Saved by the Lifeboat

by R. M. Ballantyne

  CHAPTER THREE.

  SHOWS WHAT SOME MEN WILL DO AND DARE FOR MONEY, AND WHAT SOMETIMES COMESOF IT.

  We must now beg the reader's permission to allow a few more years toelapse. Eight have come and gone since the dark day when poor MrsBoyns received that message from the sea, which cast a permanent cloudover her life. Annie Webster has become a beautiful woman, and HarryBoyns a bronzed stalwart man.

  But things have changed with time. These two seldom meet now, inconsequence of the frequent absence of the latter on long voyages, andwhen they do meet, there is not the free, frank intercourse that thereused to be. In fact, Mr Webster had long ago begun to suspect that hisdaughter's regard for the handsome young sailor was of a nature thatbade fair to interfere with his purposed mercantile transactions inreference to her, so he wisely sent him off on voyages of considerablelength, hoping that he might chance to meet with the same fate as hisfather, and wound up by placing him in command of one of his largest andmost unseaworthy East Indiamen, in the full expectation that bothcaptain and vessel would go to the bottom together, and thus enable him,at one stroke, to make a good round sum out of the insurance offices,and get rid of a troublesome servant!

  Gloating over these and kindred subjects, Mr Webster sat one morning inhis office mending a pen, and smiling in a sardonic fashion to theportrait of his deceased wife's father, when a tap came to the door, andHarry Boyns entered.

  "I have come, sir," he said, "to tell you that the repairs done to the_Swordfish_ are not by any means sufficient. There are at least--"

  "Please do not waste time, Captain Boyns, by entering upon details,"said Mr Webster, interrupting him with a bland smile: "I am reallyquite ignorant of the technicalities of shipbuilding. If you will statethe matter to Mr Cooper, whom I employ expressly for--"

  "But, sir," interrupted Harry, with some warmth, "I _have_ spoken to MrCooper, and he says the repairs are quite sufficient."

  "Well, then, I suppose they are so."

  "I assure you, sir," rejoined Harry, "they are not; and as the lives ofpassengers as well as men depend upon the vessel being in a seaworthycondition, I do trust that you will have her examined by some one morecompetent to judge than Mr Cooper."

  "I have no doubt of Mr Cooper's competence," returned Mr Webster; "butI will order a further examination, as you seem so anxious about it.Meanwhile I hope that the ship is being got ready for sea as quickly aspossible."

  "There shall be no delay on my part, sir," said Harry, rising; "the shiphas been removed from the Birkenhead Docks, in which you are aware shehas lain for the last eight months, and is now lying in the BrunswickDock, taking in cargo. But I think it a very serious matter, whichdemands looking into, the fact that she had no sooner grounded in thedock, than she sprang a leak which instantly let twenty-eight inches ofwater into her, and twice, subsequently, as much as forty inches havebeen sounded. Yet no repairs worthy of the name have been made. Allthat has been done is the pumping of her out daily by the stevedore'smen when their stowing work is finished."

  "Has the agent for the underwriters visited her?" inquired Mr Webster.

  "He has, sir, but he seems to be of opinion that his responsibility isat an end because a surveyor from the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board hadpreviously visited her, and directed that she should not be loadeddeeper than twenty-one feet--chalking on the side amidships the six feetsix inches clear beneath which she is not to be allowed to sink."

  "Well, well," said Mr Webster, somewhat impatiently, "I will have thematter looked into. Good morning, Captain Boyns."

  The captain bowed and left the office, and Mr Webster leant back in hischair, clasped his hands, twirled his thumbs, and smiled grimly at theold gentleman over the fireplace.

  True to his word, however, he had an inspection made of the _Swordfish_.The inspector was of a kindred spirit with Mr Webster, so that hisreport was naturally similar to that of Mr Cooper. Nothing, therefore,was done to the vessel--"nothing being needed"--and the loading went onin spite of the remonstrances of Captain Harry Boyns, who, with all theenergy and persistency of his character, continued to annoy, worry, andtorment every one who possessed the faintest right or power to interferein the matter--but all to no purpose; for there are times when neitherfacts nor fancies, fair words nor foul, fire, fury, folly, norphilosophy, will avail to move some "powers that be!"

