A few minutes after the topsail had been lost, the small jib was carried away. Dick Sands contemplated12 the possibility of throwing out a storm-jib, made of extra strong canvas, as a means of bringing the ship a little more under his control, but abandoned the idea as useless. It was, therefore, under bare poles that the "Pilgrim" was driven along; but in spite of the lack of canvas, the hull13, masts, and rigging, gave sufficient purchase to the wind, and the progress of the schooner14 was prodigiously15 rapid; sometimes, indeed, she seemed to be literally16 lifted from the water, and scudded17 on, scarcely skimming its surface. The rolling was fearful. Enormous waves followed in quick succession, and as they travelled faster than the ship, there was the perpetual risk of one of them catching18 her astern. Without sail, there were no means of escaping that peril19 by increase of speed; the adroit20 management of the helm was the only chance of avoiding the hazardous21 shocks, and even this repeatedly failed.
To prevent his being washed overboard Dick lashed22 himself to his place at the wheel by a rope round his waist, and made Tom and Bat keep close at hand, ready to give him assistance, in case of emergency. Hercules and Actæon, clinging to the bitt, kept watch at the bow. Mrs. Weldon and her party, at Dick's special request, remained inside the stern cabin, although the lady, for her own part, would much rather have stayed on deck; she had, however, yielded to the representation that she would thus be exposing herself to unnecessary danger.
The hatchways were hermetically closed, and it was to be hoped that they would withstand the heavy sea that was dashing over them; only let one of them give way to the pressure, and the vessel must inevitably23 fill and founder24. It was a matter of congratulation that the stowage had been done very carefully, so that notwithstanding all the lurchings of the ship, the cargo26 did not shift in the least.
The heroic young commander had still further curtailed27 his periods of rest, and it was only at the urgent entreaty28 of Mrs. Weldon, who feared that he would exhaust himself by his vigilance, that he was induced to lie down for a few hours' sleep on the night of the 13th.
After Tom and Bat had been left alone at the wheel they were, somewhat to their surprise, joined by Negoro, who very rarely came aft. He seemed inclined to enter into conversation, but found little encouragement to talk on the part either of Tom or his son. All at once a violent roll of the ship threw him off his feet, and he would have gone overboard if he had not been saved by falling against the binnacle.
Old Tom was in a frantic29 state of alarm lest the compass should be broken. He uttered a cry of consternation30 so loud that it roused Dick from the light slumber31 into which he had fallen in the cabin, and he rushed to the deck. By the time he had reached the stern, Negoro had not only regained32 his feet, but had managed successfully to conceal33
[Illustration: Quick as lightning, Dick Sands drew a revolver from his pocket.]
the bit of iron which he had again extracted from beneath the binnacle where he had himself laid it. Now that the wind had shifted to the south-west, it suited his machinations that the magnetic needle should indicate its true direction.
"How now?" asked Dick eagerly; "what is the meaning of all this noise?"
Tom explained how the cook had fallen against the binnacle, and how he had been terrified lest the compass should be injured. Dick's heart sank at the thought of losing his sole remaining compass, and his anxiety betrayed itself in his countenance34 as he knelt down to examine its condition; but he breathed freely as he ascertained35 that the instrument had sustained no damage; by the dim light he saw the needle resting on its two concentric circles, and felt his fears at once relieved; of course, he was quite unconscious of the fact that the removal of the bit of iron had made the magnet change its pointing. The incident, however, excited his misgiving36; although he felt that Negoro could not be held responsible for an accidental fall, the very presence of the man in such a place at such a time perplexed37 him.
"And what brings you here, this hour of the night?" he asked.
"That's not your business," retorted Negoro insolently38.
"It is my business," replied Dick resolutely39; "and I mean to have an answer; what brought you here?"
Negoro answered sullenly40 that he knew of no rule to prevent his going where he liked and when he liked.
"No rule!" cried Dick; "then I make the rule now. From this time forward, I make the rule that you shall never come astern. Do you understand?"
Roused from his accustomed doggedness, the man seemed to make a threatening movement. Quick as lightning, Dick Sands drew a revolver from his pocket.
"Negoro, one act, one word of insubordination, and I blow out your brains!"
Negoro had no time to reply; before he could speak he was bowed down towards the deck by an irresistible41 weight. Hercules had grasped him by the shoulder.
