John turned his head and saw the island looming up out of the dark sea. Up through the hatch he climbed and grabbed a backstay rope to steady himself as he looked around - straining his eyes to see through the dark. White-foamed waves of seawater swept over the deck making it difficult to see anything more than a few yards away. He looked forward and waited for another streak of lightening so he could see what lay ahead. When it struck, what he saw almost made his knees buckle. Captain Roscoe had misjudged the position of the island and was in danger of striking the headland.
There, straight ahead, he saw the telltale signs of waves striking the headland rocks, sending tall plumes of white water high into the air. The headland marked the entrance to a bay or cove of the island. Exactly where Captain Roscoe was trying to maneuver the ship. If he failed, the Hopeful would smash against the jagged rocks and break apart. They would either all drown or be marooned - a fate all sailors feared!
Both Cumberbatch and Roscoe fought the ship's wheel to make the ship miss the impending danger. The wind and current were proving too strong for the ship. Each time lightening flashed, it showed the rocks closer and closer.
To John, there was little doubt - the Hopeful was going to hit and hit hard. He also knew that if the ship struck the rocks up forward, the children down below would not have a chance and knowing how Captain Roscoe felt about the orphans they would get no help from him or the crew. Making up his mind, John ducked back down the hatch.
Once down in the hold, he yelled to be heard above the din of the storm, "Listen. Listen!" He waited until he had their attention. "The ship is going to hit some rocks near the island, everyone up on deck. Now!" he commanded.
Panic ensued. There were screams and the young ones began to cry. "Jack, get them up the ladder as fast as you can. Make sure everyone gets out. You be the last out of here. I'll go up and make sure they stay together." That said, John scrambled back up through the hatch.
Once on deck, he could see that panic now commanded the crew! They clung onto whatever they could find expecting the ship to strike the rocks at any moment. John grabbed the first boy as up they came up and yelled, "Hold onto that rope and don't let go! To each one that appeared through the hatch, he said the same thing. They were instantly soaked by the spray of the sea. The wind whipped their clothes and hair into demonic figures.
The last boy finally climbed through the hatch followed by Buster Jack. He saw the Seachrist brothers holding on to a backstay and each other. Ethan had attached himself to a belaying pin and wasn't about to let go. John grabbed a rope and tied it to the railing and then held onto another boy. The lightening displayed an anger John had never seen in all his years at sea. The rocks loomed directly ahead and still the Hopeful continued on its march toward a collision.
When it came, it was unlike any sound anyone had ever heard. It was almost as if a cannon had been fired, the noise was deafening. The weight of the ship and its forward motion caused the Hopeful to be smashed up and onto the jagged rocks. The forward hull was crushed inboard. John knew seawater was now rushing into the ship. The stern of the ship swung around smashing against the rocks a second time. The Hopeful was being pounded harder with each successive wave and was soon listing to one side. The deck tilted, making it harder to hold on to anything.
Down came the spars, sails and piles of rope which created a web of entanglement on deck. Some of the crew were struck by falling debris. Some were swept overboard without a cry of help being heard by their shipmates. As with most sailors, few of them knew how to swim and the thought of being dumped into the sea was a horrible one. Many preferred to die on deck rather than drown in the depths of the sea.
John heard the far away cry of Captain Roscoe, "Get the boats in the water before she breaks up!"
Those that heard him responded immediately by cutting the lashings of the three life boats. As soon as one boat was dumped into the water, sailors ran to jump in before the next wave washed it away.
John let go of his safety rope and made his way to the Captain who was also making for one of the boats. John stumbled over some cordage but managed to regain his footing on the slippery deck. He reached the Captain. "Sir, what about them?" he said pointing to the boys.
Roscoe pushed John away and he fell to the deck. "You save 'em. You're just like 'em!" With that he turned and jumped into the last boat. He yelled at Cumberbatch, "Get in the boat. Save yourself!"
