Owen Hartley; or, Ups and Downs Part 25

He took his messmate's hand, who returned the pressure he gave, but gradually the fingers relaxed. Langton and Owen bent over him; ere another minute had pa.s.sed he was dead.

"Poor fellow!" said Langton. "Although he was no favourite of mine, I am truly sorry."

"So am I," said Owen; "and I heartily forgive him for the way in which he used to treat me. He has been making a strange confession to me, and has been telling me that, I am the rightful heir to the t.i.tle and property his brother at present possesses. I do not think he was wandering, as he seemed so very certain about the matter; but I should have been glad if you had been awake to hear him."

"He may or may not have spoken the truth," said Langton; "but before you can benefit by the information you have received, we must get home. It seems more than doubtful whether we shall ever reach the sh.o.r.e."

Langton and Owen were unwilling to throw their messmate overboard, for they had nothing to sink the body.

"We must try and carry it to the sh.o.r.e and give it burial," said Langton.

Owen was perfectly ready to do this, though when they should reach the sh.o.r.e was a question.

Hour after hour the calm continued. Often they could scarcely bear the heat. Langton, who took the command, served out a small piece of melon at a time, which somewhat alleviated their thirst, while the biscuits-- though wetted by the water, which had got into the cask--satisfied their hunger.

At length, towards evening, a breeze from the northward sprang up. The sail was hoisted, and by means of a paddle on either side they managed to steer the raft.

"We are making nearly two knots an hour," said Owen, as the breeze freshened. "During the night we shall, I hope, reach the island to the southward."

"That depends on what currents me encounter, or whether the wind continues," answered Langton; "I would rather get up to the sh.o.r.e at daylight when we may choose a place for landing."

The raft required all their attention, for the sail being large it might in a moment have been upset. Nat was stationed at the halyards, and Mike at the sheet, while Langton and Owen steered. Darkness came on, but the breeze continued. They appeared to have made good progress.

The fear was that the wind might increase still more. Langton thought it prudent to reef the sail. Scarcely had they done so than a squall came over the water, and sent the raft flying along at a far more rapid rate than it had hitherto moved. The wind, however, soon again dropped, and the raft moved on as slowly as before. The night became unusually dark, the sky was obscured, and it was impossible to ascertain in what direction the raft was drifting. The party on it could only hope that it was continuing on the same course as before, still it was possible that it might be drifting out through either of the channels to the right or left, and that they might miss the island which they had hoped to reach. Mike and Nat kept up their spirits.

"If it was not for poor Mr Ashurst I'd be afther singing yer a stave to prevent you from getting down-hearted," exclaimed Mike, "though it would not do just now, lest the poor young gintleman might be thinking we were afther wakin' him."

"No, pray do not sing," said Owen; "it would be more sensible to pray for a.s.sistance, for we must admit it is very little we can do to help ourselves."

During the night they satisfied their hunger with the biscuits, reserving the fruit for the time when the hot sun would increase their thirst. Langton persuaded Owen, who had hitherto not slept, to lie down and take some rest. He was glad to do this, indeed at times he could scarcely keep his eyes open. He was awakened by an exclamation from Mike--

"Arrah! now, how's the land got out there?"

He started up, as did Langton, who had also fallen asleep, and on looking to the eastward he saw two islands, between which the raft must have drifted some distance astern, a strong current having carried them through the pa.s.sage at a faster rate than they had supposed possible.

It was a bitter disappointment. Unless the wind should come from the west they could not hope to make either of the islands, as they would, at all events, have the current against them.

"What do you recommend, Langton?" asked Owen.

"We must wait and see what will next happen," answered Langton. "In case we should be kept out much longer we must economise our provisions.

I have no other fear for the present, unless the weather should change."

"We can put our trust in G.o.d; we know that He orders everything for the best," said Owen.

They ate a little more biscuit, which was divided in equal shares. Each took a small portion of fruit. Owen and Langton were looking towards Ashurst's body.

"We shall not get in in time to bury it after all," observed Langton; "we must give him a sailor's grave." It was time, indeed, to do so.

"Before we launch the poor fellow overboard let us see what things he has about him," said Langton.

He took a ring off Ashurst's finger as he spoke. His watch and several smaller articles were found in his pockets.

"Here, Hartley, you had better take care of these," he said, "as they may be of value to you in some way or other, or you can return them to his nearest kin, whom you are more likely to meet than I am. Come, Coffey, lend a hand here," continued Langton, and between them, taking up the body of the young officer, they allowed it to slip overboard.

Greatly to Owen's satisfaction it sank immediately.

"Poor fellow," said Langton again, "I should have been truly thankful had he lived."

Almost immediately after this a breeze sprang up, but it came off the land and drove the raft further and further away. They were all silent for some minutes, their position was becoming truly critical. Langton at length got up and looked about him.

"I see land away to the west. I believe that we shall reach it much sooner than we can hope to do that to the eastward if we hoist our sail and take advantage of the breeze."

