CHAPTER FOUR.
ALICE LEFT ON BOARD--MUTINEERS AND PRISONERS ATTEMPT TO TAKE THE SHIP--GALLANTRY OF THE SURGEON--FIRE BREAKS OUT--NUB SAVES ALICE ON A RAFT--WATCH THE BURNING SHIP--VOYAGE OF ALICE AND NUB ON THE RAFT--LOOK OUTFOR A SAIL--A TERRIFIC THUNDERSTORM--A SAIL IN SIGHT.
After the boats had left the ship, Alice remained on deck, attended byNub, watching their progress. Now and then Mr Lawrie came and spoke toher, but she was so eager that she could scarcely reply to what he said.Away dashed the two boats dancing over the waves, and were soon almostlost to sight, though Alice saw that they had reached the spot where thewhales had been seen spouting. They had been gone some time when shesaw Tidy come from below and speak in a hurried, anxious tone to MrLawrie. He then hastened away, as if not wishing to be seen by hisshipmates. Soon after the surgeon came to her, and begged that shewould go into the cabin.
"Let me help you, Missie Alice," said Nub. "Better aff dere dan ondeck."
Alice saw that something was wrong, but could not make out exactly whatit was. She went, however, as Mr Lawrie requested her; and taking up abook endeavoured to read, but not with much success. She saw Mr Lawriecome in and put a brace of pistols in his belt. Nub and Tidy, withthree or four of the other men, did the same. This, of course, made hervery anxious. Several times she asked Nub if the boats were in sight,but always got the same answer: "No signs of boats yet, Missie Alice."Poor girl, she felt very forlorn with both her father and Walter away.Nub came in and placed the tea-things on the table, and she made tea.At last Mr Lawrie came in, apparently in a great hurry, and somewhatagitated. Of course she asked him if the boats were in sight.
"I hope they soon will be," he answered.
"Is there anything the matter?" she asked.
"I hope it will not be of much consequence," he replied evasively; andwithout saying more, quickly went again on deck.
It was now getting quite dark. Nub lighted the cabin-lamp.
"You had better take a book and read, Miss Alice, and dat pass your timetill de captain return." Alice found it almost impossible to keep hereyes on the page. Presently she heard some loud shouts and cries, andthe stamping of feet, and pistol-shots.
That there was fighting going forward on deck she felt sure, but shedared not go up to ascertain. The noise increased--there was morefiring--then Nub rushed into the cabin.
"Oh, what has happened?" she asked.
"I come to take care of you, Miss Alice," he answered. "De prisonersand de bad men who mutiny before try to take de ship from de surgeon andus, and dey are now fighting; and Mr Lawrie told me to come to takecare of you."
"Oh, thank you, Nub. How I wish my father was on board, to help poorMr Lawrie. What will he do?"
"He fight like brave Scotchman," answered Nub; "and he soon make demutineers ask pardon. Don't be afraid, Miss Alice; de captain sooncome, and all go right."
Nub, however, was more sanguine than the state of the case warranted.Mr Lawrie, aided by the true men, had managed to drive the mutineersforward; but they were too numerous to allow him to hope for victory,unless the loyal part of the crew away in the boats should speedilyreturn. For a short time all was again quiet; but the mutineers weremerely gathering to make another rush aft. Several who had before beenfaithful joined them; and now again began to utter the most savagecries, this time shouting out, "Overboard with all who oppose us! Downwith the officers! Death to our enemies!" They were already on thepoint of dashing aft to execute their threats; when thick smoke was seenascending from the fore-hatchway, a bright flame shooting up directlyafterwards in the midst of it.
"Fire! fire! fire!" shouted both parties of the crew.
"My lads, we must try and put it out, if we don't want to be burnedalive," exclaimed the surgeon, addressing those about him. Then turningto the mutineers, he shouted out, "You men who are about to attack us,--if you have any sense left in you, I entreat you for your own sakes toassist in extinguishing the fire."
"Ay, ay, sir," cried the boatswain; and then addressing his own party,he exclaimed, "There's sense in what the doctor says. Let's put thefire out first, and settle our differences afterwards."
