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Updated: June 8, 2025
If there were any others, they had wisely stowed themselves away at the bottom of the boat, to be more out of the reach of the enemy's shot. The breeze, though fresh, was not too strong to permit of her carrying her whole sail, and she flew rapidly before it; but the mistico went still faster, and, as Bill Hawkins, the captain of the fore-top, observed
The ship was sinking rapidly; the water had risen to the fore-top; the poop and forecastle were completely submerged; the top of the bowsprit had disappeared, and only the three mast-tops projected from the waves.
Once or twice, when our bullocks failed, and we were obliged to make a meal upon dry bread and water, it seemed like feeding upon shavings. Light and dry, feeling unsatisfied, and, at the same time, full, we were glad to see four quarters of a bullock, just killed, swinging from the fore-top.
I could see that the old fellow himself was a good deal affected, though his spirit, and the risks he ran, kept him in motion, and vigilantly on the watch. It was necessary to seem to do something; and I sent the negroes up into the fore-top, to get the top sail-yard in its place, and the sail set. This occupied another hour, before we were entirely through, when the land was getting nearly awash.
"I think we had better let the old fellow suppose it's a woman don't you, sir? But what shall we call ourselves?" "Why, I will be a sort of agent for ships, an you shall be a captain." "A captain! Mr Keene." "Yes; a captain, who has had a ship, and expects another. Why, you were a captain of the fore-top before you were rated coxswain."
"There bes four strong lads kilt in one day!" some one had cried. "The black curse bes on us! The divil bes in it!" Full of liquor, fear and general madness, they had come to the opinion that the strange young female whom the skipper had saved from the fore-top and carried to his house was such an imp of darkness as had never before blighted the life and luck of Chance Along.
There were only a few masses of low ice floating about in various directions. The wind was steady, but light, and seemed as if it would speedily fall altogether. Soon after, the sun broke out in cloudless splendour, and the wind fell entirely, leaving the ocean in a dead calm. "Let's go to the fore-top, Tom," said Fred, seizing his friend by the arm, and hastening to the shrouds.
I thought of Rupert and the fore-top in an instant, and looked anxiously down on deck to ascertain if he were injured. "Fore-top, there!" called out Captain Digges. "Where did that shot strike?" "In the mast-head," answered Rupert, in a clear, firm voice. "It has done no damage, sir." "Now's your time, Captain Robbing give 'em a reminder."
We were lounging on deck watching the sunset, and occupied with our thoughts, when suddenly there was a cry from the "look out" in the main fore-top which created an instantaneous and marvellous scene of activity on board.
But even the dullest of them saw that he neither drove, cursed nor threatened Bill Brennen, Nick Leary or any of the men who had kept out of the mutiny. Most of the stuff that was salvaged was put in the new store, but a few hundreds of pounds of it were carried to the harbor. During these two days the skipper did not once set eyes on the girl he had saved from the fore-top.
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