The disconcerting doubt in Peter's mind was whether the boat was making good to wind'ard. Apparently5 she was, but whether the leeway counter-balanced the distance made good, or whether the boat was actually losing on each tack6 remained at present an insolvable problem.
During the greater part of the day the heat of the sun was tempered by the cool breeze, but late in the afternoon more indigo-coloured clouds began to bank up to the east'ard. The roseate hues7 of early morn were about to vindicate8 themselves as harbingers of boisterous9 weather.
"Sea-anchor again, I suppose," soliloquized the skipper of the boat. "Beat and beat and beat again, then drift to lee'ard all we've made. We'll fetch somewhere some day, I expect."
He rather blamed himself for not having put the helm up directly the previous gale10 had blown itself out. Running before the easterly breeze would have brought the boat within sight of the Mozambique coast before now. On the other hand, how was he to know that the easterly breeze would hold for so many hours? It rarely did.
"It's a gamble," he thought philosophically11. "I've backed the wrong horse. I've got to see this business through."
Once more the tent was struck. This time Mrs. Shallop, who had taken possession when Olive came out, made no audible protest. Possibly she was too busy eating Turkish delight. In that respect she acted upon the principle of "Never leave till to-morrow what you can eat to-day".
The sea-anchor was prepared ready to heave overboard. Loose gear was secured, and the baler placed in a convenient spot to commence operations should a particularly vicious sea break into the boat.
Darkness set in. No stars were visible to mitigate13 the intense blackness of the night. The candle-lamp of the boat-compass had to be lighted in order to enable the helmsman to keep the craft on her course. Its feeble rays faintly illuminated14 Peter's face as he steered15. Beyond that it was impossible to distinguish anybody or anything in the boat, the bows of which were faintly silhouetted16 against the ghostly phosphorescence of the foam thrown aside by the stem.
So far there was no necessity to ride to the sea-anchor. The wind, slightly increasing in force, demanded another reef in the mainsail. No doubt the boat would have stood a whole mainsail, but Peter was too cautious and experienced to risk "cracking on" in a lightly trimmed craft unprovided with a centreboard or even a false keel.
The two lascars were told off to tend the halliards, Mahmed stood by the mainsheet, while Peter steered. The latter, his senses keenly on the alert, was listening intently for the unmistakable shriek17 that presages18 the sweeping19 down of a squall. In the utter darkness the sense of hearing was the only means of guarding against being surprised by a violent and overpowering blast of wind.
"It may not be so bad after all," he remarked to Olive, who had insisted on keeping by him at the tiller. "There's rain. I expected it. Luckily it's after the wind, so the chances are we've seen the worst of it."
It was now nearly ten o'clock. The boat had been footing it strongly, since Peter had eased her off a point. The seas were high—so high that between the crests20 the boat was momentarily becalmed. Yet, thanks to Mostyn's helmsmanship, she carried way splendidly, until the ascent22 of the on-coming crest21 enabled the wind-starved canvas to fill out again.
Very soon the few heavy drops gave place to the typical tropical downpour. Even had it been daylight it would have been a matter of difficulty to see a boat's length ahead. In the darkness it seemed like crouching23 under a waterfall. Breathing resulted in swallowing mouthfuls of moisture-laden air. In less than half a minute from the commencement of the downpour, there was an inch or more of water over the bottom-boards in spite of Mahmed's strenuous24 work with the baler.
Contrary to Peter's expectations, the strength of the wind did not appreciably25 diminish, but the rain had the effect of considerably26 beating down the crests of the waves.
It was now quite impossible to hear anything beyond the heavy patter of the big raindrops upon the boat. It was a continuous tattoo27 that outvied the roar of the wind. At this juncture28 the candle of the binnacle lamp blew out. To attempt to relight it was out of the question. Every part of the boat's interior was subject to a furious eddy29 of wind. A match would not burn a moment.
"Hardly good enough," decided30 Peter, wiping the moisture from his eyes. "I'll get canvas stowed and out sea-anchor till the worst of this is over."
