that was a dramatic moment for at least four people, frank being within close distance. the ship, feeling the enormous pressure of a mighty sea against one side of her rudder, swung up to meet the wind, and the strain upon the wheel was so great that the man steering could not move it. the two men who should have been most fully alive to the danger stood glaring at one another, while the lives of all on board trembled in the balance. but by some impulse which he did not understand, frank flew to the helmsman’s aid, flung all his weight upon the lee side of the wheel, and between them they got the helm up, only just in time to save the ship from broaching to. she gave one mighty swerve as if suspended in some huge sling, with such rapidity that for all their seasoned sea-legs the two officers were flung off their feet and rolled helplessly on deck. at the same moment a massy hill of water, the glare of whose foaming crest lit up the whole stormy scene, burst over the whole length of the starboard side, filling the decks fore and aft, and smashing everything in its way which was not of the most permanent character.
both the skipper and the mate, apparently forgetting[63] their quarrel in the face of this terrible common danger, as soon as they regained their feet rushed forward and took their part in the work of saving as much as possible of the floating wreckage of the deck from destruction. frank and hansen, for it was he who was helmsman, strove manfully to keep the maddened vessel on her course, feeling sure that it was their only hope of life, and yet unable to realise that they would be able to do so. it was then that frank knew the dignity of the sailor’s calling, as never afterwards. it was great to feel the power of command over the great fabric beneath him, to know her obedience to the helm, and to understand the movements of the wind and sea which were being compelled to serve him.
on the main deck there was a scene of ruin. a large portion of the bulwarks was gone, the spare spars on either side were loose in their lashings and threatening to break adrift altogether, while various portions of wreckage were floating and dashing from side to side of the flooded decks. the cabin was gutted, the deck-house had one side smashed in, and all hands were in doubt as to what extent the ship had been damaged.
moreover the ends of the gear had been washed into all sorts of entanglements, so that shortening sail for the time was impossible, at least until halyards, sheets, clewlines, and downhauls had been cleared. and to add to the difficulty, there was the all-embracing blackness and the surging of the waves over the ship.
at such times as these sailors live only by permission[64] or sufferance of the elements, for in her then helpless condition the slightest addition to the weight of the sea crashing aboard, or the force of the wind, would most probably have rendered all seamanship or courage of no avail. but mercifully the good sails held, the staunch masts, rigging, and running gear bore the tremendous strain, and the two brave fellows at the wheel kept her directly before the wind and sea. it was piercingly cold, and their long spell was so arduous that they felt as if they would have given anything for a few minutes’ rest, while, in addition, there was the appalling uncertainty as to what damage had really been done by that mighty sea.
but they endured as sailors do, until, just as the grey, cheerless dawn began to break, they saw a figure come creeping aft, water streaming from him as if he had just been overboard. it was the second mate, who said as he reached the binnacle, “well, boys, i suppose you’re most done up, but you’ve had the best of it up here after all. its nearly four bells in my watch, but you’ll have to hang on a bit longer till jem gets a drop of coffee and comes to relieve you. ’she steerin’ any easier?”
hansen replied, “she ain’t safe mit von hant, sir. she gripes efery now and den like de deffil. i nefer ben able to steer her at all if it ain’t ben for frank here, goot boy.”
“all right,” rejoined mr. cope, “i’ll see that there’s a stand-by at the relief, and, say, frank, you’ll have to go into my bunk, your place is just washed out.”
[65]all frank could say was “thanks, sir,” for he had almost arrived at that point when nothing makes any difference, the mercy point i call it. only the higher the intelligence and sense of responsibility, the longer it takes to reach the point when nothing matters. it is this which softens the terrors of most of the awful situations in which men are placed, when the fear of death, natural to all of us, has taken its proper place, and there only remains a sort of dim compulsion to go on doing our duty.
when frank was relieved and made his way forrard, he found, to his amazement, that he hardly knew the ship, the damage done was so great. but his own particular corner was not so bad as the second mate had led him to believe. true, the side of the house was smashed in, and the sea had evidently made a clean breach through, but it had not washed his bunk out, nor torn his chest from its lashings. and so after a pannikin of steaming coffee and a couple of handfuls of broken biscuits he turned in just as he was, and in a few minutes was fast asleep and perfectly happy.
