Un capitaine de quinze ans. English Read online

  CHAPTER IX.

  DICK'S PROMOTION.

  The first feeling experienced by those on board the "Pilgrim," afterwitnessing the terrible disaster was one of grief and horror at thefearful death that had befallen the victims. Captain Hull and his menhad been swept away before their very eyes, and they had been powerlessto assist. Not one was saved; the schooner had reached the spot toolate to offer the least resistance to the attacks of the formidablesea-monster.

  When Dick and the negroes returned to the ship after their hopelesssearch, with only the corroboration of their sad foreboding thatcaptain and crew had disappeared for ever, Mrs. Weldon sank upon herknees; little Jack knelt beside her crying bitterly; and Dick, old Nan,and all the negroes stood reverently around her whilst with greatdevoutness the lady offered up the prayer of commendation for the soulsof the departing. All sympathized heartily with her supplications, norwas there any diminution of their fervour when she proceeded to implorethat the survivors might have strength and courage for their own hourof need.

  The situation was indeed very grave. Here was the "Pilgrim" in themiddle of the Pacific, hundreds of miles away from the nearest land,without captain, without crew, at the mercy of the wind and waves. Itwas a strange fatality that had brought the whale across their path; itwas a fatality stranger still that had induced her captain, a man of noordinary prudence, to risk even his life for the sake of making good adeficient cargo. It was an event almost unknown in the annals ofwhale-fishing that not a single man in the whale-boat should escapealive; nevertheless, it was all too true; and now, of all those left onboard, Dick Sands, the apprentice-boy of fifteen years of age, was thesole individual who had the slightest knowledge of the management of aship; the negroes, brave and willing as they were, were perfectlyignorant of seamen's duties; and, to crown all, here was a lady withher child on board, for whose safety the commander of the vessel wouldbe held responsible.

  Such were the facts which presented themselves to the mind of Dick as,with folded arms, he stood gazing gloomily at the spot where CaptainHull, his esteemed benefactor, had sunk to rise no more. The lad raisedhis eyes sadly; he scanned the horizon with the vain hope that he mightperchance descry some passing vessel to which he could confide Mrs.Weldon and her son; for himself, his mind was made up; he had alreadyresolved that nothing should induce him to quit the "Pilgrim" until hehad exhausted every energy in trying to carry her into port.

  The ocean was all deserted. Since the disappearance of the whalenothing had broken the monotonous surface either of sea or sky. Theapprentice, short as his experience was, knew enough to be aware thathe was far out of the common track alike of merchantmen or whalers; hewould not buoy himself up with false expectations; he would look hissituation full and fairly in the face; he would do his best, and trusthopefully in guidance from the Power above.

  Thus absorbed in his meditations he did not observe that he was notalone. Negoro, who had gone below immediately after the catastrophe,had again come back upon deck. What this mysterious character had feltupon witnessing the awful calamity it would be impossible to say.Although with his eye he had keenly taken in every detail of themelancholy spectacle, every muscle of, his face had remained unmoved;not a gesture, not a word betrayed the least emotion. Even if he hadheard, he had taken no part, nor evinced the faintest interest in Mrs.Weldon's outpouring of prayer.

  He had made his way to the stern, where Dick Sands was pondering overthe responsibilities of his own position, and stood looking towards theapprentice without interrupting his reverie.

  Catching sight of him, Dick roused himself in an instant, and said,--

  "You want to speak to me?"

  "I must speak either to the captain or the boatswain," answered the man.

  "Negoro," said Dick sharply, "you know as well as I do, that they areboth drowned."

  "Then where am I to get my orders from?" asked the fellow insolently.

  "From me," promptly rejoined the apprentice.

  "From you! from a boy of fifteen?"

  "Yes, from me," repeated Dick, in a firm and resolute voice, looking atthe man until he recoiled under his gaze. "From _me_."

  Mrs. Weldon had heard what passed.

  "I wish every one on board to understand," she interposed, "that DickSands is captain now. Orders must be taken from him, and they must beobeyed."

  Negoro frowned, bit his lip, sneered, and having muttered somethingthat was unintelligible, made his way back to his cabin.

  Meantime, the schooner under the freshening breeze had been carriedbeyond the shoal of the crustaceans. Dick cast his eye first at thesails, then along the deck, and seemed to become more and more alive tothe weight of the obligation that had fallen upon him; but his heartdid not fail him; he was conscious that the hopes of the passengerscentred in himself, and he was determined to let them see that he woulddo his best not to disappoint them.