With his disengaged hand Mostyn tapped Mahmed on the shoulder. Desisting from his task of baling, the boy looked into his master's face.
"Tell them to stow canvas," shouted Peter, indicating the invisible lascars crouching against the main thwart31. "I'll tend the mainsheet. Look sharp!"
Mahmed raised himself and began to crawl over the thwarts32 on his way for'ard.
Suddenly there was a terrific shock. The boat seemed to jump a couple or three feet vertically33, and then come to an abrupt34 stop with a jar that flung Peter from the tiller, and pitched Mahmed headlong until he was brought up by his head coming into contact with Mrs. Shallop's portly back. Olive, taken unawares, was jerked in a for'ard direction, until she saved herself from violent contact with stroke-bench by grasping Peter's arm. The pair subsided35 upon the gratings, narrowly missing what might have been a serious collision with the helpless Preston.
Mostyn regained36 his feet in double quick time, and made a grab at the tiller. The boat was aground, lifting to every wave that surged against her port-bow. That she was badly damaged there could be no doubt, since water was pouring in through a strained garboard.
Steadying himself by the now useless tiller, Peter peered anxiously into the darkness. Except for the phosphorescence of the breaking water alongside, there was nothing distinguishable. Sea and sky were blended into a uniform and impenetrable darkness.
Everyone on board the boat, although fully1 aware of the immediate37 danger, maintained silence. The grinding of the boat's planking upon the sharp rocks, the howling of the wind, and the swish of the breaking waves were the only audible sounds.
It seemed to Mostyn that, in his self-assumed position of skipper of the boat, he must do or say something. He did neither. He could form no sentence of encouragement; he was unable to take any action to further safeguard the lives and interests of his companions. He felt cool and collected, yet he had a suspicion that he "had the wind up". Try as he would his benumbed brain would not answer to his efforts.
It was Preston who broke the spell. Lying half-submerged in water, the Acting38 Chief was taking things calmly in spite of his physical disability.
"Sparks, old man," he exclaimed, "you look like losing your ticket. I do believe you've run us aground."
The silence was broken. Peter laughed at his companion's quip.
"We were making for land," he replied, "and now we've jolly well found it. Get out the rockets, Mahmed."
Mahmed had delivered Mostyn's order to the lascars. Already the sail had been hastily lowered. Its folds served as a screen to break the force of the wind, nevertheless, it was a difficult matter to keep a match alight sufficiently39 long to ignite the touch-paper of the rocket.
"Cheap and false economy, these things," thought Peter, as he wasted three matches in a vain attempt to kindle40 the touch-paper. "Why didn't the owners supply Verey pistols to all the boats?"
At length the fuse began to sizzle. An anxious fifteen seconds ensued. More than once the minute sparks looked as though they had given out, only to reappear with a healthier glow.
Then with a swish the rocket soared skywards, although with an erratic41 movement as it was caught and tossed about by the wind.
Mostyn made no attempt to follow its course with his eyes. Holding a hand to his brows he gazed in the direction in which he expected to see land.
A vivid glare overhead, as the rocket threw out a series of blue star-shells, revealed what he wanted to know. Eighty or a hundred yards ahead was a line of cliff, fronted by a gently shelving stretch of sand. The boat had struck on the apex42 of a reef. She was neither on a lee nor a weather shore, but rather on the dividing line of each.
"Good enough," shouted Peter encouragingly. "Light the lantern, Mahmed."
The boy succeeded in getting the lamp alight. Even its feeble glimmer43 put a different complexion44 upon things.
Beckoning45 the lascars aft, Mostyn sent one of them back again to bend the warp46 to the anchor and throw the latter overboard, in case the badly damaged boat should be washed off the reef.
This done, the question arose: how were the women and Preston to be taken ashore47?
"Take Mr. Preston," said Olive. "I can walk."
"Easy enough if it's shoal water right up to the beach, Miss Baird," rejoined Peter, "That we'll have to find out. I think I'll rope you together."
