Will Weatherhelm Part 17

"You may perhaps have an opportunity of getting home," he answered.

"But you see, my lad, we are bound for the East Indies, and shall probably have a somewhat long cruise of it."

"To the East Indies!" I cried, my voice sinking almost to a whisper.

"When, when, Margaret, may I ever meet you again?"

"Cheer up, my lad, it's a long road which has no turning, ye ken," cried the kind doctor. "Remember your resolution to do your duty like a man.

You'll be well in a few days, I hope."

He did not reply to my question about Iffley. Somehow or other, I could not bring myself again to repeat that man's name. I did not forget the command to forgive our enemies, but I felt that flesh and blood--the depravity of human nature--must be struggled with and overcome, before the divine precept could be obeyed.

Once more I was on my feet again, and a man who attended on the sick helped me up on deck. It was a fine day--the sky was blue, the sea was calm, and some thirty s.h.i.+ps, with all their canvas set, were grouped close around us. They were huge lumbering tea-chests, as we used to call Indiamen, but they were fine-looking craft for all that. The fresh sea-breeze revived me. Every hour I felt myself growing stronger and better. I looked round for Iffley. I had a nervous dread of meeting him, and yet I felt anxious to ascertain that he was on board.

A person may be on board a big s.h.i.+p like the _Albion_ for several days without meeting another, provided they are not on duty together. Such was my case. I had been for two days on deck, an hour or so at a time, without seeing the man who had proved himself so bitterly my enemy. The doctor told me he thought that in a day or two more I might go to my duty, and that I should be the better for having work to do. I looked forward to work with satisfaction, and begged that I might as soon as possible be struck off the sick list. He told me that I should be so on the following day, and that he would speak to the first lieutenant about me, as he was a very kind man, and would see that I was not sent aloft till I had sufficiently recovered my strength. I thanked him with a hearty blessing for his kindness and consideration.

The very first man on whom my eyes rested when I went on deck returned fit for duty was Charles Iffley. He was going along the deck with his cat-o'-nine-tails in his hand. I knew by this that he still held only the rating of boatswain's mate on board. My heart turned sick at the sight; in a moment my vivid imagination pictured all I might have to suffer at his hands.

He saw me, but pretended not to know me, and went on his way as if I was a stranger. I was immediately sent for aft, and found that I had been entered in the s.h.i.+p's books as an able seaman and a deserter from his Majesty's s.h.i.+p the _Brilliant_.

"What have you to say to this, my man?" said the captain, looking sternly at me.

"That I am not a deserter, sir," I answered in a firm voice; and I then gave him a clear and succinct account of the cutting-out expedition in Santa Cruz harbour, in which I had been engaged, and the way in which my life had been preserved on that occasion.

The captain, after a moment's consideration, sent a mids.h.i.+pman down into his cabin for a printed book. When it was brought to him he turned over the pages and asked me a few more questions. "I find that your account agrees exactly with the description I here have of the affair, and I believe you."

I saw Dr McCall, who came up at the moment and heard the captain's words, look evidently pleased. They exchanged glances, I thought. At all events, I fancied that I had just and kind-hearted superiors, and that my condition was far better than I might have expected to find it.

Still this reflection could not mitigate the great source of my grief-- my sudden separation from my wife and my ignorance of her fate. After this I was placed in a watch, and went regularly about my duty. I did my best to perform it, and quickly recovered my strength.

Ours had always been considered a smart s.h.i.+p, and though our captain was a kind man, he sacrificed a great deal to smartness. The most active and bustling men who could make the most show of doing things smartly, often gained more credit than they deserved.

It was one forenoon my watch below when I heard the cry of "All hands shorten sail!" I had been stationed in the fore-top. I sprang on deck as fast as my strength would allow, but I had not recovered my usual activity. "Fly aloft, there! fly aloft, you lazy scoundrel, or a rope's-end will freshen your way a bit!" I heard a voice cry, close to my ear. It was Iffley's. His countenance showed that he was capable of executing his threats. My blood boiled. I could do nothing. I could say nothing. In a moment I understood the bitter enmity which he had allowed to enter and to rankle in his bosom. I scarcely dared again to look at him. I hurried on. A sudden squall had struck the s.h.i.+p-- unexpected after the long calms to which we had been subject. She was heeling over to her lower deck ports. The exertion of all hands was indeed required to shorten sail. I found Iffley following close after me. I sprang up the rigging and quickly reached the fore-top. I could not help seeing his face as he came up. It wore the expression of most malignant hatred. "Lay out; be smart about it, my lads!" cried the captain of the top, as the fore-topsail-yard came rattling down.