he was aroused next minute, as it seemed, by williams, who assailed him with bad words for being so hard to wake. realising that it was seven bells and breakfast-time, he sat up, wrenching himself from sleep with all the reluctance of healthy youth that has been over-tired and has not had nearly sufficient time for rest. but as he awoke fully to the fact of williams’s abuse, he felt an accession of sudden rage, all the man awoke in him, and springing out of his bunk he seized the[66] fellow by the head and throat, and with one tremendous effort dashed him out of the wide-open door on to the flooded deck.
then in a voice that almost startled himself he shouted, “no more of that from you or anybody else in this ship. i can do my work, and i won’t be bullied. i’ll die first.” then turning away from the thoroughly discomfited williams, who, dripping with his ducking, dragged himself to his feet and slunk away, he seized johnson by the shoulder and said roughly, “here, johnson, seven bells. go and get breakfast, and look sharp about it. you know it’s your turn, so no skulking.”
johnson hoisted himself out growling under his breath, but he did not refuse, for even he recognised a new note in frank’s voice, and knew that the boy had found his manhood.
now i do not wish to give the idea that either williams or johnson were no good, because they were very fair specimens of stalwart boys in their second year at sea, and could do their work fairly well, but they had no ideals, they had lost them early, while frank seemed as if he were not only going to keep his, but was increasing their number by adding thereto real knowledge of the facts of a sea-life. this, coupled with his fine bodily strength, made him already as useful as either of them, and more reliable than either.
poor little harry, on the other hand, had only developed the cunning of the weakling, and gave the second mate no end of trouble hunting him out of holes and corners where he would hide himself at night. and so he had been let pretty[67] much alone, as it was more trouble than it was worth to get him to work at all. at the present severe time he was suffering very much, he was just a picture of abject misery without a dry rag to his back or a warm corner to snuggle into, and bitterly indeed did he repent his folly in wanting to go to sea.
meanwhile matters on deck were very bad. apart from the damage done by the sea, there was constant friction between the mate and the skipper, quarrels in front of the men, and every hindrance possible put in the mate’s way, while worst of all he was prevented by the skipper from working the ship’s position, and in consequence knew no more where she was than did any of the sailors. these latter, too, were as usual quick to seize the advantage they had in the disagreement of the officers, and so did nothing without a great amount of grumbling and swearing; in fact discipline was almost at an end, although there was no actual outbreak as yet. which of course made things all the worse for the boys, who were kept at work of the hardest, doing those duties which in a properly regulated ship would have been performed by the men.
fortunately the wind held steady if strong, and none of the sails blew away. so that beyond occasionally repairing the bending of a sail or securing some of the “irish pendants” (flying ends) aloft, there was little to do of necessity, and what there was done fell to the boys, even to scrubbing off from the decks, incessantly washed by the sea, the slimy sea-grass that grew thereon.
[68]at last matters grew so bad that one of the men, a huge german named müller, who was in the mate’s watch, upon being ordered by the mate to go aloft and secure a chafing-mat upon the main-topmast back-stay, refused most insolently, saying that he didn’t intend to do anything more while he was aboard than steer and take his look-out. “let de boys do it,” he said, “or ellas do it yorselluf.”
the mate flushed and clenched his fist, but he would probably have swallowed the insult if it had not been for the skipper’s mocking laugh just behind him, one of those devilish inspirations that have been the cause of so many murders. it decided the mate, who sprang at müller’s throat, and the pair came heavily to the deck. almost as if by preconcerted signal the watch below rushed out, it being nine in the morning, and flung themselves at the pair, evidently intent on murdering the mate. but the three boys with one impulse hurled themselves into the fray, fighting like wild cats, not that they loved the mate, but because their instincts were on the side of law and order.
