Afloat and Ashore: A Sea Tale

by James Fenimore Cooper

  CHAPTER XIII.

  "The monarch mind--the mystery of commanding, The godlike power--the art Napoleon, Of winning, fettering, moulding, wielding, banding The hearts of millions, till they move as one; Thou hast it." HALLECK--_Red Jacket_.

  Smudge and the Dipper behaved admirably all next day. Beef, pork andbread--those great desiderata of life, which the European is apt to sayform the _primum mobile_ of American existence--seemed to engross theirthoughts; and when they were not eating, they were busy with sleep. Atlength we grew ashamed of watching such mere animals, and turnedour thoughts to other subjects. We had understood the Dipper, thateight-and-forty hours must elapse before we might expect to see any moreskins; and Captain Williams, passing from alarm to extreme security,determined to profit by a lovely day, and send down, or rather strip,all three of the top-masts, and pay some necessary attention to theirrigging. At nine o'clock, accordingly, the hands were turned-to, andbefore noon the ship was pretty thoroughly _en deshabille_. We sent aslittle down as possible, keeping even the top-sail-yards aloft, thoughwithout their lifts or braces, steadying them by guys; but the top-mastswere lowered as far as was found possible, without absolutely placingthe lower yards on the hammock-cloths. In a word, we put the ship in themost unmanageable position, without absolutely littering our decks. Thesecurity of the haven, and the extreme beauty of the weather, emboldenedthe captain to do this; apprehension of every sort appearing to havequite taken leave of him.

  The work proceeded merrily. We had not only a strong crew, but we hada good crew; and our Philadelphians were in their element, the momentthere was a question of the rigging. By sunset, the chafes wereexamined, and parcelled, and served anew; and the top-mast rigging wasall got up and put over the mast-heads again, and everything was readyto sway upon in the morning. But an uncommonly active day required agood night's rest; and the people were all ordered to turn in, as soonas they had supped. The ship was to be left to the vigilance of thecaptain and the three mates, during the night.

  The anchor-watch was set at eight, and ran from two hours, to twohours. My turn commenced at midnight, and was to last until two; Marblesucceeding me from two until four, when all hands were to be calledto get our sticks aloft. When I turned out at twelve, I found thethird-mate conversing, as well as he could, with the Dipper; who, withSmudge, having slept so much of the day, appeared disposed to pass thenight in smoking.

  "How long have these fellows been on deck?" I asked of the third-mate,as he was about to go below.

  "All my watch; I found them with the captain, who passed them over tome for company. If that chap, the Dipper, only knew anything of a humanlanguage, he would be something of society; but I'm as tired of makingsigns to him, as I ever was with a hard day's work."

  I was armed, and felt ashamed of manifesting fear of an unarmed man.Then the two savages gave no additional cause of distrust; the Dipperhaving taken a seat on the windlass, where he was smoking his pipewith an appearance of philosophy that would have done credit tothe gravest-looking baboon. As for Smudge, he did not appear to besufficiently intellectual to smoke; an occupation that has at leastthe merit of affecting the air of wisdom and reflection. I never coulddiscover whether your great smokers were actually wiser than the rest ofthe race, or not; but, it will be admitted, they occasionally seem tobe so. It was a pity Smudge did not have recourse to the practice, as itmight have given the fellow an appearance of sometimes cogitating. As itwas, while his companion was enjoying his pipe at the windlass, he keptstrolling about the deck, much as a pig would have wandered in the sameplace, and seemingly with the same object.

  I took charge of the decks with a very lively sense of the peculiarityof our situation. The security that prevailed on board struck me asunnatural; and yet I could detect no particular reason for immediatealarm. I might be thrown overboard or murdered by the two savages ondeck, it was very true; but of what use would it be to destroy me,since they could not hope to destroy all the rest on board without beingdiscovered. The night was star-lit, and there was little chance of acanoe's approaching the ship without my seeing it; a circumstance that,of itself, in a great measure, removed the danger. I passed the firstquarter of an hour in reflecting on these things; and then, as useaccustomed me to my situation, I began to think less of them, and torevert to other subjects.