Preparations for abandoning the boat having been completed, Peter led the way, holding aloft the lantern. Behind him came the two lascars, carrying the helpless Acting Chief. Olive followed, helping48 Mahmed to assist Mrs. Shallop, who was uttering unheeded complaints about everybody and everything. To guard against the possibility of any of the party being swept away by the undertow, the halliards had been unrove and were used as a life-line.
It was not an easy passage. The rocks were of coral and irregular in shape, with fairly deep fissures50 and sharp, jagged crags. Over these ledges51 the breakers surged, throwing clouds of spray twenty feet or more into the air.
Sounding with the boathook Peter proceeded warily53. At frequent intervals54 he was waist-deep in water. Impeded55 by the drag of the life-line, half suffocated56 by the salt-laden spray, and constantly slipping on the kelp-covered rocks, he held on his way, wondering how the others fared, until he gained the dry sand.
The lascars had risen nobly to the occasion. Their solicitude57 towards their disabled officer was so great that Preston felt very little discomfort58. Uncomplainingly they had endured torments59 from the sharp rocks, that had cut their light footwear almost to ribbons.
Olive Baird had made light of her part of the business, although both she and Mahmed had their work cut out to half drag, half carry the portly figure entrusted60 to their care. Mrs. Shallop seemed utterly61 indifferent to the danger and inconvenience of the passage ashore. Her chief anxiety, expressed in peevish62 accents, was regarding the loss of her "valuable" diamond, which might either be in the boat or else washed through the gaping63 seams into the trackless waste of sand.
With feelings of thankfulness Peter marshalled his flock under the lee of the cliffs. A hasty examination by means of the lantern resulted in the discovery that the beach was well above high-water mark, so that there was no necessity to undertake the hazardous64 task of scaling the cliffs in the darkness.
"Where are we, do you think, Peter?" asked Olive. She had dropped the "Mister" quite naturally, since Mostyn had declared his intention of seeing her home.
"Somewhere in Madagascar," replied Peter. "Where, exactly, I have no idea. We'll probably find out from the first natives we come across."
"Are they savages65?"
"Hardly. They used to be half civilized66 only a few years ago, I believe," replied Peter. "Thanks to the beneficent efforts of the French Government, when Madagascar became a dependency of France, they are now orderly and well conducted. Excuse me, Miss Baird, but there are one or two things I have to see to."
Calling to the two lascars, and bidding Mahmed stay with the rest of the party, Peter took the lantern and walked to the water's edge. The tide was fast receding67, and most of the ledge52 was above the water.
Satisfied on this score Mostyn made his way back to the boat, the lascars following. Apparently the stranding68 had occurred at the top of high water, and the wrecked69 craft was now perched upon a jagged ledge of coral. She had not altered her position, except for lying well over on her port bilge keel.
In a few minutes the boat was stripped of every piece of movable gear. Twice the salvage70 party returned to the boat, until nothing was left but the bare hull71.
Work for the night was not yet over. By the aid of the masts, sails, and spars, four tents were rigged up under the lee of the cliffs, and a fire was made with the dry kelp and driftwood, augmented72 by a few detached planks73 from the boat. A double ration12 of biscuit and water was served all round, followed by cigarettes for the men and Turkish delight for Mrs. Shallop and Olive. The last commodity came entirely74 from the latter's share, since the naval75 officer's daughter had already eaten hers. Yet without the faintest compunction, and looking upon Olive's generosity76 as a right, the worthless woman had no hesitation77 in asking her former paid companion for more.
"I'll buy some at the first shop we see," she added, as if Africa's largest island was a hot-bed of up-to-date confectionery stores.
To this the girl made no reply. In fact, she had hardly heeded49 the fatuous78 remark. Gazing into the comforting glow of the fire, she was deep in thought as to what the future held in store for the handful of survivors79 from the S.S. West Barbican.
