Part 12 (2/2)
They accordingly descended; but before they were half-way down, the fearful cry reached their ears of ”Ain the waves Who he was they could not tell
Hastening to the deck, they found the hel the shi+p about In the mean time some oars and a hen-coop had been hove into the sea, but the man, whoever he was, see, as his efforts to reach the To him back, exclaimed, ”You could not save the poor fellow; he would carry you down, if you atteet near him”
”But I could tow the hen-coop up to hientleone to his assistance;” and they then caught sight of a Sandwich Islander in the water He had slipped quietly overboard and wasry and red, while the sky threatened a storht
Only one small boat reht to, and Tom, with Desmond, Jerry, and two of the crew, juht both of the drowning man and the Sandwich Islander The sea, which was everyup, broke over the bows of the boat as they pulled towards the spot where the men were last seen
”Who is the poor fellow?” asked Tom of one of the crew
”Our second mate He has been queer for some time, and I don't expect we shall find hience Toth they heard a cry It came froht sight of a hen-coop, which assisted the their course Just then To up to look out, sao heads ”We shall be in ti out
The ot hold of an oar
”I see him,” shouted Tom to the Sandwich Islander ”Wait another minute, and ill take you on board;” and he pointed towards the mate
They were not twelve fathoo the oar, he threw up his ar that he ht re-appear, but it was in vain
The Sandwich Islander ca for assistance threw hiot him,” he said; ”and would have had er of being swaained the shi+p's side Until the return of the captain and first mate the shi+p was under the coh hand; although Toood seaet up to the boats and take the officers on board Tom at once offered his and his companions'
services to work the shi+p Indeed, she was so short-handed that without their assistance she could with difficulty even be put about
”I suppose those who are eating the owner's bread should work for the owner,” was the gruff answer, as if he declined the offer for himself
This, however, mattered very little to Tom As the wind increased he felt more and more anxious for the fate of the absent ones In order not to miss them, it was necessary to make short boards, so that all hands were kept constantly at work, putting the shi+p about every quarter of an hour, while lanterns were hung over the weather side to show her whereabouts should the boats have got clear of the whale The gale becaer The canvas was taken in, until the shi+p was under closely reefed topsails The sea got upover her bows, so that it seemed too probable that the boats, before they could reach her, would be swaet alongside Tohts on board, burnt one every now and then, hoping that they e the crews of the wave-tossed boats The surgeon told hiht escape, as boats had often done in a heavy sea, by hanging on under the lee of a dead whale, which served as a breakwater
”In that case we et to ard of theht not venture to leave the shelter which the whale affords them,” observed Tom On this he proposed to the boatswain to ”heave to”
”We are not up to them yet,” was the answer ”I was at sea before you were born, young gentlee what is best to be done”
Toot a queer character to deal with,” he observed to Desh it will be a serious matter to us, as well as all on board, if we do not recover the poor captain and mate”
No one turned in; indeed, all hands were required to put the shi+p about, and all night long she was kept on tack and tack without any answering signal The doctor continued to fire at intervals one of the six-pounder guns on deck, but no signal was heard in return When th consented to heave to Neither of the boats had been seen, and those on board began to despair The gale showed no signs of abate waves, crested with foam, rose up around, while the sky was obscured by dense masses of dark clouds
”Will your whaleboats live in a sea like this?” asked To officer was standing aft
”I guess they could, young man, if they are handled as we kno to handle them,” was the answer
”Then we may still hope to find the captain and mate,” observed Desmond
”If that whale did not smash up one of the boats with her flukes If he did, twelve people would prove a heavy cargo in a sea like this, and she is likely enough to have been swamped”