The Ocean Waifs Part 12

"Are ye all alone?"

"Not 'zackly dat. The pickaninny be long wi' me,--de cabing gal. You know de lilly Lalee?"

"Oh! she it be!" muttered Ben, now remembering the little cabin pa.s.senger of the Pandora. "You bean't movin', be you?"

"No," responded s...o...b..ll, "lying on de water like a log o' 'hogany wood.

Han't move a mile ebba since de bustin' ob de powder ball."

"Keep your place then. We've got oars. We'll row down to you."

"We--you say we? You got some'dy sides yaself on dat raff?"

"Little Will'm."

"Lilly Willum,--ah? dat ere brave lilly lad. See 'im jess as I go down in de cabin fo' get de pickaninny. See 'im forrard with axe,--he knock off de gratin' ob de fore-hatch,--he set all dem 'ere n.i.g.g.as free. It warn't no use,--not bit good o' dem. Dey all got eat up by de shark, or dey go down straight to de bottom. Gorramity! how dey s'riek an'

'cream, an' jump overboard into de water!"

Neither the sailor nor Little William paid any heed to the negro's half-soliloquised narrative, further than to make use of his voice to guide them through the darkness towards the spot whence it proceeded.

On discovering that it was s...o...b..ll who was near, both had turned upon their own craft, and were now rowing it in the opposite direction to that in which, but the moment before, they had been so eagerly propelling it.

As they now pulled to leeward, they had the wind in their favour; and by the time the negro arrived at the end of his disjointed narrative, they were within half a cable's length of him, and, through the darkness, were beginning to distinguish the outlines of the odd embarkation that carried s...o...b..ll and his _protege_.

Just then the lightning blazed across the canopy of heaven, discovering the two rafts,--each to the other. In ten seconds more they were _en rapport_, and their respective crews congratulating each other, with as much joyfulness as if the unexpected encounter had completely delivered them from death and its dangers!

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

THE RAFTS EN RAPPORT.

Two travellers meeting in the midst of a lone wilderness, even though strangers to each other, would not be likely to pa.s.s without speaking.

If old acquaintances, then would they be certain to make the longest pause possible, and procrastinate their parting till the last moment allowed by the circ.u.mstances. If these circ.u.mstances would permit of their reaching their respective destinations by the same route, how sorry would each be to separate, and how happy to enter into a mutual alliance of co-operation and companions.h.i.+p!

Just like two such travellers, or two parties of travellers, meeting in the midst of the desert,--a wilderness of land,--so met, in the midst of the ocean,--the wilderness of water,--the two rafts whose history we have hitherto chronicled. Their crews were not strangers to each other, but old acquaintances. If not all friends in the past, the circ.u.mstances that now surrounded them were of a kind to make them friends for the future. Under the awe inspired by a common danger, the lion will lie down with the lamb, and the fierce jaguar consorts with the timid capivara no longer trembling at the perilous proximity.

But there was no particular antipathy between the crews of the two rafts thus singularly becoming united. It is true that formerly there had been some hostility displayed by the negro towards Little William, and but little friends.h.i.+p between the former and Ben Brace. These, however, were things of the past; and during the last days of their companions.h.i.+p on board the _Pandora_ the sentiments of all three had undergone a change. An ident.i.ty of interests had produced a certain three-cornered sympathy,--obliterating all past spite, and establis.h.i.+ng, if not positive friends.h.i.+p, at least a sort of triangular forgiveness. Of course this affection was of the isosceles kind,--Ben and Little William being the _sides_, and s...o...b..ll the _base_. It is scarce necessary to say, that, meeting again under the circ.u.mstances described, all past spite, had there been any, would have been forgiven and forgotten.

Fortunately this had been already done. Between Ben and s...o...b..ll, and s...o...b..ll and Little William, the hatchet had been long ago buried; and they now met, not as enemies, but as old acquaintances,--almost as friends: nay, we might say, _altogether_ as friends. If not so before, the common danger had made them so now, and amicably did they greet one another.

After such an encounter, it is superfluous to say that no thought of again separating entered into the minds of any of the party. The crews of both rafts knew that their destinations were identical.

Each was an _ocean waif_, seeking to escape from the wilderness of waters,--longing for deliverance from a common danger. In company they might have a better chance of obtaining it. Why should they separate to search for it?

The question did not occur to either,--in thought or in word. From the moment of their meeting, instinct told them that their destinies were the same,--that their action in future should be united.

After the two rafts had collided together, and those involuntary but joyful salutations were exchanged between their crews, the respective skippers became occupied with the more serious business of uniting the frail embarkations into one, and rendering them for the future inseparable.

"s...o...b..ll!" inquired the sailor, "have you got any spare rope?"

"Plenty o' dat 'ere," responded the ex-cook of the _Pandora_.

"Yar am a coil o' strong sinnet. Dat do?"

"That's the stuff," responded Ben. "Heave it this way, ye son of a sea-cook! Heave!"

"Now," continued he, laying hold of the coil of sennit, and tossing back one end over an empty water-cask. "Make fast there, Snowey! I dare say we can lay alongside safe enough till daylight! After that we'll splice together in a better sort o' way."