  Clawbonny, Grace, Lucy, and Mr. Hardinge, often rose before my mind'seye, in those distant seas. It was seldom I passed a tranquil watchat night, without revisiting the scenes of my boyhood, and wanderingthrough my own fields, accompanied by my beloved sister, and her quiteas well beloved friend. How many hours of happiness had I thus passed onthe trackless wastes of the Pacific and the Atlantic; and with how muchfidelity did memory recall the peculiar graces, whether of body or mind,of each of the dear girls in particular! Since my recent experience inLondon, Emily Merton would occasionally adorn the picture, with her morecultivated discourse and more finished manner; and yet I do not rememberto have ever given her more than a third place on the scale of myadmiration.

  On the present occasion I was soon lost in ruminations on the past, andin imagining events for the future. I was not particularly expert atbuilding castles in the air; but what youth of twenty, or maiden ofsixteen, never reared some sort of a fabric of this nature? Thesefanciful structures are the results of inexperience building with thematerials of hope. In my most imaginative moments, I could even fancyRupert an industrious, staid lawyer, adorning his profession, andrendering both Lucy and Grace happy. Beyond this, it was not easy forthe human faculties to conceive.

  Lucy sang sweetly. At times, her songs fairly haunted me, and for hoursI could think of nothing but their tender sentiment and their touchingmelody. I was no nightingale myself, though I sometimes endeavoured tohum some one of the airs that floated in my recollection, like beautifulvisions of the past. This night, in particular, my thoughts recurredto one of these songs that told of affection and home; and I stood, forseveral minutes, leaning over the railing forward, humming the tune tomyself, while I endeavoured to recall not only the words, but the sweetvoice that was wont to give them so much thrilling pathos. I did thissometimes at Clawbonny; and time and again had Lucy placed her softlittle hand on my mouth, as she would laughingly say, "Miles, Miles! donot spoil so pretty a song! You will never succeed with music, so workthe harder with your Latin." Sometimes she would steal behind me--Ifancied I could hear her breathing at my shoulder, even as I leanedover the rail--and would apply her hand slyly to my lips, in her manyattempts of this nature. So vivid did one of these scenes become, thatI thought I really felt the soft smooth hand on my mouth, and I wasactually about to kiss it, when something that was smooth enough,certainly, but which was very far from being soft, passed between myteeth, and I felt it drawn so tight as completely to prevent my callingout. At the same moment, my arms were seized from behind, and held as ifgrasped by a vice. Turning, as well as I was able, I found that rascalSmudge had been breathing within an inch of my ear, while he passed thegag; and the Dipper was busy in lashing my arms together behind my back.The whole had been done so suddenly, and yet with so much skill, that Iwas a helpless prisoner, as it might be, in a single instant!

  Resistance being as much out of my power as it was to give any alarm, Iwas soon secured, hands and feet, and placed carefully in the waist, alittle out of the way; for I probably owed my life solely to the wishof Smudge to keep me as his slave. From that instant every appearanceof stupidity vanished from this fellow's countenance and manner, andhe became the moving spirit, and I might say the soul, of all theproceedings of his companions. As for myself, there I sat, lashed to aspar, utterly unable to help myself, an unwilling witness of all thatfollowed. I felt the imminent danger of our situation, but I think Ifelt the disgrace of having such a surprise occur in my watch, more eventhan the personal risks I ran!

  In the first place, I was disarmed. Then, the Dipper took a lanternwhich stood on the binnacle, lighted it, and showed it, for halfa minute, above the taffrail. His sig
nal must have been instantlyanswered, for he soon extinguished the light, and moved about the deck,in attentive watchfulness to seize any straggler, who might happen tocome on deck. Little fear of that, however, weariness chaining the mento their berths as closely as if they had been bolted down with iron. Inow expected to see the fellows fill the yawl with effects, and run awaywith them, for, as yet, I could not believe that two men would have thehardihood to attack such a ship's company as ours.

