Under the Waves: Diving in Deep Waters Part 14

"Who is going to make the venture?" she inquired of a man near her.

"The chief engineer, Miss, I believe."

At the moment the crowd opened and our hero came forward, clothed only in a s.h.i.+rt and duck trousers. His face was not streaked with professional paint on _this_ occasion. It beamed with the flush and the latent fire of one who feels that he has made up his mind deliberately to face death.

"Oh! It's the man with the handsome figure," gasped Lintie, with a wild look of surprise.

Aileen did not now require to be told who it was. Unlike heroines, she neither screamed nor fainted, but through the wonder which shone in her eyes she shot forth another look,--one of proud confidence,--which Edgar caught in pa.s.sing, and it rendered his power and purpose irresistible.

The stern work before him, however, was not compatible with soft emotions. Seizing the end of the light line which was ready, he tied it firmly round his waist and leaped into the raging sea, while an enthusiastic cheer burst from the crew.

At first it seemed as if the youth had been endowed with superhuman powers, so vigorously and with such ease did he push through the surf and spurn aside the pieces of wreck that came in his way; but as his distance from the vessel increased, and the surging foam bore him in among the rocks, he received several blows from a piece of the floating bulwarks. Once also he was launched with terrible violence against a rock. This checked him a little. Still, however, he swam on, apparently unhurt, while the people on board the wreck gazed after him with inexpressible eagerness. They not only thought of the imminent danger of the gallant youth, but fully realised the probability that his failure would be the sealing of their own doom.

As he drew near to the rocks on sh.o.r.e, a ma.s.s of wreck was seen to rise on the crest of the surf close to the swimmer's side and fall on him.

An irresistible cry of despair burst from those in the s.h.i.+p. Some one shouted to haul on the line and pull him on board, and several seamen sprang to do so, but the captain checked them, for through his gla.s.s he could see Edgar struggling to free himself from the wreck. In a few minutes he succeeded, and the next wave hurled him on the rocky sh.o.r.e, to which he clung until the retreating water had lost its power. Then he rose, and struggling upwards, gained a ledge of rock where he was safe from the violence of the waves.

It need scarcely be said that his success was hailed with three tremendous cheers, and not a few deep and fervent exclamations of "Thank G.o.d" from some who regarded the young engineer's safety as a foretaste of their own. Some there were, however, who knew that the work which yet remained to be done was fraught with danger as well as difficulty.

This work was commenced without delay.

By means of the light line which he had carried ash.o.r.e, Edgar hauled the two ends of a stouter line or small rope from the wreck. These two ends he quickly spliced together, thus making the rope an endless one, or, as seamen have it, an endless fall. The other loop, or bight, of this endless double-rope was retained on the wreck, having been previously rove through a block or pulley which was attached to the broken fore-mast about ten feet above the deck--in accordance with our "rocket apparatus" directions. In fact, the whole contrivance, got up so hastily at this time, was just an extemporised rocket apparatus without the rocket--Edgar having already performed the duty of that projectile, which is to effect communication between wreck and sh.o.r.e.

By means of the endless fall our hero now hauled a heavy rope or cable from the wreck, the end of which he fastened round a large boulder.

This rope, being hauled taut, remained suspended between the wreck and the cliffs some feet above the sea. Previous to fixing it a large block had been run upon it, and to this block was suspended one of those circular cork life-preservers which one usually sees attached to the bulwarks of s.h.i.+ps. It was made into a sort of bag by means of a piece of canvas. The endless fall was then attached to this bag so that it could travel with its block backwards and forwards on the thick cable.

The first who pa.s.sed from the wreck to the sh.o.r.e by means of this contrivance was a stout seaman with two very small children in charge.

The man was sent partly to give the pa.s.sengers confidence in the safety of the mode of transit, and partly that he might aid Edgar in the working of the tackle. The next who pa.s.sed was the mother of the children. Then followed Aileen, and after her the sweet singer. Thus, one by one, all the females and children on board were borne in safety to land.

After these the male pa.s.sengers commenced to go ash.o.r.e. A few of the older men were sent first. Among them was Mr Hazlit.