All hands turned to and tried to save the ship; but the fire had alreadymade so much progress below that there appeared little probability oftheir succeeding. The buckets were collected and filled; the hatchestorn off; and the boatswain, heading a party of the boldest, went below,while the others passed the buckets to them. Mr Lawrie and the otherofficers exerted themselves to the utmost, he setting a good example byhis courage and activity. Dense volumes of smoke, however, continued toascend both from the fore and main hatchway; while flames which had atfirst only flickered up occasionally now burst forth through thefore-hatchway, circling round the foremast and catching the rigging andsails.
Nub, in the meantime, who would have willingly worked with the rest,considered it his duty to remain with Alice, every now and then puttinghis head out of the companion-hatch to see how matters were proceeding.At last he came back, his countenance exhibiting anxiety rather thanterror. "De ship will be burned; no doubt about dat, Missie Alice," hesaid; "and de sooner we get away de better. You help me, and we makeraft on which we float till de captain comes back to take us. Don't beafraid, Missie Alice; no harm will come to you, for God will take careof us better dan we can take care of ourselves. Still, we do what wecan."
"I will do whatever you advise, Nub," answered Alice, endeavouring toovercome her alarm. She did what every truly wise person under suchcircumstances would do--she commended herself and her companion to thecare of God. She then took Nub's hand, who led her up thecompanion-ladder to the poop. Having obtained an axe, he immediatelybegan to cut loose the hen-coops, spars, and gratings, and the lighterpart of the woodwork of that part of the ship. Securing them to ropes,he forthwith lowered them over the side. Fortunately at this time thewind had fallen completely, so that the ship was making no way throughthe water. Placing Alice in one of the ports, from which she could leapif necessary into his arms, he descended, and began lashing together thespars and gratings and pieces of woodwork which he had thrown overboard.He could only do this in a very rough manner, as he knew that from therapid progress the fire was making there was no time to be lost. Hewould have called the surgeon and Tidy to his assistance, but he wasafraid if he did so that the rest of the crew would take possession ofthe raft he had commenced. His great object was to save Alice, leavingthe others to do the best they could for themselves. He had putmaterials together sufficient to bear his and her weight. While he wasworking, it occurred to him that it would be necessary to get someprovisions; and securing the raft, he sprang on deck by means of someropes he had hung overboard for the purpose, and rushing into the cabin,he got hold of a small box of biscuit, a bottle of wine, and an earthenjar full of water. With these prizes he again descended to the raft.On his way he observed that the surgeon and the rest of the people werestill labouring in vain endeavours to put out the fire, and he could nothelp shouting to Mr Lawrie, "You had better build a raft, sir; no usetrying to put out the fire."
Whether or not Mr Lawrie heard him he could not tell. As he wasgetting over the quarter, he caught sight of a boat's sail, which hethrew on the raft. Having deposited his provisions in a hen-coop inwhich a couple of fowls still remained, he sprang up again to assistAlice down, as he had a feeling that she would be safer on the raft thanon board the ship. He had secured a boat-hook for the purpose ofcatching hold of the articles he threw overboard, and was stretching outhis arm to reach a piece of timber which had floated away, while Alicewas holding on to a rope close to him, when a thundering sound echoed intheir ears.
"O Nub, what is that?" cried Alice in a terrified tone, gazing at thefearful scene before her.
"Ship blow up, I s'pose," answered Nub, working away energetically."Hold on, Missie Alice; no harm come to you,--we shove off directly."
An explosion had, indeed, taken place in the fore-part of the ship,scattering
destruction around, blowing up the deck, and sending all onthat part into the water, killing some and fearfully mangling others.The fire now burst forth with increased fury, enveloping in flames thewhole of the fore-part of the ship. Nub, fearing that another explosionof still more terrific character would occur should the fire reach thechief magazine, which it would do, he thought, before long, shoved offwith his young charge, so precious in his sight, to put as great adistance as possible between her and the danger he apprehended. He hadalready fastened together several pieces of wood, which he had not timeto secure as perfectly as he desired; and on his way he picked up manymore such fragments, as well as some casks which had been on deck, andwere sent overboard by the explosion. Without loss of time he beganlashing them together, soon forming a raft which he considered would beable to withstand a tolerable amount of knocking about should the seaget up.
