ship of sizemight pass on to it, if not across it; while in others a man could wadefor miles. There is one deep and safe channel--safe to those who areacquainted with it--through the centre of this open space, and which issometimes used by vessels that wish to pass from one side to the other;but it is ever better for those whose business does not call them inthat direction, to give the rocks a good berth, more especially in thenight.
Mulford had gleaned many of the leading facts connected with thechannels, and the navigation of those waters, from Spike and the olderseamen of the brig, during the time they had been lying at the Tortugas.Such questions and answers are common enough on board ships, and, asthey are usually put and given with intelligence, one of our mate’sgeneral knowledge of his profession, was likely to carry away muchuseful information. By conversations of this nature, and by consultingthe charts, which Spike did not affect to conceal after the name ofhis port became known, the young man, in fact, had so far made himselfmaster of the subject, as to have tolerably accurate notions of thecourses, distances, and general peculiarities of the reef. When the sunwent down, he supposed himself to be about half-way across the space ofopen water, and some five-and-twenty miles dead to windward of hisport of departure. This was doing very well for the circumstances, andMulford believed himself and his companions clear of spike, when, asnight drew its veil over the tranquil sea, nothing was in sight.
A very judicious arrangement was made for the watches on board theMexican schooner, on this important night. Mrs. Budd had a great fancyto keep a watch, for once in her life, and, after the party had supped,and the subject came up in the natural course of things, a dialogue likethis occurred:
“Harry must be fatigued,” said Rose, kindly, “and must want sleep. Thewind is so light, and the weather appears to be so settled, that I thinkit would be better for him to ‘turn in,’ as he calls it;”--here Roselaughed so prettily that the handsome mate wished she would repeatthe words,--“better that he should ‘turn in’ now, and we can call him,should there be need of his advice or assistance. I dare say Jack Tierand I can take very good care of the schooner until daylight.”
Mrs. Budd thought it would be no more than proper for one of herexperience and years to rebuke this levity, as well as to enlighten theignorance her niece had betrayed.
“You should be cautious, my child, how you propose anything to be doneon a ship’s board,” observed the aunt. “It requires great experience anda suitable knowledge of rigging to give maritime advice. Now, as mighthave been expected, considering your years, and the short time you havebeen at sea, you have made several serious mistakes in what you haveproposed. In the first place, there should always be a mate on the deck,as I have heard your dear departed uncle say, again and again; andhow can there be a mate on the deck if Mr. Mulford ‘turns in,’ as youpropose, seeing that he’s the only mate we have. Then you should neverlaugh at any maritime expression, for each and all are, as a body mightsay, solemnized by storms and dangers. That Harry is fatigued I think isvery probable; and he must set our watches, as they call it, when he canmake his arrangements for the night, and take his rest as is usual.Here is my watch to begin with; and I’ll engage he does not find ittwo minutes out of the way, though yours, Rosy dear, like most girl’stime-pieces, is, I’ll venture to say, dreadfully wrong. Where is yourchronometer, Mr. Mulford? let us see how this excellent watch of mine,which was once my poor departed Mr. Budd’s, will agree with that pieceof your’s, which I have heard you say is excellent.”
Here was a flight in science and nautical language that poor Mulfordcould not have anticipated, even in the captain’s relict! That Mrs. Buddshould mistake “setting the watch” for “setting our watches,” was notso very violent a blunder that one ought to be much astonished at it inher; but that she should expect to find a chronometer that was intendedto keep the time of Greenwich, agreeing with a watch that was set forthe time of New York, betrayed a degree of ignorance that the handsomemate was afraid Rose would resent on him, when the mistake was made toappear. As the widow held out her own watch for the comparison, however,he could not refuse to produce his own. By Mrs. Budd’s watch it was pastseven o’clock, while by his own, or the Greenwich-set chronometer, itwas a little past twelve.
“How very wrong your watch is, Mr. Mulford,” cried the good lady,“notwithstanding all you have said in its favour. It’s quite five hourstoo fast, I do declare; and now, Rosy dear, you see the importance ofsetting watches on a ship’s board, as is done every evening, my departedhusband has often told me.”