"Shall I put him overboard, captain? he will make a meal for the fishes; they are not very particular what they eat," said the negro, with a grin of contempt.
"Not yet," quietly answered Dick.
The giant removed his hand, and Negoro stood upright again, and began to retreat to his own quarters, muttering, however, as he passed Hercules,-
"You cursed nigger! You shall pay for this!"
The discovery was now made that the wind apparently42 had taken a sudden shift of no less than forty-five degrees; but what occasioned Dick the greatest perplexity was that there was nothing in the condition of the sea to correspond with the alteration43 in the current of the air; instead of being directly astern, wind and waves were now beating on the larboard. Progress in this way must necessarily be full of danger, and Dick was obliged to bring his ship up at least four points before he got her straight before the tempest.
The young captain felt that he must be more than ever on the alert; he could not shake off the suspicion that Negoro had been concerned in the loss of the first compass, and had some further designs upon the second. Still he was utterly44 at a loss to imagine what possible motive45 the man could have for so criminal an act of malevolence46, as there was no plausible47 reason to be assigned why he should not be as anxious as all the rest to reach the coast of America. The suspicion continued, however, to haunt him, and when he mentioned it to Mrs. Weldon he found that a similar feeling of distrust had agitated48 her, although she, like himself, was altogether unable to allege49 a likely motive why the cook should contemplate11 so strange an act of mischief50. It was determined51 that a strict surveillance should be kept upon all the fellow's movements.
Negoro, however, manifested no inclination52 to disobey the captain's peremptory53 order; he kept strictly54 to his own part of the ship; but as Dingo was now regularly quartered on the stern, there was a tolerably sure guarantee that the cook would not be found wandering much in that direction.
A week passed, and still the tempest showed no signs of abating55; the barometer56 continued to fall, and not once did a period of calmer weather afford an opportunity of carrying sail. The "Pilgrim" still made her way northeast. Her speed could not be less than two hundred miles in twenty-four hours. But no land appeared. Vast as was the range of the American continent, extending for 120 degrees between the Atlantic and the Pacific, it was nowhere to be discerned. Was he dreaming? was he mad? Dick would perpetually ask himself: had he been sailing in a wrong direction? had he failed to steer57 aright?
But no: he was convinced there was no error in his steering58. Although he could not actually see it for the mist, he knew that day after day the sun rose before him, and that it set behind him. Yet he was constrained59 in bewilderment to ask, what had become of those shores of America upon which, when they came in sight, there was only too great a fear the ship should be dashed? what had become of them? where were they? whither had this incessant60 hurricane driven them? why did not the expected coast appear?
To all these bewildering inquiries61 Dick could find no answer except to imagine that his compass had misled him. Yet he was powerless to put his own misgivings62 to the test; he deplored63 more than ever the destruction of the duplicate instrument which would have checked his registers. He studied his chart; but all in vain; the position in which he found himself as the result of Negoro's treachery, seemed to baffle him the more, the more he tried to solve the mystery.
The days were passing on in this chronic64 state of anxiety, when one morning about eight o'clock, Hercules, who was on watch at the fore10, suddenly shouted,-
"Land!"
Dick Sands had little reliance upon the negro's inexperienced eye, but hurried forward to the bow.
"Where's the land?" he cried; his voice being scarcely audible above the howling of the tempest.
"There! look there!" said Hercules, nodding his head and pointing over the larboard side, to the north-east.
Dick could see nothing.
Mrs. Weldon had heard the shout. Unable to restrain her interest, she had left her cabin and was at Dick's side. He uttered an expression of surprise at seeing her, but could not hear anything she said, as her voice was unable to rise above the roaring of the elements; she stood, her whole being as it were concentrated in the power of vision, and scanned the horizon in the direction indicated by Hercules. But all to no purpose.
Suddenly, however, after a while, Dick raised his hand.
"Yes!" he said; "yes; sure enough, yonder is land."
He clung with excitement to the netting; and Mrs Weldon, supported by Hercules, strained her eyes yet more vehemently65 to get a glimpse of a shore which she had begun to despair of ever reaching.
Beyond a doubt an elevated peak was there. It must be about ten miles to leeward66. A break in the clouds soon left it more distinct. Some promontory67 it must be upon the American coast. Without sails, of course, the "Pilgrim" had no chance of bearing down direct upon it; but at least there was every reason to believe that she would soon reach some other portion of the shore; perhaps before noon, certainly in a few hours, they must be close to land.
