Ned Garth Part 8

He had fallen in among the struggling Arabs and blacks. Ned caught sight of him for a moment, and was springing forward to help him out from their midst, when the stern of the dhow lifted. Stone launched the canoe and leaped into her, shouting to his young officer to join him, while he paddled with a piece of board clear of the sinking vessel. Ned seeing that c.o.x had managed to reach the side, sprang overboard, his example being followed by the latter, as well as by the young Arab who had remained aft. Before any of the rest of the crew had extricated themselves, the dhow, plunging her head into the sea, rapidly glided downwards, and in an instant the despairing cries of the peris.h.i.+ng wretches which had filled the air were silenced. Stone, influenced by the natural desire of saving his own life, paddled away with might and main to escape being drawn down in the vortex. Ned had also struck out bravely, though he had to exert all his swimming powers to escape. For an instant he cast a glance back; the dhow had disappeared with all those on board; c.o.x was nowhere to be seen; he caught sight, however, of the young Arab, who, having clutched hold of a piece of bamboo, had come to the surface, but was evidently no swimmer.

"I must try and save that poor fellow," he thought. "I can manage to keep him afloat until the canoe gets up to us." Ned carried out his intention. On reaching the young Arab he made a sign to him to turn on his back, placing the piece of bamboo under him. Just then he heard a faint shout--it came from c.o.x, who had returned to the surface, though, like the Arab, unable to swim.

"Save me, save me!" shouted c.o.x, who was clinging to a log of wood.

Stone heard him, and Ned saw the head of the canoe turned towards where the seaman was struggling.

"Pick him up first!" he shouted to Stone. "I can keep this man afloat until you come to us."

With only a board to impel the canoe, it took Stone a considerable time to reach his messmate, whom it was then no easy matter to get into the canoe without upsetting her. While Stone was thus employed, Ned did his uttermost to calm the fears of the young Arab, who, besides being unable to swim, probably recollected that sharks abounded in those seas, and dreaded lest he and the Englishman might be attacked by one. Ned thought only of one thing, that he had to keep himself and a fellow-creature afloat until the canoe should come up to them. As to how they should get on board, he did not allow himself to think just then. She was scarcely large enough to hold four people, though she might possibly support the whole party until Rhymer could send the boat to pick them up. Ned, withdrawing his eyes from poor c.o.x, who was clinging to his log, and shouting to his messmate to make haste, looked towards the dhow of which Rhymer was in chase. She had hoisted her sail, and should the breeze continue, would very probably get away, unless Rhymer, by killing or wounding some of her crew, could make the others give in. He, it was pretty clear, was so eagerly engaged in pursuing the chase, that he had not seen the dhow go down. The boat's crew, however, must have perceived what had happened; and Ned thought it strange that he did not at once return to try and save him and his two men.

"Perhaps he fancies that we are all lost, and that there would be no use in coming to look after us. If he catches the dhow, however, I hope that he will send back the boat, on the chance of any of us having escaped," thought Ned. He could see the sails of the corvette, and an occasional shot told him that she was still firing at the slavers. She was already almost hull down, and the catastrophe could not have been discovered from her deck, while the eyes of the look-outs aloft were probably fixed on the dhows still trying to escape. Still Ned did not give up hopes of being rescued, but continued energetically treading water, and speaking in as cheerful a tone as he could command to keep up the spirits of the young Arab.

"Me understand, t'ankee, t'ankee," said the latter at last.

Still Stone could make but slow progress, and Ned began to fear that his own strength might become exhausted before the canoe could reach him.

He was truly thankful when at last he saw that Stone had got hold of c.o.x, and was dragging him on board. Just at that moment, however, to his horror, he caught sight of a dark fin above the surface; that it was that of a shark he knew too well. He must do his utmost to keep the monster at a distance. He shouted, and splashed the water with his disengaged hand.

"Be quick, be quick, Stone!" he cried. "Do you see that brute?"