“Harry’s must be what he calls a dog-watch, aunty,” said Rose, laughing,though she scarce knew at what.
“The watch goes, too,” added the widow, raising the chronometer to herear, “though it is so very wrong. Well, set it, Mr. Mulford; then wewill set Rose’s, which I’ll engage is half an hour out of the way,though it can never be as wrong as yours.”
Mulford was a good deal embarrassed, but he gained courage by looking atRose, who appeared to him to be quite as much mystified as her aunt.For once he hoped Rose was ignorant; for nothing would be so likely todiminish the feeling produced by the exposure of the aunt’s mistake, asto include the niece in the same category.
“My watch is a chronometer, you will recollect, Mrs. Budd,” said theyoung man.
“I know it; and they ought to keep the very best time--that I’ve alwaysheard. My poor Mr. Budd had two, and they were as large as compasses,and sold for hundreds after his lamented decease.”
“They were ship’s chronometers, but mine was made for the pocket. Itis true, chronometers are intended to keep the most accurate time, andusually they do; this of mine, in particular, would not lose ten secondsin a twelvemonth, did I not carry it on my person.”
“No, no, it does not seem to lose any, Harry; it only gains,” criedRose, laughing.
Mulford was now satisfied, notwithstanding all that had passed on aprevious occasion, that the laughing, bright-eyed, and quick-wittedgirl at his elbow, knew no more of the uses of a chronometer than herunusually dull and ignorant aunt; and he felt himself relieved from allembarrassment at once. Though he dared not even seem to distrust Mrs.Budd’s intellect or knowledge before Rose, he did not scruple to laughat Rose herself, to Rose. With her there was no jealousy on the scoreof capacity, her quickness being almost as obvious to all who approachedher as her beauty.
“Rose Budd, you do not understand the uses of a chronometer, I see,” said the mate, firmly, “notwithstanding all I have told you concerningthem.”
“It is to keep time, Harry Mulford, is it not?”
“True, to keep time--but to keep the time of a particular meridian; youknow what meridian means, I hope?”
Rose looked intently at her lover, and she looked singularly lovely,for she blushed slightly, though her smile was as open and amicable asingenuousness and affection could make it.
“A meridian means a point over our heads--the spot where the sun is atnoon,” said Rose, doubtingly.
“Quite right; but it also means longitude, in one sense. If you draw aline from one pole to the other, all the places it crosses are on thesame meridian. As the sun first appears in the east, it follows that herises sooner in places that are east, than in places that are furtherwest. Thus it is, that at Greenwich, in England, where there is anobservatory made for nautical purposes, the sun rises about five hourssooner than it does here. All this difference is subject to rules, andwe know exactly how to measure it.”
“How can that be, Harry? You told me this but the other day, yet have Iforgotten it.”
“Quite easily. As the earth turns round in just twenty-four hours, andits circumference
is divided into three hundred and sixty equal parts,called degrees, we have only to divide 360 by 24, to know how many ofthese degrees are included in the difference produced by one hour oftime. There are just fifteen of them, as you will find by multiplying 24by 15. It follows that the sun rises just one hour later, each fifteendegrees of longitude, as you go west, or one hour earlier each fifteendegrees of longitude as you go east. Having ascertained the differenceby the hour, it is easy enough to calculate for the minutes andseconds.”
“Yes, yes,” said Rose, eagerly, “I see all that--go on.”
“Now a chronometer is nothing but a watch, made with great care, so asnot to lose or gain more than a few seconds in a twelvemonth. Its wholemerit is in keeping time accurately.”
“Still I do not see how that can be anything more than a very goodwatch.”
“You will see in a minute, Rose. For purposes that you will presentlyunderstand, books are calculated for certain meridians, or longitudes,as at Greenwich and Paris, and those who use the books calculated forGreenwich, get their chronometers set at Greenwich, and those who usethe Paris, get their chronometers set to Paris time. When I was lastin England, I took this watch to Greenwich, and had it set at theObservatory by the true solar time. Ever since it has been runningby that time, and what you see here is the true Greenwich time, afterallowing for a second or two that it may have lost or gained.”
“All that is plain enough,” said the much interested Rose--“but of whatuse is it all?”
