LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 6, 6 June 1874, Page 3

LITERATURE.

THE DOOMED SHIP.

Concluded, ‘ Ay, sir ; it gives a man tongue, when he’s got to tell such a yarn as this ; I can see it all now as I sit here.’ He remained reflectively puffing his tobacco for some minutes, then resumed his narrative. ‘ Well, as I was a-saying, sir, it was a time of terrible suspense. Presently, the carpenter crept up the poop-ladder again, and made a report to the skipper, and 1 heard him utter an exclamation of horror. Five feet of water in the hold ! ‘The moon was again hidden by black clouds ; the gale blew with increased fury ; the waves threw their foam high over the decks, as the ship broached to, yawing in the huge valley of waters that enclosed her in on every side ; whilst afar burnt the light of the strange vessel upon which we were bearing down, more brightly in my eyes than ever did beacon.’

‘ Fire a rocket,’ said the skipper ; I we will try them with that; maybe they’ll heave to.’

‘ In a few seconds the meteor flashed up into the thick darkness, a dazzling cry for help. ‘ Even the men at the pumps rested for a moment to watch the effect of that messenger for rescue. We are now within half a knot of the stranger, who was hugging the wind, steering to the north’ard, 1 Great Heaven ! ’ I heard the skipper cry after the lapse of a few minutes, during which there was no reply, ‘ are they all asleep ? ’ ‘ Another rocket was sent up, followed at intervals of a few minutes by others ; but still the stranger held on her course, as if no doomed ship was imploring succor, no drowning wretches crying out for help ! ‘ Burn a blue-light ! ’ cried the skipper ; and the burning mass lit up the deck, the spars, the rigging, the sails, the haggard faces of the crew, the terrible calm face of

the skipper, and the terrified wondering face of the skipper’s wife, who had come up from below, and was clinging to the companion ladder with a childlike astonishment, gazing round on the awsome scene.

1 Steer right for her ! ’ slioul d the skipper to me : then catching sight u£ his wife, he rushed to her side, and seizing her arm, led her on deck.

Another blue-light lit up the dismal night, and then one or two muskets were fired, for our only gun was stowed away below, and there was no time to get it on deck.’ ‘ Stand by the braces ! ’ shouted the skipper, for the strange craft was now within a few cables’ length.

‘ Get ready the cutter, Mr Short.’ He had recovered bis self-possession, which, at the sight of his poor wife, seemed for a moment to have deserted him, and issued his orders in a calm clear voice, that gave fresh courage to the now frightened crew. It was an awful moment that ! The ship was settling down ; I felt certain of it, as she refused to answer her helm, but rose and sank lazily in the swelling waters, as if her strength was spent.

‘ Helm up !’ cried the skipper, rushing aft, Run close under the stern.’

Vain effort! In vain I brought the tiller hard over ; she refused to answer her helm. ‘ She’s sinking, sir,’ I cried, as the frantic skipper pushed me aside, and grasped the wheel. ‘lt’s too late.’ He sprang forward like one possessed. ‘ Man the boat, men! Quick, for your lives!’

‘ Ay, sir.’ There, almost within hail, was the stranger, standing steadily on, her great black hull visible to every eye as she rose and sank in the water like an automaton, her white sails gleaming against the dark sky, her light burning brightly at the masthead—a ship manned by fiends. A superstitious dread crept over me as I watched her ; perhaps the ghost of a doomed ship luring us on to hope, and mocking us as we in agony shrieked aloud for help. Even amid that horrible scene of danger and suspense, with death staring them in the face, the men waited patiently till the skipper’s wife was placed securely in the boat, her white livid face touching the heart of the roughest amongst us, as we lifted her gently in as if she’d been our own flesh and blood, and wrapped around her all we could lay hands on, to make her comfortable ; whilst nearer and nearer to the water’s edge sank the doomed vessel, no longer rising to the heavy billows, but yielding, as if impotent, in the clutches of sornesea-monstcr, dragging her down a thousand fathoms deep. The skipper was the last man to leave the ship, bearing in his arms a favorite little dog of his wife’s, and as he sprang in he shouted, 1 Give way, for your lives, men 1’ ‘Not a moment too soon, or we should have been swallowed up in the vortex of the sinking craft. I cast one glance round as we pulled away ; the vessel reared herself up, as if for a final struggle, her sails flapping against the masts, as if affrighted ; then she plunged down into the mighty deep. “ Well, sir, there we were adrift on the wide waste of waters, a strong gale blowing, a dark night, and a leaky boat. The words of our murderers came up clear and sharp in my ears as I lay crouched up close to the skipper and his wife, she clinging to him and resting her golden hair on his breast. The children arc no better than the mother ; and, sure enough, already two of the UanUs were baling out the water that oozed in through the rotten sides of the cutter. Not a word had any one spoken since the foundering of the ship ; a sort of horror had settled on all of us ; for even the poor boy, a little wee chap on his first voyage, could see that *twas,no use trying to reach the strange craft, whose light now and again shone over the waters like a Will-o’-the-wisp, growing more and more dim as she crept on her course, leaving a boatload of Christian souls to perish almost within hail, without an effort to save them. The silence was broken on a sudden by a voice that sent a thrill through our very souls : ‘ Harry, Harry ! save me 1 Take me home, Harry, dear. Oh, mother, mother 1 why don’t you come ?’ Poor young thing. I suppose she was dazed with the awful suddenness of the thing ; anyhow, I felt a kind of choking in my throat as I heard her pitiful’cry. ‘ Hush, dear,’ says the skipper softly, but his voice was husky and thick. ‘We shall soon be safe. Be quiet, darling, for Harry’s sake I’

His voice seemed to soothe her, for she remained silent for a few minutes, then she sprang up and looked round. Harry, Harry ! where are we 1 Am I dreaming ? Harry, quick; the water! .Oh, take poor Lillie home !’