To this proposal Owen agreed, and the sail being set the raft glided rapidly over the water. Still, after going some distance, only the dim outline of the land towards which they were steering could be distinguished. All that they knew about it was that it must be one of the Sooloo Archipelago, and that most of those islands were inhabited by a savage race addicted to piracy.

These might, however, treat them kindly, though it was more possible that they would keep them in slavery. As they were running before the breeze the wind a.s.sisted but little to temper the rays of the sun which beat down on their heads. Their thirst increased, it was with difficulty that they could refrain from consuming the last remnants of their fruit. Langton, however, gave out only a very small piece at a time, which helped to moisten their throats and tongues, though it did little more. At the rate they were going, even should the breeze continue, it would take nearly the whole of the day to reach the land.

Since the morning they had, however, undoubtedly neared it.

"We must hope for a bright night," said Owen, "and we shall then be able to steer by the stars, although we may not see the land."

When the sun went down Langton calculated that they were still nearly fifteen miles off. By this time their thirst became excessive. They had a little biscuit remaining, but the last piece of fruit had been divided among them. They hoped by next morning, at all events, to have got in close to the land, should the breeze not fail. They scarcely dared to contemplate their position should they be exposed another day to the hot sun on the raft without water.

Owen and Langton agreed to keep watch and watch, the former taking Mike and the latter Nat. For two or three hours after sunset the breeze continued to blow steadily, and the cool night air greatly restored their strength. The sky was clear and the stars shone brightly. They had taken the bearings of the land, and had no fear of not keeping to their proper course.

It was Owen's watch, the raft had been gliding on briskly, when suddenly the sail gave a flap against the mast, and then hung down motionless.

"Let go the halyards!" he sang out. Before this could be done the sail was taken aback. Owen sprang forward to a.s.sist Mike in lowering it.

Greatly was he disappointed to find the wind blow directly from the sh.o.r.e, and all hope of further progress, unless it should again change, denied them. He called up Langton, who at a glance perceived what had happened.

"We must get out the paddles and work away during the cool of the night," he said. "Perhaps some current may be setting towards the sh.o.r.e and a.s.sist us."

The proposal was at once adopted. All night they paddled on until their arms ached. Though sure that they were on their right course the land could not be seen. Morning again came, when bitter was their disappointment to find themselves still a long way from it.

A sigh escaped Langton. "It cannot be helped; it is G.o.d's will, we must submit," he said. "Perhaps a breeze will again spring up." There was nothing to be done; not a particle of fruit, not a biscuit remained.

Langton did not express his apprehensions to his younger companions, but the dreadful thought forced itself upon him that they would all perish.

He knew that they could not without water endure another day exposed to the rays of the sun. Hour after hour pa.s.sed, the land within five or six miles of them, and yet without the means of reaching it.

Evidently a current, instead of setting them towards the land, was sweeping them away from it. In vain they tried to paddle against the current, they had at length to give up the contest.

Collected around the platform in various att.i.tudes they waited on. Mike and Nat had thrown themselves down at full length. Owen, unwilling to succ.u.mb, still sat upright, occasionally getting on his feet to look about, but as the fever in his veins increased he felt his strength diminish. Langton sat near him with his arms folded, resigned to his fate; he had done his utmost, he felt he could do no more. The day wore on. Owen cast his eyes around the horizon in the hopes that some help would come. Even a Malay proa, manned by pirates, would have been welcomed. Savage as they might be they would scarcely allow four human beings to perish thus miserably.

Owen had been sitting for some time without moving. He felt that he scarcely had strength to rise again.

"I must get another look-out," he said to Langton. He stood up on the platform, holding by the mast. He had not been there many seconds when he exclaimed--

"A breeze from the eastward!"

A dark line was seen suddenly advancing over the s.h.i.+ning ocean, it increased in width, the whole surface became rippled with tiny wavelets.

The sail blew out, the raft glided on more rapidly than it had hitherto done. The comparatively fresh air restored strength to the almost exhausted occupants of the raft. The sh.o.r.e rose before them, and their eyes were gladdened by a bright cascade falling over the rocks, and in a bubbling stream making its way to the ocean. How intensely they longed to reach the land! A small bay opened out before them, towards which Langton steered the raft, until at last it grounded on the smooth sandy beach.

Langton and Owen, who were the strongest, a.s.sisted their companions to land. They could do no more. While Mike and Nat sank down on the ground, unable to move further, they crawled rather than walked on towards the waterfall. In a few minutes, though it seemed a long time to them, the stream came in sight. Even then, with difficulty, they could reach it. Stretching themselves out, with their hands in the cool water, they eagerly drank the refres.h.i.+ng fluid, which seemed to put new life into them. They rose to their feet. They had not forgotten their companions. How was the water to be carried? They had neither hats nor shoes. On the beach lay several large sh.e.l.ls. They selected two, which appeared perfectly clean, and filling them with water hurried back to where they had left Mike and Nat.

The former was making signals, and pointing to the boy, who appeared to be unconscious. Owen put the water to his lips, and sprinkled his face.