Nub was not destitute of humanity, but though he heard the cries of hisshipmates as they struggled in the water, he continued labouring away atthe raft without attempting to go to the rescue.
"Oh, poor men! cannot we help them?" exclaimed Alice.
"Dey take care of demselves, Missie Alice," answered Nub. "My businessis to sabe you."
"Oh, don't think of me," exclaimed Alice. "I cannot bear the thoughtsof their perishing if it is possible to save them."
"It not possible, den," answered Nub; "unless I run de risk ob losingyou." And he worked away as before.
The flames had now burst forth from all sides of the ship, affording himsufficient light for the purpose. Having preserved a stout spar toserve as a mast, he fixed it firmly at one end of the raft, staying itup with the remainder of the rope, with the exception of a piece whichhe kept for halyards. The sail was already attached to a light yard, sothat he had only to secure it to his halyards and hoist it up. This hedid, bringing the sheet aft, where he placed himself, with an oar toserve as a rudder.
His great object was to get to a sufficient distance from the ship, toavoid the danger of another explosion. By this time the cries from thedrowning men had ceased; and had he thought it safe to venture back tothe ship, it would probably have been too late to save them. What hadbecome of the rest of his shipmates he could not tell. He fancied,indeed, that he heard the sound of voices; but if so, they must havebeen on the other side of the ship, and were thus shut out from view.
A light breeze having now got up, the raft made tolerable way, and soongot to some distance from the ship; but still fearing that the fragmentsmight reach them and injure Alice, Nub stood on. Now and then he cast alook at the ship. It appeared to him that the flames were not makingsuch rapid progress as at first. "After de fire burn out, we go back,Missie Alice; but still I tink we safer here dan on board de ship," heobserved. "S'pose we near and de ship go down, den de oder men get onde raft and sink her."
Nub, indeed, knew that there were two dangers to be apprehended. Shouldthe ship blow up, he and Alice might be injured by the fragments, whichwould probably be sent to a great distance from her; while, should shego down, the raft might be drawn into the vortex: and sink with her. Hecould not tell at what distance they would be free from either of thesetwo dangers; and this made him stand on much further than was in realitynecessary.
On and on he went. It seemed foolish to him to stop short of a spot ofpositive safety. The fierce flames were blazing up from every part ofthe ship, making her appear much nearer than she really was. The windwas increasing, driving the raft rapidly before it; and as the sea gotup and rolled under the raft, Nub saw that the only means of preservingit from being swamped was to continue on his course.
On and on he sailed. The sea rose higher and higher, and the cloudsgathered thickly in the sky. His great fear was that the seas wouldbreak aboard and sweep Alice off. To prevent so fearful a catastrophe,he begged her to let him fasten her to a hen-coop, which he lashedtightly down in the centre of the raft. "Don't be afraid, Missie Alice;don't be afraid," he kept continually saying.
"I am not afraid for myself," answered Alice; "but I am thinking howmiserable poor papa and Walter will be when they get back to the shipand find that I am gone. They will not know that you are taking care ofme, and that we are safe on a raft. And then, if Mr Lawrie and DanTidy should escape, they will not be able to say where we are gone, asthey did not see us get away. For their sakes, I wish that we could goback."
"Dat we can't do, Missie Alice; for, if I try eber so hard, I not pullagainst such a gale as dis," answered Nub.
Alice was silent; she saw that Nub's reason was a true one. Though shehad assured him that she was not frightened, she felt very anxious andalarmed about her own fate and his.
The thunder rolled, the lightning flashed, and the seas tumbled the raftso fearfully about, that had it not been put strongly together it wouldspeedily have been broken into fragments, and she and her companion leftwithout any support on which to preserve their lives. The burning shipappeared further and further off, and even should the storm cease itwould be almost impossible to get back to her. At length there came aloud roar which sounded above the noise of the thunder. The flamesseemed to rise higher than before in the sky; and even at that distancethe masts, spars, and rigging could be discerned, broken into fragments,and hanging, as it were, above the fire. Then after a few minutes allbecame dark!