  Although he was satisfied of his capability, with the help of thenegroes, to manipulate the sails, he was conscious of a defect of thescientific knowledge which was requisite for properly controlling theship's course. He felt the want of a few more years' experience. Ifonly he had had longer practice he would, he thought, have been as ableas Captain Hull himself, to use the sextant, to take the altitude ofthe stars, to read the time from his chronometer; sun, moon, andplanets, should have been his guides; from the firmament, as from adial-plate, he would have gathered the teachings of his true position;but all this was beyond him as yet; his knowledge went no further thanthe use of the log and compass, and by these alone he must be contentto make his reckonings. But he kept up his courage, and did not permithimself for one moment to despair of ultimate success.

  Mrs. Weldon needed little penetration to recognize the thoughts whichwere passing in the mind of the resolute youth.

  "I see you have come to your decision, Dick," she said. "The command ofthe ship is in your hands; no fear but that you will do your duty; andTom, and the rest of them, no doubt, will render you every assistancein their power."

  "Yes, Mrs. Weldon," rejoined Dick brightly; "and before long I shallhope to make them good seamen. If only the weather lasts fair,everything will go on well enough; and if the weather turns out bad, wemust not despond; we will get safe ashore."

  He paused a moment and added reverently,--

  "God helping us."

  Mrs. Weldon proceeded to inquire whether he had any means ofascertaining the "Pilgrim's" present position. He replied that theship's chart would at once settle that. Captain Hull had kept thereckoning accurately right up to the preceding day.

  "And what do you propose to do next?" she asked. "Of course youunderstand that in our present circumstances we are not in the leastbound to go to Valparaiso if there is a nearer port which we couldreach."

  "Certainly not," replied Dick; "and therefore it is my intention tosail due east, as by following that course we are sure to come uponsome part of the American coast."

  "Oh, we shall soon be on shore!"]

  "Do your best, Dick, to let us get ashore somewhere."

  "Never fear, madam," he answered; "as we get nearer land we shall bealmost sure to fall in with a cruiser which will put us into the righttrack. If the wind does but remain in the north-west, and allow us tocarry plenty of sail, we shall get on famously."

  He spoke with the cheery confidence of a good sailor who knows the goodship beneath his feet. He had moved off a few steps to go and take thehelm, when Mrs. Weldon, calling him back, reminded him that he had notyet ascertained the true position of the schooner. Dick confessed thatit ought to be done at once, and going to the captain's cabin broughtout the chart upon which the ill-fated commander had marked thebearings the evening before. According to this dead-reckoning they werein lat. 43 deg. 35', S., and long. 164 deg. 13', W.; and as the schooner hadmade next to no progress during the last twenty-four eventful hours,the entry might fairly be accepted as representing approximately theirpresent position.

  To the lady's inexperienced eye, as
she bent over the outspread chart,it seemed that the land, as represented by the brown patch whichdepicted the continent of South America extending like a barrierbetween two oceans from Cape Horn to Columbia, was, after all, not sovery far distant; the wide space of the Pacific was not so broad butthat it would be quickly traversed.

  "Oh, we shall soon be on shore!" she said.

  But Dick knew better. He had acquaintance enough with the scale uponwhich the chart was constructed to be aware that the "Pilgrim" herselfwould have been a speck like a microscopic infusoria on the vastsurface of that sea, and that hundreds and hundreds of weary milesseparated her from the coast.

  No time was to be lost. Contrary winds had ceased to blow; a freshnorth-westerly breeze had sprung up, and the _cirri_, or curl-cloud:overhead indicated that for some time at least the direction of thewind would be unchanged.

  Dick appealed to the negroes, and tried to make them appreciate thedifficulty of the task that had fallen to his lot. Tom answered, inbehalf of himself and all the rest, that they were not only willing,but anxious, to do all they could to assist him, saying that if theirknowledge was small, yet their arms were strong, and added that theyshould certainly be obedient to every order he gave.

  "My friends," said Dick, addressing them in reply; "I shall make it apoint of myself taking the helm as much as possible. But you know Imust have my proper rest sometimes. No one can live without sleep. Now,Tom, I intend you to stand by me for the remainder of the day. I willtry and make you understand how to steer by the aid of the compass. Itis not difficult. You will soon learn. I shall have to leave you when Igo to my hammock for an hour or two."

  "Is there nothing," said little Jack, "that I can learn to do?"

  "Oh yes, Jack; you shall keep the wind in order," answered Dick,smiling.

  "That I will!" cried the child, clapping his hands, while the motherdrew him to her side.

  "And now, my men," was Dick's first order to his crew, "we must bracein the yards to sail fair. I will show you how."

  "All right, Captain Sands; we are at your service," said old Tomgravely.

  "Oh yes, Jack; you shall keep the wind in order."]