VICTOR MOREDANT OR, THE LOST SHIPS.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 9, 3 September 1874, Page 4

VICTOR MOREDANT OR, THE LOST SHIPS.

' : ' - • 08/ . THE LOST SHIPS, A TALI! OF FIFTY YEARS AGO - » ■' ■ CHAP. 11. " - iOontiniUd.) Olive sadly shook her head in token Of doubt and Misgivings, and murmured, " My poor father allowed the desire of Bis heart to cloud his judgment in this delicate and all-important matter. It is a proposal which should never have been made, for marriage is proper only when preceded by love, and the arrangement under which I am going to Beechwood is such, I am certain, as makes love impossible, for the sacrld flame cannot be kindled by artificial means, and the very attempt to do so renders itself abortive. JNoj Julia. I confess I do not expect to wed Victor Moredant, and I look forward to our arrival with shrinking 1 dread. Ho\v can I meet him with any feeling but that of shame ?" "Shame, indeed," broke in Julia. " Really, Olive, you are absurdly sensitive, and I have no patience with you I know that were the case mine I should make no bones of it, and Mr. Victor Moredant and I should speedily come to an understanding. This is what 99 persons out of 100 would do." " Then I must be differently constituted from these 99," sighed Olive. " But let us quit the subject. See, the snn has set, and What means the commotion on deck ?"

The attention of the girls, which had been absorbed in the subject of their Conversation, was at this moment arrested by the startled looks and restless motions of the passengers who had been lounging or saunteHng on the deck. They were moving from point to point With harried steps 3 with an expression of dread inquiry on all their faces, following the movements of the officers and crew, who seemed to be mustering in a larger number than was usual at that hour* and to be unusually rapid in their motions and excited in their demeanour. Sharp orders were given, and sailor's forms flew here and there to 'execute them, with grave, earnest faces, full of apprehension, as if some danger was approaching, or some calamity threatened. Then came the confused exclamations of many voices, waxing louder and louder, in tones of alarm, and the rushing forms converging to one spot away forward, showing that there was the source of excitement, from whatever cause it proceeded. Olive and Julia sprang from their seats under the canopy, and were rushing forward to know what was the cause of the hubbub, when volumes of smoke suddenly bursting forth from the hatchway of the hold proclaimed the appallingfact that the vessel was on fire.

At the first rush of the blinding, suffocating 1 cloud the assembled group sprang- back in wild dismay, while the cries increased to shrieks, and an uncontrollable panic ensued ; for, now that the dreadful nature of the danger was known, terror and consternation seized every breast. Men and women flew hither and thither* uttering frantic screams, while pale, ghastly faces were revea'ed by the last rays of the setting sun, which also gave a weird brightness to the ascending smoke, a3 it spread aloft in .the free air which it had gained Suddenly, above the wild tumultuous din, rose the voice of the Captain in thundering (onesj as he issued his orders for the means to be taken for extinguishing the fire. By his command the hatches were replaced, and the water buckets were manned with such celerity that from over the sides a supply was thrown up and poured in streams over the deck and through every opening* by which the liquid could find access to the scene of conflagration, All — passengers as well as erew — wrought with desperate energy, while every heart beat with palpitating suspense ; and for some minutes an awful silence — more significant than even the former outery — rsigned upon the deck, us they awaited the result of the efforts which were being put forth. Ana even during the space of these few minutes the sun sank out of sight, and the brief twilight of these latitudes descended and deepened into the gathering darkness of night. Knowing the issue that depended on their labours, they wrought with the earnestness of a fearful expectation, fervently hoping yet fearfully doubting,and casting every moment eager glances at the issuing smoke to notice if its volume was decreasing. Something like: a quarter of an hour was thus spent, and they began to ask each other if the fire was being subdued, when for fearful answer the flashing light of flames burst forth, and at the same instant the roar of the conflagration was heard as it raged beneath. Then they knew that all their efforts were vain —that the small quantities of water they were able to pour down was but adding fuel to the flame — and that the ship was doomed to destruction. Shrieks of despair left every lip at view of death in its most appallingform.