"Dere goes de ship to de bottom," exclaimed Nub; "I hope no one on boardher. De people had time to get away on a raft if dey got deir sensesabout dem."
"Indeed, I hope that Mr Lawrie, and honest Dan Tidy and the others,managed to escape," cried Alice. "But oh, Nub, do you think papa andWalter can have been on board?"
"No, I tink not, Missie Alice," answered Nub. "Dey too wise to staywhen de ship was burning like dat. Dey knew well enough dat she wouldgo up in de air when de fire reach de magazine, which has just happened.Dey eider not get back, or put off again in time."
"But they will think that we were blown up, should they not have visitedthe ship first," said Alice; "and that will break their hearts."
"I hope not, Missie Alice. Dey know dat I had got to take care of you,and dat I got head on my shoulders, and would not do so foolish a tingas to stay on board and be blown up if I could get away. Don't beunhappy, derefore, about dat."
"I will try not," said Alice, "though it is very, very terrible."
"No doubt about dat, Missie Alice," answered Nub; "but tings might beworse, and if de raft hold together in dis sea it will swim through anywe are likely to have. Already de wind down, and it grow calmer.Suppose now we had been close to de ship when she blow up, we much worseoff dan we are now. Suppose de people had made me work to put out defire, den I had not built a raft, and we blown up,--dat much worse danwe are now; or suppose de sea had washed over de raft and carried usaway, den also we much worse off dan we are now; or suppose I had notgot de biscuits and de water, den we starve, and much worse off dan weare now: so you see, Missie Alice, we bery fortunate, and hab no rightto complain."
"Oh no, I am not complaining," exclaimed Alice; "I feel that we havebeen very mercifully preserved, and I trust that we shall be saved,though I cannot say how that is to be."
"No more can I, Missie Alice, 'cept the captain find us, or one of deoder boats; and den we have a long way to go before we reach land, Is'pose; but dere are many islands in dese seas, and perhaps we get toone of dem where we find cocoanuts, yams, bananas, and plenty of odertings to eat; and den perhaps de captain build ship, and we get backsome day to Old England."
By such like remarks honest Nub tried to amuse the mind of the younggirl, and draw her thoughts from the fearful dangers which he sawclearly enough surrounded them. He knew perfectly well how difficult itwould be for the boats to find them in that wide sea, low down as theywere on the surface of the ocean. Though they might float many days,their provisions must come to an end, while their supply of water wasfearfully limited, and would soon be exhausted. He resolved to touchbut the smallest drop himself, that he might have more
for her.
Nub was unwilling to increase his distance from the place where the shiphad gone down, as the further he went away the less chance there was ofthe boats coming up with them. Still there was too much sea, heconsidered, to make it safe to lower the sail; for though the raftfloated lightly over the waves, should its progress be stopped he fearedthat they would break on board. The wind, which had subsided for sometime, again increased, and the danger he had apprehended became greater.He had stepped the mast in a hurried, and therefore imperfect manner,while he had not stayed it up as he could have wished. As it was verynecessary to remain at the helm, he could do nothing to strengthen it.All he could say was, "Hold on, good mast! hold on!" as he saw itstraining and bending before the breeze. In what direction he was goinghe could not tell. Land had been seen the day before, and he might berunning towards it; but then, again, the attempt to get on shore mightbe more dangerous than to remain on the raft. He also knew well thatthe inhabitants of the islands in that part of the world were generallysavage cannibals, who would murder Alice and him without the slightestcompunction; or if their lives were spared, that they would probably bereduced to the most abject slavery. Though he could not keep thesethoughts from entering his own mind, he did his best to cheer up thelittle girl by assuming a confidence which he himself did not feel.
The sky still looked wild and threatening, the wind blew stronger thanever. Suddenly there came a sharp report and a cracking sound, and inan instant the mast was broken off, the shrouds torn away, and, with thesail, carried overboard. Nub sprang forward to secure it, but it wastoo late; the raft, with the impetus it had received, drove on, and thesail was irretrievably lost. Happily at the same instant the windsuddenly dropped, and though the seas dashed the raft alarmingly about,none washed over it.