  In a towering fit of indignation Harry Boyns resolved to throw up hissituation but it occurred to him that this would perhaps be deemedcowardice, so he thought better of it. Then he madly thought of goingdirect to the President of the Board of Trade and making a solemnprotest, backed by a heart-stirring appeal; but gave up that idea onrecalling to memory a certain occasion on which a deputation of grave,learned, white-haired gentlemen had gone to London expressly to visitthat august functionary of the State, and beseech him, with all theearnestness that the occasion demanded, that he would introduce intoParliament a bill for the better regulation and supervision of ships,and for preventing the possibility of seamen and passengers beingseduced on board unseaworthy vessels, carried off to sea, and theremurderously drowned in cold blood, as well as in cold water; whichdeputation received for answer, that "it was not the intention ofGovernment, as at present advised, to introduce a measure for providingmore stringent enactments as to the equipments, cargoes, and crews ofpassenger vessels!"--a reply which was tantamount to saying that if theexisting arrangements were inadequate to the ends desired, Governmentsaw no way out of the difficulty, and people must just be leftunprotected, and go to sea to be drowned or spared according as chanceor the cupidity of shipowners might direct!

  This was pretty resolute on the part of Government, considering thatabove a thousand lives were then, and above two thousand still are, lostannually on the shores of the United Kingdom; a very large number ofwhich--if we may believe the argument of facts and the pretty unanimousvoice of the press--are sacrificed because Government refuses tointerfere effectively with the murderous tendencies of a certain classof the community!

  When Harry Boyns thought of all this he sighed deeply, and made up hismind to remain by the _Swordfish_, and sink or swim with her. Had hebeen more of a man of business, perhaps he might have been moresuccessful in finding out how to have prevented the evil he foresaw; butit was the interest of the owner to keep him in the dark as much aspossible, for which end Mr Webster kept him out of the ship's way asmuch as he could, and when that was impossible, he kept him so busilyemployed that he remained ignorant of a great deal that was said anddone in regard to his vessel.

  At length the _Swordfish_ left the Brunswick Dock, _six inches deeper_than the surveyor had directed, and was towed to the Wellington Dock,where she took in 120 tons of coke, and sank still deeper. Harry alsodiscovered that the equipment of the ship was miserably insufficient forthe long voyage she was intended to make. This was too much for him tobear. He went at once to Mr Webster's office and said that if a deafear was to be turned any longer to his remonstrances he would throw uphis appointment.

  Poor Harry could scarcely have taken a more effective step to insure theturning of the deaf ear to him.

  "Oh!" replied Mr Webster, coolly, "if you refuse to take charge of myvessel, Captain Boyns, I will soon find another to do it."

  "I certainly do refuse," said Harry, preparing to leave the office, "andI think you will find some difficulty in getting any other man to go tosea in such a ship."

  "I differ from you, Captain Boyns. Good afternoon."

  "And if you do, and lives should be lost in consequence," added Harry,grasping the handle of the door, "I warn you solemnly, that murder willhave been committed by you, whatever the law may say on the subject."

  "Good afternoon, Captain Boyns."

  "You've got a hard master," said Harry to Grinder as he passed throughthe outer office.

  The confidential clerk shook his head in a deprecatory way, and smiled.

  Next moment Harry Boyns found himself in the street--with nothing to do,and the
wide world before him!

  Meanwhile, the loading of the _Swordfish_ went on--also the pumping ofher. That same day she was visited by a surveyor from the Underwriters'Association, who found her only five feet clear above water, and stilltaking in cargo. That gentleman called in another surveyor to aconsultation, who agreed with him in pronouncing her overladen. She wasrepresented as such to the local Underwriters' Association for which thesurveyor acted, but as the _Swordfish_ was insured in London and notwith them, the Liverpool underwriters did not consider themselves calledupon to interfere. Their surveyor, however, visited the vessel again, afew days later, when he found her "only four feet clear," and declaredthat, so far from going to Bombay, he should not like to attempt tocross to Dublin in her in anything like rough weather.

  Now it must be observed that all these consultations and investigationstook place in a quiet way. To the public eye all was "fair and aboveboard." Few among the thousands who visited the docks knew much aboutdeep loading; still less about adequate equipping. They saw nought buta "noble ship," well painted, washed, gilded, and varnished, takingmerchandise into her insatiable hold, while the "Yo-heave-ho" of theseamen rang out cheerily to the rattling accompaniment of chains andwindlass. Many other ships were there, similarly treated, equallybeautiful, and quite as worthy of the titles "good" and "noble" as thewhited sepulchre is to be styled pure.

  A few days before the _Swordfish_ was ready for sea, a new captain wassent down to her. This captain was not a "bad man" in the worst senseof that term--neither was he a "good" one. Vigour, courage, resolutionwhen acting in accordance with his inclinations--these were among hischaracteristics. But he was a reckless man, in want of money, out ofemployment, and without an appreciable conscience. In thecircumstances, he was glad to get anything to do, and had been so longashore and "in trouble," that he would probably have agreed to takecommand of and go to sea in a washing-tub if part paid beforehand fordoing so.

  Nevertheless, even this man (Captain Phelps by name) felt some degree ofnervous anxiety on getting on board and examining the state of the ship.On further acquaintance with her, he was so dissatisfied that he alsoresolved to throw up his appointment. But he had obtained the berththrough the influence of a friend who happened to be acquainted with MrWebster. This "friend" wrote him a stern letter, saying, if he venturedto do as he proposed, he should never have a ship out of Liverpoolagain, as long as he (the friend?) could prevent it!

