Owen Hartley; or, Ups and Downs Part 13

By means of some spars they set up a framework which was easily covered by several folds of cotton cloth, so that in a short time they had a very comfortable tent. They then collected wood for a fire, rolled up one of the casks of water, and got together some of the provisions they had just discovered.

Mike, however, continued to sigh for the fish-kettle.

"We must manage to do without it, at all events for the present," said Owen; "perhaps to-morrow you will find something which will answer the purpose. Here we shall have to remain until the men have drunk up all the spirits and beer, and then perhaps they will regain their senses, and steps may be taken to enable us to escape."

They could just distinguish the top of their s.h.i.+pmates' tent, but their own being low, would not, they hoped, be observed, and they should thus escape molestation from any of the tipsy crew. That their fire might not be seen at night, Owen proposed to put it out.

"We'll not do chat, Mr Hartley," said Mike. "We'll just sc.r.a.pe the ashes into a hole, and put a little wood on them, and the fire will keep in until to-morrow morning, and so it will be ready for lighting, and save our matches."

As long as there was sufficient light they continued their search along the beach, and were rewarded by discovering a case which contained, among other articles, fish-hooks and lines. This was indeed a prize, for undoubtedly fish swarmed along the sh.o.r.e, and they might catch enough to supply themselves with food for an indefinite period. Still, Owen recollected that unless water was found they must perish.

There was little chance of rain falling at that season of the year, and if it did, they had but scanty means for securing it. Still he endeavoured to overcome any gloomy antic.i.p.ations about the future, and endeavoured to be prepared for all contingencies. Thus several days pa.s.sed by. The party at the large tent continued their revels, as Owen discovered when going in that direction by hearing their voices singing and shouting; occasionally, too, from the noises which reached him, he suspected that they were quarrelling and fighting.

At last Nat proposed that they should launch the boat, and try and make their escape from the island.

"There are several reasons against our so doing," answered Owen. "In the first place, the boat requires repairs; she has neither mast, nor sails, nor oars, and none of us three is well acquainted with the management of a boat. Wait patiently; when the liquor is gone we may perhaps get the boat repaired, and a crew to sail in her. The first thing I propose to do is to rig up a flagstaff, so that we may have a better chance of attracting a pa.s.sing vessel; and as we have plenty of fuel, we ought to keep a good blaze during the night. This would have been done at first had the mate kept sober."

Owen and his two companions immediately set to work to carry out his suggestion. An ensign, although somewhat torn, had been washed on sh.o.r.e, and spars of various sizes lay on the beach. These they dragged to the highest part of the bank. By las.h.i.+ng them together they got a flagstaff nearly forty feet long. They found sufficient rope only for two stays, and having fixed one of the stays securely to the sand by the aid of stakes driven deep into it, the b.u.t.t end was placed in the ground. Owen and Nat then going over to the opposite side hauled away, while Mike a.s.sisted to lift up the flagstaff, which was thus in a short time set up. Provided the wind remained moderate, they had no doubt that it would stand.

"Should a vessel pa.s.s within four or five miles of the sand-bank it will, I hope, be seen," observed Owen, "and it may be visible even further off, if the weather is clear."

Owen had at first entertained some fears that Mike would join the other party, but the Irishman remained faithful, and did with alacrity everything he advised.

For a whole day or more none of the men had been seen, nor had any sound come from the direction of the camp. Owen began to fear that something might have happened to them. Mike offered towards night to go and ascertain how matters stood.

"Just keep up a bit of a fire to light me back," he said. "I'll soon find out if they are sleeping all this time."

He set off, and Owen and Nat waited some time expecting his return.

Still he did not come back. They began to fear that an accident had happened to him, or that he might have remained, notwithstanding his good intentions, with his drunken s.h.i.+pmates.

At last they heard some one approaching.

"All right!" cried Mike; "I've got the fish-kettle into the bargain.

Every man alive of them is fast asleep, for they have drunk out the last drop of their liquor. I sounded each cask, and made sure it was empty.

They will for a good reason be sober enough now."

"Now we have got the fish-kettle we will make use of it; but I wish, Mike, you would return it, as they will otherwise justly accuse us of stealing it."

"Shure, we have as good a right to it as they have," answered Mike; "it will be a mighty long time before they want it, and, seeing that their fire has gone out, even if they get the kettle they can't use it at all at all."

"When they want fire, we must, however, give it to them," observed Owen; "because some of them have behaved ill to us, we must not refuse to help them."

"If they find out that we have got a store of water, they will be coming to drink it all up, and we shall be left without any," said Mike.

"Still we must try to help them when they require a.s.sistance," observed Owen.

"Would it not be wise to hide our casks of water in the sand?" suggested Nat; "then if they come and ask for it, we can give them a little at a time, and they will value it the more."

"A very good idea," said Owen.

Nat's suggestion was forthwith acted upon; and with some staves of one of the broken casks they dug holes in the higher part of the sand-bank, in which they concealed two casks of the precious fluid, covering them carefully over again, so that they were not likely to be discovered.