Alice, hearing the noise, and seeing Nub's agitation, became frightened."Oh, what has, happened?" she exclaimed, for the first time giving wayto tears. Nub did his utmost to quiet her alarm by assuring her thatthey were in no greater danger than before, and begged her to hold fastto the hen-coop, lest any of the seas which were tumbling about aroundthem should break on the raft and sweep her overboard. Nub did his bestwith the long oar he had fixed as a rudder in the after part of the raftto keep it before the wind, so that it still drove on, though at muchless speed than when the sail was set. Happily, soon after the lastviolent blast, the gale began sensibly to abate and the sea to go down,and when at length the long wished-for morning came it was almost calm.As soon as it was light enough Nub looked anxiously around in the hopesof seeing some of the boats approaching from the direction of the ship;but no object was visible on the wild waste of waters, the raftappearing to float in the midst of a vast circle bounded by the concavesky, without a break on either side.
Alice felt very tired and sleepy, for she had not closed her eyes allthe night; and Nub himself began to get excessively hungry. Thisreminded him of the provisions he had stowed away in the hen-coop, andhe bethought him that Alice would also want some breakfast. He couldnow venture to leave the helm; and going to the hen-coop, he got outsome biscuits and the wine and water.
"Here, Missie Alice," he said; "will you take some breakfast? It willdo you good and raise your spirits. When people hungry dey alwaysmelancholy."
"But I am not melancholy, Nub, though I cannot say that I am merry; andI am not especially hungry, but if you think I ought to eat I will doso."
"Yes, yes; you will get ill if you don't eat," said Nub, offering thebiscuits, and pouring out a little wine and water into a cup, which hehad slipped into his pocket as he left the cabin.
Alice thanked him, and was going to eat. "Stop!" she murmured. "I havenot said my prayers this morning, and I was going to begin breakfastwithout saying grace."
"Oh, Missie Alice, you are an angel," exclaimed Nub.
"I forgot all about saying my prayers, and I am sure an angel would nothave done that," she answered. "Oh, how ungrateful I was; but it is nottoo late." Before she would touch anything, she knelt down and offeredup her short morning prayer, adding a petition that she and Nub, and allothers she loved or was interested in, might be preserved from thedangers which surrounded them. Rising from her knees, she thenreverently said grace, and ate some of the biscuit with a betterappetite than she had supposed she possessed. Nub took a very smallportion, and merely wetted his lips with the wine and water to quenchthe thirst he was already beginning to feel. He gave Alice, indeed, buta small allowance, wishing to make it last as long as possible, as heknew that they might have to remain on the raft for a long time. Againand again he looked round to see if anyone was coming to their rescue;but no object being in sight, he sank down, intending to watch overAlice, who, overcome with weariness, at length fell asleep. Though hehimself wished to keep awake, before long his eyelids closed, the slowup and down movement of the raft having the effect of making both theoccupants sleep soundly.
The solitary raft lay on the waste of waters. Hour after hour passedby, and still the little girl and faithful black slept on, watched overby One who ever cares for the helpless and distressed who trust in Him.Hungry sharks might have jumped up and seized them in their maws; hugewhales might have struck the raft with their snouts, and upset it asthey rose above the water; or birds of prey might have pounced down andstruck them with their sharp beaks;--but from all such dangers they werepreserved, while a veil of clouds covered the sky and sheltered themfrom the burning rays of the hot sun of that latitude.
At length Nub started up. He had been dreaming that Alice had fallenoverboard, and that he had plunged in after her to save her from ahungry shark. For a few moments, so confused were his senses, he couldnot tell what had happened; then finding himself on the raft, and Alicesleeping close to him, he recollected all about it. His first impulsewas to stand up and look round, in the hope of seeing the boats; but, asbefore, not an object was in sight.