The unfortunate merchant was so weak as to be scarcely equal to the exertion of getting over the side into the life-buoy or bag, and he was so tall that, despite the efforts he made to double himself together, there was so much of him above the machine that he had a tendency to topple over. This would have mattered nothing if he had possessed even a moderate degree of power to hold on, but his hands were as weak as those of a child. However, the case being desperate, he made the attempt, and was sent away from the wreck with many earnest cautions to "hold on tight and keep cool."

You may be sure that his progress was watched with intense anxiety by Aileen, who stood close to Edgar as he hauled in the rope carefully.

"Oh! He will fall out," she cried in an agony as the rope dipped a little, and let him just touch the roaring surf, when he was somewhat more than half way over.

Edgar saw that her fears were not unlikely to be realised. He therefore gave the rope to the seaman who had first come ash.o.r.e, with orders to haul steadily.

Owing to its position and the dipping of the life-buoy with its burden, the cable formed a pretty steep slope from the sh.o.r.e. Throwing himself on the cable, Edgar slid swiftly down this incline until stopped by the buoy. The effect of course was to sink the machine deeper than ever, insomuch that poor Mr Hazlit, unable any longer to withstand the buffeting, threw up his arms with a cry of despair. Edgar caught him as he was falling over.

"Here, put your arms round my neck," he cried, struggling violently to fix himself firmly to the life-buoy.

The merchant obeyed instantly, giving the youth an embrace such as he had never expected to receive at his hands! Even in that moment of danger and anxiety, Edgar could not help smiling at the gaze of unutterable wonder which Mr Hazlit cast on him through the salt water-- if not tears--that filled his eyes, for he had not seen the youth when he jumped overboard.

"Haul away!" shouted our hero; but the words were stifled by a sea which at the moment overwhelmed them.

The man at the line, however, knew what to do. He and some of the pa.s.sengers hauled steadily but swiftly on the line, and in a few seconds the buoy, with its double freight, was brought safe to land. Mr Hazlit was carried at once by his rescuer to a recess in the cliffs which was partially protected from the storm, and Edgar, after doing what he could to place him comfortably on the ground, left him to the care of his daughter.

On his return to the beach he found the pa.s.sengers who had been saved in a state of great alarm because of the slipping backwards of the wreck, which strained the cable so much that it had become as rigid as a bar of iron. He began, therefore, to ply the means of rescue with redoubled energy, for there were still some of the pa.s.sengers and all the crew on board; but suddenly, while the buoy was being sent out for another freight, the cable snapt, the wreck slid off the shelf or ledge on which it had hung so long, and sank in deep water, leaving nothing save a momentary whirlpool in the surf to tell where the splendid ocean palace had gone down.

The horror that filled the minds of those who witnessed the catastrophe cannot be described. A feeling of dreary desolation and helplessness followed the sudden cessation of violent energy and hopeful toil in which most of them had been previously engaged. This was in some degree changed, if not relieved, by the necessity which lay on all to lace the vicissitudes of their new position.

That these were neither few nor light soon became apparent, for Edgar and the seaman, after an hour's investigation, returned to their friends with the information that they had been cast on a small rocky islet, which was uninhabited, and contained not a vestige of wood or of anything that could sustain the life of man. Thus they were left without shelter or food, or the means of quitting the inhospitable spot--not, however, without hope, for one of the seamen said that he knew it to be an isle lying not very far from the mainland, and that it was almost certain to be pa.s.sed ere long by s.h.i.+ps or native boats.

On further search, too, a spring of fresh water was discovered, with sufficient gra.s.s growing near it to make comfortable beds for the women and children. The gra.s.s was spread under the shelter of an overhanging cliff, and as the weather was warm, though stormy, the feelings of despair that had at first overwhelmed young and old soon began to abate.

During the day the gale decreased and a hot sun came out at intervals, enabling them to dry their soaking garments.

That night, taking Edgar aside, Mr Hazlit thanked him warmly for preserving his life.

"But," said he, seriously, "forgive me if I at once broach a painful subject, and point out that our positions are not changed by this disaster. Much though I love my life I love my daughter's happiness more, and I would rather die than allow her to marry--excuse me, Mr Berrington--a penniless man. Of course," continued the merchant, with a sad smile as he looked around him, "it would be ridiculous as well as ungrateful were I to forbid your holding ordinary converse with her _here_, but I trust to your honour that nothing more than _ordinary_ converse shall pa.s.s between you."