  I reckoned without my host. It might have been ten minutes after I wasseized, that dark-looking figures began to climb the ship's sides,until more than thirty of them were on her decks. This was done sonoiselessly, too, that the most vigilant attention on my part gave nonotice of their approach, until they stood among us. All these men werearmed; a few with muskets; others with clubs, and some with bows andarrows. So far as I could discover, each had some sort of a knife, and afew had hatchets, or tomahawks. To my great regret, I saw that three orfour were immediately stationed at the companion-way, aft, and as manymore at the booby-hatch, forward. This was effectually commanding theonly two passages by which the officers and men would be likely toascend, in the event of their attempting to come on deck. It is true,the main hatch, as well as that of the steerage, was used by day,but both had been covered over night, and no one would think of usingeither, unless aware of the danger that existed on deck.

  I suffered a good deal, both from the gag and the ropes that bound mylimbs, and yet I hardly thought of the pain, so intense was my curiosityas to what was to follow. After the savages were all on board, the firstquarter of an hour passed in making their dispositions, Smudge, thestupid, inanimate, senseless Smudge, acting as leader, and manifestingnot only authority, but readiness and sagacity. He placed all his peoplein ambush, so that, one appearing from below, would not at once beapprized of the change that had taken place on deck, and thus give thesavages time to act. After this, another quarter of an hour passed,during which the fall of a pin might almost have been heard, soprofound was the silence. I shut my eyes in this terrific interval, andendeavoured to pray.

  "On deck, here--forward, there!" said a voice suddenly, that, at once,I knew to be the captain's. I would have given the world to be able toanswer, in order to warn him of the danger, but this was impossible. Idid groan, and I believe the captain heard me; for he moved away fromthe cabin-door, and called out "Mr. Wallingford--where have you got to,Mr. Wallingford?" He was without his hat, having come on deck half-clad,simply to ascertain how went the night, and it makes me shudder, evennow, to write about the blow that fell on his unprotected skull. Itwould have felled an ox, and it crushed him on the spot. The caution ofhis murderers prevented his falling, however, for they did not wish toalarm the sleepers below; though the plash on the water that followed,could not fail to reach ears which took in every sound with the avidityof mine. Thus perished Captain Williams, a mild, well-meaning man, anexcellent seaman, and one whose principal fault was want of caution. Ido not think the water was necessary to complete his fate, as nothinghuman could have survived such a blow.

  Smudge had been the principal actor in this frightful scene; and, assoon as it was over, he caused his men to return to their ambushes. Inow thought the officers and men were to be murdered, in this manner,as one by one they appeared on deck. It would soon be time for Marbleto turn out, though there was the hope he might not unless called, andI could not do this office, situated as I was. But, I was mistaken.Instead of enticing any men on deck, the savages pursued a differentcourse. Having destroyed the captain, they closed the doors of thecompanion-way, drew over the booby-hatch, and adopted the safe expedientof making all below prisoners. This was not done altogether withoutnoise, and the alarm was evidently given by the means taken to securethe fastenings. I heard a rush at the cabin-doors, which was soonfollowed by one at the booby-hatch; but Smudge's ingenuity had beensufficient to prevent either from being successful.

  As soon as certain that their prisoners were safe, the savages came andloosened the ropes of my arms sufficiently to put me more at my ease.They removed those which bound my feet entirely, and, at the sameinstant, the gag was taken from my mouth. I was then led to thecompanionway, and, by a sign, given to understand I might communicatewith my friends below. In the management of all this, I found thatSmudge, the semi-human, dull, animal-seeming Smudge, was at the head.I also came to the conclusion my life was to be spared, for a time atleast, and for some purpose that, as yet, baffled my conjectures. I didnot call out immediately, but waited until I heard a movement on theladder, when I complied with the orders of my captors and masters.