“To help mariners to find their longitude at sea, and thus know wherethey are. As the sun passes so far north, and so far south of theequator each year, it is easy enough to find the latitude, by observinghis position at noon-day; but for a long time seamen had greatdifficulty in ascertaining their longitudes. That, too, is done byobserving the different heavenly bodies, and with greater accuracy thanby any other process; but this thought of measuring the time is verysimple, and so easily put in practice, that we all run by it now.”
“Still I cannot understand it,” said Rose, looking so intently, soeagerly, and so intelligently into the handsome mate’s eyes, that hefound it was pleasant to teach her other things besides how to love.
“I will explain it. Having the Greenwich time in the watch, we observethe sun, in order to ascertain the true time, wherever we may happento be. It is a simple thing to ascertain the true time of day by anobservation of the sun, which marks the hours in his track; and when weget our observation, we have some one to note the time at a particularinstant on the chronometer. By noting the hour, minutes, and seconds, atGreenwich, at the very instant we observe here, when we have calculatedfrom that observation the time here, we have only to add, or subtract,the time here from that of Greenwich, to know precisely how far east orwest we are from Greenwich, which gives us our longitude.”
“I begin to comprehend it again,” exclaimed Rose, delighted at theacquisition in knowledge she had just made. “How beautiful it is, yethow simple--but why do I forget it?”
“Perfectly simple, and perfectly sure, too, when the chronometer isaccurate, and the observations are nicely made. It is seldom we are morethan eight or ten miles out of the way, and for them we keep a look-out.It is only to ascertain the time where you are, by means that are easilyused, then look at your watch to learn the time of day at Greenwich,or any other meridian you may have selected, and to calculate yourdistance, east or west, from that meridian, by the difference in the twotimes.”
Rose could have listened all night, for her quick mind readilycomprehended the principle which lies at the bottom of this usefulprocess, though still ignorant of some of the details. This time she wasdetermined to secure her acquisition, though it is quite probable that,woman-like, they were once more lost, almost as easily as made. Mulford,however, was obliged to leave her, to look at the vessel, before hestretched himself on the deck, in an old sail; it having been previouslydetermined that he should sleep first, while the wind was light, andthat Jack Tier, assisted by the females, should keep the first watch.Rose would not detain the mate, therefore, but let him go his way, inorder to see that all was right before he took his rest.
Mrs. Budd had listened to Mulford’s second explanation of the commonmode of ascertaining the longitude, with all the attention of which shewas capable; but it far exceeded the powers of her mind to comprehendit. There are persons who accustom themselves to think so superficially,that it becomes a painful process to attempt to dive into any of thearcana of nature, and who ever turn from such investigations weariedand disgusted. Many of these persons, perhaps most of them, need onlya little patience and perseverance to comprehend all the more familiarphenomena, but they cannot command even that much of the two qualitiesnamed to obtain the knowledge they would fain wish to possess. Mrs. Budddid not belong to a division as high in the intellectual scale as eventhis vapid class. Her intellect was unequal to embracing anything of anabstracted character, and only received the most obvious impressions,and those quite half the time it received wrong. The mate’s reasoning,therefore, was not only inexplicable to her, but it sounded absurd andimpossible.
“Rosy, dear,” said the worthy relict, as soon as she saw Mulford stretchhis fine frame on his bed of canvas, speaking at the same time in a low,confidential tone to her niece, “what was it that Harry was telling youa little while ago? It sounded to me like rank nonsense; and men willtalk nonsense to young girls, as I have so often warned you, child. Youmust never listen to their nonsense, Rosy; but remember your catechismand confirmation vow, and be a good girl.”
To how many of the feeble-minded and erring do those offices of thechurch prove a stay and support, when their own ordinary powers ofresistance would fail them! Rose, however, viewed the matter just as itwas, and answered accordingly.
“But this was nothing of that nature, aunty,” she said, “and only anaccount of the mode of finding out where a ship is, when out of sight ofland, in the middle of the ocean. We had the same subject up the otherday.”
“And how did Harry tell you, this time, that was done, my dear?”
“By finding the difference in the time of day between two places--justas he did before.”