Cumberbatch ignored the command. Instead he struggled over the deck and helped John to his feet. "We gotta get 'em off the ship, Mr. Henry!" he yelled.
"They can't swim!" John yelled back. Another flash of lightening revealed a white sandy beach perhaps two hundred yards away. The boats would have a hard time getting there without being swamped by the waves.
The boats disappeared into the dark carrying what was left of the crew and of course, their courageous captain. Cumberbatch spat out loudly, "Cowards… the lot of 'em!"
John looked around the deck. There were pieces of wood from the splintered spars and pieces of planking. He said to Cumberbatch, "Grab anything that floats. We'll have them hold on and if possible tie them together with rope. We'll have to hurry. The ship may go down any second!"
"Aye, that should work!" Cumberbatch grabbed a couple barrels that were rolling across the deck. He took a length of rope and tied them together. He saw the Seachrist boys; "Here you three, hold onto these barrels and get into the water. When you're in, kick with your feet and head for the beach over there." He said pointing in the direction of the beach.
John found a long length of plank and directed four boys to take it and do the same. The other boys saw what they were doing and fanned out on the deck, grabbing anything that would float. They carefully slipped down the deck and into the water. Buster Jack and Fynn were the last of the boys to get into the water.
Cumberbatch held out a piece of wood for John to take. "Here, Mr. Henry you take this." John shook his head as he yelled, "You take it, I have to get something from my cabin."
Cumberbatch took a full blast of water to the face as he yelled back, "Are you mad?
The ship's sink'n… yer gonna get killed going down there."
John ignored him, "Don't wait for me! Help the others to the beach. I'll be right behind you." John smiled.
Cumberbatch shook his head, "Don't make no sense, but you do as you please!" With that, he jumped into the black water.
John made his way as best as he could to the hatch that led to his cabin. He struggled to get down the ladder because of the angle of the ship. He jumped the last few feet and landed in water. The ship was indeed sinking. He had to climb uphill to reach his cabin and forced the door open. All of his things were floating in knee deep saltwater and his trunk was dashing up against the bulkhead. He grabbed it and opened the lid. He retrieved the compass, sextant and telescope. As he turned to leave the cabin, he heard a loud crack, like a tree splintering. He looked down the companion way and saw that the hull had caved in and water gushed through the gaping hole. The force of the water pushed him back into his cabin and knocked him off his feet. He smashed up against the opposite wall and almost dropped his possessions. He struggled to his feet and slowly pushed against the weight of the rushing water. He managed to slowly work his way toward the door and into the companion way. The ladder and the hatch were blocked with debris. There was no way out.
He looked around for a possible route of escape, but none presented itself. The water was now up to his chest. He tucked his possessions into his waistcoat and pockets. He decided to wait until the water was over his head - then try to swim through the hole in the side of the ship where the water was rushing in.
As the water level rose, he tried to remain calm but his fear was getting the best of him. He shouted out loud, "I can do this… I can do this!" He took a large gulp of air and sank down in the water and pushed off in the direction of the opening in the ship's side.
Mr. Cumberbatch held tight to a piece of deck planking and kic
ked his feet. He was making slow progress toward the beach. He caught up to the last pair of boys struggling to reach the safety of the beach. Just as Cumberbatch reached them, one of them slipped from the wooden spar they were holding onto and sank beneath the choppy water. His large hand cut through the water and grabbed the boy by the collar and hauled him to the surface. Despite the danger of the water, he smiled as he said to the youth, "There be none of that, Young Sir! Grab hold and kick for the shore. Hold tight now!" The frightened boy did not say anything, but grabbed the floating spar as instructed and continued to kick.
After what seemed an eternity, the flotilla of children reached the safety of the beach and wearily dragged themselves up the sand and collapsed. Cumberbatch helped the last ones out of the water and up the beach where the others had gathered in a tight packed group, even Hugh and his two friends huddled with the others.
The lightning flashes filled the area with eerie shadows. Cumberbatch could see the beached boats and the ship's crew huddled together next to them. He knew the captain must be among them, but Cumberbatch did not care if he ever saw the likes of him again.