  "Mr. Marble," I cried, loud enough to be heard below, "is that you?"

  "Ay, ay--and is that you, Master Miles?"

  "This is I. Be cautious how you act, Mr. Marble. The savages are inpossession of the upper deck, and I am their prisoner. The people areall below, with a strong watch at the fore-scuttle."

  I heard a long, low whistle, within the companion-way doors, which itwas easy enough to interpret into an expression of the chief-mate'sconcern and wonder. For myself, I saw no use in attempting concealment,but was resolved to speak out fully, even though it might be at the riskof betraying some of my feelings to my captors, among whom I thoughtit probable there might be more than one who understood something ofEnglish.

  "We miss Captain Williams below here," Marble resumed, after a shortdelay. "Do you know anything of his movements?"

  "Alas! Mr. Marble--poor Captain Williams can be of no service to any ofus, now."

  "What of him?" was demanded in a clear, full voice and as quick aslightning. "Let me know, at once."

  "He has been killed by a blow from a club, and is thrown overboard."

  A dead silence followed, and it lasted near a minute.

  "Then it has fallen to my duty to decide what is to be done!" Marbleat length exclaimed. "Miles, are you at liberty?--dare you say what youthink?"

  "I am held here, by two of the savages, whose prisoner I certainly am.Still, Mr. Marble, they encourage me to speak, but I fear some amongthem understand what we say."

  There was another pause, during which the mate was doubtless reflectingon the best course to pursue.

  "Harkee, Miles," Marble continued, "we know each other, and can tellwhat is meant without blabbing. How old are you, out there, on deck."

  "Quite thirty years, Mr. Marble--and good stout years they are, too."

  "Well provided for, with sulphur and the pills, or only with Indiantools, such as our boys sometimes play with?"

  "A little of the first--half-a-dozen, perhaps; with some of the last,and a plenty of carvers."

  An impatient push from the Dipper warned me to speak plainer, andsatisfied me that the fellow could comprehend what passed, so long as weconfined ourselves to a straight, forward discourse. This discovery hadthe effect to put me still more on my guard.

  "I understand you, Miles," Marble answered, in a thoughtful manner; "wemust be on our guard. Do you think they mean to come below?"

  "I see no signs at present--but _understanding_--" emphasizing theword, "is more general than you imagine, and no secrets must be told. Myadvice is 'Millions for defence, and not a cent for tribute.'"

  As this last expression was common in the mouths of the Americans of theday, having been used on the occasion of the existing war with France, Ifelt confident it would be understood. Marble made no answer, and Iwas permitted to move from the companion-way, and to take a seat on thehen-coops. My situation was sufficiently remarkable. It was still dark;but enough light fell from the stars to permit me to see all the swarthyand savage forms that were gliding about the decks, and even to observesomething of the expression of the countenances of those, who, from timeto time, came near to stare me in the face. The last seemed ferociouslydisposed; but it was evident that a master-spirit held all these wildbeings in strict subjection; quelling the turbulence of their humours,restraining their fierce disposition to violence, and giving concert anddesign to all their proceedings. This ma
ster-spirit was Smudge! Of thefact, I could not doubt; his gestures, his voice, his commands, givingmovement and method to everything that was done. I observed that hespoke with authority and confidence, though he spoke calmly. He wasobeyed, without any particular marks of deference, but he was obeyedimplicitly. I could also see that the savages considered themselves asconquerors; caring very little for the men under hatches.

  Nothing material occurred until day dawned. Smudge--for so I mustcontinue to call this revolting-looking chief, for want of his truename--would permit nothing to be attempted, until the light becamesufficiently strong to enable him to note the proceedings of hisfollowers. I subsequently ascertained, too, that he waited forreinforcements, a yell being raised in the ship, just as the sunappeared, which was answered from the forest. The last seemed fairlyalive with savages; nor was it long before canoes issued from the creek,and I counted one hundred and seven of these wretches on board the ship.This was their whole force, however, no more ever appearing.