In an instant the yard was covered with active forms hurrying out to its extreme ends. I made a spring to get out to the weather-earing. I had got it in my hand and was hauling on it, when I saw the countenance of Iffley, wearing the same expression as before, close to me. There was now in it a triumphant expression, as if he hoped that his vindictive feelings were about to be gratified. Still not a word did he utter. No one on board would have guessed that we had ever before met. I still kept to my resolution.

The gale came down on us stronger than ever. The officers were urging the men to greater speed. Suddenly I felt the earing in my hand give way, and before I could grasp at the yard to save myself I lost my balance, and to my horror found myself falling into the seething ocean raging beneath me. A strange, hideous, mocking strain of laughter sounded in my ears as I fell, and after that I knew no more till I discovered that I was struggling in the foaming waters.

I had gone down once, but had quickly come up again. I threw myself on my back till I had somewhat recovered my senses, and then turned myself round and kept treading the water while I looked out to see how far I was from the s.h.i.+p.

Away she flew, close-hauled though, with the foam dancing round her, and already at some distance. "And is this to be my fate?" I thought; "to die thus a victim to the foul revenge of that man?"

I resolved to struggle for life. I looked round me on every side. The Indiamen were scattered far and wide, none of them were coming up on our track. Still I swam on, but I felt how hopeless was the struggle.

Just then my eye fell on a grating, floating not five fathoms from me, and which had evidently been thrown to me by some one on board, when I was seen to fall from aloft. I exerted all my strength, and at length reached it. The time appeared to be very long. It is impossible, on such occasions, to measure it. Moments appeared minutes--minutes hours.

I threw myself on the grating in a position to avoid being washed off it or thrown under it; but it required no slight exertion to hold on.

As the dark seas came rolling up, and breaking, with a loud, cras.h.i.+ng sound, above my head, I felt as if they must inevitably overwhelm me.

Still I did not give up hope.

Unhappy as I had thought myself, I desired life that I might return home once more and ascertain the fate of my wife. I prayed that for this object I might be preserved; that we might once more be united, and once again be happy on earth. Even at that moment, surrounded by the boiling seas, with my s.h.i.+p flying fast away from me, I pictured, with all the vividness of reality, the unspeakable joy of once again being restored to her. I remembered the numberless dangers to which I had been exposed, and the merciful way in which I had been preserved from them.

Not for an instant did I think of Iffley. I forgot that he had been the cause of my present position, and thus I was prevented from harbouring any feeling of revenge against him.

As I was saying, I could not judge how long I was clinging to the grating. Tossed about as I was--now lifted to the summit of a foaming sea--now sinking down into the trough--I kept my eye constantly turning towards my s.h.i.+p.

Suddenly I saw the fore-topsail thrown aback--a boat was lowered--my s.h.i.+pmates were coming to my rescue. I felt even then that I was to be saved. I forgot the distance they had to pull and the heavy sea which might both endanger them and hide me from their sight. Still more eagerly did I try to make out the boat, as she laboured among the foaming seas. I caught a glimpse of her as I rose to the top of a wave, but she was not pulling towards me. Those in her could not have seen me.

Then suddenly the horrid thought came across me, that Iffley might have pretended to have seen where I was and to have guided the boat wrongly.

Then I blamed myself for thinking even Iffley capable of an act so atrocious. Still, I thought if he had purposely thrown me into the sea, he would be as likely to play the foul trick of which I now suspected him.

Again I sank down into a deep trough of the sea, and could only for a time distinguish the topsails of the s.h.i.+p above the ma.s.ses of foam which flew around. When I next rose again, there was the boat pulling away from me.

I shrieked out, I raised my voice louder and louder, as if I could by possibility be heard. I might as well have tried to howl down the hurricane in its fiercest mood. This was more trying than all that had gone before.