The pitching of the ship made it impossible for Mrs. Weldon to keep safe footing on the deck; accordingly, at a sign from Dick, Hercules led her back again to her cabin.
Dick did not remain long at the bow, but went thoughtfully back to the wheel.
He had, indeed, a tremendous responsibility before him. Here was the land, the land for which they had longed so eagerly; and now that their anticipations68 were on the point of being realized, what was there, with a hurricane driving them on towards it, to prevent that land being their destruction? What measures could he take to prevent the schooner being dashed to pieces against it?
[Illustration: "There! look there!"]
At the very moment when the promontory was just abreast69 of them, Negoro appeared on deck; he nodded to the peak familiarly, as he might have saluted70 a familiar friend, and retired71 as stealthily as he had come.
Two hours later, and the promontory was lying to the larboard wake. Dick Sands had never relaxed his watchfulness72, but he had failed to discover any further indications of a coast-line. His perplexity could only increase; the horizon was clear; the Andes ought to be distinct; they would be conspicuous73 twenty miles or more away. Dick took up his telescope again and again; he scrutinized74 the eastern horizon with minutest care; but there was nothing to be seen; and as the afternoon waned75 away the last glimpse had been taken of the promontory that had awakened76 their expectation; it had vanished utterly from their gaze; no indication of shore could be seen from the "Pilgrim's" deck.
Dick Sands uttered a sigh of mingled77 amazement78 and relief. He went into Mrs. Weldon's cabin, where she was standing25 with her party.
"It was only an island!" he said; "only an island!"
"How? why? what island? what do you mean?" cried Mrs. Weldon incredulously; "what island can it be?"
"The chart perhaps will tell us," replied Dick; and hurrying off to his own cabin, he immediately returned with the chart in his hands.
After studying it attentively79 for a few minutes, he said,-
"There, Mrs. Weldon; the land we have just passed, I should suppose must be that little speck80 in the midst of the Pacific. It must be Easter Island. At least, there seems to be no other land which possibly it could be."
"And do you say," inquired Mrs. Weldon, "that we have left it quite behind us?"
"How far is this," she said, after bending a considerable time over the chart; "how far is this from the coast of America?"
"Thirty-five degrees," answered Dick; "somewhere about 2500 miles."
"What ever do you mean?" rejoined the lady astonished; "if the 'Pilgrim' is still 2500 miles from shore, she has positively83 made no progress at all. Impossible!"
In thoughtful perplexity, Dick passed his hand across his brow. He did not know what to say. After an interval84 of silence, he said,-
"I have no account to give for the strange delay. It is inexplicable85 to myself, except upon that one hypothesis, which I cannot resist, that the readings of the compass, somehow or other, have been wrong."
He relapsed into silence. Then, brightening up, he added,-
"But, thank God! at least we have now the satisfaction of knowing where we really are; we are no longer lost upon the wide Pacific; if only this hurricane will cease, long as the distance seems, we are on our proper course to the shores of America."
The tone of confidence with which the youthful captain spoke86 had the effect of inspiring new hope into all who heard him; their spirits rose, and to their sanguine87 mood it seemed as if they were approaching to the end of all their troubles, and had hardly more to do than to await the turning of a tide to bring them into a glad proximity88 to port.
Easter Island, of which the true name is Vai-Hoo, was discovered by David in 1686 and visited by Cook and Lapérouse. It lies in lat. 27° S., and long. 112 E.; consequently, it was evident that during the raging of the hurricane the schooner had been driven northwards no less than fifteen degrees. Far away, however, as she was from shore, the wind could hardly fail within ten days to carry her within sight of land; and then, if the storm had worn itself out, (as probably it would,) the "Pilgrim" would again hoist89 sail, and make her way into some port with safety. Anyhow, the discovery of his true position restored a spirit of confidence to Dick Sands, and he anticipated the time when he should no longer be drifting helplessly before the storm.
To say the truth, the "Pilgrim" had suffered very little from the prolonged fury of the weather. The damage she had sustained was limited to the loss of the topsail and the small jib, which could be easily replaced. The caulking90 of the seams remained thoroughly91 sound, and no drop of water had found its way into the hold. The pumps, too, were perfectly92 free. Dick Sands did not fear for the stability of his ship; his only anxiety was lest the weather should not moderate in time. Only let the wind subside93, and the schooner once more would be under his control; but he never forgot that the ordering of the winds and waves were in the hands of the Great Disposer of all.
