The Pilot and his Wife | Page 9

formally request a private
interview with her, or wait till an opportunity offered--were running
incessantly in his head. And particularly what he should say to her
seemed now, often as he had thought it over during the long voyage
and settled it to his satisfaction, to present many points of difficulty. He
must go down then to his seaman's chest and see if the things were still
there all right, and whether the moths might not have got into them; the
last inspection, when he unfolded the stuff in his bunk, being conducted
with uncommon precautions.
At last there came a prospect of release in the shape of thick weather,
and a southerly gale setting on the Norwegian coast. The ice too had for
a day or two previously begun to show blue patches of water here and

there, and when it was dark that evening they felt themselves free once
more.
In spite of the salt water and the rain, which he had to wipe off his face
every minute, Salvé went to his look-out post forward that night, and
stood there humming to himself, whilst the rest of the crew who were
on duty slopped up and down on the deck-cargo below, in sea-boots
and dripping oilskins, or sheltered themselves, as best they could, under
the lee of the round-house or forecastle. They had been hard at work all
day, making openings in the ice; and now the groaning and whistling
among the blocks and ropes, that were increasing every minute, gave
little promise of rest for the night.
The captain stood upon the poop in his thick overcoat and drenched fur
cap, with his trumpet under his arm, looking anxiously through the
night-glass from time to time, and his voice sounded unusually stern.
There lay before him in the dark, blustering, winter night a veritable
David's choice. The strong southerly current, aided by the gale, was fast
carrying him in under the Norwegian coast; while on the other hand, if
he tried to beat to windward, he risked coming into collision with the
ice-floes. Added to that, he was not very clear as to his position; and as
the gale increased, he began to pace restlessly backwards and forwards,
addressing, every now and then, a word down to one of the helmsmen,
whose forms could be seen by the gleam from the binnacle.
"How's her head, Jens?"
"Sou'-west, sir; she'll lay no higher."
"H'm! more and more on land!" he muttered, the perspiration coming
out upon his forehead under his fur cap, which, in spite of the rain, he
had to push back to get air. Both life and ship would soon be at stake.
"What says the look-out-man, mate?" he asked of the latter, who came
up the steps at this moment from taking a turn forward.
"Black as pitch. If we stuck a lantern out on the flying jib-boom, we
should see that far at any rate. But the lead gives deep water."

"Does it?" was the rather scornful rejoinder.
"The blockhead doesn't seem to know yet," growled the captain, as the
other turned away, "that the lead will give you deep water here until
your vessel has her nose upon the cliff."
There was no chance of a pilot on such a night as this promised to be;
but still, in the hope that the wind might carry the sound in under land,
a few shots were fired from the signal-gun.
At last there was no longer any choice left. If they were not to end upon
the rocks that night, they must crowd on more sail, and try at all
hazards to haul off the coast.
The order was accordingly given to shake a reef out, followed by "Haul
in the topsail bow-lines--clap on the topsail halyards, and hoist away!"
and in the darkness might be heard occasionally "halimen-oh!-oh hoi!"
as the sailors worked at the tough and heavy sail, with the cordage all
stiff and swollen with ice and slippery with the rain, the spray driving
in their faces, and the vessel rolling so that sometimes they were
hanging on by the ropes only, when the deck went from under their
feet.
Under the fresh weight of sail the vessel careened over, and shot
foaming forward with new life for a moment. The next, the topsail had
burst away from the bolt-ropes with a report as of a cannon-shot, and
she had fallen away into the trough of the sea. The mainstay-sail sheet
parted at the same time, and a deluge of water carried overboard, with
part of the bulwarks, a large portion of the deck cargo, which consisted
of heavy timber, leaving the remainder tossed about in the wildest
confusion, and much of it standing on end against the railings and
capstan.
It