The Life of a Ship from the Launch to the Wreck | Page 7

who
seemed to have lost all hope when the jury-mast broke, was standing on
the poop, looking anxiously round the horizon in hopes of seeing a
sail--but in vain. Davy stood beside him, and looking up in his face,
said, "Please, sir, could we not make a raft?"
"Right, boy, right," replied the captain; "you're the best `man' amongst
us. We're no better than girls to be giving way to despair in this way.
Hallo! lads, rouse up there; get all the spare yards and spars you can,
and make a raft. Look sharp now!"
The captain said this in such a quick, commanding tone that all the
sailors jumped to obey him, and in five minutes they were busily at
work on the raft. First, they collected all the broken yards and bits of
masts that were still floating alongside, dragging by the ropes that
fastened them to the sides of the ship. These they arranged side by side,
and tied them firmly together with ropes. Then they collected all the
spare timbers that were in the ship, and putting these above the others,
fastened them with ropes too. After that they tore off some of the
planks from the decks and bulwarks, with which they made a kind of
floor to the raft. All this, although it takes a short time to tell, took a
long, long time to do; for it was hard work moving such heavy timbers,
and the poor men were very tired, having been up in the storm all night.
Besides this, although the wind had ceased, the waves were still high
and would not let them work quietly. However, they finished it at last,
and after it was done, they put a number of barrels of biscuit and some
casks of water and wine on board. Then they put a few blankets and a
compass--that useful little machine that points always to the north, and
shows the sailor which way to go, so that he sails in the dark night as
surely as in the broad day.
"Now," said the captain, "I think that there is a chance of escape yet.
Get on board, lads, as fast as you can. I fear the ship won't float long."
All the men now hastened on board. The captain's wife, who was the
only female in the ship, was the first to step on the raft, and it soon

began to be crowded. When about half of the sailors had left the ship
the captain suddenly cried out, "Ho! Ben Block, we've forgot a mast
and sail. Run below with a couple of hands and fetch one as fast as you
can." Just at that moment the ship gave a heavy plunge, the ropes broke,
and the raft floated slowly away, leaving the men who were yet in the
ship in a state of despair. One or two of them jumped into the sea and
tried to swim to the raft; but the first man who did so was nearly
drowned, and the others got back to the ship with great difficulty. It
was a terrible sight to witness the misery of the poor captain, as he
beheld his wife, standing with her arms stretched out towards him, and
the raft drifting slowly away, until at length it appeared like a small
black spot far off upon the sea.
"Oh, my poor wife!" he cried, "I shall never see you more."
The tears were rolling down Ben Block's weatherbeaten face as he went
up to the captain and took him by the hand.
"Never fear, sir," said he; "the Almighty can save her."
"Thank you, Ben, for saying that," replied the captain; "but the ship
won't float long. My wife may indeed be saved, but we are sure to be
lost."
"I don't know that," cried Ben, trying to look cheerful. "When you sent
me down below, sir, to look for a mast and sail, I observed that the
water in the hold had ceased rising. If we can only keep her afloat a
little longer, we may manage to make another raft." The captain smiled
sadly and shook his head, and Davy, who had been standing beside him
all the time, felt his heart sink again.
To add to the horror of the scene, night came on, and the water was so
high in the cabin that the captain and men who had been left in the
wreck had to try to sleep on the wet decks the best way they could.
Next morning the wind was still blowing pretty hard, and they now saw
that they were drawing near to a wild shore, where there seemed to be
many large rocks in the water near the beach. The crew of the Fair
Nancy looked anxiously