there was a very pretty scrum for a few minutes, the old man looking on from the poop with an amused air as if he were enjoying himself, until the second mate, who had been busy in his cabin, rushed to the rescue, armed with an iron belaying-pin, and almost immediately settled the business by giving the foreigners some reminders of authority that they did not forget in a long while.
helping the mate to rise, and finding that[69] although considerably pumped, he was not hurt, the big german having only clawed at him like an old woman, the second mate roared, “get forrard, you curs, or i’ll shoot some of you,” producing at the same moment a revolver from his jacket pocket.
he did not have to speak twice, the motley crowd recognised their master, and hustled forrard out of his way on the instant.
then turning to the mate he said, “hope you’re all right, mr. jenkins, those brutes didn’t seem to do much but fumble.”
“yes, thanks, cope,” growled the mate, “i’m all right enough; but i’ve got a score to settle with one man that won’t wait any longer, and if it costs me my life i’m going to put it through now.”
and at the word he rushed up the poop-ladder and straight at the grinning skipper, who, unable to get away, put up both arms to guard his head and cowered before the mate’s mad rush at him. with a blow like a blacksmith’s the mate’s fist smashed through his feeble guard and brought him to his knees, then another crashing punch flattened his purple nose, from which a stream of dark blood spirted over his straggly beard. again that vengeful fist was raised, but it did not fall, for the second mate and the three boys had by this time reached the furious mate, and clinging to him, implored him to desist. while they held him the crestfallen skipper crawled away below, and gradually mr. jenkins calmed down, only expressing the fervent hope that he had put a mark on[70] his commanding officer that he would carry to his dishonoured grave.
“i’m all right now, cope,” he said in almost jubilant tones, “and from this out i’ll run this ship on different lines, i’ll swear. just a minute,” he continued, and he dived below, returning with a revolver in his hand and brandishing a fistful of cartridges.
“now,” he said, as he loaded the weapon, “we’ll have a change. go below, mr. cope, and thank you for your help. i think i can manage now. lay aft the watch!”
the last words, uttered in a tremendous voice, brought the four members of his watch along in a hurry, the first one being müller. as they came up to the break of the poop, the mate looking down upon them with the utmost scorn, said, “get the slush-pots and lay aloft an’ grease down, you dirty scum. i’ll show you who’s boss of this packet. you’ll do what you like, will you? think the skipper’ll back y’ up, do ye? i’ll look out for all of ye and get plenty of sleep, and if one of you so much as whimpers, d’ye see this?” brandishing the revolver, “i’ll shoot ye as soon as wink.”
a tremendous change had come over the man once he had freed himself from the fear of losing his certificate, which so often makes cowards of the best of seamen under a worthless master. he was now a savage bully, and woe betide the man who crossed him.
within ten minutes the thoroughly cowed men were strung aloft busily slushing down the masts,[71] while frank and johnson were finding something to do, and chuckling to themselves at the turn which affairs had taken, for they had long been disgusted at the way in which all the dirty work had been put on them while the men were just loafing about.
but mr. jenkins had not quite finished his little programme yet. having seen the men slung aloft, he strode into the cabin and up to the captain’s state-room door, at which he knocked with a determined fist.
“who’s there?” quavered the skipper.
“it’s me,” answered the mate, “an’ i want a word or two with you, captain swainson, before we go any further.”
“go away, mr. jenkins,” replied the skipper in a tremulous voice, “i’m too ill to talk to you now.”
the mate’s answer was to fling the door wide open.
then confronting the cowed man he said, “now, captain swainson, understand from this out that i am the mate of this ship, fit and able to do my work, and determined to have the respect due to me from every man on board, beginning with you. i have put up with all the slights and insults from you that i intend putting up with, and now if you don’t treat me as i deserve i’ll take the command from you and keep you under arrest until we reach levuka. i’m going to work the ship’s position every day and know as much about her as you do, if not more. i’ve let you have your fling until you raised mutiny, which, thanks to the second mate and the boys, has been[72] stopped. now understand there’s to be no more fooling. treat me properly and i’ll behave as your mate, try any more of your miserable games on and i’ll do just what i’ve said. that’s all.”
