THE SHIP IN THE CREEK
THEN, IT WAS nigh on to evening, we came upon a creek opening into the
greater one through the bank upon our left. We had been like to pass
it--as, indeed, we had passed many throughoutthe day--but that the
bo'sun, whose boat had the lead, cried out that there was some craft
lying-up, a little beyond the first bend. And, indeed, so it seemed;
for one of the masts of her--all jagged, where it had carried
away--stuck up plain to our view.
Now, having grown sick with so much lonesomeness, and beingin fear of
the approaching night, we gave out something nearto a cheer, which,
however, the bo'sun silenced, having no knowledge of those whomight
occupy the stranger. And so, in silence, the bo'sun turned his craft
toward the creek, whereat we followed, taking heed to keep quietness,
and working the oars warily. So, in a little, we came tothe shoulder
of the bend, and had plain sight of the vessel some little way beyond
us. From the distance she had no appearance of being inhabited; so
that after some small hesitation, we pulled towards her, though still
being at pains to keep silence.
The strange vessel lay against that bank of the creek which was upon
our right, and over above her was a thick clump of the stunted trees.
For the rest, she appeared to be firmly imbedded in the heavy mud, and
there was a certain look of age about her which carried to me a
doleful suggestion that we should find naught aboard of her fit for an
honest stomach.
We had come to a distance of maybe some ten fathoms from her starboard
bow--for she lay with her head down towards the mouth of the little
creek--when the bo'sun bade his men to back water, the whichJosh did
regarding our own boat. Then, being ready to fly if we had been in
danger, the bo'sun hailed the stranger; but got no reply, save that
some echo of his shout seemedto come back at us. And so he sung out
again to her, chance there might be some below decks who had not
caught his first hail; but, for the second time, no answer came to us,
save the low echo--naught, but that the silent trees took on alittle
quivering, as though his voice had shaken them.
At that, being confident now within our minds, we laid alongside, and,
in a minute had shinned up the oars and so gained her decks. Here,
save that the glass of the skylight of the main cabin had been broken,
and some portion of the framework shattered, there was no
extraordinary litter; so that it appeared to us as though she had been
no great while abandoned.
So soon as the bo'sun had made his way up from the boat, he turnedaft
toward the scuttle, the rest of us following. We found the leaf of the
scuttle pulled forward to within an inch of closing,and so much effort
did it require of us to push it back, that we had immediate evidence
of a considerable time since any had gone down that way.
However, it was no greatwhile before we were below, and here we found
the main cabin to be empty, save for the bare furnishings. From it
there opened off two state-rooms at the forrard end, and the captain's
cabin in the after part, and in all of these we found matters of
clothing and sundries such as proved that the vessel had been
desertedapparently in haste. In further proof of this we found, in a
drawer in thecaptain's room, a considerable quantity of loose gold,
the which it was not to be supposed would have been left by the
free-will of the owner.
Of the state-rooms, the one upon the starboard side gave evidence that
it had been occupied by a woman--no doubt a passenger. The other, in
which there were two bunks, had been shared, so far as we could have
any certainty, by a couple of young men; and this we gathered by
observation of various garments which were scattered carelessly about.
Yet it must not be supposed that we spent any great time in the
cabins; for we were pressed for food, and made haste--under the
directing of the bo'sun--to discover if the hulk held victuals whereby
we might be kept alive.
To this end, we removed the hatch which led down to the lazarette,
and, lighting two lamps which we had with us in the boats, went down
to make a search. And so, ina little while, we came upon two casks
which the bo'sun broke open with a hatchet. These casks were sound and
tight, and in them was ship's biscuit, very good and fit for food. At
this, as may be imagined, we felt eased in our minds, knowing that
there was no immediate fear of starvation. Following this, we found a
barrel of molasses; a cask of rum; some cases of dried fruit--these
were mouldyand scarce fit to be eaten; a cask of salt beef,another of
pork; a small barrel of vinegar; a case of brandy; two barrels
offlour--one of which proved to be damp-struck; and a bunch of tallow
dips.