  All this time, or for three hours, I had no more communication withour own people. I was certain, however, that they were all together, ajunction being easy enough, by means of the middle-deck, which had noother cargo than the light articles intended for the north-west trade,and by knocking down the forecastle bulk-head. There was a sliding boardin the last, indeed, that would admit of one man's passing at a time,without having recourse to this last expedient. I entertained no doubtMarble had collected all hands below; and, being in possession of plentyof arms, the men having carried their muskets and pistols below withthem, with all the ammunition, he was still extremely formidable. Whatcourse he would pursue, I was obliged to conjecture. A sortie wouldhave been very hazardous, if practicable at all; and it was scarcelypracticable, after the means taken by Smudge and the Dipper to securethe passages. Everything, so far as I was concerned, was left toconjecture.

  The manner in which my captors treated me, excited my surprise. As soonas it was light, my limbs were released, and I was permitted to walkup and down the quarter-deck to restore the circulation of the blood. Aclot of blood, with some fragments of hair, marked the spot where poorCaptain Williams had fallen; and I was allowed to dash a bucket of waterover the place, in order to wash away the revolting signs of the murder.For myself, a strange recklessness had taken the place of concern, andI became momentarily indifferent to my fate. I expected to die, and Iam now ashamed to confess that my feelings took a direction towardsrevenge, rather than towards penitence for my past sins. At times, Ieven envied Marble, and those below, who might destroy their enemiesat a swoop, by throwing a match into the magazine. I felt persuaded,indeed, it would come to that before the mate and men would submit tobe the captives of such wretches as were then in possession of the deck.Smudge and his associates, however, appeared to be perfectly indifferentto this danger, of the character of which they were probably ignorant.Their scheme had been very cunningly laid; and, thus far, it wasperfectly successful.

  The sun was fairly up, and the savages began to think seriously ofsecuring their prize, when the two leaders, Smudge and the Dipper,approached me in a manner to show they were on the point of commencingoperations. The last of these men I now discovered had a triflingknowledge of English, which he had obtained from different ships. Stillhe was a savage, to all intents and purposes, the little informationthus gleaned, serving to render his worst propensities more dangerous,rather than, in any manner, tempering them. He now took the lead,parading all his men in two lines on the deck, making a significantgesture towards his fingers, and uttering, with emphasis, the word"count." I did count the wretches, making, this time, one hundred andsix, exclusively of the two leaders.

  "Tell him, down there"--growled the Dipper, pointing below.

  I called for Mr. Marble, and when he had reached the companion-way, thefollowing conversation took place between us:

  "What is it now, Miles, my hearty?" demanded the chief-mate.

  "I am ordered to tell you, sir, that the Indians number one hundred andeight, having just counted them, for this purpose."

  "I wish there were a thousand, as we are about to lift the deck from theship, and send them all into the air. Do you think they can understandwhat I say, Miles?"

  "The Dipper does, sir, when you speak slow and plain. He has only half anotion of what you now mean, as I can see by his countenance."

  "Does the rascal hear me, now?--is he anywhere near the companion-way?"

  "He does, and is--he is standing, at this moment, on the larboard sideof the companion-way, kneeling one knee, on the forward end of thehen-coop."

  "Miles"--said Marble, in a doubting sort of a voice.

  "Mr. Marble--I hear what you say."

  "Suppose--eh--lead through the companion-way--eh--what would happen to_you?_"

  "I should care little for that, sir, as I've made up my mind to bemurdered. But it would do no good, just now, and might do harm. I willtell them, however, of your intention to blow them up, if you please;perhaps _that_ may make them a little shy."