"My dear sir," replied the youth, "you greatly mistake my spirit if you imagine that I would for one moment take advantage of the position in which I am now placed. I thank G.o.d for having permitted me to be the means of rendering aid to you and Ai--your daughter. Depend upon it I will not give you reason to regret having trusted my honour. But," (he hesitated here) "you have referred to my position. If, in time and through G.o.d's goodness, I succeed in improving my position; in gaining by industry a sufficiency of this world's pelf to maintain Aileen in a condition of comfort approaching in some degree that in which she has been brought up, may I hope--may I--"

Mr Hazlit took the young man's hand and said, "You may;" but he said it sadly, and with a look that seemed to imply that he had no expectation of Edgar ever attaining to the required position.

Satisfied with the shake of the hand, our hero turned abruptly away, and went off to ruminate by the sea-sh.o.r.e. At first he was filled with hope; then, as he thought of his being penniless and without influential friends, and of the immense amount of money that would have to be made in order to meet the wealthy merchant's idea of comfort, he began to despair. Presently the words came to his mind--"Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pa.s.s." This revived him, and he began to run over in his mind all sorts of wild plans of making a huge fortune quickly! Again a word came to him--"Make not haste to be rich."

"But what _is_ making haste?" he thought, and his conscience at once replied, "Taking illegitimate courses--venturesome speculation without means--devotion of the soul and body to business in such a way as to demoralise the one and deteriorate the other--engaging in the pursuit of wealth hastily and with eager anxieties, which imply that you doubt G.o.d's promise to direct and prosper all works committed to Him."

"My plan, then," thought Edgar, "is to maintain a calm and trusting mind; to be diligent in fulfilling _present_ duty, whatever that may be; to look about for the direction that is promised, and take prompt advantage of any clear opportunity that offers. G.o.d helping me, I'll try."

Strong in his resolves, but, happily, stronger in his trust, he returned to the cavern in which his companions in misfortune had already laid them down to rest, and throwing himself on a bed of gra.s.s near the entrance, quickly fell into that profound slumber which is the perquisite of those who unite a healthy mind to a sound body.

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

TELLS OF BOLD PLANS, FOLLOWED BY BOLDER DEEDS.

Months pa.s.sed away, and Miss Pritty, sitting in her little boudoir sipping a cup of that which cheers, received a letter.

"I know that hand, of course I do. How strange it is there should be such a variety of hands--no two alike, just like faces; though for my part I think that some faces are quite alike, so much so that there are one or two people who are always mistaken for each other, so that people don't know which is which. Dear me! What an awful thing it would be if these people were so like that each should forget which was the other!

n.o.body else being able to put them right, there would be irretrievable confusion. What do you want, eh?"

The first part of Miss Pritty's mutterances was a soliloquy; the query was addressed to her small and only domestic with the dishevelled head, who lingered at the door from motives of curiosity.

"Nothink, ma'am. Do you wish me to wait, ma'am?"

"No;--go."

She went, and Miss Pritty, opening the letter, exclaimed, "From my nephew, Edgar! I knew it. Dear fellow! I wonder why he writes to me."

The letter ran as follows:--

"Dear Aunt,--You will doubtless be surprised to receive a letter from me. It must be brief; the post leaves in an hour. Since I saw you we have had a charming voyage out, but at the last we ran on a rocky island off the coast of China, and became a total wreck in a few minutes."

At this point Miss Pritty gasped "oh!" and fainted--at least she went into a perfect semblance of the state of coma, but as she recovered suddenly, and appealed to the letter again with intense earnestness, it may have been something else that was the matter. She resumed her perusal:--

"We succeeded in getting a hawser on sh.o.r.e, by means of which, through G.o.d's mercy, nearly all the pa.s.sengers were saved, including, of course, your friend Miss Hazlit and her father. It is mournful to have to add, however, that before the work was finished the wreck slipped into deep water and sank with all her crew on board. We remained only one day on the rock, when a pa.s.sing s.h.i.+p observed our signals, took us off, and carried us safely into Hong-Kong.

"Mr Hazlit and his daughter immediately left for--I know not where!