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260 ‘.
THE UNION JACK.— Tales for British Boys.
much as we could. I found that the. wind was still blowing
strongly, and the sea running high, although it had lately some-
what gone down. Nothing could be seen around but the
‘ Jeaden-coloured foaming seas rising and sinking between us
and the horizon, On comparing notes, my two messmates and
I agreed that we didn’t suffer nearly so much from thirst as we
had done in the boat. Such provisions as could be got at were
served out, but none of us cared much for food, though we ate
what we could to keep up our strength.. We were soon sum-
moned to watch and assist the men at the pumps and buckets,
for even now, not for an instant were they allowed to relax in
their exertions. Captain Bouchier, weak as he was, went fre-
quently amongst them. ‘
“Keep at it, my lads!” cried Nettleship ; “while there’s life
there’s hope. If we can keep the ship afloat for a short time
longer, it may make all the difference whether we save our lives
or perish, Cheer up, lads, cheer up! Show that you’re British
seamen to the last !”
The men uttered a faint cheer when the captain, leaning on
the purser’s arm, returned.
Captain Drury, who had fought the ship so bravely after Cap-
tain Bouchier was wounded, was the life.and soul of all on
board.
Noon had passed, and still the stout ship lay rolling in the
trough of the sea. Inch by inch the water was rising, and we
knew that if we were to cease pumping and baling, it would
gain upon us still more rapidly.
Already despair could be seen on nearly every countenance.
Notwithstanding, few, if any, flinched from their work, Those
who spoke, talked of home and friends whom they never expected
to see again. Some shook hands, believing that at any moment
the ship might make the last fatal plunge, and sink beneath the
waves. ;
- Larry was now like my shadow ; wherever I went, he followed,
no one preventing him except when he had to take his turn at
the pumps or buckets.
: Some of the officers had written letters addressed to friends
or relatives, and were enclosing them in bottles headed up in
small casks, so that some record might be preserved of our fate.
Nettleship had prepared one.
‘Have you anything. to say to your friends at Ballinahone,
~ “Paddy ?” he asked.
“Yes ; beg your mother to write to them, and say that I send
my love to all, not forgetting my uncle, the major, and that I
have been thinking much of them to-day,” I answered, as well as
I could speak with the choking sensation in my throat.
“ And please, Mr, Nettleship, may I be so bold as to ax you
to put in a word about Larry Harrigan, and to say that he stuck
to Mr. Terence to the last, and that if he couldn’t save him, it
wasn’t the will that was wanting, but the cruel say was too much
for us at last.”
“ And put in a word to my family, you know their address,”
said Tom; “just my love, and that I was thinking of them,
They'll know that I was likely to have done my duty as far as I
could, so I won’t trouble you with a longer message.”
Just as Nettleship had returned to the gun-room to add the
messages to his letter, there came a shout from the poop,—
“A sail! a sail !”
Many of the officers rushed up to take a look at her. Tom
Pim and I followed them. We could make her out clearly—a
small vessel, right away to windward. The question was whether
she would sce us.
Captain Drury also had his telescope on her,
Now she was hidden by the seas which rose up between us;
now she came clearly into view, her hull almost visible.
“ She’s standing this way,” said Captain Drury, “and I believe
has made us out, but of that we can’t be certain. However, we
must not relax in our efforts to keep the ship afloat, for it may
be many hours before we can get aboard her.”
I should have said that we had had a spar secured to the
stump of, the mainmast, to which an ensign with a jack down-
wards had been nailed from the first, in the hopes of attracting
the attention of any passing vessel.
Captain Bouchier, who had been informed that a sail was in
sight, now came up to have a look at her, but almost imme-
diately went down again among the men.
“Lads,” he said, “ your exertions will be rewarded, I hope ;
but you must not slacken in them, or your labours may be
thrown away. We may keep the ship afloat many hours longer
if you bale and pump as sturdily as heretofore. By that time
the sea may have gone down, and we may manage to get aboard
the vessel in her boats, though she probably will not venture
alongside.”
The men received his. address with a faint cheer, and turned
to again at the pumps, while those employed in baling passed
the buckets to and fro with greater alacrity even than before.
I occasionally ran up on deck to see how near she was getting.
I know my heart bounded when I saw the English flag flying
out at her peak. She appeared to be a good-sized merchant-
man, a “Snow,” and I heard some of the officers who had
been looking through their glasses say that she had guns
aboard,
On hearing my report when I returned some of the men burst
into tears, others shouted for joy and shook each other by the
hand, believing that our deliverance was near.
Night was now coming on. The sea still ran too high to allow
of boats laden with men to pass from one vessel to the other. For
the same reason it-was impossible for the stranger to come near
enough to take any of us off. Many would very probably perish
in the attempt, even if the Snow should escape being hove
against us and stove in,
Again Iran up. All those on deck were now stretching out
their hands towards her. She came close enough for the voice
of her captain—who stood on the poop—to be heard through
his speaking-trumpet.
“Tl stay by you during the night,” he shouted.’ “The sea is
going down, In the morning I’ll take you off—please God!”
The last words reached us as the stranger surged by, close
under our lee. She then hove to at a safe distance. Eager eyes
were turned towards her before the light altogether faded away,
and many looked as if they were tempted to leap overboard and
swimtoher. Thirsty, hungry, and weary as we were, we would
gladly have knocked off baling ; but the captain wisely ordered
us to keep at it as long as we remained on board.
“You can’t tell, my lads, when the bucketful will leak in that
will send her to the bottom,” he said, and the men again turned
to. He ordered, however, the carpenter to patch up such of
the boats as could be made serviceable enough to float even for
a short time, so that they might be employed in carrying us
aboard the Snow. Without the masts the launch could not
be got off the deck, but we had three other boats fit to be
repaired, all the others had been completely knocked to pieces.
Noone slept at all events during that night, for we were allkept
spell and spell at the pumps and buckets. The certainty that
relief was at hand if we kept afloat, inspired us with renewed
strength. When morning dawned the: Snow came as close
asshe could venture. Three of her boats approached and pulled
towards us. The order was now given for the men to prepare
for leaving the ship. Sentries were placed at the gangways to
prevent any crowding in till they received the order to go down
the side, but this was unnecessary. The few survivors of the
sick and wounded were first lowered into the boats, with the
surgeons to attend them, The boys and midshipmen were then
ordered to go down the side, the names of all being called in