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Updated: June 20, 2025
The second mate was aloft, and the third mate and myself were painting the quarter-boat, which hung by the davits, so he betook himself to us; but we looked at each other, and the officer was too busy to say a word. From us, he went to one and another of the crew, but the joke had got before him, and he found everybody busy and silent.
He turned to the deck-house, where the children were sound asleep, and where, in a few minutes, he, too, was sound asleep beside them, whilst all night long the brig rocked to the gentle swell of the Pacific, and the breeze blew, bringing with it the perfume of flowers. When the fog lifted after midnight the people in the long-boat saw the quarter-boat half a mile to starboard of them.
"The ship's on fire; we are waiting for another ship." "Where's the other ship?" asked the child, looking round at the horizon that was clear. "We can't see it yet," replied the unhappy man, "but it will come." The long-boat and the quarter-boat were slowly approaching.
Moisture dripped from yards and canvas, and it was impossible for the eye to penetrate to either rail. Fortunately there was no weight of sea running, and the bark swung gently, still retaining steerage-way, but with not wind enough aloft to flap the sails. The silence and gloom was most depressing. "Is there a hand at the wheel, Watkins?" "No sir; it's lashed." "And the quarter-boat?"
The long-boat was leading by a good way. When she was within hailing distance the captain's voice came. "Dinghy ahoy!" "Ahoy!" "Fetch alongside here!" The long-boat ceased rowing to wait for the quarter-boat that was slowly creeping up. She was a heavy boat to pull at all times, and now she was overloaded.
Come, hurry up, the smother is coming down on us fast. Ahoy!" to the quarter-boat, "hurry up, hurry up." The quarter-boat had suddenly vanished. Mr Lestrange climbed into the long-boat. Paddy pushed the dinghy a few yards away with the tip of a scull, and then lay on his oars waiting. "Ahoy! ahoy!" cried Le Farge. "Ahoy!" came from the fog bank.
"Now, if I may advise, what I would suggest is this. Let me have the quarter-boat and four hands. I will go down to the wreck and bring off anybody who may be upon it, and if it falls dark before we return, hoist a lantern to the peak, as a guide to us, and we shall then have no difficulty in finding the brig." The mate considered for a moment. Then
"Yes, we're going to mamma, now that is," he added to himself; "if that clause in the prayer is considered." Fifteen minutes later as he watched the approach of a white quarter-boat, he muttered: "That bark was there half a mile back in this wind before I thought of praying. Is that prayer answered? Is she safe?"
He hoisted his mainsail and threw rapidly ahead, with a slight bearing to windward, and dismounted a carronade and stove in the ship's quarter-boat, by way of a parting kick. The men hurled a contemptuous cheer after him; they thought they had beaten him off. But Dodd knew better.
I cannot expect that any one reading this, if any one ever should read it, will sympathise with my feelings, or realise the effect which it produced upon me at the time. Supper was over, and I had gone on deck to have a quiet pipe before turning in. The night was very dark so dark that, standing under the quarter-boat, I was unable to see the officer upon the bridge.
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