Archibald Hughson, the Young Shetlander | Page 6

accustomed to it, and so must you, though the training is not pleasant,
I'll allow."
While Max was speaking, a tremendous blow was felt, as if the ship
had struck a rock, and then came a sound of rending and crashing
timbers, while the water rushed down the hatchway.
"The ship's on her beam ends," cried several voices, and all hands
sprang on deck. Archy followed. A scene of wreck and destruction met
his sight. The sea had swept over the ship, carrying away the
staunchions, bulwarks, and rails, the binnacle, and the chief portion of
the wheel. A fearful shriek reached his ears, and he caught sight for an
instant of a man clinging to the binnacle. No help could be afforded
him--the poor fellow knew that too well; still he clung to life; but in a
few seconds a sea washed over him and he disappeared.
The captain was on deck, calmly issuing his orders,--the crew flew to
obey them, while Archy clung to the main-mast, expecting every
moment to be his last. Things were at length put to rights; spare spars
were lashed to the remaining staunchions--life lines were stretched
along the deck, fore and aft. The names of the crew were then called
over--two did not answer, another, it was found, had unseen been
carried to his dread account.

The next day was the Sabbath. The gale had moderated, and the ship
was again put on her course. On that day the captain invariably invited
all not on duty to assemble for service in his cabin; Max and a few
others generally made excuses for not attending. The captain took this
occasion to speak of the uncertainty of human life.
"The fate of our shipmates may be that of any one of us, my lads," he
observed. "I do not ask how they were prepared to meet their God, but
how are you prepared? Even if you are living pure and blameless lives,
have you made peace with Tim according to the only way He has
offered to reconcile you to Himself? Have you a living faith in the
atoning blood of Jesus shed for you? He wishes you to be reconciled to
Him, and He has offered to you the easiest and simplest way, the only
way by which you can be so. Remember, `now is the accepted time,'
`now is the day of salvation.' It is God tells you this. If you put off that
day it may be too late--for He says nothing about to-morrow. Some of
you may say that you lead hard lives, have little enjoyment, and much
suffering, and that that must satisfy God and give you a right to heaven.
God does not tell you that; but He says, `Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and thou shalt be saved. He that believeth not is condemned.'
Oh lads, if you knew of the love of Jesus for you, and how He longs for
you all to be saved, you could not stand aloof from Him as you do, and
try to keep Him out of your thoughts, and do nothing to please or serve
Him. I speak to young and old, for He loves the youngest boy on board
here as well as the oldest, and His blood, which cleanseth from all sin,
will wash away the sins of the greatest criminal as completely as it will
cleanse the most harmless youngster, though he, too, needs to be
washed as much as the other." Such was the substance of Captain
Irvine's discourse on the Sunday after the storm. Archy had attended,
and the words were continually haunting him. Max, as usual, had kept
away.
"I wonder you can stand that sort of thing," he said to Archy, when he
next met him. "I have no fancy for those discourses of the skipper; but
if you want to curry favour with him, by all means go, just as old
Andrew and Dr Sinclair, and some others do. They have prayers with
him every morning in his cabin. You will not turn psalm-singer, I hope,

lad."
"I don't suppose I shall," answered Archy. "But still I should not like to
be washed overboard, as Bill and Ned were the other night."
"As to that, you must run your chance as others do," answered Max. "I
don't let such things trouble me."
Archy could not help letting them trouble him, though.
The next day the whole crew were busily employed in getting the
whale boats ready and the gear fitted. There were seven boats in
all--three slung to the davits on each side, and one over the stern, with a
harpooner to each. The whale lines were spliced and coiled away in the
stern of the boats; the harpoons were spanned, that is, fastened