  Marble assented, and I set about the office, as well as I could. Mostof my communication had to be made by means of signs; but, in the end,I succeeded in making the Dipper understand my meaning. By this man thepurport was told to Smudge, in terms. The old man listened with graveattention, but the idea of being blown up produced no more effect onhim, than would have been produced by a message from home to tell himthat his chimney was on fire, supposing him to have possessed such acivilized instrument of comfort. That he fully comprehended his friend,I could see by the expression of his ourang-outang-looking countenance.But fear was a passion that troubled him very little; and, sooth to say,a man whose time was passed in a condition as miserable as that in whichhe habitually dwelt, had no great reason to set a very high value onhis life. Yet, these miserable wretches never commit suicide! That isa relief reserved rather for those who have become satiated with humanenjoyments, nine pampered sensualists dying in this mode, for one poorwretch whose miseries have driven him to despair.

  I was astonished at seeing the intelligence that gleamed in thebaboon-like face of Smudge, as he listened to his friend's words.Incredulity was the intellectual meaning in his eye, while indifferenceseemed seated in his whole visage.

  It was evident the threat had made no impression, and I managed to letMarble understand as much, and that in terms which the Dipper could notvery well comprehend. I got no answer, a death-like stillness reigningbelow decks, in lieu of the bustle that had so lately been heard there.Smudge seemed struck with the change, and I observed he was givingorders to two or three of the elder savages, apparently to direct agreater degree of watchfulness. I confess to some uneasiness myself,for expectation is an unpleasant guest, in a scene like that, and moreespecially when accompanied by uncertainty.

  Smudge now seemed to think it time to commence his operations inearnest. Under the direction of the Dipper a quantity of line was throwninto the yawl, studding-halyards, and such other rope of convenient sizeas could be found in the launch, and the boat was towed by two orthree canoes to the island. Here the fellows made what seamen call a"guess-warp," of their rope; fastening one end to a tree, and payingout line, as the yawl was towed back again to the ship. The Dipper'scalculation proved to be sufficiently accurate, the rope reaching fromthe vessel to the tree.

  As soon as this feat was accomplished, and it was done with sufficientreadiness, though somewhat lubberly, twenty or thirty of the savagesclapped on the warp, until they had tautened it to as great a strain asit would bear. After this they ceased pulling, and I observed a searcharound the galley in quest of the cook's axe, evidently with a design tocut the cables. I thought this a fact worth communicating to Marble, andI resolved to do so at the risk of my life. "The Indians have run a lineto the island, and are about to cut the cables, no doubt intending towarp the ship ashore; and that, too, at the very spot where they oncehad the Sea-Otter."

  "Ay, ay--let them go on; we'll be ready for them in time," was the onlyanswer I receive
d.

  I never knew whether to ascribe the apathy the savages manifested tothis communication, to a wish that the fact might be known to the peoplebelow, or to indifference. They certainly proceeded in their movementswith just as much coolness as if they had the ship all to themselves.They had six or eight canoes, and parties of them began to move roundthe vessel, with precisely the same confidence as men would do it in afriendly port. What most surprised me were the quiet and submission toorders they observed. At length the axe was found secreted in thebows of the launch, and Marble was apprised of the use to which it wasimmediately applied, by the heavy blows that fell upon the cables.

  "Miles," said the chief-mate--"these blows go to my heart! Are theblackguards really in earnest?"

  "The larboard bower is gone, sir, and the blows you now hear are on thestarboard, which is already half in two--that finishes it; the ship nowhangs only by the warp."

  "Is there any wind, boy?"

  "Not a breath of it in the bay, though I can see a little ripple on thewater, outside."

  "Is it rising or falling water, Miles?"

  "The ebb is nearly done--they'll never be able to get the ship up on theshelving rock where they had the Sea-Otter, until the water rises ten ortwelve feet."

  "Thank God for that! I was afraid they might get her on that accursedbed, and break her back at once."

  "Is it of any importance to us, Mr. Marble? What hope can we have ofdoing anything against such odds, and in our circumstances?"

  "The odds I care nothing for, boy. My lads are screwed up so tight,they'd lick the whole North-West Coast, if they could only get on deckwithout having their fashion-pieces stove in. The circumstances, Iallow, must count for a great deal."

