Charley Laurel Part 20

I was one day seated with my new friend in the hut, when Bill rushed in, exclaiming:

"A sail in sight! a sail in sight! She is standing this way!"

We hurried to the top of the hill above the hut. A large s.h.i.+p was approaching the island. The wind was off sh.o.r.e, the sea calm. We hoisted the flag, and then hastily collecting some provisions, put them on our raft, and shoved off, determined to run every risk rather than allow her to pa.s.s us. It might have been a hard matter to get back if we failed to intercept her. We had brought a long pole with a flag at the end, to attract her attention. We exerted all our strength to paddle off. The wind was light, but in our favour. On she stood, as if intending to give the island a wide berth. We had got a considerable distance from the land. Mr Raglan moved the flag to and fro.

"We are seen, we are seen!" he exclaimed, as the s.h.i.+p altered her course directly for us. In a short time she hove-to; a boat was lowered and pulled up to us. We sprang into her. Questions were eagerly asked as to who we were.

"And what s.h.i.+p is yours?" inquired Mr Raglan.

"The _Harmony_, Captain Falconer," was the answer.

I rejoiced to hear this.

We were quickly on deck, and welcomed cordially as strangers by Captain Falconer, who did not recognise me. I lost no time, however, in making myself known, and in telling him who Mr Raglan was. I need not say how great was his satisfaction on receiving this information. He bestowed all the care and attention he possibly could on the old officer, and treated him as a son would a father.

I had not, while on the island, mentioned Captain Falconer's name to Mr Raglan, who had, therefore, no idea that he was his daughter's affianced husband.

"I consider your friend one of the finest officers of the merchant service I ever met," he said to me, one day. "A n.o.ble fellow. I can never be grateful enough for the attention he shows me."

The _Harmony_ was homeward-bound.

As there was no one to do the duty of third mate, Captain Falconer gave me the berth, and much gratified me by saying how well pleased he was with the way I performed my work. The discipline of the s.h.i.+p was excellent, favourably contrasting with that of the _Phoebe_. Captain Falconer, following the example of her former commander, had prayers every morning and evening in his cabin, and a regular service for the men on Sundays, while he had a supply of excellent books for their instruction.

Mr Raglan was always ready to enter into conversation on religious subjects with the captain, and from the day we got on board he became a diligent reader of the Bible.

We had a quick pa.s.sage to England. As soon as we reached the Thames, Captain Falconer gave me leave to go on sh.o.r.e, that I might visit my kind friend Mr Dear, who would, I knew, be under the belief that I had been lost.

Mr Raglan accompanied me, as I hoped that Mr Dear would be able to inform him where his daughter was residing. He had left his office when we arrived, and we therefore took a coach and drove to his residence.

We were shown by the servant into the drawing-room, while she went to call her master, who was in the garden. The window was open, and we saw him walking along a path, accompanied by two ladies. He soon came into the drawing-room.

"Oh, my dear Laurel!" he exclaimed, in a voice broken by agitation, as he took my hands. "You are as one risen from the dead; we had given you up as lost. My wife will, indeed, be rejoiced to see you; and there is another lady here who will be glad to find that you are in the land of the living. Poor girl, when we heard her history we invited her to stay here, and positively refused to let her leave us."

He said this before he appeared to notice Mr Raglan. I felt somewhat embarra.s.sed as to what to do, but I thought it best to introduce him before Mrs Dear and Miss Kitty came in.

I scarcely knew what effect the sudden announcement that his daughter was actually in his sight might have on the old officer. I resolved, in the first instance, simply to tell Mr Dear that his unknown visitor was a naval officer, who, having been s.h.i.+pwrecked, had come home in the _Harmony_, and then to get him to leave the room with me, that I might consult him in private. I did as I intended.

"I am very glad to see you, sir," exclaimed Mr Dear. "Pray be seated on this sofa, and excuse me: my young friend here has a word or two to say to me. Come along, Charley," and we left the room.

As soon as we were in the pa.s.sage I told him who the officer was.

"Bless me!" he cried out, "that is extraordinary. I am, indeed, delighted. Will you go back and tell him that you hope his daughter will soon be with him, and then slip out again, and we will prepare Miss Kitty. I want your a.s.sistance, for I am afraid I shall be letting the truth out too soon."

I felt somewhat nervous, but I managed to break the news to my friend, and then, hurrying out. I joined Mr Dear in the garden. We found the ladies seated in an arbour at the further end. Miss Kitty, knowing me at once, uttered a cry of surprise, and ran forward with outstretched hands to meet me.

"I do not believe in ghosts," she said, "or I might have supposed that I saw yours. How did you escape?"

"What, is this Charley Laurel?" cried Mrs Dear, giving me a kind welcome, before I could answer Miss Kitty's question, which she herself repeated.

I soon told them, and this gave me an opportunity of mentioning the s.h.i.+pwrecked officer who had saved my life. I went on describing him, keeping my eyes fixed on Miss Kitty's face, till she exclaimed suddenly:

"Oh, Charley, tell me; is he not my father? And you say he came home with you?"

"Yes," I answered; "and he is even now waiting to see you."

"Oh, take me to him! take me to him!" she cried out.

Mr and Mrs Dear accompanied her to the house, and, leading her to the drawing-room door, left her with her long-lost parent.

I need scarcely say that Captain Falconer next day made his appearance at the house, and before he went away Mr Raglan gladly accepted him as a son-in-law.

I was glad to find that Captain Renton was again to take command of the _Phoebe_, though I should have preferred sailing with Captain Falconer.

He, however, it had been arranged, in consequence of his marriage, should remain on sh.o.r.e for a year or two, to superintend the fitting out of Messrs. Dear and Ashe's s.h.i.+ps.