He turned to survey their position. The beach was about forty feet wide. It ended at the jungle's edge. He gathered what strength remained, stood up and walked to the jungle. It was very dense, but might still offer some respite from the wind and rain. He carefully picked his way through the foliage moving further into overhanging leaves and branches of the tropical plants.
Buster Jack's throat stung from the saltwater he had swallowed. He managed to croak, "Is everyone here?" The children looked around but no one mentioned anyone missing. With a start, Buster Jack shouted, "Anyone see John?" Still no one spoke. All eyes turned to the ocean and watched. Lightening lit up the sky long enough to see the remains of the Hopeful, which was now sprawled along the sharp rocks. They could not see anyone else in the water and despair crept in.
Buster Jack looked around for Cumberbatch, but he had disappeared into the jungle. He could see the crew of the ship huddled on the beach about fifty yards away. He had no desire to join those cowards and especially the captain. His contempt of the Captain and his crew was too much to bear. He looked away in disgust.
They all turned as they heard Cumberbatch yell, "Lads, there be a place just inside here what offers a little shelter from the rain." He pointed, "Come along now!"
Buster Jack helped some of them up and herded them to the spot where Cumberbatch stood, He asked Mr. Cumberbatch, "Where's John? Didn't see him get off the ship."
Cumberbatch looked down at the sand, "He went below to fetch someth'n. I told him not to, but he left anyway."
"You mean he was on the ship when it broke apart?"
He nodded as he replied, "Aye, I believe he was." After a moment he said, "Come along now. We'll wait till morning and then we'll look for 'im."
Chapter 8
Marooned
No one slept that night. The wind and the rain continued until the eastern sky brightened the next day. The leaves of the jungle offered minimal protection against the elements, but then the putrid smell of the decaying jungle floor was not a place where humans wanted to lay their heads to sleep anyway. When the storm subsided, there was a different noise. The noise came from the jungle. It was alive with other living creatures, from strange birds to exotic animals and of course the insects that inhabit such places.
When it was light enough to see, Cumberbatch stood up and told them to stay put until he returned. Then he disappeared through the foliage toward the beach and the ocean. He made his way to where Hopeful's crew was sleeping out in the open. The captain had managed to get his men to drag one of the boats up the beach and turned on its side making a shelter under which only he himself slept.
The beach was strewn with debris from the ship. There was wood, cordage and canvas all rolling back and forth with the motion of the waves, but nothing looked very useful. What little remained of the Hopeful could be seen on the rocks still being pounded by the heavy surf.
As he approached his shipmates, one of them said, "Looky here, Lads, if it ain't the First Mate."
"Stow it, Seager! I came to see if any of you have seen Mr. Henry. He had trouble leav'n the ship last night."
No one said anything and so Cumberbatch walked over to Roscoe. He knew the captain was not asleep and said, "Captain. You alright Sir?"
Gruffly the captain replied, "What do you care?"
"Just wonder'n what plans you might have for trying to get us off this island. Do we know for sure where we are?"
Captain Roscoe collected his thoughts for a moment and said, "Not exactly. The island I was trying to find should have been much closer. The storm must have pushed us further off course."
"What about supplies? We need to find water or we won't last but a day or two." Cumberbatch mused.
"Don't you think I know that, Man? Those scummy pirates took most of what we had and what we still had in the ship is now salt water!"
"Aye, tis not much of a future staring at us Capt'n." He waited for Roscoe to say something, but he remained silent. "Perhaps you should detail a party and go inland to try and find water and perhaps something to eat. Not much sense staying here on the beach waiting for another ship to find us here."
Captain Roscoe recoiled, "I'll make the plans here— I'm still captain or had you forgotten?"
"No, Sir. Just suggest'n that's all."
