Archibald Hughson, the Young Shetlander | Page 6

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 to the ends of the lines, and various articles were stowed away in the boats, so that they were all ready to be lowered, and to shove off at a moment's notice, should a whale appear. The crow's-nest was also got up to the main topgallant mast-head. It is like a tall cask with a seat in it, where the officer can take his station and look out far and wide over the