The work of filling and emptying the buckets was simultaneously abandoned, and a demoniac frenzy which defied alike reason and control took possession of the whole multitude except the captai n , the chief officers, and one or two of the passengers, who preserved firmness and composure amid the awful scene. It.was obvious now to every one that the fire had obtained the mastery j and that nothing could save the vessel, but

that in a very short while the conflagration would, spread to every part— to the cabins, the berths, the deck, and the rigging— consuming everything, till the sea rushed in and swallowed up the burning hull. Escape — escape was now the common thought; and as the boats gave the only chance of this, a rush was made to them so wild in its nature that the impetuosity would have defeated the object in view, when the captain, seeing the peril, leapt into tbe midst of them with a drawn cutlass in his hand, and swore to cut down the first man who dared to act without his oraers. "Be calm," he shouted. " There is a chance for some of us, but if you act like tnis you will destroy it, and all wiil perish. Let the passengers go below and get together their valuables — no baggage but their wrappings — and come on deck immediately, when the boats willbe lowered. Then the ladies and children first." Julia and Olive, who had stood stunned and trembling at the outside of the crowd, heard these words, and the former, taking her companion by the hand, dragged her down to their cabin without a Word. Olive went mechanically with her, her mind being* in a state of passive daisedness. " Quick ; your money and your jewels, we must save them," gasped Julia. The other heard her, and with the same mechanical motion unlocked her drawers, where lay her trinkets and the gold she had brought for present use on arrival in England. It was a large sum, and, along with the jewels, was of some weight. "It is too heavy for one* we will divide it," said Julia. Snatching two handkerchiefs from the open drawer, and dividing the money and the trinkets into two heaps, she tied them quickly up, and giving one parcel to her companion, told her to put it safely in her bosom — she putting the other into her own bosom at the same moment. Olive instinctively did as she was told, and secured the package within the folds of her dress. (l Now the wrappings — quick, quick !" ■exclaimed Julia,catching up some shawls which lay around • and the moment the}*' wrapped themselves therein she again grasped her companion's hand, and they rushed back to the deck. Though only a few minutes had elapsed since they -went below, the scene above was now terrific beyond description. The fore part of the ship was wrapt in flames, and all there was one blazing mass, in the bright and lurid glare of which the rest of the vessel was illuminated with unearthly brightness. The desperate efforts made to secure tlie boats which were hung suspended were futile, for heat and fiaine drove all back, and as ihe ropes and rigging were burnt away, they had the bitterness of seeing the boats — their only means of escape — drop from their pbices into the surging sea. A number in their fivnzy leapt over the side in the hope of reaching* them, but with what success could not. be seen • for though the sea was lighted up to a great distance, a space close to the dark hull was shrouded in gloom, and there tbeir forms were lost to view — only their despairing shrieks could be heard through the -oar of the conflagration, and in a little some of them were beheld drifting out upon the lightened water, where they struggled and tossed convulsively, and with at last despairing i cry sunk out of sight, their struggles and fate being scarcely heeded by the maddened multitude on deck who were desperately engaged in efforts for their own preservation.

Tllese efforts were rendered more confused and hopeless by the loss of the forecastle boats, for the two kept aft were now the only means left of getting away from the flames ; and as it was well known that they could not contain the third part of those on board, an indiscriminate and frantic struggle was being made to reach them, in which, selfishness being uppermost, the strongwere breaking* down the weak, and the chaos and confusion becoming* so wild and savage that it was questionable if its very frenzy would not destroy the slight chance that still remained for a few.