The Captain crawled out from beneath the boat shelter. He stood and surveyed the beach and his men who were now beginning to stir themselves. He walked over to them but appeared not to know what to say. He had always been on the deck of a ship and had never been shipwrecked before. "Men, we are in a desperate situation. We have no food and no fresh water. So I've decided to form two parties to explore the area." Ignoring Cumberbatch, he continued, "I'll lead one group and Mr. Seager will lead the other. Our first priority is to find water, but if you find food, bring it back. As we move through the jungle, we will keep each party in sight, that way we won't get lost. At the first sign of trouble, we'll double-back to the beach. Understood?"
Seager asked, "Beg pardon Sir. If we find water, how do we carry it?"
Roscoe considered the question and looked around him. "Look through the wreckage that's on the beach and see if you can find anything that will hold water, cups, barrels anything."
Cumberbatch turned and walked back to the where the children were. He came through the jungle and told them to go back to the beach. "We'll stay on the beach where we can get away from this awful smell. The captain and crew are going inland to try and find water and food. So up you go lads, Lively there!"
Buster Jack asked Cumberbatch, "Any sign of John?"
Cumberbatch shook his head, "I didn't see hide nor hair of 'em. When we get to the beach, we'll take a look, eh?" Buster Jack nodded and hurried the boys along.
The billowy clouds in the sky were white as if no storm had occurred. The wind was calm but the surf that pounded the beach, suggested otherwise. The sailors found a few containers to hold water and were seen walking down the beach.
Cumberbatch watched as the crew walked into the dense jungle. He turned and pointed to Buster Jack, "What be your name Lad?"
"Buster Jack . But they just calls me Buster or Jack."
"Ok, Jack, you stay here and mind the others. I'm going down the beach to look for Mister Henry." He looked around and pointed to three blonde boys as they stood huddled together. "You three…"
Buster Jack said, "Those are the Seachrist brothers."
"Fine, you Seachrist brothers come with me. We'll go down the beach a bit and see if we can see anything and perhaps locate Mr. Henry. If someth'n happens, go back into the jungle where we stayed last night… understood?"
A few said, "Yes Sir!"
Cumberbatch stopped and said, "Look Lads. We may be here a while. I'll try and remember your names in time, but you just call me Mr. Cumberbatch… everyone does."
Cumberbatch and the Seachrist boys
got about fifty yards down the beach when a terrible, high-pitched scream could be heard coming from the jungle where Captain Roscoe and the crew had gone. "Come on, Boys!" Cumberbatch yelled to his companions, "That don't sound good!" Other screams could be heard now - each one more piercing than the previous. Back up the beach they ran.
As he ran, Cumberbatch could see the boys standing on the beach all looking in the direction from where the terrible sounds came from. They heard more screaming, then as if a door had been shut, the screams ceased.
Suddenly from out of the jungle, Captain Roscoe ran as fast as he could down the beach towards the gathered boy. He waved his arms and screamed, "Get off the beach. They've killed me crew! The natives will kill all of us. Get in the boats!"
Following close on his heels a dozen of natives emerged from the jungle. They were painted and decorated with colorful feather plumes arranged on their heads. Their faces were painted with strange and dark images and lines that proceeded down across their chest. Each carried a long spear with which to kill their prey.
As they watched, one native threw his spear which hit Captain Roscoe in the back cutting off his screams. Without another sound, Captain Roscoe of the Hopeful, fell face-first in the sand. The natives whooped in victory and surrounded the body and began chanting something as they continued to stab and slash at his dead body.
The boys were frozen in horror at what they had just witnessed. It was Mr. Cumberbatch that stirred them back to reality, "Gather 'round me lads!" he commanded.
Just then, they heard a familiar voice. "Everyone follow me! Hurry before they kill all of us!" It was John Henry.
Buster Jack could not believe his eyes, "John, you're alive!"
"Yes, and if you want to remain so, come with me. Run!" he yelled.
Quickly, Mr. Cumberbatch and Buster Jack urged the boys to run to where John stood. As they neared him, John turned and ran ahead, yelling over his shoulder to follow him through the jungle.
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