"Well, well, I s'pose de boats come in good time," he said to himself,sitting down again with a sigh. "We must wait patiently. If any landwas in sight I would row to it, for though de raft might move veryslowly, we should get dere at last; but now, though I pull on all day, Iget nowhere. Better wait till God sends some one to help us. Perhapswhen de breeze gets up again another whaler come dis way and take us onboard." Nub looked at Alice. She was sleeping calmly; and knowing thatthe more she slept the better, he would not awake her. He himself feltvery hungry, but he did not like to eat except she was sharing the meal.He could not, however, refrain from nibbling a piece of biscuit, to tryand stop the gnawings of hunger. Several times he stood up and gazedanxiously around; sitting down, however, on each occasion with a sigh,and saying to himself, as before, "No sail, no boat. Well, well, helpcome in good time."
At length Alice awoke, and seemed even more surprised than Nub had beento find herself on the raft. He at once got out the biscuits, andbegged her to eat several, and to take a little wine and water.
"But you are not eating any yourself, Nub," she said.
"I have had some; but I take a little more to keep you company," heanswered, not telling her that he had before merely nibbled a smallpiece. In the same way he merely wetted his lips with the liquid,though he would gladly have taken a cupful.
Another night was coming on. Just before the sun sank beneath thehorizon, Nub took a last look round. Alice glanced up in his face.
"Can you see anything?" she asked in an anxious tone.
"No, noting, Missie Alice. Perhaps to-morrow de boats come," heanswered. "We not despair; we got food and water, and we tank God fordem."
"I will say my evening prayer," said Alice, kneeling down with her armson the hen-coop. Nub reverently placed himself on his knees by herside, and repeated the words she used.
"I will now sing a hymn," she said, reseating herself on the hen-coop.From that solitary spot on the desert ocean arose to heaven a sweet hymnof praise, Nub, who, like many negroes, could sing well, joining withhis voice.
Darkness ca
me down over the deep, shrouding the raft with its sablecanopy. Alice, having slept so much during the day, could not for sometime close her eyes; so Nub did his best to amuse her. She talked tohim not only of the past but of the future, and of the hope ofdeliverance. Nub calculated that their stock of provisions would last,if he could manage to exist without eating more than he had hithertodone, at least for four or five days; this would give Alice enough tokeep up her strength. But should help not come at the end of that timehe must, he knew, die of hunger; and though she might live a few dayslonger, what could she do all alone on the raft? This thought made himvery sad, but he tried to put it from him.
At last Alice fell asleep, and the sea remaining calm, he thought itbest to follow her example, that he might endure his hunger and obtainthe refreshment which sleep would give him.
Another day broke. It was spent almost as the previous one had been.No sail hove in sight, and the raft floated calmly as at first. He hadthought the loss of the sail a great misfortune, but for the last twodays it would have been of no use except to afford some shelter toAlice; and perhaps, like other things which people at first look on asmisfortunes, the loss might prove ultimately advantageous.
With Nub's assistance Alice could move about a little on the raft, toprevent her limbs from becoming benumbed. Frequently she begged him tolet her stand upon the hen-coop, that she might look around to watch forany sail which might heave in sight; each time, however, only meetingwith disappointment. The arching sky and circling expanse of waterwere, as before, alone visible.
Towards evening Nub became more anxious. He did not like the look ofthe weather. Dark clouds were gathering overhead, and the sea rose andfell in ominous undulations, which he fancied betokened a storm. Stillhe could do nothing. He felt his own helplessness; and this God oftendesigns should be the case, that men may place their entire dependenceon Him who alone can afford help in time of need.
Nub did not speak of his fears to Alice, who at length fell asleep whilehe sat watching by her side, ready to hold her fast should the sea getup as he expected it would do. He was mistaken, however, in hisanticipations of evil; for though the threatening appearance of theweather did not go off, the ocean remained as calm as before.
Another day came round. Nub was constantly on his feet looking aboutfor the expected sail, as there was a light breeze, which might havebrought one towards them. Hour after hour passed by and no sailappeared.
"Will a ship neber come?" frequently ejaculated Nub. He was losingpatience, and it was but natural. "The biscuits and water will soon beall gone, and den what shall we do?" he thought to himself; but he didnot say that aloud, lest Alice might be alarmed.