The ex-cook, obedient to the injunctions of the seaman, seized hold of the end of rope thrown to him, and made it fast to one of the spars which comprised his singular craft; while at the same time Ben busied himself in tying the other end to the piece of handspike erected upon his own.

Soon each completed his task; and after some time spent in a mutual detail of the adventures that had befallen them since the hour of separation on the deck of the ill-fated Pandora, it was agreed that all should go to rest for the remainder of the night, and with the earliest light of day take measures to perpetuate the union of the two wandering waifs thus unexpectedly brought into companions.h.i.+p.

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

RECONSTRUCTING THE RAFT.

The crews of both rafts were astir by early dawn, the sailor arousing one and all from their slumbers. The rising sun, as it shone over the ocean, fell upon four faces, all wearing a very different expression from that which they had exhibited at his setting on the day before. If not positively cheerful, there was at least hopefulness in their looks: for their renewed companions.h.i.+p had mutually inspired one and all with renewed hopes of deliverance. Indeed, it was evident even to the youngest of the party, that this unexpected union of strength would materially increase the chances of escape from the common danger; since the two strong men working together could do many things that would have been impossible to either of them alone,--to say nothing of the encouragement and confidence always springing from concerted action.

The very fact of their having come together in the way they had done seemed something more than accidental. It looked less like mere accident than that they had been favoured by the hand of Providence; and even the rude seaman, and the still ruder sea-cook, were only too glad to give way to the fancy that Providence was interfering on their behalf.

Certainly, the succession of fortunate events with which both had been favoured,--and which had not only hitherto sustained them, but promised to preserve their lives for a still longer period,--certainly, these circ.u.mstances were sufficient to beget the belief that they were specially under the protection of some power less capricious than mere chance.

The fact of their having encountered each other--even when one of them had been in the act of taking measures to avoid the encounter--was of itself something to strengthen this conviction, and increase their hopefulness for the future.

This very effect it produced; and it was for that reason that Ben Brace was so early astir, and so early in arousing the others.

The sailor had had too much experience in the capriciousness of the wind to believe that such calm weather as they had been enjoying for days would last much longer; and he had got up betimes with a view of uniting the two rafts, and strengthening the structure that might spring out of their union, so that it might resist whatever storm should threaten.

To attempt constructing a craft of such capability did not seem so hopeless to the skilful seaman. Before it had appeared so; but now, with the materials composing the two rafts, and others which the morning sun disclosed drifting about upon the surface of the sea, the thing looked less of an impossibility. In fact, it did not appear at all impossible; and for this reason Ben and the black at once came to the determination to attempt it.

After a short time spent in deliberation, it was resolved to break up the lesser raft,--that which had hitherto carried the sailor and little William. The planks composing it could be transferred to the larger and better structure which s...o...b..ll had got together; and this was furthermore to be reconstructed and considerably enlarged.

It was not designed to make any great alteration in the shape or fas.h.i.+on which s...o...b..ll had chosen for his craft, which displayed great ingenuity on the part of its designer. As it was deemed proper enough, his design was to be retained,--only the construction was to be on a larger scale.

Before setting to work, it was essential that something in the shape of a breakfast should be swallowed. This was drawn from the stores which s...o...b..ll had been engaged for days in acc.u.mulating, and consisted simply of biscuit and dried "bonito."

In the absence of any fire, the ex-cook had no opportunity to exercise his peculiar vocation, else the meal might have been more palatable.

The biscuits from having had a salt bath were a little briny to the taste; but that signified little to such sharp appet.i.tes as they were called upon to satisfy; and it was not such a bad breakfast, when washed down, as it was, with a little _wine_ and water.

You may be asking whence came the wine; and this was the very question which the sailor addressed to s...o...b..ll, on discovering such a commodity upon his craft.

The answer was easy enough. A small cask of "Canary" had been one of the items among the cabin stores. At the explosion it had been pitched into the sea; and not being quite full had freely floated on the surface. s...o...b..ll had taken possession of it by attaching it to his timbers.

Breakfast over, the work of reconstruction commenced. As a preliminary, the flitches of shark-meat were removed from the little raft, now doomed to destruction; while that ingenious contrivance of the sailor,--the canvas water-cask,--now no longer required, was emptied of its contents; which, with the greatest care, were decanted into the safe depository of one of the empty hogsheads that had been hitherto acting as supports to the embarkation of s...o...b..ll.

The oars, sail-cloth, piece of handspike, axe, and tarpauling were also transferred to the latter; and then the planks, and fragments of yards and spars, were loosed from their las.h.i.+ngs, and one by one distributed into their proper places in the new structure.

All day long did the work continue,--only an interval of an hour being appropriated to the midday meal. Excursions, too, were made from point to point,--the oars serving to propel the half-constructed craft: the object of these excursions being to pick up such pieces of timber, ropes, or other articles as s...o...b..ll had not already secured. The aid of the others now rendered many items available which s...o...b..ll had formerly rejected as useless,--because unmanageable by himself while acting alone.