The Island Queen Part 10

"Hallo! there," shouted Joe, in a voice that would have been creditable to a boatswain, "come on deck if ye don't want to be drownded."

"Hooroo!" added Malone, "we're goin' to the bottom! Look alive wid ye."

"Ay, an' bring up the childers," yelled Mrs Lynch. "Don't lave wan o'

thim below."

Of course, the poor emigrants were not slow to obey these startling orders.

The state of affairs was so serious that Malines either did not see, or did not care for, what was going on. He stood on the forecastle looking out intently ahead.

"Land on the starboard beam!" shouted Morris suddenly.

The mate was on the point of giving an order to the steersman when he observed land looming on the port bow. Instantly he saw that all hope was over. They were steering to inevitable destruction between two ledges of rock! What he would have done in the circ.u.mstances no one can tell, because before he had time to act the vessel struck with great violence, and the terror-stricken pa.s.sengers gave vent to that appalling cry of fear which had so suddenly aroused Dominick Rigonda and his brother.

As the vessel remained hard and fast, with her bow thrust high on the rocks, the emigrants and crew found a partial refuge from the violence of the waves on the forecastle. Hence the first wild shriek of fear was not repeated. In a few minutes, however, a wave of greater size than usual came rus.h.i.+ng towards the vessel. Fortunately, most of the emigrants failed to realise the danger, but the seamen were fully alive to it.

"It's all over with us," exclaimed the mate, in a sort of reckless despair. But he was wrong. The great billow, which he expected would dash the vessel in pieces--and which, in nine cases out of ten, would have done so--lifted the wreck so high as to carry it almost completely over the ledge, on which it had struck, leaving the stern high on the rocks, while the bow was plunged into the partly-protected water on the other side.

The sudden descent of the forecastle induced the belief an many of the emigrants' minds that they were about to go headlong to the bottom, and another cry of terror arose; but when they found that their place of refuge sank no further than to a level with the water, most of them took heart again, and began to scramble up to the quarter-deck as hastily as they had before scrambled to the forecastle.

"Something like land ahead," observed Hugh Morris, who stood close to the mate.

"I don't see it," returned the latter, gruffly, for he was jealous of the influence that Morris had over the crew, and, during the whole voyage, had treated him harshly.

"It may be there, although you don't see it," retorted Hugh, with a feeling of scorn, which he made no attempt to conceal.

"Sure I sees somethin' movin' on the wather," exclaimed Mrs Lynch, who, during the occurrences just described, had held on to a belaying pin with the tenacity and strength of an octopus.

"It's the wather movin' in yer own eyes, mother," said Malone, who stood beside his Amazonian countrywoman.

At that moment a halloo was heard faintly in the distance, and, soon after, a raft was seen approaching, guided, apparently, by two men.

"Raft a-hoy! Where d'ee hail from?" shouted the mate.

"From nowhere!" came back promptly in a boy's ringing voice.

"You've got on a coral reef," shouted a powerful voice, which, we need scarcely say, was that of Dominick Rigonda, "but you're safe enough now.

The last wave has shoved you over into sheltered water. You're in luck. We'll soon put you on sh.o.r.e."

"An island, I suppose," said Malines, as the raft came alongside. "What may be its name?"

"Got no name that I know of; as far as I know it's uninhabited, and, probably, unknown. Only three of us here--wrecked like yourselves. If you have boats, lower them, and I'll pilot you to land."

"Ohone!" groaned Mrs Lynch, in solemn despair, as she tried to see the speaker, whom darkness rendered almost invisible. "An unbeknown island, uninhabited by n.o.body. Boys, we are done for intirely. Didn't I say this would be the end of it, when we made up our minds to go to say?"

No one seemed inclined just then to dispute the prophetic reminiscences of the widow, for the order had been given to get ready one of the boats. Turning to the emigrants, who were now cl.u.s.tering on the fore part of the vessel, Malines, condescending to adopt a more respectful tone, addressed them as follows:--

"Now, let me tell you, one and all, that your voyage has come to an end sooner than I expected. Our s.h.i.+p is wrecked, but we're out of danger, and must go ash.o.r.e an' live as best we can, or die if we can't live.

Where we are, I don't know, and don't care, for it don't much matter.

It's an island, it seems, and three people who have been wrecked before us are all its population. As it is too dark to go ash.o.r.e comfortably to-night, I would advise you to go below again, an' turn in till daylight. You may make your minds easy, for there's no fear of our going to the bottom _now_."

"Sure, an' you're right there," murmured Teddy Malone, "for aren't we at the bottom already?"

