The Quest of the 'Golden Hope': A Seventeenth Century Story of Adventure

by Percy F. Westerman

  CHAPTER X

  In the Hold

  Mindful of 'Enery's warning, I gave the two massive hempen ropes awide berth, and, leaning against a stout rib, resumed my vigil, tillthe heat of the confined space caused me to doff the oilskins andsea boots.

  Presently the brig gave a distinct heel, which gradually increasedtill my position was turned into a standing one. Sail had been made,and the vessel was lying over to the breeze, though, owing to beingstill within a landlocked expanse of water, she scarce lifted as shecut through the waves. I could distinctly hear the lapping of thewater against her sides as she moved with increasing pace inresponse to the pressure on the additional canvas.

  Presently, in apparent obedience to a hoarse order, the _GoldenHope_ recovered her upright position, then gradually settled down inthe other direction, till, unable to keep my feet, I found myselfflung bodily against the opposite side, the lantern being oversetand extinguished at the same time.

  Frantic with the fall, I struggled violently to regain my feet, myhead coming into contact with one of the coils of cable. For amoment I imagined that the vessel had capsized, till, finding thatshe rolled no farther, I came to the conclusion that she had turnedon her course.

  Such, in truth, was the case. The brig had tacked, or, to use anautical expression, had "gone about", the direction of the wind andthe narrowness of the channel making the operation necessary. But Iknew nothing of this at the time.

  Groping with my hand, I managed to find the lantern, but beingwithout flint and steel I was unable to relight it; so in the almostpitch darkness I remained, my eyes fixed longingly on a faint whitelight that filtered through a badly-fitting hatch cover.

  Fearing another flight across the hold when the vessel again tacked,I lay almost at full length on the rough floor, my shoeless feetwedged firmly against a stout ringbolt in the fore side of thebulkhead.

  The effects of the excitement of the last twelve hours, combinedwith the want of a good meal and the close, unwholesome atmosphereof the hold, caused me to feel greatly distressed, and at length Ifell into a kind of stupor.

  I had a rude awakening. A sniffing sensation round my fingers wasfollowed by a sharp bite. With a shriek I withdrew my hand, andimmediately a loathsome, active creature fled across my prostratebody. It was a rat, and a huge one, judging by its weight.

  Regardless of my instructions, I sprang to my feet, leaped over thebulkhead, and crawled across the neatly stowed cargo, bumping mycrown more than once against the low deck beams. I was on the pointof hammering against the hatch, when the thought occurred to me thatit was yet too early to announce my presence.

  My new position was also more bearable, for the light that camethrough the ill-fitting hatch was sufficient for me to see within ayard of where I crouched.

  Meanwhile, the brig had tacked several times, so that by now themanoeuvre did not cause me any misgivings; but what did trouble mewas the appearance of a regular swarm of rodents--not of the brownvariety such as one meets in the country, but long, skinny, blackrats, ferocious and daring in the extreme.

  I looked about for a weapon, for although I carried about me theknife I had had fashioned from the fatal dagger, it did not seemsufficiently handy to tackle these loathsome creatures. To my greatjoy I espied a stout crowbar, left, no doubt, by the men who hadstowed the cargo. With this I killed several of the brutes, thoughnot before I was bitten more than once, for as I struck one anotherwould fly straight at my throat, and only by warding it off with myarm was I able to finish it off with the iron rod.

  At length the rodents drew away and left me in comparative peace,although I could hear them scuffling and squealing as the disturbedbilge-water drove them from their accustomed haunts.

  Compared with the rats, the cockroaches could be endured withoutmuch effort. These verminous creatures swarmed everywhere--on thedeck beams, over the cargo, and even on my person--so that I couldscarce change my posture without feeling and hearing the sickeningcrunch as they were crushed beneath my body.

  All at once a violent commotion, accompanied by a medley of sounds,came from the fore part of the hold. The hempen cable was rushingthrough the hawse pipe.

  Then the brig trembled slightly and ceased to list, and when theclamour died away I heard a man shout:

  "'Tis no use, Cap'n. I couldn't get another foot out of her."

  "How long does the flood make?" asked a voice which I recognized asCaptain Jeremy's.

  "First high water is about five hours from now," replied the firstspeaker. "If the wind doesn't change we'll have to wait till then.That'll give you an hour and a half to clear the bar afore thesecond flood makes."

  I heard Captain Miles rattle out a round oath, but furtherconversation was inaudible through the sounds on deck. Nevertheless,I had heard enough to fill my cup of misery to the brim: unless thewind changed sufficiently to enable her to stem the tide, the_Golden Hope_ would be compelled to remain at anchor for fivehours--five hours more of bodily and mental torture for me.

  Yet I had to bear it, or own myself beaten, for I felt convincedthat so long as the brig remained within the limits of PooleHarbour, Captain Jeremy would put me ashore in a longboat, or elsesend me back with the pilot.

  Another hour or so passed, yet there were no signs of 'Enery. Theheat began to be intense, for the sun was now as high in the heavensas it could possibly be, and its rays, pouring down upon the decks,caused the atmosphere of the hold to become stifling.

  The wind, too, had dropped, for the ropes and sails no longerrattled and flapped. But Captain Jeremy was not the kind of man toallow his crew to remain idle, for I could hear water being pouredon the deck to clean away the dirt brought aboard from the quay.This, to a certain extent, cooled the hold, and I felt all thebetter for it.

  "A breeze! A breeze from the nor'east!" I heard a voice exclaim, andalmost immediately after came the sounds of men rushing hither andthither, and the creaking of blocks and tackle. Then, with themeasured tramp of feet as the capstan revolved, the cable descendedslowly into its tier, adding to the odours of the hold the pungentsmells of seaweed and mud.

  The regular heel of the brig gave place to a confused pitching andtossing, signs that I hailed with delight, in spite of a qualmishsensation which the motion seemed to encourage.

  The _Golden Hope_ had crossed the bar, and was curtsying to thewaves of the English Channel.

  I waited a little longer, then began pounding on the hatch with thebutt of the iron rod.

  At first no notice was taken of my efforts; then, without apparentwarning, the hatch was whipped off. A flash of dazzling sunshinetemporarily blinded me, and before I could realize my surroundingsrough hands seized me by the shoulders and dragged me on deck, whilea man shouted:

  "Cap'n, here's a blessed stowaway!"