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Sure an' I've sane it floating in foreninst the land myself." "Well, we'll have to try and baulk the current, then," said Mr Meldrum. "We must keep a good look-out on the ship; and, as soon as we see that the stern has broken up, the jolly-boat will have to be manned and cruise about to pick up and tow ashore whatever timber and stray planks may be seen."
He seemed to have forgotten how to read before he came to sea at seven, but when an old sailor pointed out on the stern of the jolly-boat, the letters that formed the name of his first ship it had all come back to the child; and then he found his first Bible. Slowly conceiving its immensity, its fullness for him he was almost lifted from his body with the upward winging of happiness.
The party, five of them in all, slouched over to the rail and stood looking down into the life-boat with an air of stolid indifference, as she rose and fell alongside. Then they turned and looked inboard at the long-boat, which stood upright in chocks, on top of the main hatch, with the jolly-boat stowed, keel-up, inside her. Finally one of them said: "Yah, ve'll do id; she's wort' de drouble.
"I've heard of ghosts ashore, and sometimes on board of a ship, but I never heard of a ghost in a jolly-boat," said Coble, spitting under the gun. "'Specially when there were hardly room for the corporal," added Spurey. "Yes," observed Short. "Well, we shall know something about it to-night, for the corporal and I am to have a palaver." "Mind he don't circumwent you, Jimmy," said Spurey.
The jolly-boat followed suit, an easier task; and then, the two being deemed sufficient to accommodate all on board, just sixty-one in number including the two passengers, Captain Lennard gave the order to provision them, telling the steward to bring out all the cabin stores for this purpose, there being now no further use for them on board the ship, and officers and men being entitled to share alike without distinction.
Seeing the truth of the boatswain's statement from the deeper immersion of the ship since he had gone below, he at once ordered the men down into the boats, the passengers going first; then the foremast hands; and, lastly, the officers. "Mr Althorp," said the captain, "you will take charge of the jolly-boat and shove off as soon as she's got her complement. I will command the long-boat myself."
When they reached the corpses of the second officer and a Spanish engineer who had been knifed in the defense of the jolly-boat his comrade had scrambled into one of the life-boats Tollemache took possession of such money, documents, and valuables as were in their pockets, intending to draw up an inventory when an opportunity presented itself.
At one o'clock, there being scarcely any surf, the jolly-boat went off, and ran to leeward of the island, to get on board the brig. On the 7th, I was obliged to punish one of the convicts with thirty-six lashes, for stealing a hatch of eggs from under a hen which was sitting on them.
We sighted the far-famed island of Juan Fernandez, the scene of Robinson Crusoe's adventures, or rather those of the real Alexander Selkirk. The ship was hove-to when we were about two miles off shore, and the pinnace and jolly-boat were sent to obtain wood and water.
After his lessons, completed by eleven, he would go to the kitchen for a thin piece of cheese, a biscuit and two French plums provision enough for a jolly-boat at least and eat it in some imaginative way; then, armed to the teeth with gun, pistols, and sword, he would begin the serious climbing of the morning, encountering by the way innumerable slavers, Indians, pirates, leopards, and bears.
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