Then she sank down again, and I could hear her sobbing like a child. I’ve been wrecked twice, and burnt out in the old Roslyn Castle, but I never saw such a crew as that same crew of the Maid of Orleans. Not a groan, not a whisper, against the skipper : but each man seemed to make himself, as you may say, the guardian of that frail girl yonder, crying for her mother and her home.

The old man stopped, and leant his grizzled head on his grear bony hand, as if overcome by the memory of that dreadful scene. Presently, as if ashamed of his emotion, he looked up, saying, ‘ You must excuse an old salt, sir ; hut when I think of her bonny face I’m regular thrown on my beamends like. Well, sir, presently a kind of fearful whisper ran through us: ‘ She’s sinking !’ It reached the car of the skipper’s wife as she nestled in his arms.

1 Harry, Harry ! Do you hear 1 Save me ! Oh, I can’t die! Harry, darling, do save poor little Lillie !’ ‘ I would give my life for you, Lillie ! I shall die with you,’ I heard him say. ‘Oh, Harry, my feet are so wet,so cold. Tell me I’m dreaming, Harry ! 0, no. But will you die with poor Lillie 1 Kiss me, dearest!’

These were the last words I heard ; a shout of despair broke at length from the poor fellows as the boat settled down in the waters —a shout that rings in my ears as I tell of it; and the next moment we were striking out for dear life in the great ocean, The boat had drawn me down with her, and when I rose to the surface my hand touched something hard, which I clutched with the gripe of death. I didn’t hear aery; I was alone, as far as I could judge, and you may be sure I clung fast to that bit of timber ; for though I was a first rate swimmer, I knew I must keep afloat. God willing, by the help of that oar ! How I passed the next hour before daylight broke I can’t well describe. My mind wandered, I fancy, a bit, for old scenes and old familiar faces were pictured-like before me. One time I was in the old house at homo, listening to my mother as she read a chapter out of the Bible, and I could hear every word she said clear and

distinct, Just as she’d sat there afore I went on my first voyage. Then I was standing with Polly hand-in-hand with the bit of ring we’d broken in halves, pledging our troth down yonder under the oak tree at t- farm Then, again, I could seethe skipper's wife with her golden hair streaming over t.he waters, cold and dead, but her face snm-'how like an angel’s, for all it was so white and still ; and all the while I was conscious that if I let go my hold of the oar that the great waves tried to dash from my grasp, it was all over with Jack Robins.

Well sir, daylight broke at last ; the sea had gone down a bit and I strained my eyes in search of a friendly sail. Sure enough, bearing down right upon me was a small craft. I ain’t a man, I’m sorry fo say, much given to prayer, but at that moment I lifted my heart to heaven to send that ship to me. On she came like a sea-bird bounding over the waves, every stitch of canvas spread to the breeze, for the storm was over, and only a heavy swell remained, as a witness of the evil work it had done. Once she yawed to starboard. What an awful moment that was ; if she altered her course, I was lost ! I could not shout, in ray terror. But no ; it was only the blundering fellow at the helm ; and again she bore down as if she would cut me in two. She was within two cables’ length, and I raised my voice and shouted like mad. A fellow in a red cap ran forward and looked over the bows. Again I hallooed ; he saw mo, and waved his hand. I was saved ! What a prayer of gratitude I uttered from my very soul. On she came, as if the vessel herself longed to snatch poor Jack from a watery grave, till, running close down upon me, she hove to, and lowered a boat.

Well, sir, the rest of Hie yarn is soon told. The vessel was a Spaniard, bound to Chili ; and I was glad enough to lend a hand to the crew in exchange for a passage out. Well, sir, you may be sure I was anxious to get back to England, to bring the villains who, for the sake of the insurance money of eight thousand pounds, bad doomed us all to go to the bottom, and who of course had got the cash. It would have been right for me to get them punished ; but a good offer was made to mo iu a ship bound to Australia ; so I thought I’d bide my time, for I couldn’t afford to throw away a chance like that. When we reached Melbourne, the gold-fever was raging, and I made my way off to the diggings ; and it was full six years afore I stepped ashore in the old country once more. I told my story to several influential gentlemen ; but bless you, sir, they only shook their heads, and said it was a long time ago, that I'd no proofs to bring, and advised me to let the matter drop. But it’s been on my mind this many a year ; and now I hear there’s a friend of poor Jack as has taken up his cause ; and if you’d like to tell him this yarn of poor Jack Robins, why, you’re welcome, sir.’