The South Sea Whaler Read online

  CHAPTER TWO.

  PRECAUTIONS--A MUTINY--MUTINEERS DEFEATED--ATTEMPT TO ROUND CAPE HORN--DRIVEN BACK--A FEARFUL GALE--AMIDST ICEBERGS--A MAGNIFICENT SIGHT--MANOVERBOARD--MUTINEER KILLED BY AN ALBATROSS.

  Walter was thankful to hear eight bells strike, when Mr Shobbrok comingon deck, sent the second mate below.

  "Why don't you turn in, Walter?" asked the first mate, on seeing himstill lingering on deck.

  "I should like to speak a word to you," said Walter.

  "If it's a short one, my lad, say it, but I don't wish to keep you outof your berth."

  As several of the mutineers were on deck, Walter thought he might beobserved, and therefore merely whispered to the mate, "Be on your guard.I have information that the boatswain is at the head of a conspiracy totake possession of the ship. I will go below and tell my father howmatters stand. Be careful not to be taken at a disadvantage, and letnone of the men come near you."

  "I am not surprised. I will be on my guard," answered the mate in a lowtone; adding in a higher one--

  "Now go below, youngster, and turn in."

  Walter, hurrying to the cabin, found his father asleep. A touch on thearm awoke him.

  "I want to speak to you about something important," he said; and thentold him all he had heard from Dan Tidy.

  "It does not surprise me," he observed, repeating almost the words ofthe mate. "We of course must take precautions to counteract the designsof the misguided men without letting them suspect that we are aware oftheir intentions. Call Mr Lawrie, that I may tell him what to do; andthen I will go on deck and speak to the first mate."

  "I have told him already. I thought it better to put him on his guard,"said Walter.

  "You did right," said the captain. "We must let the other officersknow. Bring me two brace of pistols from the rack." The captainquickly loaded the firearms. "Now, Walter, do you go and wake up Nub;then bring all the muskets into my cabin while I am on deck."

  The captain's appearance would not excite suspicion, as it is customaryfor a commander to go on deck at all hours of the night, especially whenthere is a change of weather; and the mate was heard at that momentordering the watch on deck to shorten sail. Captain Tredeagle did notinterfere, but allowing the mate to give the necessary orders, waitedtill the topgallant-sails were furled and two reefs taken in thetopsails. He then went across to where Mr Shobbrok was standing.

  "Walter has told me what the men intend doing," he said in a low voice."Do you try and find out who are likely to prove stanch to us."

  "I think we may trust nearly half the crew," answered the mate; "and Iwill try and speak to those on whom we can most certainly rely. Tidywill be able to point them out."

  "In case they should attempt anything immediately, here are the means ofdefending yourself," said the captain; and finding that none of the menwere observing him, he put a brace of pistols into the mate's hands.

  "Who is at the helm?" he asked.

  "Tom Hulk," answered the mate.

  "He is among the ringleaders," said the captain; "he will be suspiciousif he sees us talking together. I'll warn Beak, that he may be on thealert, and will send him to speak with you."

  The captain crossed the deck to where Mr Beak, the fourth mate, wasstanding. Telling him of the conspiracy which had been discovered, heput a pistol into his hand, and desired him to go over and speak withthe first mate, who would direct him what to do. On returning below, hefound that Walter and Nub had carried out his orders, and that MrLawrie had awakened the other two mates, who soon made their appearancein the cabin. Two midshipmen, or rather apprentices, who slept furtherforward, had now to be warned. Nub undertook to do this withoutexciting the suspicion of the mutineers. The captain in the meantimegave the officers the information he had received, and told them theplan he proposed following,--assuring them that they had only to be onthe alert and to remain firm, and that he had no doubt, should themutineers proceed to extremities, they would soon be put down; no one,however, felt inclined to turn in again, not knowing at what moment themutiny might break out. Had the boatswain and his companions guessedthat Tidy had overheard their conversation, they would have lost no timein carrying out their plan, and would probably have caught the captainunprepared.

  The night passed quietly away, and when morning came the mutineers wentabout their duty as usual. Notwithstanding the threatenings of a galeon the previous evening, the wind continued fair and moderate, and theship was standing on under all sail.

  Breakfast was over, and the captain and mate, with Walter, were standingwith their sextants in hand taking an observation to ascertain theship's latitude. Mr Lawrie having been in his surgery mixing somemedicines for two men who were on the sick-list, was going forward whenhe observed a number of the crew with capstan-bars, boat-stretchers, andother weapons in their hands, the boatswain and Tom Hulk being amongthem. He at once hurried to the captain and told him what he had seen.

  "Call aft the men whom we selected as a guard, Mr Shobbrok," whisperedthe captain--"Let the officers arm themselves, but keep out of sight inthe cabin, ready to act if necessary."

  The mate had agreed on a private signal with the trustworthy men. Hewas to let fly the mizzen-royal, when they were to come aft on thepretence of hauling in the sheet. This would give them the start of themutineers, and allow them time to obtain arms,--though of course theobject of the device would quickly be perceived.

  The captain and Walter went on taking their observation full in sight ofthe crew forward, as if there were nothing to trouble them. The matemade the signal agreed on. As the sail fluttered in the wind, Dan Tidyand eight others came running aft, and immediately the muskets, whichhad already been loaded, were handed up from below and placed in theirhands. So quick had been their movements that the mutineers, who hadbeen looking at the captain, had not observed them; and, confiding intheir numbers, and not knowing that the officers were armed or preparedfor them, came rushing aft, led by the boatswain, uttering loud shouts,to intimidate their opponents. The captain stood perfectly calm, withWalter by his side.

  "What does this strange conduct mean, my men?" he asked, turning round.

  "We will show you, captain," answered the boatswain. "We want a captainwho understands his own interest and ours, and won't let the prizes wemight have got hold of slip through our fingers as you have done."

  "You are under a mistake, my friends, in more ways than one," answeredthe captain. "I call on all true men on board to stand by me."

  As he spoke, Tidy and the men who had come aft showed themselves withmuskets in their hands; and at the same moment the officers sprang ondeck, fully armed.

  "Now I will speak to you," said the captain, handing his sextant toWalter, and drawing his pistols. "The first man who advances anotherstep must take the consequences. I shall be justified in shooting him,and I intend to do so. His blood be upon his own head. Now lay downthese capstan-bars and stretchers, and tell me, had you overpowered us,what you intended to do."

  The mutineers were dumbfounded, and even the boldest could make noreply. Most of them, indeed, did as they were ordered and threw theirweapons on the deck, hanging down their heads and looking ashamed ofthemselves. The boatswain and Hulk, and a few of the more daring, triedto brazen it out.

  "All we want is justice," blustered out the boatswain. "We shippedaboard here to fight our enemies, like brave Englishmen, and to take asmany prizes as we could fall in with; but there does not seem muchchance of our doing so this voyage."

  "You shipped on board to do as I ordered you, and not to act the part ofsea-robbers and pirates, which is what you would wish to be," answeredthe captain. "Those who intend to act like honest men, and obey orders,go over to the starboard side; the rest stand on the other."

  The greater number of the crew--with the exception of the boatswain andHulk and two others--went over to starboard. The captain then orderedthe remainder of the crew to be piped on deck. They quickly came up.

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p; "Now, my lads, those who wish to obey me and do their duty, join theirshipmates on the starboard side; those who are inclined the other way,stand on one side with Mr Capstick and his mate."

  Two or three cast a look at the boatswain, but one and all went over tothe starboard side. The boatswain looked greatly disconcerted, for hehad evidently counted on being joined by the greater part of hisshipmates.

  "Now," said the captain, "I am averse to putting men in irons, but asthese have shown a spirit of insubordination which would have beendestructive, if successful, to all on board, they must take theconsequences. Mr Shobbrok, seize the fellows and put them inconfinement below."

  The three mates, calling six other men, sprang on the mutineers, who,drawing their knives, attempted to defend themselves; but they werequickly disarmed, and their weapons being thrown overboard, their handswere lashed behind them, and they were carried below, to have the ironsput on by the armourer, who was among those who could be trusted. Noneof the rest of the crew attempting to interfere, order was speedilyrestored on board the _Champion_.

  Though the captain had quelled the mutiny, he lost the services of fourof the most active of the hands; but he hoped that reflection wouldbring them to reason, and that, repenting of their folly, they would bewilling to return to their duty.

  While these events had been occurring a dark bank of clouds had beengathering to the southward; and though the ship still sailed with a fairwind, it was evident that a change was about to take place. Thecloud-bank rose higher and higher in the sky.

  "All hands shorten sail," cried the captain. The crew flew aloft toobey the order and lay out on the yards, each man striving to get in thesail as rapidly as possible. Sail after sail was taken in, but beforethe work could be completed the gale was upon them--not a soft breeze,such as they had been accustomed to, but a sharp cutting wind, with hailand sleet, which struck their faces and hands with fearful force,benumbing their bodies, dressed only in light summer clothing. Itseemed as if on a sudden the ship had gone out of one climate intoanother.

  "This is regular Cape Horn weather," observed the mate to Walter, whostood shivering on deck. "You had better go below and get on yourwinter clothing. It may be many a day before we are in summer again, ifthe wind comes from the westward."

  Walter hesitated, for he thought it manly to stand the cold; but hisfather told him to do as the mate advised, so he hastened into thecabin. He found Alice looking very much alarmed, not having been ableto make out all that had been occurring. She had seen the officers comedown and arm themselves, and the muskets loaded and handed out, and hadsupposed that they were about to encounter an enemy. Walter quieted herfears, by assuring her that though there had been danger it was allover, and that they had now only to battle with a storm, such as allgood sailors are ready to encounter and overcome.

  Walter was soon equipped and ready to go on deck again, and Alice wantedto accompany him.

  "Why, you will be frozen if you do, so pray don't think about it," heanswered. "I am sure father will wish you to remain in the cabin."

  The gale increased, however, and the ship rolled, pitched, tossed, andtumbled about, in a way Alice had never before experienced. She satholding on to the sofa trying to read, and wondering why neither herfather nor Walter again came below. "What could have occurred?" Sheheard loud peals of thunder, the sea dashing against the ship's sides,the howling of the wind in the rigging, the stamp of the men's feetoverhead, and other noises sounding terrific in her ears. The uproarcontinued to increase, and the ship seemed to tumble about more andmore. At last she could endure it no longer.

  "I must go on deck and see what is the matter," she said to herselfputting on her cloak and hat. She endeavoured to make her way to thecompanion-ladder, first being thrown on one side and then on the other,and running a great risk of hurting herself. At length, however, shemanaged to reach the foot of the ladder. Just at that moment Walterappeared at the top of it, looking down at her. She felt greatlyrelieved on seeing him.

  "Oh, what has happened?" she exclaimed as he came below.

  "Only a regular Cape Horn gale," he answered. "We have got the shipunder close-reefed fore and main topsails, and she is behaving nobly.It is cold, to be sure; but the men have been sent below, as they couldbe spared, to put on warmer clothing, and we shall get out of it someday or other."

  Walter's remarks greatly restored Alice's spirits. She had expected tosee him with alarm on his countenance, bringing her the announcementthat the ship was in fearful danger. The time had not been quite solong as Alice had supposed. Nub brought in dinner for her and Walter,which he advised them to take on the deck of the cabin, as there wouldbe little use in placing it on the table, in spite of puddings andfiddles to keep the dishes in their places.

  "You see, Missie Alice, if de ship gib a roll on one side den half desoup go out, and den when she gib a roll on de oder side de oder half goout, and you get none; and de 'taties come flying ober in de same way;den de meat jump out of de dish, and before you can stop it will be onde oder side of de cabin; and de mustard and pepper pots dey go cruisingabout by demselves. Now, if you sit on de deck, you put de tings in onecorner and you sit round dem, and when dey jump up you catch dem and putdem back, and tell dem to stop till you want to eat dem."