  Captain Phelps was one of those angry men of iron mould, who appear totake pleasure in daring Fate to do her worst. On receipt of the letter,he swore with an awful oath that he would now go to sea in the_Swordfish_, even if he knew she would go to the bottom in twenty-fourhours after weighing anchor. Accordingly, having intrenched himselfbehind a wall of moral adamant, he went about with quiet indifference,and let things take their course. He made no objection whatever when,in addition to the loading already in the ship, the agents added a deckcargo of some massive pieces of machinery, weighing thirty tons, and asupply of coals, the proper receptacle for which below had been filledwith iron goods. Neither did he utter a word when--after the vessel hadbeen taken out into the stream by the riggers--he and the owner, agents,pilot, and crew (only six of which last were A.B.'s), were taken off toher in a tug and put on board with orders to sail immediately.

  Only a few passengers were going. These were already on board, but someof their friends went off in the tug to bid them a last farewell.

  This was a sad scene, but the captain regarded it with stoicalindifference. There was a stout, hale old Indian officer going out on apleasure trip to his beloved East, and a daughter of the same whom hehoped to get married "offhand, comfortably there." There was a sicknephew of the old officer, going the voyage for the benefit of hishealth, on whose wan countenance consumption, if not death, hadevidently set a deep mark. There were, also, a nurse and a lady's-maid,and two girls of ten or thirteen years of age--sisters--who were goingto join their father and mother, besides one or two others. Earnestloving words passed kindly between these and their relatives and friendsas the moment of parting drew near.

  "Don't forget to remember me to Coleman and the rest of `ours,'" cried astout elderly man, waving his hand as the tug moved off.

  "That I won't, and I shall expect to shake you by the hand again, oldfellow, in a year or two."

  "You'll never see him again," thought Captain Phelps, as he stood withcompressed lip and frowning eye on the quarter-deck.

  "Good-bye, darling Nelly," cried a lady to one of the sobbing girls fromwhom she was parting; "remember the message to mamma."

  "Oh! yes," exclaimed the child, trying to look bright, "and we won't bevery long of coming back again."

  "You'll never come back again," thought the captain, and he sighed_very_ slightly as the thought passed through his brain.

  "Look alive there, lads," exclaimed the pilot, as the tug sheared away.

  Soon the anchor was at the bows, the sails were shaken out, and the_Swordfish_ began her voyage.

  "There's not a piece of spare rope aboard, sir," said the first mate,coming up to the captain with a blank look; "we can't even get enough tocat and fish the anchor."

  "You can unreeve the tops'l halyards," replied the captain, quietly.

  This was done, and the anchor was secured therewith.

  "How much water in the hold?" asked the captain.

  "Three feet, sir; the carpenter has just sounded. It seems that theriggers were at work on the pumps when we came out in the tug, but werestopped by the agents before we got alongside. I fear she is veryleaky, sir," said the mate.

  "I _know_ she is," replied the captain; "keep the men at the pumps."

  That night the weather became what sailors call "dirty," and nextmorning it was found that the water had mounted to 4 feet 10 inches.The pumps had become almost unworkable, being choked with sand, and itbecame evident that the voyage thus inauspiciously begun would very soonbe ended. During the day the "dirty" weather became gale, so that,although the wind was fair, Captain Phelps determined to run to thenearest port for shelter. With a "good ship" this might have been doneeasily enough--many a vessel does it during every gale that visits ourstormy shores--but the _Swordfish_ was by this time getting water-loggedand unmanageable. She drifted helplessly before the gale, and the heavyseas broke over her continually, sweeping away everything moveable.Another night passed, and next morning--Sunday--it became plain that shewas settling down so the captain gave orders to get out the long-boat,and told the passengers to get ready. Day had broken some time beforethis, but the weather was still so thick that nothing could be seen.

  "Take a cast of the lead," said the captain.

  "Ay, ay, sir," was the prompt reply, but before the order could beobeyed, the roar of breakers was heard above the howling of the storm,and the shout, "Land on the port bow!" was instantly followed by "Downwith the helm!" and other orders hurriedly given by the captain andhastily obeyed by the men. All too late! The ship was embayed. As ifto make their position more painful, the mists cleared partially away,and revealed the green fields and cottages on shore, with the angrysea--an impassable caldron of boiling foam--between.

  Another instant and the ship struck with a convulsive quiver from stemto stern. The billows flew madly over her, the main-mast went by theboard--carrying two of the men to their doom along with it--and the_Swordfish_, "bound for Bombay," was cast, a total wreck, upon the coastof Cornwall.