CHAPTER XII.THE WARNING SEA.
Weparted from the Isle of Juan Fernandez after two days, which we stayed to fill our water, cut firewood, and drive goats.
My confined state was very irksome to me, after the freedom I had enjoyed on board and the daily fare of new and strange experiences. However, I employed the time pleasantly enough in learning the Spanish language, as much as I could of it, by means of an old torn copy ofDon Quixoteand a Spanish dictionary, which I chanced to find in a corner; and, indeed, got much diversion from that merry and sorrowful tale.
Sometimes my brother came to me; though he stayed not long. And Surgeon Burke stood my friend throughout; coming to chat with me often, and giving me news of anything remarkable that might have happened in the interim. Notably, he told me, that my brother had questioned the mad maroon (at a time when he was in his right mind) of the Haunted Island; but, that, on learning we were thither bound, such huge terror seized on the poor man, that, rather than carry him to the island, he besought the Captain on his kneesto cause him to be shot, or thrown into the sea, and was immediately after transported with a violent raving crazy-fit; that on the morrow he was not to be found anywhere in the ship. ’Twas supposed he had made a shift to loosen the cords that bound his limbs, and, having got up on deck, had jumped overboard and drowned himself in the sea.
“Either this, also, was part of his madness,” said Burke, “or else there’s something monstrous terrible on the Haunted Island!”
“But did he not fright the men?” said I. “I mean, about going to the Haunted Island.”
“Why, bless you, no!” says he. “They put it down to his whimsies.”
This was in the first week after our departure from Juan Fernandez. We had made good way on our course, which was S.W. having a brave settled gale at W.N.W. On the morrow, however, when I awoke, I was sensible the ship was tost like an eggshell, as, indeed, she was, in a high cockling sea.
It held all day. Late in the afternoon, Burke, coming into the cabin, was thrown headlong with a sudden violent lurching of the ship. I laughed to see him go rolling over (being a little round man); but he got to his feet with a very long countenance, which rather abashed me. Yet was it not like Burke to take umbrage, and I presently perceived that that was not the matter with him. He was concerned in his mind about the men.
They were, it seemed, in a most villainoustemper, by reason of the work they had had with the ship. For, ever since one o’clock in the morning, when the wind came to N.E. and the sea swelled, they had not found so much as a moment’s respite. First (the ship having been put under a forecourse and spritsail), the foresail split. Then, when the yard had been lowered and that matter remedied, the standing rigging gave way in several places. That having been mended, the wind began to whiffle between all points; whereupon the Captain set them a brave dance up and down the rigging in his eagerness to make way. At length, the wind blowing and whiffling worse than ever, our main-course blew to pieces; “and now the mizzen’s given way!” said Burke, holding up his hands.
“It’s a scurvy business,” said I, “but I see not why you should be put out about the men. Let them be! They’ll come about anon, like wind and weather. In my opinion, wind and weather are rather to be feared than so many silly seamen!”
“And your opinion is out,” said Burke tartly. “You’ve never experienced a mutiny aboard ship, have you? No; well, pray that you never may! A mutiny is what we’ve been in fear of all along; and, it seems, what that miserable maroon gave out about the Haunted Island stuck with the men after all, and now it works. And there goes a word among them that this blast and hurly-burly, and coil of trouble with the sails, is a warning from God Almighty that we should go no farther on this voyage; and,when seamen have stuck on this sort of notion, you may spare your labour and let be: not all your endeavours, nor arguments, nor persuasions, nor appeals, look you, will avail to hale ’em off! And now,” says he, “I must go; the Captain may have need of me.”
With that, he departed, leaving me to conjure up dismal forebodings, to the music of the groaning ship, the stamping of the mariners, the brunt and welter of the roaring seas, and the continual shrieking of the winds.
Thus I sat hearkening for any sound that might betoken a rising of the men, with intent to sally forth on the first sign or appearance of an alarm. However, I heard nothing; and at the customary time the ship’s boy came to light the lantern and bring my supper, which made me conclude there was no mutiny so far. The ship laboured more than ever now, and the boy told me that we lay a hull in a huge roaring sea, in drizzling rain and very dark weather.
I turned into my hammock, and composed myself to sleep, yet with small expectation thereof. However, I slept very well until the morning.
When I woke, I found Burke was come into the cabin. He told me that the wind, the sea, and the disaffection of the mariners were sunk together.
“I told you that it would be so,” said I; but, “Not so fast, young cockerel!” says he. “It would not have been so, and the men had mutinied beyond doubt, but for a curiousoccurrence and a piece of good fortune, which the Captain had the wit and sagacity to lay hold on.
“’Twas so: in the mid-watch, after the wind came to W. and sunk, and the ship recovered her course, the men came together in a gang, and the boatswain, stepping to the Captain, begged him, on behalf of the whole ship’s company, to bear up the helm and proceed no farther in that course. The Captain enquired what they found amiss with the course, and was answered, that, in the blustering weather, and in the many lets and hindrances they had met withal they did clearly perceive the hand of Almighty God warning them against going on. The Captain used all persuasions to turn them from this opinion; but he had as well laboured to have turned the wind. When he found he could not oversway them, he told them plainly that he would not leave his course on any considerations. ‘Nor,’ added he, ‘would you wish me to do it, if you but knew, or had any notion of, what a rich and kingly treasure is there!’”
“Thereupon the men withdrew to the forecastle to consult. Now, a little after, while they thus stood, came a violent furious tornado, which went roaring past our stern at about our ship’s length away. On that, without a moment’s hesitation, the Captain goes to the men, and, ‘Look ’e here, my lads,’ says he, ‘you saw that tornado? Well, where would we ha’ been, think you, had it struck us? Answer me that!’
“‘Why, Cap’n,’ says the boatswain, ‘I suppose we would ha’ foundered.’
“‘Ay,’ says the Captain, returning sharply on him, ‘I suppose we would! And now hear another thing, if I had borne up the helm, as you desired me to do, where would we ha’ been then? Why, bang in the middle of the tornado, ye lunkheads! Now, where’s your warning hand of God Almighty—heh?’ says he. Ay, that brother of yours hath a headpiece to his shoulders, look you, Frank!”
“And so, then,” said I, “that turned them.”
“Turned them? Why, guinea-pigs in a cage aren’t more tractable! And, talking of guinea-pigs,” says the waggish fellow, smiling on me, “Talking of guinea-pigs, I have to tell ye, you are now freed from your cage, and may quit your bed and cabin.”
You may be sure I was glad enough to hear this; and, Burke helping me, I rose up, and went stiffly out to the deck.
The day was clear and bright, with white scud-cloud flying towards the west; the sea much fallen. The ship sailed heavily, making a due west way. Her topworks were loose, but she had sustained no leaks. The Captain took the sun, and seemed to be much satisfied with the observation.
It came out, indeed, that, instead of hindering us, the blustering weather had given us great heaves on our course.
The wind and sea held favourable; and some ten days after, by Ouvery’s chart, we should be within forty leagues, more or less, of the Haunted Island.