At length, exhausted by my exertions, I threw myself back on the grating, scarcely attempting to hold on. I was then in the trough of a sea. In another moment I was raised again to the summit of a sea, and, though hopeless, my eyes mechanically turned towards the boat.

Some one on board had seen me--she was pulling towards me. I felt conscious in a moment how wrong I had been to despair. I again exerted all my strength to keep myself on the grating. I saw some one standing up in the bows looking out for me. He pointed to where I floated, that the helmsman might steer the boat aright.

"Hurra! hurra!" A shout reached my ears. I knew that my s.h.i.+pmates had given it to encourage me. A few minutes more, and I found myself hauled into the boat.

The first person on whom my eyes rested was Iffley. He looked, I fancied, conscience-struck and defeated.

"Charley said as how he thought he saw you away to the eastward there; but Tom Potts caught sight of you, and now we know he was right," said one of the men who were hauling me in.

I was placed in the bottom of the boat, for there was little time in that heavy sea to attend to me, and she pulled back towards the s.h.i.+p. I felt that I was saved. I did not expect to be much the worse for my ducking, and I knew when I got back to the s.h.i.+p that the doctor would look after me. I had now no doubt that Iffley had endeavoured to prevent the boat from coming to my a.s.sistance. How bitter must be his hatred to allow me--his s.h.i.+pmate--to die thus horribly, struggling in the sea, when he had the power to save me!

As I was helped up the side, I caught his eye fixed on me, and again I observed that evident look of baffled vengeance which I had before remarked. I felt sure that he would take the first opportunity of giving further proof of his hatred of me. I did not see any means of escaping from it. Had he even spoken to me, I might have expostulated with him; but he kept aloof as if I were a total stranger to him. He carefully avoided even addressing me directly. I felt sure, indeed, that had I spoken to him, he would have stoutly denied all former knowledge of me, and who was to prove it? No one whom I knew on board.

I felt as if I were pursued by some monster with supernatural powers, from whom I could not get free.

When I got on board, Dr McCall kindly ordered me to go to my hammock, and he came and gave me some medicine. He said that after the illness from which I had so long been suffering, the consequences might be serious if I caught cold from my ducking. However, I turned out the next morning not in the slightest degree the worse for what had occurred I resolved to be as attentive and exact in my duty as possible; I wished to behave thus, at all events; but I also knew that in that case I should give my enemy less opportunity of injuring me.

Two days after this a man was convicted of stealing on board. He was sentenced to receive fifty lashes. Iffley was one of the boatswain's mates chosen to inflict the punishment. The crew were mustered on deck, and the man was led forward. He was one of those wretched men who are both rogues and cowards.

Iffley and the other boatswain's mates stood with their cats, those dreadful instruments of power, in their hands ready for use. While preparations were being made, the miserable wretch looked round on every side, as if seeking for some one who could save him from the punishment he was about to receive. Not a glance of pity did he get from his messmates. They knew him too well. At last he looked towards Iffley.

I saw them exchange glances. Iffley, of course, did not speak, but his looks said something which gave the other courage.

"Captain," said the man, turning round to our captain, "you are going to make the innocent suffer for the guilty. I wanted to s.h.i.+eld a s.h.i.+pmate; but he will be found out at last, I know, and I shall only suffer without doing any one any good, otherwise I could have borne the punishment willingly."

I at the time thought that the man spoke in that whining tone which a person in spite of himself uses when he is uttering a falsehood, or saying what has been put into his mouth by another.

"Cast him loose," said the captain; "I'll inquire into this. Bring him aft here. Now tell me at once who is the man who has committed this theft, if you are not guilty of it."

"I'd rather not say, sir," replied the culprit. "I don't like to peach on another. He'll be found out before the day is over, and then I shan't be accused of having told of him."

"That excuse will not serve your turn, my man," answered the captain sternly. "Unless you can point out the real culprit, you will have to suffer the punishment awarded you."

"Oh no, sir, I'd rather not. Do not be hard on me. I don't like to hurt another man, even to save myself," again whined out the man. "Let me off, sir, let me off, and the real thief will be found--that he will; you have my word for it."

"Trice him up again," said the captain to the boatswain. "The true thief is about to be punished, I am very certain of that."

"I'll tell, sir, I'll tell!" shrieked out the wretched man. "He's one who has been skulking his duty ever since he came on board. I'd rather not speak his name."