"I am sure that the boats, or a ship, will find us to-morrow," saidAlice.
"Why do you tink dat?" asked Nub.
"Because our biscuits are coming to an end," said Alice calmly; "and,Nub, I see that you eat very few of them, and you are growing weak andthin. You ought to take twice as many as I do, as you are twice as big;and yet I am sure that you eat much fewer."
"How you know dat, Missie Alice?" asked Nub.
"Because the last time you served them out I counted the number youtook; and while you gave me four, you only ate two yourself."
"Well, you bery cunning girl," said Nub, trying to laugh. "But denremember you are growing, and want food more dan I do. I have only toeat enough to keep body and soul togeder; and you have not beenaccustomed to hardships as I have since I can remember; so you see datit's right I should give you more dan I take myself."
Alice did not quite understand Nub's reasoning, but she felt veryhungry, and was thankful to obtain the food.
"Now, Missie Alice, I am not going to eat any more of de biscuits," saidNub. "De next food I take will be one of de fowls."
"But how can you light a fire to cook them?" asked Alice.
"I eat dem raw! Much better eat dem dan die."
Poor Alice shuddered. Nub knew that it was high time to kill one of thefowls, for though their troughs were full of food when he lowered thecoop on to the raft, it had long since been exhausted. Alice turned herhead aside when Nub put one of the fowls out of its misery, and eagerlydrank up the blood to quench the burning thirst from which he wassuffering. He did not offer her any, as he knew that while any wine andwater remained she would not touch it. He felt in better spirits, andmuch stronger, after this meal.
He also imbibed some of the hope which inspired Alice, that they mightbe relieved before long. Still, when the sun went down again, and thenight once more began, his spirits drooped. He could no longer keepawake as he had done on the previous night, and as soon as she hadclosed her eyes his head began to nod, and he fell asleep. He sleptsoundly, for the raft moved quietly about. Nothing occurred for severalhours to disturb him. At length he was startled by a loud peal ofthunder. He looked up. The sky was overcast; a vivid flash oflightning darted from the clouds, followed by another terrific peal,which awoke Alice.
"Oh! what is the matter?" she exclaimed.
"A thunderstorm," he answered. "But de sea calm, and de lightning nothurt us." It required firm faith, however, to believe that such wouldnot be the case.
At times the whole heavens were lighted with vivid flashes, while thethunder roared and crashed on every side. This continued for some time.Nub stood up and looked around him, Alice saw him gazing intently towindward; she rose and took his hand.
"What is it you see?" she asked.
"It may be only de white top of a wave," he answered.
There was a cessation of the lightning in that part of the heavens for aminute or more, but Nub kept looking steadily in the same direction.Presently another vivid flash darted across the sky, lighting up a wideportion of the ocean.
"Dere! dere now! I see it again!" exclaimed Nub. "Yes, Missie Alice,yes, dat is a sail; I am sure of it. Dere it gone again; but you willsee it soon, if you look with all your eyes." Alice did look with mightand main, waiting for another flash. Presently the heavens were lightedup more brilliantly than before, the glare falling fully on a whitesail, which seemed at no great distance off. Once more all was dark;but Alice and Nub continued to gaze in the direction where they had seenthe sail, in the expectation that it would reappear. They waited invain. They raised their voices together, and shouted, in the hope ofbeing heard by those on board. Nub's voice, however, was weak andhollow; Alice's was almost as loud, and far shriller.
"Dey cannot hear us," said Nub at length. "Dey too far off." Still hestood and gazed, and again and again shouted out. His fear was that theboat, (for such, he conjectured, was the object he had seen, and whichappeared to be running before the wind), might pass in the darknesseither on one side or the other, and that he and his beloved chargemight be left to perish on the waste of waters. He waited for sometime.
"Dey must be bit nearer now," he said at length. "We try to make demhear." He and Alice again lifted up their voices, and shouted till theycould shout no more.
"Hark!" cried Nub, "I tink I hear a voice."
The South Sea Whaler Page 4