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1
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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fleck
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| n.斑点，微粒 vt.使有斑点，使成斑驳 | |
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4
foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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tack
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| n.大头钉；假缝，粗缝 | |
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hues
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| 色彩( hue的名词复数 )； 色调； 信仰； 观点 | |
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vindicate
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| v.为…辩护或辩解，辩明；证明…正确 | |
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boisterous
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| adj.喧闹的，欢闹的 | |
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gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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philosophically
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| adv.哲学上；富有哲理性地；贤明地；冷静地 | |
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ration
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| n.定量(pl.)给养，口粮；vt.定量供应 | |
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13
mitigate
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| vt.（使）减轻，（使）缓和 | |
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illuminated
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| adj.被照明的；受启迪的 | |
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15
steered
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| v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 )；操纵；控制；引导 | |
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16
silhouetted
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| 显出轮廓的，显示影像的 | |
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shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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18
presages
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| v.预示，预兆( presage的第三人称单数 ) | |
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sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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20
crests
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| v.到达山顶（或浪峰）( crest的第三人称单数 )；到达洪峰，达到顶点 | |
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crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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22
ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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23
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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24
strenuous
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| adj.奋发的，使劲的；紧张的；热烈的，狂热的 | |
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25
appreciably
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| adv.相当大地 | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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27
tattoo
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| n.纹身，(皮肤上的)刺花纹；vt.刺花纹于 | |
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28
juncture
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| n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头 | |
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29
eddy
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| n.漩涡，涡流 | |
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30
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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31
thwart
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| v.阻挠，妨碍，反对；adj.横(断的) | |
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thwarts
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| 阻挠( thwart的第三人称单数 )； 使受挫折； 挫败； 横过 | |
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33
vertically
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| adv.垂直地 | |
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abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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subsided
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| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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36
regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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37
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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40
kindle
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| v.点燃，着火 | |
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41
erratic
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| adj.古怪的，反复无常的，不稳定的 | |
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apex
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| n.顶点，最高点 | |
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glimmer
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| v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光 | |
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44
complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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45
beckoning
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| adj.引诱人的，令人心动的v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的现在分词 ) | |
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warp
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| vt.弄歪，使翘曲，使不正常，歪曲，使有偏见 | |
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47
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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48
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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49
heeded
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| v.听某人的劝告，听从( heed的过去式和过去分词 )；变平，使（某物）变平( flatten的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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50
fissures
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| n.狭长裂缝或裂隙( fissure的名词复数 )；裂伤；分歧；分裂v.裂开( fissure的第三人称单数 ) | |
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51
ledges
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| n.（墙壁，悬崖等）突出的狭长部分( ledge的名词复数 )；（平窄的）壁架；横档；（尤指）窗台 | |
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52
ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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53
warily
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| adv.留心地 | |
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54
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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55
impeded
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| 阻碍，妨碍，阻止( impede的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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56
suffocated
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| （使某人）窒息而死( suffocate的过去式和过去分词 )； （将某人）闷死； 让人感觉闷热； 憋气 | |
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57
solicitude
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| n.焦虑 | |
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58
discomfort
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| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
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59
torments
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| （肉体或精神上的）折磨，痛苦( torment的名词复数 )； 造成痛苦的事物[人] | |
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60
entrusted
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| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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61
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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62
peevish
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| adj.易怒的，坏脾气的 | |
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63
gaping
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| adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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64
hazardous
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| adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的 | |
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savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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66
civilized
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| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
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67
receding
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| v.逐渐远离( recede的现在分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题 | |
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68
stranding
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| n.（船只）搁浅v.使滞留，使搁浅( strand的现在分词 ) | |
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69
wrecked
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| adj.失事的，遇难的 | |
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70
salvage
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| v.救助，营救，援救；n.救助，营救 | |
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71
hull
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| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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72
Augmented
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| adj.增音的 动词augment的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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73
planks
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| （厚）木板( plank的名词复数 )； 政纲条目，政策要点 | |
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74
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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naval
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| adj.海军的，军舰的，船的 | |
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generosity
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| n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为 | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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78
fatuous
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| adj.愚昧的；昏庸的 | |
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survivors
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| 幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 ) | |
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