“But there is no difference in the time of day, child, when the clocksgo well.”
“Yes, there is, aunty dear, as the sun rises in one place before it doesin another.”
“Rose you’ve been listening to nonsense now! Remember what I have sooften told you about young men, and their way of talking. I admit HarryMulford is a respectable youth, and has respectable connections, andsince you like one another, you may have him, with all my heart, as soonas he gets a full-jiggered ship, for I am resolved no niece of my poordear husband’s shall ever marry a mate, or a captain even, unless he hasa full-jiggered ship under his feet. But do not talk nonsense with him.Nonsense is nonsense, though a sensible man talks it. As for all thisstuff about the time of day, you can see it is nonsense, as the sunrises but once in twenty-four hours, and of course there cannot be twotimes, as you call it.”
“But, aunty dear, it is not always noon at London when it is noon at NewYork.”
“Fiddle-faddle, child; noon is noon, and there are no more two noonsthan two suns, or two times. Distrust what young men tell you, Rosy, ifyou would be safe, though they should tell you you are handsome.”
Poor Rose sighed, and gave up the explanation in despair. Then a smileplayed around her pretty mouth. It was not at her aunt that she smiled;this she never permitted herself to do, weak as was that person, andweak as she saw her to be; she smiled at the recollection how oftenMulford had hinted at her good looks--for Rose was a female, and hadher own weaknesses, as well as another. But the necessity of acting soondrove these thoughts from her mind, and Rose sought Jack Tier, to conferwith him on the subject of their new duties.
As for Harry Mulford, his head was no sooner laid on its bunch of sailthan he fell into a profound sleep. There he lay, slumbering as theseaman slumbers, with no sense of surrounding things. The immensefat
igues of that and of the two preceding days,--for he had toiledat the pumps even long after night had come, until the vessel wasclear,--weighed him down, and nature was now claiming her influence,and taking a respite from exertion. Had he been left to himself, it isprobable the mate would not have arisen until the sun had reappearedsome hours.
It is now necessary to explain more minutely the precise condition, aswell as the situation of the schooner. On quitting his port, Mulford hadmade a stretch of some two leagues in length, toward the northward andeastward, when he tacked and stood to the southward. There was enoughof southing in the wind, to make his last course nearly due south. As heneared the reef, he found that he fell in some miles to the eastward ofthe islets,--proof that he was doing very well, and that there was nocurrent to do him any material harm, if, indeed, there were not actuallya current in his favour. He next tacked to the northward again, andstood in that direction until near night, when he once more went about.The wind was now so light that he saw little prospect of getting in withthe reef again, until the return of day; but as he had left orders withJack Tier to be called at twelve o’clock, at all events, this gave himno uneasiness. At the time when the mate lay down to take his rest,therefore, the schooner was quite five-and-twenty miles to windward ofthe Dry Tortugas, and some twenty miles to the northward of the FloridaReef, with the wind quite light at east-south-east. Such, then, was theposition or situation of the schooner.
As respects her condition, it is easily described. She had but the threesails bent,--mainsail, foresail, and jib. Her topmasts had been struck,and all the hamper that belonged to them was below. The mainsail wassingle reefed, and the foresail and jib were without their bonnets, ashas already been mentioned. This was somewhat short canvas, but Mulfordknew that it would render his craft more manageable in the event ofa blow. Usually, at that season and in that region, the east tradesprevailed with great steadiness, sometimes diverging a little south ofeast, as at present, and generally blowing fresh. But, for a short timepreviously to, and ever since the tornado, the wind had been unsettled,the old currents appearing to regain their ascendancy by fits, and thenlosing it, in squalls, contrary currents, and even by short calms.
The conference between Jack Tier and Rose was frank and confidential.
“We must depend mainly on you,” said the latter, turning to look towardthe spot where Mulford lay, buried in the deepest sleep that had evergained power over him. “Harry is so fatigued! It would be shameful toawaken him a moment sooner than is necessary.”
“Ay, ay; so it is always with young women, when they lets a young mangain their ears,” answered Jack, without the least circumlocution;“so it is, and so it always will be, I’m afeard. Nevertheless, men iswillians.”
