CHAPTER XIV.THE CUT CABLE.
Whethermy brother had spoken more, I know not; for, on a sudden, there came a stir and commotion among the men, who began to move towards us in a gang.
When they were come near, one said hoarsely:
“Cap’n, we hears shore-breakers. Hearken now! hearken to it!”
I listened, and above the clamour of the waterfall, I thought I did, indeed, hear the sound of breaking waves. But the seaman on a sudden cried:
“We be nearer shore! Nearer shore, the Lord ha’ mercy on ’s!”
“Nearer shore!” cries the Captain. “Hath the anchor, peradventure, come home in a duck-pond? Why, you lunkhead, she is fast as iron locks!”
“Then look there!” said the other, and pointed down upon the sea forward.
The thick darkness, which had held until now with no rift in the cloud-pall, was broken. A shaft of moonshine took the sea hard by our cutwater; and the Captain, following it, gave a great start.The ship was in motion again!
“Driving, by thunder!” cried he; and, running to the head, he laid hold of the cable, and hauledon it. It began to come in slack and easy; and soon a loose end appeared.The cable had been severed!
My brother stood motionless, the dripping rope’s end dangling from his hand. Then he swung fiercely round upon the Mosquito Indian.
“If this be your handywork, my man,” cried he; “if I do but half trace it to your hands, you shall hang—you shall hang at that yardarm!”
But Thalass reared himself haughtily up, and looked him in the face; and the Captain was abashed.
He turned to the men. “My lads,” said he weightily and slow, “whether there be treachery here I know not. Look you to that! Look well to it if you’ld live, and drag out the villainous man! As for me, witness all, I am contriving and fending for you no less than for myself! If any man have a grievance against me, let him out with it now. Ay!” cried he hotly, as they began to press upon him, “and if you’ld depose me, do even so; I care not a jot! You’re but a scullion crew. Choose ye another captain: I grow weary of it! Weary of it!”
His challenge rang loud; but they held silent while many moments passed; and, when one of them said humbly, “We make no quarrel against you, Cap’n; we be mazed men,” the rest answered with a great heartiness. Yet took they heed of what the Captain had said concerning treachery, looking narrowly one upon another; and there fell a dispute and questioning among them.
The conclamation was broken off suddenly, on a man crying out that we were come among the very breakers of the shore; and scarce his voice had died away, when, with a lamentable dull grating sound, the ship struck, ploughing long and deep into the bottom of sand. The breakers swayed her languidly from side to side with a dismal motion, while the despairing cry arose, “Now we be gone indeed, the Lord ha’ mercy on us! We shall never see our homes again!”
And the crazy lad took up the word, crying:
“We shall never see our homes again! Never! never! never! Jack! poor Jack! Never! never! never! never! What’s to become of poor Jack? Home again! home from sea! Never! never! never! never! Mother, I’ve brought ye a parrot....”
But hereupon the boatswain, stepping to him, laid hold on the poor antic, and, with a silken band which he had, gagged him effectually. At the same time my brother put a period to the dejection and amazement, with blustering words driving the men to labour.
He caused a great match to be contrived, that we might learn how far we lay from the shore. And, when they had set light to the tinder bound about the end of a boarding-pike, and held it forth over the sea, we descried the shore about a cable’s length away.
Hereupon the Captain turns to the men, and “Well, my lads,” says he, “Who’ll proffer for a shore-party?”
But no man answered, save only SurgeonBurke, Thalass, and myself (we being even eager to go); and, looking scornfully on the timorous men, my brother said shortly:
“Out with the boat; I’ll go alone.”
Hereupon he went to his cabin to provide himself for the adventure; and, having returned, put himself immediately into the cock-boat, which had been hoisted out and lay tumbling in the languid breakers.
He began to row towards the shore.
We watched him pass over the black waters in the lurid matchlight.