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1
veered
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| v.（尤指交通工具）改变方向或路线( veer的过去式和过去分词 )；（指谈话内容、人的行为或观点）突然改变；（指风） （在北半球按顺时针方向、在南半球按逆时针方向）逐渐转向；风向顺时针转 | |
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2
attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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3
velocity
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| n.速度，速率 | |
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4
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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5
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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6
memorable
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| adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的 | |
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7
devastated
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| v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的 | |
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8
cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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9
mobility
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| n.可动性，变动性，情感不定 | |
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10
fore
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| adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部 | |
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11
contemplate
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| vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视 | |
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12
contemplated
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| adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式 | |
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13
hull
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| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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schooner
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| n.纵帆船 | |
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15
prodigiously
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| adv.异常地，惊人地，巨大地 | |
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literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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17
scudded
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| v.（尤指船、舰或云彩）笔直、高速而平稳地移动( scud的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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18
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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19
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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20
adroit
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| adj.熟练的，灵巧的 | |
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21
hazardous
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| adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的 | |
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22
lashed
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| adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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23
inevitably
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| adv.不可避免地；必然发生地 | |
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Founder
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| n.创始者，缔造者 | |
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25
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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curtailed
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| v.截断，缩短( curtail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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entreaty
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| n.恳求，哀求 | |
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frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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consternation
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| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
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31
slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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32
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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conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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34
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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35
ascertained
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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misgiving
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| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕 | |
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37
perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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insolently
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| adv.自豪地，自傲地 | |
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resolutely
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| adj.坚决地，果断地 | |
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40
sullenly
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| 不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地 | |
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41
irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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42
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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43
alteration
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| n.变更，改变；蚀变 | |
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44
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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45
motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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46
malevolence
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| n.恶意，狠毒 | |
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47
plausible
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| adj.似真实的，似乎有理的，似乎可信的 | |
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48
agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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49
allege
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| vt.宣称，申述，主张，断言 | |
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50
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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51
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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52
inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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53
peremptory
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| adj.紧急的，专横的，断然的 | |
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54
strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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55
abating
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| 减少( abate的现在分词 )； 减去； 降价； 撤消（诉讼） | |
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56
barometer
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| n.气压表，睛雨表，反应指标 | |
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57
steer
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| vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶 | |
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58
steering
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| n.操舵装置 | |
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59
constrained
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| adj.束缚的,节制的 | |
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60
incessant
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| adj.不停的，连续的 | |
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61
inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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62
misgivings
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| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕；疑虑，担心，恐惧( misgiving的名词复数 )；疑惧 | |
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63
deplored
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| v.悲叹，痛惜，强烈反对( deplore的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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64
chronic
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| adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的 | |
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65
vehemently
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| adv. 热烈地 | |
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66
leeward
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| adj.背风的；下风的 | |
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67
promontory
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| n.海角；岬 | |
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68
anticipations
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| 预期( anticipation的名词复数 )； 预测； （信托财产收益的）预支； 预期的事物 | |
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69
abreast
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| adv.并排地；跟上(时代)的步伐，与…并进地 | |
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70
saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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71
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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watchfulness
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| 警惕，留心； 警觉（性） | |
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conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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scrutinized
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| v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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waned
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| v.衰落( wane的过去式和过去分词 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡 | |
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awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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79
attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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80
speck
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| n.微粒，小污点，小斑点 | |
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81
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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82
scrutiny
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| n.详细检查，仔细观察 | |
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83
positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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84
interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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85
inexplicable
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| adj.无法解释的，难理解的 | |
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86
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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87
sanguine
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| adj.充满希望的，乐观的，血红色的 | |
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proximity
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| n.接近，邻近 | |
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hoist
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| n.升高，起重机，推动；v.升起，升高，举起 | |
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90
caulking
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| n.堵缝；敛缝；捻缝；压紧v.堵（船的）缝( caulk的现在分词 )；泥…的缝；填塞；使不漏水 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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subside
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| vi.平静，平息；下沉，塌陷，沉降 | |
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