Rose was not affronted at this plain allusion to the power that Mulfordhad obtained over her feelings. It would seem that Jack had got to be sointimate in the cabins, that his sex was, in a measure, forgotten; andit is certain that his recent services were not. Without a question, butfor his interference, the pretty Rose Budd would, at that moment, havebeen the prisoner of Spike, and most probably the victim of his designto compel her to marry him.
“All men are not Stephen Spikes,” said Rose, earnestly, “and least ofall is Harry Mulford to be reckoned as one of his sort. But, we mustmanage to take care of the schooner the whole night, and let Harry gethis rest. He wished to be called at twelve, but we can easily let thehour go by, and not awaken him.”
“The commanding officer ought not to be sarved so, Miss Rose. What hesays is to be done.”
“I know it, Jack, as to ordinary matters; but Harry left these ordersthat we might have our share of rest, and for no other reason at all.And what is to prevent our having it? We are four, and can divideourselves into two watches; one watch can sleep while the other keeps alook-out.”
“Ay, ay, and pretty watches they would be! There’s Madam Budd, now; why,she’s quite a navigator, and knows all about weerin’ and haulin’, and Idares to say could put the schooner about, to keep her off the reef, ona pinch; though which way the craft would come round, could best be tolda’ter it has been done. It’s as much as I’d undertake myself, Miss Rose,to take care of the schooner, should it come on to blow; and as for you,Madam Budd, and that squalling Irishwoman, you’d be no better than somany housewives ashore.”
“We have strength, and we have courage, and we can pull, as you haveseen. I know very well which way to put the helm now, and Biddy is asstrong as you are yourself, and could help me all I wished. Then wecould always call you, at need, and have your assistance. Nay, Harryhimself can be called, if there should be a real necessity for it, and Ido wish he may not be disturbed until there is that necessity.”
It was with a good deal of reluctance that Jack allowed himself tobe persuaded into this scheme. He insisted, for a long time, that anofficer should be called at the hour mentioned by himself, and declaredhe had never known such an order neglected, “marchant-man, privateer, orman-of-war.” Rose prevailed over his scruples, however, and there was ameeting of the three females to make the final arrangements. Mrs. Budd,a kind-hearted woman, at the worst, gave her assent most cheerfully,though Rose was a little startled with the nature of the reasoning, withwhich it was accompanied.
“You are quite right, Rosy dear,” said the aunt, “and the thing is veryeasily done. I’ve long wanted to keep one watch, at sea; just one watch;to complete my maritime education. Your poor uncle used to say, ‘Givemy wife but one night-watch, and you’d have as good a seaman in her asheart could wish.’ I’m sure I’ve had night-watches enough with him andhis ailings; but it seems that they were not the sort of watches hemeant. Indeed, I did n’t know till this evening there were so manywatches in the world, at all. But this is just what I want, and justwhat I’m resolved to have. Tier shall command one watch and I’ll commandthe other. Jack’s shall be the ‘dog-watch,’ as they call it, and mineshall be the ‘middle-watch,’ and last till morning. You shall be inJack’s watch, Rose, and Biddy shall be in mine. You know a good dealthat Jack do n’t know, and Biddy can do a good deal I’m rather too stoutto do. I do n’t like pulling ropes, but as for ordering, I’ll turn myback on no captain’s widow out of York.”
Rose had her own misgivings on the subject of her aunt’s issuing orderson such a subject to any one, but she made the best of necessity, andcompleted the arrangements without further discussion. Her great anxietywas to secure a good night’s rest for Harry, already feeling a woman’scare in the comfort and ease of the man she loved. And Rose did loveHarry Mulford warmly and sincerely. If the very decided preference withwhich she regarded him before they sailed, had not absolutely amountedto passion, it had come so very near it as to render that access offeeling certain, under the influence of the association and events whichsucceeded. We have not thought it necessary to relate a tithe of theinterviews and intercourse that had taken place between the handsomemate and the pretty Rose Budd, during the month they had now beenshipmates, having left the reader to imagine the natural course ofthings, under such circumstances. Nevertheless, the plighted troth hadnot been actually given until Harry joined her on the islet, at a momentwhen she fancied herself abandoned to a fate almost as serious as death.Rose had seen Mulford quit the brig, had watched the mode and manner ofhis escape, and in almost breathless amazement, and felt how dear toher he had become, by the glow of delight which warmed her heart,when assured that he could not, would not, forsake her, even though heremained at the risk of life. She was now, true to the instinct ofher sex, mostly occupied in making such a return for an attachment sodevoted as became her tenderness and the habits of her mind.