and with the air of a conqueror mr. jenkins strode away, leaving the skipper in about as abject a condition as a man could well be. and so the ship was saved for the time, but only, as you see, because a law-abiding man had been driven to desperation and compelled to cast all fear of his future away and take the place he never ought to have relinquished.
frank was astounded at the change in everything on board which almost immediately took place, and it made an impression upon his mind which never left it, of the value of discipline and of having some strong man to command. more than that, the part which he and his two seniors had played in rallying to the support of their officers in the face of a common danger gave them a sense of their own importance in the scheme of things which did them much good, and knit them together for the first time. they squabbled among themselves no longer, and instead of the aimless tattle, sometimes evil and always useless, which had characterised the yarns of williams and johnson with each other, discussions about the way to do things and the prospect of promotion were held.
but they were unanimous on one point especially, which was that since master harry had chosen to develop into a loafer as far as his work on deck was concerned, they would take[73] care that he did all the menial work when he was below, and so with a great deal of protestation on his part and rather severe coercion on theirs, he was made to wait on them and keep the house clean—himself too. and it was astonishing how particular they became when they had some one whom they could make do things for them instead of having to do them for themselves.
on deck they learned rapidly now, for although neither the mate nor the second mate gave them any definite teaching, they were treated exactly like the men, and found that as they learned their work they were allowed to do things that in the ordinary way they would never have got a chance at. but it was very curious how in the new order of things the skipper was ignored. the mate was really in command of the ship, for captain swainson never interfered in any way; he was more like a passenger than one concerned in the ship’s business. he was treated with studied courtesy by everybody, for somehow, without any definite orders having been given on the subject, all felt that the mate would speedily have punished any attempt at insolence to the captain. mr. jenkins was far too good an officer to allow any such insubordination as that, now he had regained his rightful position on board.
still the skipper’s position was painful and lonely in the extreme. deprived of his beloved stimulant, which had always made him feel dignified and important, and conscious of the feelings of all hands towards him, he felt a deep craving for society, and, like the weakling that he was, fell[74] back on the steward, with whom he came in more frequent contact than with anybody else. and when a skipper does that he is very far gone indeed. he is like a housewife who has forfeited all the love and respect of her husband and children by evil behaviour, and has fallen back upon her servants for company.
and still the ship sped on her long journey. for a ship is somewhat like time, whatever be the conditions on board short of disaster, slowly or swiftly she goes on towards her appointed goal. wheel and look-out are relieved, sails are trimmed, watches succeed one another, and however long the way may seem, the miles are eaten into one by one, until looking back it seems wonderful how she has come so far in so short a time.
the sealark was no clipper, as i have said before, and met with only the usual weather prevalent on that passage, and so at the end of four months she had passed the great australian continent, and heading northward, soon changed the fierce stress of the westerly gales for mild and gentle breezes, the cold grey skies of the southern ocean for the deep blue vault of the pacific heavens with their myriad burning brightnesses, and the mighty rollers of the antarctic for the gentle waves, milk warm and coruscating in the sunshine by day, blue-black and shot with lambent flame by night, of the vast peaceful sea.
and now frank really began to enjoy life. he could not have stated it in so many words, but he felt as if all the stern experiences which he had endured at the outset of this voyage, dreadful as[75] they had seemed to him at the time, were a small payment for the present sense of reward. he drank in the beauty of his surroundings with the keenest physical delight, felt himself strong, and worthy, and proud, and, if he had not been too much of a man now, would have liked to dance and sing for sheer delight of living. but he felt a deep and certain satisfaction in the knowledge that he had chosen his vocation in life aright, and went about his work springingly.
i hope it will not be thought that i am painting my hero in too favourable colours, because i can assure my readers that he is not at all an uncommon type of boy, but one that i have often had the pleasure of meeting and being associated with, both afloat and ashore. and for one good thing there was no nonsense about him. he might, it is true, have given more thought than he did to those dear ones he had left at home, but he found out experimentally that when he did he was apt to get discontented with his surroundings, and a bit homesick too, so he deliberately tried not to think too much about dear grimy dewsbury and those who dwelt there, except in picturing his triumphant return.