The water was thus kept cooler than it would have been if left exposed to the hot sun. This being done, Mike lost no time in cooking a supply of "his porridge," as he called it, sufficient for their supper and for the next day.

They all felt the better for the comfortable meal, and lay down to rest, grateful for the protection hitherto afforded them.

Mike had volunteered to get up every two or three hours to see if the beacon-fire which they had lit was blazing up.

Owen and Nat had been sleeping for a couple of hours or more, when they were aroused by Mike's voice.

"Bedad! but the weather has changed entirely, and our beautiful fire has gone flying away right over the island," he exclaimed.

Owen and Nat started up. A fierce gale was raging, threatening every instant to carry away their tent; while the sea, which had hitherto only lapped the edge of the sand-bank, now came foaming up against it in heavy billows.

"The boat, the boat!" cried Owen. "Our first care must be to secure her, if she is not knocked to pieces already. She is of more importance than the tent or anything else." They hurried off to where the boat lay, some little distance from their tent. They were but just in time, as already the sea had driven her broadside to the beach and had begun to break into her. She was already nearly half full of water, and, being thus very heavy, they could only drag her up a foot or two.

Fortunately there came a lull.

"If we had anything to bale her out with we might succeed," observed Owen.

"The lid of the kettle will be the thing," cried Mike. "Nat, run and get it!"

Nat was not a couple of minutes away, and, jumping into the boat, he baled away with all his might, while Mike and Owen endeavoured to drag her up. The greater part of the water having been baled out of her they succeeded better than at first, and at length got her, as they hoped, beyond the reach of the seas. The stake to which she was secured was then carried up as far as the painter would allow, and then fixed as deeply as possible into the sand. The tent had withstood the wind, and they further secured it by placing the casks and bales on the lower part of the cloth, so that, although it might be torn, it was not likely to be carried bodily away. They were thus engaged when they heard shouts and cries coming from the direction of the camp. The cause was too evident. The sea, driven by the wind, had risen considerably, and was rolling much further up the higher part of the bank than it had hitherto done. Too probably, therefore, it was sweeping over the lower end, on which their s.h.i.+pmates had remained.

"The sea must have caught them while they were still asleep, and they have only just discovered their danger," exclaimed Owen. "They won't know in which direction to run, and they are not aware of this higher spot on which they might take refuge."

"Thin the best way will be to light up a bit of fire to show them the way," said Mike. "There are a few embers up there still burning."

Mike and Nat quickly collected some of the burning pieces of wood, and a small fire was soon blazing up. It required constant watchfulness, however, to prevent it from being blown away. In the meantime Owen and his companions shouted together at the top of their voices.

Again and again cries were heard. Owen proposed starting off to guide them to the only spot where safety could be found, but Mike and Nat entreated him not to make the attempt. Indeed it was evident that he would run great risk of being lost. Already the white foam could be seen through the darkness like ma.s.ses of snow sweeping over the intermediate s.p.a.ce between them and the camp, where the ground was apparently of a somewhat lower level.

Although possibly their companions were on somewhat higher ground, yet at any moment the sea might sweep over it. The three shouted and shouted again. At last they heard voices crying out in reply, but it was too dark to enable them to distinguish any one. All this time the boat, their tent, and the flagstaff were running great risk of being carried away. But the preservation of their fellow-creatures was of more consequence than anything else. At length they caught sight of a figure emerging from the gloom, rus.h.i.+ng through the seething water which swept by him. The party on the sand-bank shouted to encourage him. Now he stopped, afraid of being carried off his legs.

"On, on!" shouted Owen, who had brought from the tent a long line of tolerable thickness.

"Hold on to this," he cried to Mike and Nat. "I will fasten it round my waist, and should any of the men be knocked down, I will try and save them."

Such appeared very likely to happen to the person they saw approaching them. Already he seemed half covered with foam. Again, however, the sea receded, and taking courage he rushed forward, and Owen, catching him in his arms, dragged him up. He proved to be the carpenter's mate.

Just then two more people appeared, making their way towards the beacon-fire. They were followed by a third, who quickly overtook them, and pus.h.i.+ng on without hesitation soon reached the bank. Owen recognised Mr Sc.o.o.nes.

"I am glad you are safe, sir," said Owen.

"No thanks to these fellows, for no one roused me when they saw the sea breaking close up to their feet."

Of the two other men who were making their way, one hesitated, while the other, following the example of the mate, rushed boldly forward. He was within a few yards of the bank, when the sea, sweeping by as it receded, rose up to his middle. He vainly attempted to stem it; he was lifted off his feet, and was being hurried out among the breakers when Owen, springing forward into the receding water as it swept round the sand-bank, caught him by the arm, and they were both pulled up by their companions.

"Thank you, sir," said the man, whose name was Bill Pratt, generally called Bill, and who was a well-conducted fellow when sober. "I owe you a good turn for this, Mr Hartley."

The mate and the other men had thrown themselves down, overcome by their exertions. The fourth man was yet some distance off, and as another sea came rolling up, he was lifted off his feet. He shrieked wildly for help, but had he been even a good swimmer no strength of arm could have saved him.