As Mrs. Budd chose what she was pleased to term the ‘middle-watch,’giving to Jack Tier and Rose her ‘dog-watch,’ the two last were first onduty. It is scarcely necessary to say, the captain’s widow got the namesof the watches all wrong, as she got the names of everything else abouta vessel; but the plan was to divide the night equally between thesequasi mariners, giving the first h
alf to those who were first on thelook-out, and the remainder to their successors. It soon became so calm,that Jack left the helm, and came and sat by Rose, on the trunk, wherethey conversed confidentially for a long time. Although the reader will,hereafter, be enabled to form some plausible conjectures on the subjectof this dialogue, we shall give him no part of it here. All that neednow be said, is to add, that Jack did most of the talking, that his pastlife was the principal theme, and that the terrible Stephen Spike, hefrom whom they were now so desirous of escaping, was largely mixed upwith the adventures recounted. Jack found in his companion a deeplyinterested listener, although this was by no means the first time theyhad gone over together the same story and discussed the same events. Theconversation lasted until Tier, who watched the glass, seeing that itssands had run out for the last time, announced the hour of midnight.This was the moment when Mulford should have been called, but when Mrs.Budd and Biddy Noon were actually awakened in his stead.
“Now, dear aunty,” said Rose, as she parted from the new watch to goand catch a little sleep herself, “remember you are not to awaken Harryfirst, but to call Tier and myself. It would have done your heart goodto have seen how sweetly he has been sleeping all this time. I do notthink he has stirred once since his head was laid on that bunch ofsails, and there he is, at this moment, sleeping like an infant!”
“Yes,” returned the relict, “it is always so with your true maritimepeople. I have been sleeping a great deal more soundly, the whole of thedog-watch, than I ever slept at home, in my own excellent bed. But it’syour watch below, Rosy, and contrary to rule for you to stay on thedeck, after you’ve been relieved. I’ve heard this a thousand times.”
Rose was not sorry to lie down; and her head was scarcely on its pillow,in the cabin, before she was fast asleep. As for Jack, he found a placeamong Mulford’s sails, and was quickly in the same state.
To own the truth, Mrs. Budd was not quite as much at ease, in her newstation, for the first half hour, as she had fancied to herself mightprove to be the case. It was a flat calm, it is true; but the widow feltoppressed with responsibility and the novelty of her situation. Time andagain had she said, and even imagined, she should be delighted to fillthe very station she then occupied, or to be in charge of a deck, in a“middle watch.” In this instance, however, as in so many others, realitydid not equal anticipation. She wished to be doing everything, but didnot know how to do anything. As for Biddy, she was even worse off thanher mistress. A month’s experience, or for that matter a twelvemonth’s,could not unravel to her the mysteries of even a schooner’s rigging.Mrs. Budd had placed her “at the wheel,” as she called it, thoughthe vessel had no wheel, being steered by a tiller on deck, in the‘long-shore fashion. In stationing Biddy, the widow told her that shewas to play “tricks at the wheel,” leaving it to the astounded Irishwoman’s imagination to discover what those tricks were. Failing inascertaining what might be the nature of her “tricks at the wheel,” Biddy was content to do nothing, and nothing, under the circumstances,was perhaps the very best thing she could have done.
