The Crew of the Water Wagtail | Page 4

approval went round.
Seeing that there was a symptom of better feeling among some of the
men, Master Trench was about to make an appeal to them, when--
"Land ho!" was shouted by the look-out in stentorian tones.
CHAPTER TWO.
THE ADVENTURERS LAND ON THE ISLAND.
The excitement caused by the sight of land was tremendous. Nearly

every one ran to the bow or leaped on the bulwarks, and the prisoners
were left unguarded.
Seeing this, Grummidge quietly cut their bonds unobserved, and then
hurried forward to gaze with the rest. Even the man at the tiller left his
post for a moment to get a better view of the land. On returning, he
found Master Trench occupying his place, and Paul Burns standing
beside him with a handspike in his grasp. Oliver had also armed
himself with a marlinespike in default of a better weapon.
"Go for'ard, my man," said the skipper, in a quiet voice, "an' tell your
mates to get ready the anchor and stand by the cable. Haste ye, if you
value life."
The man slunk away without a word.
"We seem far from land yet, Master Trench; why such haste?" asked
Paul.
"Look over the stern," was the skipper's curt reply.
Paul and Oliver both did so, and saw that another squall was bearing
down on them.
"Is it Newfoundland?" asked Paul.
"Ay, and an ugly coast to make in a squall. Hallo! there--if ye would
not be food for fishes lay aloft and take in all sail!"
The skipper, as his wont was, gave the order in a stern tone of
command, and resigned the tiller to Grummidge, who came aft at the
moment. The men saw with surprise that a heavy squall was bearing
down on them from the eastward. Mutiny flew, as it were, out at the
hawseholes, while discipline re-entered by the cabin windows. Even
Big Swinton was cowed for the moment. It may be that the peculiar
way in which Paul Burns eyed him and toyed with the handspike had
some effect on him. Possibly he was keenly alive to the danger which
threatened them. At all events, he went to work like the rest!

And there was occasion for haste. Before the sails were properly
secured, the squall struck them; the foremast was snapped off close to
the deck; for a time the ship became unmanageable and drifted rapidly
towards the land.
"Is that a small island that I see on the weather bow, Olly?" said the
skipper to his son. "Look, your eyes are better than mine."
"Yes, father. It looks like a small one."
"Steer for that, Grummidge. We'll take shelter in its lee."
The sails were braced, and the direction of the vessel was changed,
while the wreck of the foremast was being cleared away; but, just as
they were drawing near to the island, the wind chopped round, and the
hoped-for shelter they were approaching became suddenly a lee shore.
"Nothing can save us now," muttered Grummidge, "the Water Wagtail
is going to her doom."
"You're right, my man. Before another hour goes by, she will have
wagged her tail for the last time," said Master Trench, somewhat
bitterly.
They were both right. In less than an hour after that the ship was hurled
upon the outlying rocks of a low island. Shaken and strained as she had
been during her disastrous voyage, it took but a short time to break her
up, but the bow had been thrust high between two rocks and remained
fast.
Circumstances do not change character, but they often bring it to the
front. Heroes and poltroons may remain unknown until a sudden
incident or change of condition reveals them. As the crew of the
wrecked ship clustered on the fragment of the bow, and gazed on the
tumultuous flood of foaming water that seethed between them and the
shore, their hearts failed them for fear. Some sternly compressed their
lips, and looked like men who had made up their minds to "die game."
A few even looked defiant, as if daring Fate to do her worst, though the

pallor of their countenances gave the lie to the expression of their
features; but many of them, in the terror of the moment, cried aloud for
mercy, and wildly promised amendment if their lives should be spared.
A few were composed and grave. Brave men, though bad. Possibly
some of these prayed. If so, they had the sense to do it silently to Him
who knows the secrets of all hearts.
"No man can cross that and live," said the skipper, in a low, sad tone.
"It is my intention to try, Master Trench," said Paul Burns, grasping the
end of a light line and tying it round his waist.
Little Oliver looked quickly