now, as the weather grew so fine and the nights were so delightful, he courted hansen’s company again, and with more ease, because mr. jenkins had, ever since the great change, dispensed with the boys’ keeping watch on the poop at night on their promise to keep within hail. and now he was joined by johnson, who, being a good fellow at bottom, and only a bit lazy, felt that if[76] he didn’t mind frank would get away ahead of him; and so they both sat and talked sea-lore all through the night watches on deck when they had neither wheel nor look-out, and accumulated knowledge apace.
then came the great event of the voyage so far for frank. he was on the main-royal yard one morning at daybreak busy at some small task, and when he had completed it, instead of coming down at once, he sat still a minute or two gazing around him at the gorgeous beauty of sea and sky, feeling tremendously impressed, in spite of his matter-of-fact nature, with his marvellous surroundings.
and then as the sun emerged majestically from the sea upon his right, and flooded ocean and heaven with a golden glow, he saw right ahead what even he could not help knowing was land. it was a solid black irregular lump clearly defined against the brilliant sky, such as he felt sure no cloud could ever look like. strange as it may appear, the vessel had not sighted land since leaving britain, which accounts for his excitement. he trembled so that he could hardly hold on, and stared at this new sight as if his eyes would pop out of their sockets. then recovering himself he slid down the backstays, and running aft to the mate, reported what he had seen.
to his great surprise the mate received the news very quietly, saying only, “yes, i expected to sight it this morning; it’s norfolk island.”
but frank was full of the wonder at having come straight to this little spot upon the ocean’s surface after nearly four months’ journeying over the trackless[77] ocean, and just bubbled over with enthusiasm about it, which johnson did his best to damp, saying, “i don’t know what you’re making all the fuss about; it’s nothing. didn’t expect we should lose our way, did you?”
by noon they had drawn close up to the beautiful island, so near indeed that the forests which had looked at a distance as if the hills were covered with dark-green grass, now showed up in all their magnificent beauty of great trees, with towering cliffs and deep ravines into which the sea rushed sullenly, and recoiled in a smother of snowy foam.
nearer and nearer still they drew, until to frank’s delight they saw several canoes making towards them. as these came alongside, frank, who was eagerly looking forward to seeing some picturesque savages, was somewhat disappointed to see that the dark-skinned boatmen were all clothed in shirts and trousers, and was still more astonished to hear the vessel hailed in good english, “ship ahoy, where are you bound to? may we come aboard?”
permission being given and a rope thrown to them, several fine sturdy fellows soon flung themselves inboard and greeted every one whom they met effusively, as if they were old friends.
they had brought a plentiful supply of fruit, vegetables, fowls, and eggs, and very quickly hoisted their wares on deck. until then frank had scarcely realised the privation of the voyage in respect of food, the weary sameness of salt beef and pork, pea-soup and duff, with one mess a week of tinned mutton and preserved potatoes, which he[78] loathed, yet had to eat because there was nothing else. he found himself dribbling at the mouth with eagerness to taste those beautiful oranges and bananas, to say nothing of the fowls, eggs, and vegetables.
he rushed to his chest and got out his money, his father having given him three pounds for pocket-money when he left home, a fact which he had quite forgotten until now. but when he came rushing back with his coins in his hands and inquired the price of the fruit, he was amazed to find that these civilised islanders wanted clothes in barter, not money at all, and that moreover the commodities they had brought were rapidly disappearing, the steward buying largely for the cabin, and the men were eagerly offering shirts and trousers for quantities of food which were far below their value.
poor frank was almost desperate, and quite unaware of how he was delivering himself into the hands of these astute islanders, who were adepts at dealing with sailors ravenous for fresh food after a long passage at sea. in the end he became possessed of about a dozen oranges, a small bunch of bananas, about thirty, and two eggs, for two shirts which were nearly new, and had cost four and sixpence each in liverpool. the total value of what he had received in exchange being about one shilling.