Little was required to be done for the first four hours of Mrs. Budd’swatch. All that time, Rose slept in her berth, and Mulford and Jack Tieron their sail, while Biddy had played the wheel a “trick,” indeed, bylying down on deck, and sleeping, too, as soundly as if she were in thecounty Down itself. But there was to be an end of this tranquillity.Suddenly the wind began to blow. At first, the breeze came in fitfulpuffs, which were neither very strong nor very lasting. This inducedMrs. Budd to awaken Biddy. Luckily, a schooner without a topsail couldnot very well be taken aback, especially as the head-sheets worked ontravellers, and Mrs. Budd and her assistant contrived to manage thetiller very well for the first hour that these varying puffs of windlasted. It is true, the tiller was lashed, and it is also true, theschooner ran in all directions, having actually headed to all thecardinal points of the compass, under her present management. At length,Mrs. Budd became alarmed. A puff of wind came so strong, as to cause thevessel to lie over so far as to bring the water into the lee scuppers.She called Jack Tier herself, therefore, and sent Biddy down to awakenRose. In a minute, both these auxiliaries appeared on deck. The windjust then lulled, and Rose, supposing her aunt was frightened attrifles, insisted on it that Harry should be permitted to sleep on. Hehad turned over once, in the course of the night, but not once had heraised his head from his pillow.
As soon as reinforced, Mrs. Budd began to bustle about, and to givecommands, such as they were, in order to prove that she was unterrified.Jack Tier gaped at her elbow, and by way of something to do, he laid hishand on the painter of the Swash’s boat, which boat was towingastern, and remarked that “some know-nothing had belayed it with threehalf-hitches.” This was enough for the relict. She had often heard thesaying that “three half-hitches lost the king’s long-boat,” and shebusied herself, at once, in repairing so imminent an evil. It was fareasier for the good woman to talk than to act; she became what is called“all fingers and thumbs,” and in loosening the third half-hitch, shecast off the two others. At that instant, a puff of wind struck theschooner again, and the end of the painter got away from the widow, whohad a last glimpse at the boat, as the vessel darted ahead, leaving itslittle tender to vanish in the gloom of the night.
Jack was excessively provoked at this accident, for he had foreseen thepossibility of having recourse to that boat yet, in order to escape fromSpike. By abandoning the schooner, and pulling on to the reef, it mighthave been possible to get out of their pursuer’s hands, when all othermeans should fail them. As he was at the tiller, he put his helm up, andran off, until far enough to leeward to be to the westward of the boat,when he might tack, fetch and recover it. Nevertheless, it now blew muchharder than he liked, for the schooner seemed to be unusually tender.Had he had the force to do it, he would have brailed the foresail. Hedesired Rose to call Mulford, but she hesitated about complying.
“Call him--call the mate, I say,” cried out Jack, in a voice that provedhow much he was in earnest. “These puffs come heavy, I can tell you, andthey come often, too. Call him--call him, at once, Miss Rose, for it istime to tack if we wish to recover the boat. Tell him, too, to brail theforesail, while we are in stays--that’s right; another call will starthim up.”
The other call was given, aided by a gentle shake from Rose’s hand.Harry was on his feet in a moment. A passing instant was necessary toclear his faculties, and to recover the tenor of his thoughts. Duringthat instant, the mate heard Jack Tier’s shrill cry of “Hard a-lee--getin that foresail--bear a-hand--in with it, I say!”
The wind came rushing and roaring, and the flaps of the canvas wereviolent and heavy.
“In with the foresail, I say,” shouted Jack Tier. “She files roundlike a top, and will be off the wind on the other tack presently. Beara-hand!--bear a-hand! It looks black as night to windward.”
Mulford then regained all his powers. He sprang to the fore-sheet,calling on the others for aid. The violent surges produced by the windprevented his grasping the sheet as soon as he could wish, and thevessel whirled round on her heel, like a steed that is frightened.At that critical and dangerous instant, when the schooner was nearlywithout motion through the water, a squall struck the flattened sails,and bowed her down as the willow bends to the gale. Mrs. Budd and Biddyscreamed as usual, and Jack shouted until his voice seemed cracked, to“let go the head-sheets.” Mulford did make one leap forward, to executethis necessary office, when the inclining plane of the deck told himit was too late. The wind fairly howled for a minute, and over went theschooner, the remains of her cargo shifting as she capsized, in a way tobring her very nearly bottom upward.
1. We suppress the names used by Mrs. Budd, out of delicacy to the individuals mentioned, who are still living.
Jack Tier; Or, The Florida Reef Page 7
