In the Eastern Seas | Page 2

saw her again just as you stepped on the forecastle. She
cannot have gone down in the meantime!"
"I hope not indeed," said the captain, looking out eagerly in the
direction towards which the boatswain pointed. At last he too caught
sight of a dark object lifted on the top of a sea. "A dismasted ship; no
doubt about that," he observed. "We will keep away for her. There are
probably people on board, and although it would be a difficult matter to
take them off while this sea is running, we may do so if it goes down,
as it has been gradually doing since daylight."
The Indiaman stood on, now rising to the summit of a sea, now gliding
into the valley below, gradually approaching the dark object which had
been discovered. The boatswain had gone aloft, and quickly returned.
"No doubt about it, Captain Davenport. She is a big ship--lost her masts,
no doubt, in the gale; and from the way she is rolling, I have a notion
she has no small amount of water in her. If we had not sighted her, it is
my opinion that those on board would be fathoms down in the ocean, as

she will be before another sun rises."
"We will do what we can to save any people on board her," said
Captain Davenport. "Get the life-boat ready for lowering, Mr Tarbox."
"Ay, ay, sir; I am ready to go in her," answered the boatswain.
"Perhaps Mr Thudicumb may wish to go, or the second officer; but if
not, Tarbox, I would intrust her to you more readily than to anybody."
The news that a dismasted ship was in sight brought all the passengers
who were below on deck, and numerous glasses were now turned
towards her. No signs, however, of any one being on board were
discovered. She was a complete wreck; the masts had gone by the
board, the bulwarks were stove in, the caboose and booms and
everything on deck had been swept clear away. The Indiaman stood on,
passing close to leeward of her.
"She is deserted, sir; little doubt about that," said Mr Thudicumb,
examining the ship. "The people thought she was going down, and took
to their boats. Better have stuck to her in such a sea as they must have
had to encounter. Little chance of any boat living."
"Haul the tacks aboard then, Mr Thudicumb; down with the helm," said
the captain. "Unless for the sake of rescuing any fellow-creatures, I
would not risk a boat to board her, while the sea runs as high as it now
does."
As he was speaking, Merlin had been eagerly watching the wreck; and
now, stretching out his fore-feet and neck towards her, he uttered a loud
mournful howl or wail, which sounded strangely wild and sad to all
who heard it.
"What is the matter, Merlin?" asked the captain, bending down and
patting the dog's head.
"That dog has got more sense than many human beings," observed the
boatswain. "Now, I should not be surprised but what he knows there is

somebody on board that craft--dead or dying, may be--just as well as if
he saw them. If I was our skipper, I would not leave that wreck without
an overhauling."
Just then a human head was seen issuing from the companion-hatch. It
was that of a young boy. He sprang on deck and waved a handkerchief
wildly, apparently shouting with all his power, though his voice could
not be heard amidst the roaring of the sea and the lashing of the ropes
as the ship was luffed up close to the wind. Captain Davenport seized
his speaking-trumpet and shouted, "We will keep by you! Do not fear!"
Just then another head was seen. "A young girl!" cried several of those
looking on. A mere child she seemed at that distance, her light hair
blowing about in the wind.
"Bless them!" said old Tarbox; "I would go to help them if there was
twice the sea there is on."
Preparations were now made for heaving the ship to, but the captain
was anxious to wait, in the hopes of the sea going down still more
before night, when there might be less risk in bringing the people from
off the wreck. A great risk under similar circumstances is run when
those on board a ship on fire or likely to sink leap hurriedly in too great
numbers into the boat alongside. In many such instances the boat has
been swamped, and the lives of all in her sacrificed. Here, such a
danger was not likely to occur, as no crew apparently remained on
board. The question, however, was, whether the wreck would float till
the sea had sufficiently gone down to enable a boat to