"Aye, aye, sir, I see him; but he'll not come nigh you while you're splas.h.i.+ng about, and the canoe is too big a morsel for him to attack.

Now, Ben," he cried, turning to his messmate, "haul yourself on board while I keep at the other end of the canoe, it is the safest plan."

But poor c.o.x was too much exhausted by his violent struggles to do as he was advised, and at last Stone had to help him, at the risk of upsetting the canoe or bringing her bow under the water. By lying flat along he succeeded, however, at last in hauling his s.h.i.+pmate's shoulders over the bows. He then returned to the stern, when Ben, by great exertion, managed to drag himself in. This done, Stone endeavoured as fast as he could to get up to Ned. As Stone paddled, he sung out, "I'm afraid it's of no use trying to keep that Arab fellow above water; you must let him go, for the canoe won't hold us all."

"Not while I have life and strength to help him," answered Ned. "Do not be afraid," he added, turning to the Arab, who understood what Stone had said. "The canoe may support us even though she is brought down to the gunwale; and if she can't, I'll keep outside and hold on until Mr Rhymer's boat comes back, or the corvette sends to look for us."

"But the shark!" cried Stone; "the brute may be grabbing you if you remain quiet even for a minute."

"I don't intend to remain quiet," said Ned. "Here, lift the Arab in.

I'll help you--it can be done." There certainly was a great risk of the canoe upsetting in doing as Ned proposed. c.o.x, however, leaned over on the opposite side, and they at length succeeded in getting the Arab on board. The gunwale of the canoe was scarcely a couple of inches above the water; a slight ripple would have filled her, but the sea was so smooth that there was no fear of that happening. Ned, directing the men how to place themselves, was at last drawn safely on board. His additional weight brought the canoe almost flush with the water. They were, however, certainly better off in her than in the water; but at any moment, with the slightest increase of wind, she might fill and sink beneath them, and they would again be left to struggle for their lives.

Ned was afraid of moving, and urged his companions to remain perfectly still.

"Look out, Stone; what is the dhow about? Mr Rhymer will surely soon be sending the boat to our relief--he must have seen our craft go down."

"Not so sure of that; he'll not trouble himself about us," muttered Stone. "If you were there, you'd do it; all officers are not alike."

Ned was afraid that the seaman might be right, but he did not express an opinion on the subject. Their position was, indeed, a trying one. The sun struck down with intense heat on their heads, while they had not a particle of food to satisfy their hunger, nor a drop of fresh water to quench their burning thirst. The breeze had sprung up, and every now and then a ripple broke over the gunwale, even though Stone kept the canoe before the wind.

"If we had a couple of paddles, we might gain on the corvette; but I'm afraid of using this bit of board, for fear of taking the water in on one side or the other," said Stone.

"Do not attempt it," answered Ned; "we should not overtake her unless it should fall calm again, and the commander will surely come and look for us."

"Provided Mr Rhymer doesn't tell him we are all lost," remarked Stone, who had evidently little confidence in the old mate.

Hour after hour went by, the boat was nowhere to be seen, and the dhows'

sails had sunk beneath the horizon. Night was approaching, and as far as the occupants of the canoe could judge, no help was at hand. Ned endeavoured, as well as he could, to keep up the spirits of his companions.

The wind remained light, and the sea was as smooth as a mill-pond. The approaching darkness so far brought relief that they were no longer exposed to the burning rays of the sun, while the cooler air of night greatly relieved them. As the day had pa.s.sed by, so it appeared probable would the night, without bringing them succour. Ben and the Arab slept, but Ned was too anxious to close his eyes, and Stone insisted on keeping a look-out, on the chance of any vessel pa.s.sing which might take them on board. Even an Arab dhow would be welcome, for the Arabs would doubtless be willing to receive them on board for the sake of obtaining a reward for preserving their lives. At last the Arab, whose head was resting on Ned's side, awoke. He appeared to be in a very weak state, and told Ned, in his broken English, that he thought he was dying.