"You may all do as you please, however," continued the mate, after a low-toned remark from one of the crew, "for my command has come to an end with the loss of the s.h.i.+p."

When the mate ceased speaking, there was a brief pause, for the unfortunate emigrants had been so long accustomed to conform to the strict discipline of the s.h.i.+p that they felt like sheep suddenly deprived of a shepherd, or soldiers bereft of their officers when thus left to think for themselves. Then the self-sufficient and officious among them began to give advice, and to dispute noisily as to what they should do, so that in a few minutes their voices, mingling with the gale and the cries of terrified children, caused such a din that the strong spirit of the widow Lynch was stirred within her, inducing her to raise her masculine voice in a shout that silenced nearly all the rest.

"That's right, mother," cried young Malone, "howld yer tongues, boys, and let's hear what the widdy has to say. Isn't it herself has got the great mind--not to mintion the body?"

"Shut your murphy-trap, Teddy," retorted the widow, "an' here's what I've got to say. We must have only wan man to guide us if we are to get on at all. Too many cooks, ye knows well enough, is sure to spile the broth. Let Joe Binney speak, and the rest of 'ee howld yer tongues, if ye can."

Thus invited, modest Joe gave it as his opinion that the emigrants could not do better than follow the advice of Muster Malines--go below, turn in, and wait till daylight. He added further that he would count it a favour if Muster Malines would continue in command of the party, at least till they all got ash.o.r.e.

This little compliment to the man whom he had so recently defied had a softening influence on the mate, and the proposal was well received by the people, who, even during the few minutes of anarchy which had prevailed, were led to appreciate the value of order and government.

"You are right, Binney," said the mate. "I would advise you all, good people, to go below and rest as well as you can, while I, and those who choose to act under me, will go ash.o.r.e and make the best possible arrangements for your landing in the morning."

"Now, why don't ye do what ye'er towld at wanst?" cried Mrs Lynch, who had evidently made up her mind that the reins of government were not to be entirely given up to the mate. "It's not wis.h.i.+n', are ye, to get wetter than ye are, a'ready? Go below, ivery wan of ye."

Like a meek flock, the women and children obeyed the mandate, being absolutely in bodily fear of the woman, while most of the men followed them with a laugh, or a little chaff, according to temperament.

Before the latter had left the deck, Malines suggested that Joe Binney and his brother David should accompany him on sh.o.r.e that night, to represent the emigrants, as it were, and a.s.sist him in the proposed arrangements.

"Besides," he added, "there is just the possibility that we may fall into a trap. We know nothing about the man who has come off to us except his voice, so that it will be wise to land with some of our best men armed."

Of course the brothers had no objection to this plan, and accordingly they, with the mate and four of the s.h.i.+p's crew--all armed with cutla.s.ses and pistols--got into one of the boats and were lowered into the water on the lee side of the vessel, where Dominick and Otto had been quietly awaiting the end of the foregoing discussions.

In a few minutes they reached the sh.o.r.e, and then Dominick shook hands with them, and welcomed them to the islands, "which," he said, "we have named `Refuge Islands.'"

"Run up to the cave, Otto," he whispered, while the party was engaged in drawing up the boat. "Stir up the fire and rouse Pina,--tell her to prepare to receive company."

"She'll be as much puzzled as if I told her to prepare to receive cavalry," muttered the boy as he ran up to the cave.

"Hallo! Pina! rouse up, old girl," he shouted, bursting into the cave, and falling on his knees before the embers of the fire, which he soon blew up into a flame. "I say, Pina! hallo! Pina! Pi-i-i-i-na!"

"Dear me, Otto, what is wrong?" asked the sleepy voice of Pauline from behind her screen.

"Wrong?" cried her brother, "nothing's wrong--that is, everything's wrong; but don't be afraid, old girl, all's right. Dress as fast as you can, and prepare for company!"

"What _do_ you mean?" cried the girl, by that time thoroughly aroused, and somewhat alarmed by Otto's words and excitement.

"Can't explain. No time. Get up, make yourself presentable, and come out of your den."

As he spoke Pauline lifted the curtain door of her apartment and stepped into the outer cave, which was by that time all aglow with the ruddy blaze.

"Do you call yourself presentable?" asked Otto, laughing; "why your hair is raised like the back of a wild cat."

It is only right to say that the boy did not do his sister justice. An old shawl thrown hastily on, and descending in confused folds around her slight, graceful figure, invested her with an air of cla.s.sic simplicity, while her pretty face, surrounded by a wealth of dishevelled, but beautiful, hair, was suggestive of something very much the reverse of a wild cat.