Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: June 22, 2025
Kear was lying sense- less on one of the hen-coops, with Miss Herbey sitting pas- sively at her side; M. Letourneur held his son tightly clasped to his bosom. I saw Falsten calmly consult his watch, and note down the time in his memorandum-book, but I was far from sharing his composure, for I was overcome by a nervous agitation that I could not suppress.
Kear, "just please to know that I don't want to stay forever on your everlasting ship, so I beg you will make haste and start off again." Curtis condescended to make no other reply than a shrug of the shoulders, and turning away he informed M. Letour- neur and myself that if the sun came out he intended to take its altitude and find out to what part of the ocean we had been driven.
Kear, who had been for some time in a state of drowsy unconsciousness, was not informed of the immediate danger, but when Miss Herbey, looking somewhat pale with fatigue, paid one of her flying visits to the deck, I warned her to take every precaution for herself and to be ready for any emergency. "Thank you, doctor, I am always ready," she cheerfully replied, and returned to her duties below.
The pas- sengers too are now, with good cause, beginning to murmur at the length of the voyage, and Mr. Kear, who considers that the very elements ought to yield to his convenience, lets the captain know by his consequential and haughty manner that he holds him responsible for the delay.
Long jets of fire darted across the hatchways, and we were forced to take refuge on the taffrail at the extreme end of the poop. Mrs. Kear was laid in the whale-boat that hung from the stern, Miss Herbey persisting to the last in retaining her post by her side. No pen could adequately portray the horrors of this fearful night.
Incredible as it may seem, Falsten remained the same as ever, occupying himself with writing down figures and memoranda in his pocket-book. Mrs. Kear, in spite of all that Miss Herbey could do for her, was evidently dying. With regard to the sailors, two or three of them were calm enough, but the rest had well-nigh lost their wits.
"She's gone adrift, then!" And sure enough the whale-boat was no longer hanging from the bowsprit; and in a moment the discovery was made that Mr. Kear, Silas Huntly, and three sailors, a Scotchman and two Englishmen, were missing.
Kear, prostrate with fever, could not touch a mouthful; and nothing could be done by Miss Herbey to relieve her, beyond occasionally moistening her parched lips. The unfortunate lady suffers greatly, and sometimes I am inclined to think that she will succumb to the exposure and privation.
Notwithstanding that the "Chancellor" was at a distance from the rocks that insured her from any danger of being injured by the explosion, it was thought advisable that the passengers and crew should take refuge in the grotto at the extremity of the reef, and even Mr. Kear, in spite of his many objections, was forced to leave the ship.
So enraged were they at the dastardly trick of which they had been made the dupes, that if chance should bring the deserters again on board I should be sorry to answer for the consequences. In accordance with my advice, Mrs. Kear has not been informed of her husband's disappearance.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking