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Jack at Sea, a novel by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 15. Jack Is Wide-Awake |
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_ CHAPTER FIFTEEN. JACK IS WIDE-AWAKE "Land ho!" It was Lenny, the black-bearded sailor, who raised the cry at sunrise one morning, and made Edward spring out of his berth and run up, closely followed by Jack, who appeared on deck half-dressed, and with his face lit up by a strange look of animation, but he gazed round over the golden waters in vain. But it was not only a golden sea that met his eyes, for the sky was golden too, and the _Silver Star_ from deck to truck, with every yard and rope, appeared to be transmuted into the glittering metal. "Morning," cried the captain, coming up to him. "Did you hear the hail?" "Hear it? yes," said Jack, "and it's a mistake, unless the land's hidden by the sun. I can see nothing." "No?" said the captain, smiling. "Well, it would take long-trained eyes to make it out on a morning like this, when everything is dazzling. But let's try." As he spoke the captain took his glass from under his arm, laid it on one of the ratlines of the mizzen shrouds to steady it, and took a long and patient look through. "Ah!" he said, raising himself and keeping the glass in position. "Now take a peep through my spy-glass. One moment: do you see that little patch of cloud like fire, just a little north of the sun?" "Is that north? Yes. I think I see the patch you mean." "Then fix your glass on the horizon just on the line where the sea melts into sky, under the middle one of those three patches. Quick, before they change." Jack took the glass and looked through. "See it?" "No," he said. "Haven't got the glass straight perhaps," said the captain. "Take a shot with it first as if it were a gun--look along the top and fix it upon the horizon line, and then sweep it right and left till you make the land." "I've got it," cried Jack. "The land?" "No, the line of the horizon. I wasn't looking through the eye-piece. That's it; now I can see the edge of the sea quite plainly." "Then you are clever," said the captain, laughing. "I never did. Well, sweep it about to right and left. See the land?" "No," said Jack after a good long try. "Isn't it a mistake?" "Let me try again," said the captain, taking the glass. "Yes, there it is plainly enough, just under the little golden cloud to the right; they are floating northward. Try again." Jack took the glass, brought it to bear, and was silent. "See it?" "No. I can make out that beautiful golden cloud." "Well, now look under it." "Yes, I've been looking right under it, but there's nothing there but a little hazy patch." "Then you do see it," said the captain. "That?" "Yes; what did you expect to see?" "Why, the island you talked about." "Well, I don't say that is it, because I want to make an observation first, but I feel pretty sure that it is the place." "But that looks so little." "It's a little island." "Yes, but that looks so very small." "So would you seem small if you were thirty or forty miles away," said the captain, taking the glass and having another good long look. "The air is very clear this morning, and the island looms up. But we shall see better by and by." They had been steadily sailing east for some days, and land had been sighted several times since. Jack had stood gazing longingly over the starboard rail at the tops of the Java volcanoes, which had followed one another in succession, some with the clouds hanging round their sides and their peaks clear, but two with what looked in the distance like tiny threads of smoke rising from their summits, and spreading out into a top like a mushroom. This long island had tempted him strongly, and he had suggested to his father that they should make a halt there, but Sir John and the doctor both shook their heads. "No," said the latter, "I vote against it. I believe Java to be a very interesting country, but for our purpose it is spoiled." "Yes," said Sir John; "we don't want to get to a place full of plantations and farms; we want an out-of-the-way spot where the naturalist and traveller have not run riot over the land; where Nature is wild and untamed." "And where we can find something new," said the doctor. "That place the captain talked about is the very spot." "But we may not find it," said Jack. "Let's chance it, my boy," said his father; "and even if we do not hit upon that, there are plenty of places far more interesting to us than Java is likely to be." And now at last they were in sight of the very place, and a wild excitement began to fill the boy's breast as he went over the doctor's imaginary description, one which the captain declared to be perfectly accurate, for so many islands existed formed upon that very plan. It did not occur to Jack that a great change had come over him, nor that people on board were noticing him when he hurried down to finish dressing that morning, and back on deck with his powerful binocular glass, to stand gazing away toward the east. "This is clearer and better than the captain's glass," he thought to himself, "and easier to use," as he made out the misty little undefined patch, but was disappointed to find how slightly it had changed in the time he had been below. He ate his breakfast hurriedly, and came on deck again with his excitement growing, and Sir John and the doctor exchanged glances, but nothing was said, as they leisurely finished their meal and then followed him. "When shall we make the land, captain?" said Sir John. "Perhaps not till to-morrow morning," was the reply, "under sail: the wind's falling." "Why, where is Jack?" said the doctor suddenly. "He came on deck." The captain gave him a queer look, and jerked his head backward, as he stood facing the wheel. "Forward in the bows?" said the doctor. "No: look up." Sir John and the doctor looked up in astonishment to find that Jack had mounted the mainmast shrouds, and was now perched in the little apology for a top, with his arms about the foot of the topmast, against which he held his glass, gazing east. Sir John drew a deep breath, and looked at his friend. "Don't take the slightest notice," said the latter; "treat it as quite a matter of course. He has taken his spring and is out of his misery. He won't want any corks to swim with now, nor for us to hold him up." "That's right, gentlemen," said the captain. "His spirit's rising, and that will carry him along. I wouldn't notice anything." "Hi! father!" cried the lad, as he lowered his glass and caught sight of them. "I can't make much out even here. I say, Captain Bradleigh, are you sure this is the island?" "Well, I'm sure it's land," replied the captain. "But we don't seem to get a bit nearer." "Sun's getting higher and makes it fainter. But the wind is falling, and we'll clap on a little more sail." As the morning went on sail after sail was added, the men springing aloft and shaking out the squaresails, while long triangular pieces of canvas were run up the stays till the yacht was crowded, and she glided along with a delightfully easy motion. But it was all in vain; the wind sank and sank, till at mid-day the sails hung motionless in the glowing sunshine, while, save for a slow soft heaving, the glassy transparent sea was absolutely without motion. "Oh, this is vexatious!" cried Jack impatiently. "Yes, you'll have to whistle for the wind, Jack," said the doctor, stretching himself under the awning and lighting his cigar. "Whistle for nonsense!" said the lad irritably. "So tiresome, just too as we have come in sight of the place." "Practice for your patience, my boy," said Sir John merrily. "Oughtn't he to come under the awning out of the scorching sun?" he continued to the doctor, as Jack went forward to where Captain Bradleigh was giving orders about lowering some of the studding-sails. "Won't hurt him so long as he does not exert himself," replied the doctor. "The sun, sir, is the real fount of life. Nature incites all animals to bask in it, even the fish. There's a shoal swimming yonder. We'll have a try for some presently. Do him good." "Then why don't you go and lie in it?" said Sir John, smiling. "Because I don't want doing good. Too idle. I'm drinking all this in. I never felt so well in my life." "Nor I," said Sir John, watching his son's movements, "but I begin to feel as if I should like to be doing something active. What's Jack about?" The answer came in the boy's voice, heard distinctly enough in the clear air,-- "I say, don't take the sails down, Captain Bradleigh," he said; "the wind may come again soon." "Not before sundown," replied the captain, "and then we shan't want stuns'ls." "But it might!" "Yes, and it might come with a sudden touch of hurricane, my lad. We're getting where dangers lie pretty quickly, and we old sea-going folk don't like to be taken unawares." "What would it do then if a touch of hurricane did come?" "Perhaps take our masts short off by the board before we could let everything go. Not nice to have half our canvas stripped away. You haven't been at sea so long as I have, squire." "No, of course not," said Jack impatiently. "But I say, why don't you get up steam?" "Because we want to keep our coal for an emergency, or when we want to get on." "Well, we want to get on now." The captain smiled. "Go and ask your father what he thinks." "Yes; come with me." The captain humoured him, and they walked aft to where the awning cast its grateful shade. "Here, father, hadn't we better have the steam up and get on?" "I hardly think so, Jack. What do you say, captain; will the calm last?" "Only till sundown, sir; then I think we shall have a nice soft breeze again." "Then I say no, Jack," said Sir John. "We're quite hot enough, and it does not seem fair to the men to send them down making roaring fires when there is so little need." "You'd be getting brown on both sides at once, Jack," said the doctor. "Look yonder; fish rising. What do you say to having a try?" "Yes," said Jack eagerly, "let's get up the lines. Hi, Mr Bartlett, come on." The mate had taken the captain's place, and was superintending the lowering of the studding-sails. "Yes, all right, Bartlett," cried the captain, "I'll see to that;" and giving the lad a friendly nod, he went forward, the mate coming aft. "Look! Fish!" cried Jack. "What had we better do, Mr Bartlett?" "Yes; send out some light lines floating in the current," said the doctor. "No, I don't think we should do much that way. More likely to get something from close in under the bows with the grains," replied the mate thoughtfully. "But what I should do would be to lower a boat and gently scull her toward one of those shoals; we might do something then." "That's the way," cried Jack. "Here, hi! Lenny, we want you." The big black-bearded fellow looked inquiringly at the captain, who nodded, and the man came aft, while Jack and the doctor went below, the former in a hurry, the latter with a good deal of deliberation. The mate and the man then proceeded to lower the light gig and cast off the falls, leaving her hanging by the painter. "Strong tackle and bright artificial baits, Jack, my lad. The water's wonderfully clear." These were selected from the ample store, and carried up to the boat, into which a basket, a bucket, and a big stone bottle covered with a felt jacket, and full of fresh water, were lowered. "Won't you come, father?" said Jack suddenly. "Well--er--no," said Sir John; "there is hardly room for another in that boat." "Then we'll have a larger," cried Jack in a decisive tone, speaking as his father had never heard him speak before. "No, no," cried Sir John; "don't alter your plans. But look out there." He pointed away from the side of the yacht, and Jack shaded his eyes, for the sun flashed from the surface. "Fish of some kind," said the lad eagerly. "Look, Mr Bartlett; what are they--eels?" "Snakes--sea-snakes," said the mate quietly; and they stood gazing at a little cluster of eight or ten beautiful mottled creatures lying close to the surface, almost motionless, except that one now and then changed the S-like figure into which it lay by bending and waving its long sinuous body into some other graceful curve, progressing by a slight wavy motion of its tail. "Proof positive, Jack, that there are sea-snakes," said Sir John. "We shall have to look out," said the doctor, laughing. "Perhaps these are the babies, and papa and mamma not far off." "Hallo! what have you got there?" said the captain, coming up. "Snakes, eh? Plenty of them to be found." "And big ones?" asked Jack eagerly. "I don't say that, my lad," replied the captain. "There's a pretty good big one there though." "What, that?" cried Jack. "Three or four feet long." "Nearer eight when he is out of the water." "Would they take a bait?" "Doubtful. But I would not try. Those things can bite, and, as I said, I've known cases out in the Indian Ocean where men have died from their bites. They're best dealt with from a distance. Why don't you shoot one for a curiosity? You could keep it in spirits." "Ah, why not?" said the doctor; and he ran below, to return directly with a double gun and some cartridges, a couple of which he inserted at the breech. Sir John looked at his friend inquiringly. "There you are," said the doctor, handing the gun to Jack. "I'd rest the barrels on the rails as we're rolling a little. Then take a good aim as we're rising, not as we're going down, and fire as if you wanted the shot to go under its head." Jack hesitated, and shrank a little, but mastering his feeling of trepidation, he took the gun, and rested the barrels on the rail. "Why am I to fire under if I want to hit the snake?" he said. "Because you will be in motion, and if you do not, your charge of shot will be carried above the reptile for one thing; another is to allow for the refraction, which makes the snake seem higher in the water than it is." "But that one has its back right out." "Yes: quick! a quick aim, and then draw the trigger." Jack had never fired a gun in his life, and he shrank from doing so now, but every one was watching him; and as the barrels still lay on the rail, he glanced along between them as he had along the captain's telescope that morning, and pulled the trigger, but no explosion followed. "Quick!" cried the doctor. "Do you call that quick?" "It won't go off," said Jack, with a touch of irritation in his voice. "Of course it won't," cried the doctor. "Why, you had not cocked it." Jack had had no experience of guns, but he knew what ought to be done, and quickly drawing back the hammers, he took aim just beneath the largest of the snakes, and fired. He had not placed the stock close to his shoulder, so he received a sharp blow, and the report sounded deafening, the smoke was blinding, and it was some moments before he was able to see what luck had attended his shot. Better than he expected. The large snake was writhing and twining about in the water, and splashing it with blows from its tail, but the others had disappeared, and the mate had dropped down into the boat, and taken up the long-handled gaff-hook. "Mind what you're about, Bartlett," cried the captain. "Don't lift it into the boat while it's so lively." "I'll take care," was the reply, and after giving the gig a thrust which sent it near enough, the mate watched his opportunity, and lowering the hook made a snatch with it, catching the snake somewhere about the middle. The touch seemed to fill the reptile full of animation, and quick as thought it twined itself in a knot about the hook, bit at it, and began lashing at the strong ash pole with its tail. "Don't be rash, Bartlett," cried the captain. "We mustn't have any accidents. There, keep the end down in the water while Mr Meadows here gives it the other barrel." "Fire at it again?" said Jack, who was full of excitement. "Yes; give it him and finish him off," cried the doctor. Jack raised the piece again, and it was none too soon, for the serpent was beginning to make its way along the pole toward the mate's hands, while it held on by tightening the folds of the lower part of its body. The lad took aim at the knot twined round the hook, and then shivered as he saw the head of the dangerous beast gliding, or more correctly thrust along the ash handle, and changing the direction of the muzzle of the piece a little to the left, he once more fired, when the snake's head fell with a splash into the sea, the tight knot about the hook relaxed, the tail fell limply, and writhing with a feeble motion, the two ends hanging down together, prevented from falling by one twist round the gaff. "Bravo! well done, Jack!" cried the doctor. "I say, my lad, if you begin by shooting like that you'll turn out a good shot. Now, Bartlett, let's have the beast on board and see what it's like." The mate placed the gaff across the bows of the gig and thrust an oar over the stern, sculling the boat alongside, with the snake trailing in the water. Then taking hold of the gaff handle, climbed on board, and the prize was drawn on the deck, to lie writhing feebly and quite beyond the power of doing mischief, but it was scarcely disfigured, the small shot having done their work without much injuring the skin. "Well, this is something to begin with," said Sir John, examining the beautifully mottled creature, as it lay in the sun, the dark, almost black ground of the skin showing up the ochre yellow markings, while in certain lights the black glistened with iridescent hues. "A good eight feet long," said the captain; "but you'd better be careful. Cut his head off: he won't revive and show fight then." "What, and spoil that beautiful skin!" cried the doctor. "No!" "Get a length of stout fishing-line, Lenny," said the captain quietly; and the man trotted forward, his companions of the crew making way for him to pass, and then closing round again to examine the capture, which kept on raising its head a little and letting it fall back on the deck, after which a wave ran along the body right to the tail, which, instead of being round and tapering off, showed the creature's adaptability for an aqueous life by being flattened so that the end was something like the blade of a sword. "We had better start a spirit tub at once," said the doctor; and he bent down over the head. "What sharp eyes!" he continued. "Malignant looking little beast." "That's right," said the captain, as Lenny came up with the stout line. "Now make a noose in it. No, no, not at the end: a couple of fathoms in. That's the way. Take hold, one of you others. Now together draw the loop over the thing's head." "What are you going to do?" cried Jack excitedly. "Take care that he doesn't do any mischief, my lad," cried the captain; and standing about a dozen feet apart, the two sailors carefully drew the noose along the deck, till the bottom touched the snake's head, but it would not pass under. "Bring your gaff, Bartlett," cried the captain, "and raise the head a little." Hardly had he uttered the words, when the snake lifted it of itself a few inches from the white deck, and its whole body was in motion. "Look out," cried Jack; and several of the men started back, but the sailors who held the line stood fast, and drew the noose over the reptile's head, and with a quick snatch tightened the strong cord about its neck. The effect seemed magical, and the shot to have done nothing more than stun the creature for a time. It was now apparently as strong as ever, twining itself into knots and then writhing free again, to beat the white deck with its tail. But this did not last many minutes, and as the men kept the line tight across the deck the reptile gradually stretched itself out, till it hung perfectly limp and almost motionless by the neck. Then a small cask was brought on deck, a stone jar of prepared spirit poured in, and the snake drawn over the mouth and allowed to sink in. Then the head of the cask was held ready and the tightened fishing-line cut short off. There was a hollow splash, and the cask was covered and secured. "That's specimen the first," said the doctor, with a smile of satisfaction. "We shall have to fill that pickle-tub up before we go back, Jack. There, go and put away the gun and let's have our fish." "I'll take the gun, Mr Jack, sir," said Edward, who had been watching all the proceedings with the greatest interest. "I must clean it before it's put away." Jack handed him the piece, and the man whispered quickly-- "Mr Jack, sir; do please tell me to come." "What, with us? Impossible," said Jack hastily. "You heard my father say that there was not room for another." "Yes, sir, of course, not room for another like him, but I'm nobody. I don't want any room; I can sit down in the bottom, or kneel down. And I should be so useful, sir. I could cut up bait, or put on hooks, or take 'em off, or anything." "What, do you understand fishing?" "Me, sir? yes: I used to go up our river when I was a boy. I've caught roach and chub many a time, not that they were very big. Do take me, sir." Jack hesitated. "Say you will, sir," cried the man eagerly. "I can clean the gun after we come back." "I don't like to refuse you, Ned," said Jack. "That's right, sir: keep on don't liking, and say I may come. You don't know how useful I'll be." "Very well: come then." "Hurray!" whispered the man, "who'd be without a good master? I'll be back directly, sir." He ran below with the gun, laid it in his berth ready for cleaning, and was up again just as the mate and Doctor Instow approached the side. "Hallo, sir, you coming?" cried the latter. "Yes, sir." "But we don't want you." Edward's face became puckered with disappointment, and his eyes were full of misery, as he turned them piteously upon his young master. "Yes, I want him," said Jack, in response to the appealing look, and the man's hopes rose. "What for?" said the doctor, and Edward's aspirations went down to zero. "I don't know," said Jack coolly; "to unhook the fish. I'm not going to soil my hands." "Oh, very well," said the doctor; "I don't mind, but we had better catch the fish before you take them off the hook. Now then, in with you." Lenny and the mate stepped down into the boat, Jack and the doctor followed, and then, looking flushed and excited as a boy, Edward jumped in, giving, his young master a grateful look as soon as the doctor was not looking. _ |
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