I made two voyages in the _Phoebe_, and returned on the last as her first mate. So high a character did Captain Renton give me, that my employers promised me the command of a s.h.i.+p they were about to despatch to the West Indies. I pa.s.sed the short time I was able to spend on sh.o.r.e in visiting Mr Dear and Captain and Mrs Falconer, with whom Captain Raglan, for I was glad to find he was promoted, resided.

My s.h.i.+p, the _Ellen_, was at length ready for sea. I felt as proud as I suppose most young officers do, when they first a.s.sume the command of a fine vessel; and as I surveyed the _Ellen_, I was satisfied that she was all I could desire.

"You need not be jealous of Falconer," said Mr Dear, who accompanied me on board. "You have now got a wife of your own, and I hope she will prove true and faithful."

Being allowed three mates, I offered the berth of third mate to d.i.c.k, who, though no navigator, was as good a seaman as I could desire to have under me.

"I am obliged to you, Captain Laurel, but I am afraid I ha'n't make much of a hand of the quadrant, or managing those chronometer affairs," he answered, modestly; "though I know the stars pretty well, and can dot down what is wanted in the log."

"I won't trouble you about that," I said; "you can manage the men, which is more important. We have a rough lot, I fear."

d.i.c.k without farther ado accepted the appointment.

We were bound, in the first instance, for Barbadoes, but expected to visit other islands on our return. We had a fine run across the Atlantic. Though at first I felt a little strange, sitting in dignified solitude in my cabin, I soon got accustomed to it.

The first and second mates were sensible fellows, and learned to esteem d.i.c.k for his excellent qualities. He managed the men admirably, and got more work out of them than they could, so that all things went smoothly.

He did not abuse them for swearing or coa.r.s.e language, but, by bringing out his Bible, he got them to listen; and then, pointing to G.o.d's Word, asked them whether such and such things could be right in His sight.

Thus by degrees they were induced to give up a habit which had become with most of them a second nature.

We had just made the north end of the Caribbean Islands soon after daylight, and were going about, to beat up to our port, as the wind was against us, when the look-out at the mast-head caught sight of a large s.h.i.+p which appeared to be on sh.o.r.e on a reef. Her sails were furled, and she was heeling over greatly. I accordingly stood on, to render her any a.s.sistance she might require. As we drew near her, we saw that she was, indeed, hard and fast, while a heavy sea broke on the reef and threatened her with destruction. Through my gla.s.s I could see that the crew were employed in lowering the yards, probably for the purpose of building a raft. I, ordering the first mate to stand off the land, lowered two boats. I took the command of one, and d.i.c.k of the other, and we pulled towards the wreck. The tide was rising, and as we got near we saw that the breakers were das.h.i.+ng with increasing fury against the s.h.i.+p. A boat crowded with people had got away on the lee side towards the land, and another, attempting to follow her example, was swamped, and we feared that all the people in her were lost. To approach on the weather side was impossible. I therefore directed d.i.c.k to follow me, and pulled away to the south'ard, hoping to get round it, as I did not believe that it extended many miles in that direction. We had, however, a long pull, and by the time we got into comparatively smooth water, having pa.s.sed round the southern end of the reef, I was afraid that the fate of those on board must be sealed. When we again made out the s.h.i.+p, I feared that my worst antic.i.p.ations had been fulfilled, for the sea broke completely over her. Her masts were gone and her upper works washed away. I got as near as I could, but could distinguish no human being on board. Her crew must either have been carried away by the sea, or made their escape in the boats, or on the raft they were forming, if, as I doubted, they had had time to finish it. Away to the westward rose a rocky island, which, from its appearance, I guessed was uninhabited, and I thought that in all probability any who had escaped would attempt to effect a landing on it.

As in their hurry they were not likely to have carried either provisions or water, I determined to pull to the island, to relieve any of the people who might have reached it. As we drew near, I saw that the sea was breaking heavily on the weather sh.o.r.e, but I had no doubt of being able to land on the lee side. We had a long pull before us; but the men exerted themselves, and I still hoped to get back to the s.h.i.+p before night closed in.

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

EMILIE.

On landing on the lee side of the island, I climbed to a high point near at hand, whence I could take a glance over the sea to the westward, but could discover no sign of either raft or boats, and therefore concluded that they must have been cast on the weather side; and if so, from the heavy surf which broke against it, I feared few could have scaped it.

However, with d.i.c.k and several of the men, I pushed across, carrying ropes and boat-hooks and some of the oars, to try and save any who might be clinging to the neighbouring rocks. We had not got far when I heard a voice hailing, and we caught sight of a man on the top of a rock in the centre of the island, waving to us. "Make haste! make haste!" he shouted, "or you will be too late." The stranger hurried down the rock, and we followed him.

In a few minutes we again caught sight of the sea on the east side of the island. As we were climbing over the rough ground, I saw that a reef extended some distance from the mainland, with wild rocks rising out of it above the foaming waters. Midway between them and the land was a large boat, surrounded by people, some on the reef, others clinging to the boat; while several were at that moment being carried away by the sea, which, sweeping round the rocks, beat with violence against the shattered boat. The men with frantic efforts were attempting to drag her up farther on the reef, as the only hope of saving their lives. Now one poor fellow, now another, was washed away, as the sea swept round over the reef with ever-increasing force. We were hurrying down the rocks, when I saw just below us a young lady, for I could not doubt, from her appearance, that she was such. She had been gazing at the dreadful spectacle, and apparently unable to witness it longer, she sank on the rock, pressing her hand on her eyes, to shut it out. At this moment we were joined by the stranger who had called to us.