The captain and two or three officers and men were stationed at each boat striving to keep back the yelling mass, that strove to reach them. They alone, seemed to have preserved anything like firmness, the rest of the crew and most of the passengers having in that dread hour of deadly peril lost all self-control and restraint, and, Cursing and yelling like savages or wild beasts, were with an energy born of frantic terror, fighting for a place in the boats. The ties of society were snapped asunder; and individual selfishness reigned supreme. Strong men, rendered doubly strong by the fear which maddened them, exerted all their brute force to trample down and toss aside those who were in the way. That was a moment when humanity was to be seen in its most unlovely aspect — bereft of all kindness, sympathy, and mutual consideration ; and had it not been for the noble example set by the captain and a few others, all faith in its true greatness must have been lost. But in them as now they stood battling for the weak and helpless its grandeur shone out with sublime majesty. They could at any time have saved their own lives by taking to the boats and abandoning the rest to perish ; but they stuck to their post, resolutely endeavouring to quell the tumult and to rescue the ladies and children, who, to. the honour of our

I human nature, are on all such occasions j the first objects of care. j And all the while, as this ragingstruggle of frantic men fordear life went on, the flames were spreading with' dreadful rapidity. Fanned by the nowstrong* wind, they leaped from point to point, catching all inflammable matter in their fiery embrace, mounting up masts and rigginu*, running along spars and cordage, and shrivelling up the sails, which, loosened from their hold, flew in flaming fragments over the sea, till their last atom was consumed, and the sparks thereof quenched in night. Every moment was bringing the fire nearer the after part of the ship, and shortening the time given for escape to the very few for whom the means existed. In a few minutes all chance would be gone ; therefore it behoved the boats to be lowered, filled, and cast off at once, else destruction would come upon them all. Conscious of this, fact, the captain shouted to those who stood by him to get what women and children they could into the boats, which by this time had been lowered, and casting his eye over the struggling mass, he saw Julia and Olive standing in the rear, impatient to contend against the scores which kept them back. He pointed them out to the man who stood beside him, and gave orders that a combined effort should be made to carry them to the boat. The sight of their beauty and helplessness seemed to fire a little band with ardour, for several rough forms made their way towards them, and they felt themselves seized and borne forward into the centre of the awful Babel of noise and fury. Their escort forced their way back to the side, with the girls in their arms, and so quickly was the feat accomplished that those who had been thrust aside to give them passage had not time to crowd forward again, till they had gained the bulwarks above where the boat lay, already nearly filled, and only waiting* their descent to shove off. Without the loss of a moment, Olive was lifted on the bulwarks, and was told to fling herself down into the strong arms reaay to receive her. Implicitly she was obeying the injunction, and had raised her arms to take the leap, when at the same instant a tremendous rush of those behind was made to the side. The captain and sailors were for the moment overborne, and driven back, and the crowd surged against Olive with a force which sent her reeling forward into the sea. She uttered one piercing shriek as fell, but no hand could grasp or save her. For one second the flames revealed her white face upturned in wild despair,- then her form vanished form sight, and the darkness closed ovt-r her. Julia echoed the shriek with one wilder and more frantic still, but no response was given to her appeals to save her cousin, 'in truth, any such attempt was impossible amid the confusion and the universal effort at selfpreservation. While still wringing her hands in sorrow and anguish, Julia was lifted down, she knew not how, and placed in the boat. Two sailors leapt in along with her, and as the boat was now packed to its utmost capacity of floating, her ropes were cut, and she drifted away with her living freight. JN'or was this done a moment too soon, for Avhen those above saw she was about to leave numbers of them precipitated themselves over the side in the hope of entering, which, had their purpose succeeded, would have swamped the whole. Fortunately for those on board, the boat had swept beyond their reach, and all these desperate ones had accomplished was to meet a swifter and more painless death than awaited those who remained in the ship. At the opposite side of the vessel a similar scene had been enacted, for there at the same time the other boat had , been lowered and filled. It, too, managed to quit the side of the ship j without sinking; and now for those Avho remained all hope of escape was gone. Faster, and still faster, the flames spread to the afterpart of the ship. Soon, very soon, the entire hull would be enveloped in the blaze. Then the climax would come, when the curtain of darkness would descend on the lurid »lare aad the unimagined horrors of the awful tragedy. (7b be cohiinit'ed ~)