  Nub's graphic description of the effects likely to be produced by thestorm induced Alice and Walter to agree to his proposal, and theypartook of their meal in a corner of the cabin. The latter enjoyed it,for he was very hungry. Alice could eat but little; she was, however,very anxious that her father should come down, or that he would allowher to send him up some food.

  Walter laughed. "I am sure he will not do that," he answered. "He istoo much occupied at present to come below."

  When Walter went on deck again, Alice felt very forlorn. Nub, however,now and then looked in to cheer her up.

  "It's all right, Miss Alice, only de wind it blow bery hard,--enough toshave a man in half a minute. The captain told me to keep below or Iturn into one icicle." Towards the evening Nub brought in a pot of hotcoffee, which he had managed to boil at the galley-fire; and presentlythe captain and Walter came down. The captain had no time to eatanything, but he drank two cupfuls of the coffee scalding hot.

  "Bless you, my child," he said to Alice. "We have a stormy night beforeus; but God looks after us, and I wish you to turn in and try and go tosleep. We are doing our best, and the ship behaves well, so keep up agood heart and all will be right."

  The mates and Mr Lawrie came down, and Nub supplied them also withcoffee. The surgeon declared he could stand it no longer, and as he wasnot required on deck he sat down in the cabin and tried to read; but hehad to give it up and stagger off to his berth. Walter at last camebelow again, saying that his father would not allow him to remain longeron deck; though, like a gallant young sailor, he had wished to sharewhatever the rest had to endure. In a very few minutes, notwithstandingthe tossing of the ship and the uproar of the elements, he was fastasleep.

  All night long the ship stood on close-hauled, battling bravely with thegale, showers of sleet, snow, and hail driving furiously against thefaces of the crew. The captain, with his mates and both watches,remained on deck, to be ready for any emergency.

  The topgallant-masts and royal-masts had been sent down; thestudding-sail-booms and gear unrove, to lighten the ship as much aspossible of all top hamper.

  It was still dark when Walter awoke. The ship was pitching into theseas as heavily as before, and the wind roaring as loudly. He longed togo on deck to ascertain the state of things; but the captain had toldhim to remain in his berth till summoned, and he had learned theimportant duty of implicit obedience to his father's commands. Atlength the light of day came down through the bull's-eye overhead intohis little berth. He quickly dressed, and entering the main cabin,found that his father had just come below. He was taking off his wetouter clothing preparatory to throwing himself on his bed.

  "You go on deck now, Wa
lter; but don't remain long, or you will bewell-nigh frozen," he said. "I am to be called should any change in theweather take place."

  Walter sprang on deck, but he had need of all his courage to stand thekeen cutting south-westerly wind, which seemed sufficient to blow histeeth down his throat. The ship looked as if made of glass, for everyrope and spar was coated over with ice. The men were beating theirhands to keep them warm; and when they moved about the deck they had tokeep close to the bulwarks, and catch hold of belaying-pins, ropes, orstanchions, to prevent themselves from slipping away to leeward. Thesea, as it broke on board, froze on the deck, till it became one mass ofice. Walter, who had thought only of smooth seas and summer gales, waslittle prepared for this sort of weather.

  "Cheer up, my lad, never mind it; we shall be in summer again, and findit pretty hot too, when we round the Horn," observed the first mate.

  "I don't mind it," answered Walter, his teeth chattering. "Do you thinkit will last long?"

  "That depends on the way the wind blows," answered the first mate.

  Dark seas rose up on every side, higher than he had ever seen thembefore; the foam driven aft in white sheets, their combing crestsshining brilliantly as the sun burst forth from the driving clouds.

  "Now you have seen enough of it; you had better go below," said themate. "One of those seas might break aboard and sweep you off the deck.As you can do nothing now, it is useless to expose your life todanger."

  Walter, who would have wished to remain had the wind been less cutting,thought the mate right, and obeyed him. He had been for some time inthe cabin when the fourth mate came down.

  "Come on deck, Walter," he said, "and see something you have neverbefore set eyes on." Walter followed the mate up the companion-ladder.