  "The ship is moving fast towards the island--I see no hope for us, Mr.Marble!"

  "I say, Miles, it is worth some risk to try and save the craft--wereit not for fear of you, I would have played the rascals a trick half anhour since."

  "Never mind me, sir--it was my fault it has happened, and I ought tosuffer for it--do what duty and discretion tell you is best."

  I waited a minute after this, in intense expectation, not knowing whatwas to follow, when a report made me fancy for an instant some attemptwas making to blow up the deck. The wails and cries that succeeded,however, soon let me into the real state of the case. A volley ofmuskets had been fired from the cabin-windows, and every individual intwo canoes that were passing at the time, to the number of eleven,were shot down like bullocks. Three were killed dead, and the remainderreceived wounds that promised to be mortal. My life would have been theinstant sacrifice of this act, had it not been for the stern authorityof Smudge, who ordered my assailants off, with a manner and tone thatproduced immediate compliance. It was clear I was reserved for somepeculiar fate.

  Every man who could, rushed into the remaining canoes and the ship'syawl, in order to pick up the killed and wounded, as soon as the natureof the calamity was known. I watched them from the taffrail, and soonascertained that Marble was doing the same from the windows below me.But the savages did not dare venture in a line with a fire that hadproved so fatal, and were compelled to wait until the ship had movedsufficiently ahead to enable them to succour their friends, withoutexposing their own lives. As this required some distance, as well astime, the ship was not only left without a canoe, or boat of any sort,in the water, but with only half her assailants on board of her. Thosewho did remain, for want of means to attack any other enemy, ventedtheir spite on the ship, expending all their strength in frantic effortson the warp. The result was, that while they gave great way to thevessel, they finally broke the line.

  I was leaning on the wheel, with Smudge near me, when this accidentoccurred. The tide was still running ebb, and with some strength; andthe ship was just entering the narrow passage between the island and thepoint that formed one termination of the bay, heading, of course,toward the tree to which the warp had been secured. It was an impulsivefeeling, rather than any reason, that made me give the vessel a sheerwith the helm, so as to send her directly through the passage, insteadof letting her strike the rocks. I had no eventual hope in so doing,nor any other motive than the strong reluctance I felt to have the goodcraft hit the bottom. Luckily, the Dipper was in the canoes, and itwas not an easy matter to follow the ship, under the fire from hercabin-windows, had he understood the case, and been disposed to doso. But, like all the rest in the canoes, he was busy with his woundedfriends, who were all carried off towards the creek. This left me masterof the ship's movements for five minutes, and by that time she had drawnthrough the passage, and was actually shooting out into the open ocean.

  This was a novel, and in some respects an embarrassing situation. Itleft a gleam of hope, but it was a hope without a direction, and almostwithout an object. I could perceive that none of the savages on boardhad any knowledge of the cause of our movement, unless they mightunderstand the action of the tide. They had expected the ship to be runashore at the tree; and here she was gliding into the ocean, and wasalready clear of the passage. The effect was to produce a panic, andfully one-half of those who had remained in the ship, jumped overboardand began to swim for the island. I was momentarily in hope allwould take this course; but quite five-and-twenty remained, more fromnecessity than choice, as I afterwards discovered, for they did not knowhow to swim. Of this number was Smudge, who probably still remained tosecure his conquest. It struck me the moment was favourable, and I wentto the companion-way, and was about to remove its fastenings, thinkingthe ship might be recovered during the prevalence of the panic. But asevere blow, and a knife gleaming in the hands of Smudge, admonished meof the necessity of greater caution. The affair was not yet ended,nor was my captor a man as easily disconcerted as I had incautiouslysupposed. Unpromising as he seemed, this fellow had a spirit that fittedhim for great achievements, and which, under other circumstances, mighthave made him a hero. He taught me the useful lesson of not judging ofmen merely by their exteriors.