"Try and keep alive until to-morrow morning," said Ned; "by that time our s.h.i.+p will be looking for us, and as they know where we were left, we are sure to be seen."

Ned had been calculating that it was about two hours to dawn, when, in spite of his efforts to keep awake, he found his head dropping back on Ben's legs, and he was soon fast asleep. How long he had been lost in forgetfulness he could not tell, when he heard Stone give a loud hail.

"What is that?" asked Ned, lifting up his head. "I heard voices and a splash of oars, sir," he answered; "they were a long way off, and, I fancied, pa.s.sed to the southward."

"Silence, then," said Ned; "we will listen for their reply."

No answering hail came, and he feared that Stone must have been mistaken; again he listened. "Yes, those were human voices and the dip of oars in the water. We'll shout together. Rouse yourself, c.o.x," he said.

Ben sat up, and, Stone leading, they shouted together at the top of their voices, the young Arab joining them. Again they were silent, but no answer came. "If that is a boat, they surely must have heard us,"

observed Ned.

"They may be talking themselves, sir, or the noise of their oars prevented them," remarked Stone.

"We'll shout again, then," said Ned.

Again they shouted, this time louder than before. They waited a few seconds, almost afraid to breathe, and then there came across the water a British cheer, sounding faintly in the distance.

"Hurrah! hurrah! All right, sir!" cried Stone. They shouted several times after this to guide the boat towards them. At length they could see her emerging from the gloom; but no one on board her had apparently seen the canoe, for, from the speed the boat was going and the course she was steering, she was evidently about to pa.s.s them.

"Boat ahoy!" shouted Stone. "Here we are, but take care not to run us down."

The boat's course was altered; they soon heard a voice, it was that of Charley Meadows, crying out, "There is something floating ahead of us, a raft or a sunken boat."

"Meadows ahoy!" hailed Ned. "Come carefully alongside." The oars were thrown in, and the boat glided up to the canoe.

"Why, Ned, Ned! I am so thankful that I have found you," cried Charley, as he grasped the hand of his messmate after he had been helped on board.

"There is a poor Arab, take care of him, for he is pretty far gone already," said Ned.

"Water, water," murmured the Arab faintly.

There was fortunately a breaker in the boat, and before many words were exchanged some of the refres.h.i.+ng liquid was served out to Ned and his companions. Except a few biscuits there was nothing to eat, but even these soaked in water served to refresh the well-nigh famished party.

Charley then explained that the corvette, having captured three of the dhows, all with slaves on board, had hove to for the purpose of transferring their cargoes to her deck; and that while so occupied, Rhymer had arrived with a fourth, several of the Arab crew having been wounded in attempting to get away. "The commander seeing you were not on board, inquired what had become of you, when Rhymer, with very little concern, replied that he feared you all had gone to the bottom with the dhow, as his boat's crew a.s.serted that they had seen her founder. The commander was very indignant at his not having gone back at once to try and pick you up, should you by any means have escaped. He immediately ordered off three boats--the second lieutenant going in one, Rhymer in another, while he gave me charge of the third. What has become of the other two boats I do not know; perhaps they thought that they had come far enough and have gone back, as I confess I was on the point of doing when I heard your hail. We shall soon, I hope, fall in with the s.h.i.+p, for she is sure to beat back over the ground until she has picked us up."

"I shall be thankful to get on board for the sake of this poor Arab, who requires the doctor's care," said Ned.

"Why, isn't he one of the slaver's crew?" exclaimed Charley. "An arrant rogue, I dare say."

"I don't know about that, but I saved his life," answered Ned, "and I feel an interest in him; he seems grateful too, as far as I can judge."

He then asked the Arab, who was sitting near him, whether he would have some more water, and handed him the cup, which was full.

"T'ankee, t'ankee!" answered the Arab; "much t'ankee!" Ned then gave him some more sopped biscuit.

"What's his name?" inquired Charley. "Ask him, as he seems to speak English."