  As far as the eye could reach, the sea was of a dark-blue tint; thewaves still high and foam-crested, sparkling in the rays of the sun,while at some distance on the larboard bow rose a vast mountain-island,its numerous pinnacles glittering in the sun like the finest alabaster,and its deep valleys thrown into the darkest shade. The summit of themighty mass was covered with snow, and its centre of a deep indigo tint.

  "What island is that?" asked Walter.

  "It's an island, though it's afloat. That is an iceberg," answered themate. "It's little less, I judge, than three miles in circumference,and is several hundred feet in height."

  The vast mass rose and fell in the water with a slow motion, while itshigher points seemed to reach to the sky, and often to bend towards eachother as if they were about to topple over. The waves furiously dashedagainst its base, breaking into masses of foam; while ever and anonthundering sounds, louder than any artillery, reached the ears of thevoyagers, as from the mighty berg, cracking in all directions, hugepieces came tumbling down into the water. Above the thick fringe ofwhite foam appeared an indigo tint, which grew lighter and lighter, tillit shaded off from a dark-blue to the pile of pure snow which rested onthe summit.

  Walter could not resist the temptation of bringing Alice to see thestrange and beautiful sight. Hurrying below, he wrapped her up in awarm cloak, and, calling Nub to his assistance, they brought her ondeck.

  "That is beautiful," she exclaimed; "but how dreadful it would be to runagainst it in the dark!" she added, after a minute's silence.

  "We hope to keep too bright a lookout for anything of that sort," saidthe mate; "and, happily, at night we know when we are approaching aniceberg by the peculiar coldness of the air and the white appearancewhich it always presents even in the darkest nights. However, there canbe no doubt that many a stout ship has been cast away on such a berg asthat; or on what is more dangerous still, a floating mass of sheet-icejust flush with the water."

  The mate would not allow Alice to remain long on deck for fear of hersuffering from the cold, and Walter and Nub hurried her below. Walterwas soon again on deck. The ship was passing the iceberg, leaving it amile to leeward. As it drew over the quarter there was a cry fromforward of "Ice ahead!" The captain was immediately called.

  "Hard up with the helm!" he shouted; and the ship passed a huge mass ofice, such as the mate had before described, flush with the water. Hadthe ship struck against it, her fate would have been sealed. Thesharpest eyes in the ship were kept on the lookout: one man on each bow,and another in the bunt of the fore-yard; the third mate forward, andone on each quarter. Two of the best hands were at the wheel; while thecaptain and first mate were moving about with their eyes everywhere.All knew that the slightest inattention might cause the destruction ofthe ship.

  Hour after hour went by. No one spoke except those on the lookout orthe officer in command, when the cry came from forward, "Ice on theweather bow," "Another island ahead," "Ice on the lee bow," and so on.Evening at length approached. Walter for the first time became aware ofthe perilous position in which the ship was placed; yet his father stoodcalm and unmoved, as he had ever been, and not by look or gesture did hebetray what he must have felt; indeed, he had too long been inured toperil of all sorts to be moved as those are who first experience it.Gradually, however, the sea began to go down and the wind to decrease,shifting more to the southward. A clear space appearing, the captaineagerly wore ship, and then hauling up on the other tack, stood to thesouthward, hoping to weather the icebergs among which he had beforepassed. The cold was as intense as before, but it could be better borneas hopes were entertained that the gale would abate, and that at lengthCape Horn would be doubled.

  That night, however, was one of the greatest anxiety; for, owing to thedarkness, the ice-field could not be seen at any distance, and it mightbe impossible to escape running on it. Captain Tredeagle couldtherefore only commit himself and ship to the care of Heaven, and exerthis utmost vigilance to avoid the surrounding dangers.

  He and all on board breathed more freely when daylight returned, and thefield of ice they had just weathered was seen over the quarter, withclear water ahead. A few more icebergs were passed; some near, shiningbrilliantly in the sun, and others appearing like clouds floating on thesurface.

  In two days more there was a cry of "Land on the starboard bow!" Theship rapidly neared it. The wind coming from the eastward, the reefswere shaken out of the topsails, the courses set, and she stood towardsthe west. The land became more and more distinct.

  "Now," said the first mate to Walter, "if Alice would like to see CapeHorn, bring her on deck. There it is, broad on our starboard beam."

  Alice quickly had on her cloak. "Is that Cape Horn?" she asked,pointing to a dark rugged headland which rose, scarcely a mile off, outof the water. "What a wild, barren spot! Can any human beings livethere?"

  "I have heard that some do," answered the mate; "and what is verystrange, that they manage to exist with little or no clothing to shieldtheir bodies from the piercing winds! It's a wonder they can stand it;but then they are savages who have been accustomed to the life sincethey were born, and know no better."

  Scarcely was the ship round Cape Horn when the wind moderated, and thesea went down till it was almost calm. The order was now given to getup the topgallant and royal-masts and rig out studding-sail-booms.

  The mutineers had long been kept in irons, and some of the men declaredthat they were better off than themselves during the bitter weather towhich they had been exposed; but the boatswain and the rest had morethan once petitioned to be set free, promising to be obedient in thefuture. The captain, willing to try them, at length liberated them, andthey were now doing duty as if nothing had happened, though the captainwas too wise a man not to keep a watchful eye on them.

  Alice, after being so long shut up in the cabin, was glad to be on deckas much as she could during the day, watching the various operationsgoing on. The men were aloft rigging out studding-sail-booms, when, toher horror, she saw one of them fall from the fore-yard. Herinstinctive cry was, "Save him! save him!"

  "A man overboard!" shouted those who saw the accident. The ship wasrunning rapidly before the wind, and under such
circumstancesconsiderable time elapsed before sail could be shortened and the shiphove-to. Preparations had in the meantime been made to lower a boat,and willing hands jumped into her, under the command of the second mate,to go to the rescue of the drowning man. The captain had kept an eye onthe spot where he had fallen, so as to direct the boat in what directionto pull. Away dashed the hardy crew, straining every muscle to go tothe rescue of their fellow-creature.

  A moment before not a bird had been in sight, but just then a hugealbatross was seen soaring high in the air. Its keen eye had caughtsight of the unfortunate man. The boat dashed on, the mate and the crewshouting loudly in the hope of scaring off the bird; but heeding nottheir cries, downwards it flew with a fearful swoop. In vain thewretched man, who was a strong swimmer, endeavoured to defend himselfwith his hands; its sharp beak pierced his head, and in another instanthe floated a lifeless corpse on the surface of the water.

  "Who is he?" asked several voices.

  "Tom Hulk," answered the mate. "I caught sight of his face just as thebird struck him, and I hope I may never again see such a look of horrorin the countenance of a fellow-creature as his presented."

  "It was a bad ending to a bad life," said one of the men. "A greatervillain never came to sea, and it's the belief of some of us that hewould have worked more mischief aboard before long."

  "That he would," said another. "He was always jeering at the boatswainfor his cowardice, and telling him he ought to act like a man. We knewpretty well what he meant by that." Similar remarks were made byothers; for all the men in the boat were honest and true, and had beenamong those who had at once sided with the captain and officers. Suchare always found the most ready to go to the aid of a fellow-creature,and they had been the first to spring into the boat.

  By this time they were nearly up to the body of the dead man. Thealbatross, on seeing them coming, had flown away. Just then, eithersome ravenous fish had seized it from below, or the body, no longersupported by the talons of the bird, lost its buoyancy, or from someother cause, it began to sink; and before the boatman could catch itwith his boat-hook it had disappeared from sight, sinking down to thedepths of the ocean, there to remain till the sea gives up its dead.When the mate returned on board, he did not fail to tell the captainwhat the men had said. "We must nevertheless keep a watchful eye on theboatswain and others who associated with him," was the answer. "IfHulk, however, was the chief malcontent, we have little reason to fearthem."

  The ship, with her lighter canvas set, was now making rapid progresstowards the warm latitudes of the Pacific.