In a little while we had all these things up in the big cabin, so that
we might come at them the better to make choice of that which was fit
for our stomachs, and that which was otherwise. Meantime, whilst the
bo'sun overhauled these matters, Josh called a couple of the men, and
went on deck to bring up the gear from the boats, for it had been
decided that we should pass the night aboard the hulk.
When this was accomplished, Josh took a walk forward to the fo'cas'le;
but found nothing beyond two seamen's chests; a sea-bag, and some odd
gear. There were, indeed, no more than ten bunks in the place; for she
was but a small brig, and had no call for a great crowd. Yet Josh was
more than a little puzzled to know what had come to the odd chests;
for it was not to be supposed that there had been no more than
two--and a sea-bag--among ten men. But to this, at that time, he had
no answer, and so, beingsharp for supper, made areturn to the deck,
and thence to the main cabin.
Now while he had been gone, the bo'sun had set the men to clearing out
the main cabin; after which, he had served outtwo biscuits apiece all
round, and a tot of rum. To Josh, when he appeared, he gave the same,
and, in a little, we called a sort of council; being sufficiently
stayed by the food to talk.
Yet, before we came to speech, we made shift tolight our pipes; for
the bo'sun had discovered a case of tobacco in the captain's cabin,
and afterthis we came to the consideration of our position.
We had provender, so the bo'sun calculated, to last us for the better
partof two months, and this without any great stint; but we had yet to
prove if the brig held water in her casks, for that in the creek was
brackish, evenso far as we had penetrated from the sea;else we had not
been in need. To the charge of this, the bo'sun set Josh, along with
two of the men. Another, he told to take charge of the galley, so long
as we were in the hulk. But for that night, he said we had no need to
do aught; for we had sufficient of water in theboats' breakers to last
us till the morrow. And so, in a little, the dusk began to fill the
cabin; but we talked on, being greatly content with our present ease
and the good tobacco which we enjoyed.
In a little while, one of the men cried out suddenly to us to be
silent, and, in that minute, all heard it--a far, drawn-out wailing;
the same which had come to us in the evening of the first day. At that
we looked at one another through the smoke and the growing dark, and,
even as we looked, it became plainer heard, until, in a while, it was
all about us--aye! it seemed to come floating down through the broken
framework of the skylight as though some weariful, unseen thing stood
and cried upon thedecks above our heads.
Now through all that crying, none moved; none, that is, save Josh and
the bo'sun, and theywent up into the scuttle to see whether anything
was in sight; but they found nothing, and so came down to us; for
there was no wisdom in exposing ourselves, unarmed as we were, save
for our sheath-knives.
And so, in a little, the night crept down upon the world, and still we
sat within the dark cabin, none speaking, and knowing of the rest only
by the glows of their pipes.
All at once there came a low, muttered growl, stealing across the
land; and immediately the crying was quenched in its sullen thunder.
It diedaway, and there was a full minute of silence; then, once more
it came, and it was nearer and more plain to the ear. I took my pipe
from my mouth; for I had come again upon the great fear and uneasiness
which the happenings ofthe first night had bred in me, and the taste
of the smoke brought me no more pleasure. The muttered growl swept
over our heads and died away into the distance, and there was a sudden
silence.
Then, in that quietness, came the bo'sun's voice. He was bidding us
haste every one into the captain's cabin. As we moved to obey him, he
ran to draw over the lid of the scuttle; and Josh went with him, and,
together, they had it across; though with difficulty. When we had come
into the captain's cabin, we closed and barred the door, piling two
great sea-chests up against it; and so we felt near safe; for we knew
that no thing, man nor beast, could come at us there. Yet, as may be
supposed, we felt not altogether secure; for there was that in the
growling which now filled the darkness, that seemed demoniac, and we
knew not what horrid Powers were abroad.
And so through the nightthe growling continued, seeming to be mighty
near unto us--aye! almost over our heads, and of a loudness far
surpassing all that had come to us on the previous night; so that I
thanked the Almighty that we had come into shelter in the midst of so
much fear. [ tobe continued....]
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