he was not to be blamed, for his experience was quite a common one. i myself have given two shirts worth at least six shillings for a dozen baskets of sweet potatoes, whose total weight was certainly[79] not more than twelve pounds. this was in the straits of sunda, and the astute javanese had packed the bottoms of the baskets with leaves, putting just three or four potatoes on the top, and not allowing examination until the bargain was made and the garments handed over. they knew the simplicity and gullibility of the sailor as well as any longshore man at home, and took full advantage of him. as everybody does in all parts of the world, except those who seek him for his good.
having sold out their wares, the islanders scrambled into their boats, and pushing off in high glee made for the shore with their spoil, while the ship, struck by a heavy squall, such as will always be met with under high land, sped rapidly past the island, and was soon well on her way with a new departure for fiji.
but no one could calculate the value of that little episode in the passage to these long-suffering ones, or the benefit that the fresh food was to their salt-saturated blood. frank thought that never in his life had he tasted anything so delicious as that fruit, and as for the eggs, well, williams and johnson had succeeded in obtaining two dozen, and as they had got no fruit there was a grand exchange, and at supper-time a feast of hard-boiled eggs, when the whole twenty-six were wolfed by the four boys without any feeling that they were playing the glutton.
thenceforward the ship seemed to have entered a new world. the sea was full of wonders. strange birds and multitudes of fish, with occasional[80] troops of whales of various kinds, queer floating things, and sounds at night also made frank feel that all his early dreams of the delights of a sea-life were more than realised; and he confided to his friend hansen his perfect satisfaction in his choice, saying again and again that he felt sure he was right when he chose the sea as a profession, and now he knew that it was the only life he could ever have lived.
hansen looked upon him pityingly, benevolently, but said nothing, feeling, perhaps, the uselessness of doing so, but at the same time he felt that frank’s enthusiasm, beautiful as it was, would soon fade in the face of the stern realities of a sea-life when once he had reached man’s estate. and yet, there was harry carter, of frank’s own age and with all of frank’s opportunities, who had degenerated into a wastrel, who bent all his faculties to the hard task of shirking work, who wouldn’t learn and who would loaf, devoting as much brain power to getting out of the performance of his legitimate duties as would have made a man of him had he used them in the proper way.
one hundred and thirty-one days from home, and the joyful cry came ringing down from the mast-head of “land-ho!” it was the voice of hansen, who had been sent aloft by the mate to see if he could see anything, and from the fore-topsail-yard had sighted the beautiful outlines of kandavu, an island of the fiji group just south of viti levu, where the mail steamers from san francisco used to call on their way to sydney. the south-east trades blew fresh, and the ship[81] seemed to feel the call of the land, so that by sunset, amid wonders of nature that frank felt could not be surpassed on earth, the sealark anchored in the pretty bay of levuka.
who could hope to describe the tumult of mind experienced by frank that evening, as he witnessed the fish-like gambols of the fijians who came off in their canoes, or disported themselves around the ship like so many seals? how he listened to the strange mellifluous language they spoke, and the extraordinary attempts at english they made; how he feasted upon eggs and fruit, and vegetables and fish, until he felt a very glutton, then sat on the rail under the broad glare of the blazing moon and listened to the strange sounds, sniffed the curious sweet fragrance of the land, and dimly tried to recall the tales he had read of the far-off cannibal islands in his childhood.
then tried to realise that he was really here—and right on the other side of the round world was that little family group whom he knew were always thinking of him. a sudden sense of the vast distance he had traversed came over him, a feeling of utter loneliness and longing to see the faces of those dear ones seized upon him, and to his own utter surprise a few hot drops came stealing down his cheeks, reminding him that for all his manly experiences he was but a boy after all.
that made him angry with himself, and roughly brushing away the tell-tale moisture he strode into the house and lit his pipe (i hadn’t mentioned this acquisition of his) and began to laugh and banter harry, the butt of the house, who was as usual in[82] trouble for forgetting to wash up the supper traps. but at the earliest moment he sought his bunk, for he wanted to forget his sudden homesickness, and in that dark corner was almost immediately lost to all his external surroundings.