thefirst
mate
.
The
breeze
was
very
faint
but
southerly
,
and
the
Mauritius
under
their
lee
.
They
could
make
it
in
a
night
and
there
refit
,
and
ship
a
new
rudder
.
He
suggested
the
danger
of
sailing
sixteen
hundred
miles
steered
by
a
gimcrack
;
and
implored
Dodd
to
put
into
port
.
Dodd
answered
with
a
roughness
and
a
certain
wildness
never
seen
in
him
before
:
“
Danger
,
sir
!
There
will
be
no
more
foul
weather
this
voyage
;
Jonah
is
overboard
.
”
Sharpe
stared
an
inquiry
.
“
I
tell
you
we
sha
n't
lower
our
topgallants
once
from
this
to
the
Cape
:
Jonah
is
overboard
:
”
and
he
slapped
his
forehead
in
despair
;
then
,
stamping
impatiently
with
his
foot
,
told
Sharpe
his
duty
was
to
obey
orders
,
not
discuss
them
.
“
Certainly
,
sir
,
”
said
Sharpe
sullenly
,
and
went
out
of
the
cabin
with
serious
thoughts
of
communicating
to
the
other
mates
an
alarming
suspicion
about
Dodd
,
that
now
,
for
the
first
time
,
crossed
his
mind
.
But
long
habit
of
discipline
prevailed
,
and
he
made
all
sail
on
the
ship
,
and
bore
away
for
the
Cape
with
a
heavy
heart
.
The
sea
was
like
a
mill-pond
,
but
in
that
he
saw
only
its
well-known
treachery
,
to
lead
them
on
to
this
unparalleled
act
of
madness
:
each
sail
he
hoisted
seemed
one
more
agent
of
Destruction
rising
at
his
own
suicidal
command
.
Towards
evening
it
became
nearly
dead
calm
.
The
sea
heaved
a
little
,
but
was
waveless
,
glassy
,
and
the
colour
of
a
rose
,
incredibly
brave
and
delicate
.
The
look-out
reported
pieces
of
wreck
to
windward
.
As
the
ship
was
making
so
little
way
,
Dodd
beat
up
towards
them
:
he
feared
it
was
a
British
ship
that
had
foundered
in
the
storm
,
and
thought
it
his
duty
to
ascertain
and
carry
the
sad
news
home
.
In
two
tacks
they
got
near
enough
to
see
with
their
glasses
that
the
fragments
belonged
,
not
to
a
stranger
,
but
to
the
Agra
herself
.
There
was
one
of
her
waterbutts
,
and
a
broken
mast
with
some
rigging
:
and
as
more
wreck
was
descried
coming
in
at
a
little
distance
,
Dodd
kept
the
ship
close
to
the
wind
to
inspect
it
:
on
drifting
near
,
it
proved
to
be
several
pieces
of
the
bulwark
,
and
a
mahogany
table
out
of
the
cuddy
This
sort
of
flotsam
was
not
worth
delaying
the
ship
to
pick
it
up
;
so
Dodd
made
sail
again
,
steering
now
south-east
.
He
had
sailed
about
half
a
mile
when
the
look-out
hailed
the
deck
again
.
“
A
man
in
the
water
!
”
“
Whereabouts
?
”
“
A
short
league
on
the
weather
quarter
.
”
“
Oh
,
we
ca
n't
beat
to
windward
for
him
,
”
said
Sharpe
;
“
he
is
dead
long
ago
.
”
“
Holds
his
head
very
high
for
a
corpse
,
”
said
the
look-out
.
“
I
'll
soon
know
,
”
cried
Dodd
.
“
Lower
the
gig
;
I
'll
go
myself
.
”
The
gig
was
lowered
,
and
six
swift
rowers
pulled
him
to
windward
,
while
the
ship
kept
on
her
course
.
It
is
most
unusual
for
a
captain
to
leave
the
ship
at
sea
on
such
petty
errands
:
but
Dodd
half
hoped
the
man
might
be
alive
;
and
he
was
so
unhappy
;
and
,
like
his
daughter
,
who
probably
derived
the
trait
from
him
,
grasped
instinctively
at
a
chance
of
doing
kindness
to
some
poor
fellow
alive
or
dead
.
That
would
soothe
his
own
sore
,
good
heart
.
When
they
had
pulled
about
two
miles
,
the
sun
was
sinking
into
the
horizon
.
“
Give
way
,
men
,
”
said
Dodd
,
“
or
we
shall
not
be
able
to
see
him
.
”
The
men
bent
to
their
oars
and
made
the
boat
fly
.
Presently
the
coxswain
caught
sight
of
an
object
bobbing
on
the
water
abeam
.
“
Why
,
that
must
be
it
,
”
said
he
:
“
the
lubber
!
to
take
it
for
a
man
's
head
.
Why
,
it
is
nothing
but
a
thundering
old
bladder
,
speckled
white
.
”
“
What
?
”
cried
Dodd
,
and
fell
a-trembling
.
“
Steer
for
it
!
Give
way
!
”
“
Ay
,
ay
,
sir
!
”
They
soon
came
alongside
the
bladder
,
and
the
coxswain
grabbed
it
.
“
Hallo
!
here
's
something
lashed
to
it
:
a
bottle
!
”
“
Give
it
me
!
”
gasped
Dodd
in
a
voice
choked
with
agitation
.
“
Give
it
me
!
Back
to
the
ship
!
Fly
!
fly
!
Cut
her
off
,
or
she
'll
give
us
the
slip
now
.
”
He
never
spoke
a
word
more
,
but
sat
in
a
stupor
of
joyful
wonder
.
They
soon
caught
the
ship
;
he
got
into
his
cabin
,
he
scarce
knew
how
:
broke
the
bottle
to
atoms
,
and
found
the
indomitable
Cash
uninjured
.
With
trembling
hands
he
restored
it
to
its
old
place
in
his
bosom
,
and
sewed
it
tighter
than
ever
.
Until
he
felt
it
there
once
more
,
he
could
hardly
realise
a
stroke
of
good
fortune
that
seemed
miraculous
—
though
,
in
reality
,
it
was
less
strange
than
the
way
he
had
lost
it
;
but
now
,
laid
bodily
on
his
heart
,
it
set
his
bosom
on
fire
.
Oh
,
the
bright
eye
,
the
bounding
pulse
,
the
buoyant
foot
,
the
reckless
joy
!
He
slapped
Sharpe
on
the
back
a
little
vulgarly
for
him
:
—
“
Jonah
is
on
board
again
,
old
fellow
:
look
out
for
squalls
.
”
He
uttered
this
foreboding
in
a
tone
of
triumph
,
and
with
a
gay
elastic
recklessness
,
which
harmonised
so
well
with
his
makeshift
rudder
,
that
Sharpe
groaned
aloud
,
and
wished
himself
under
any
captain
in
the
world
but
this
,
and
in
any
other
ship
.
He
looked
round
to
make
sure
he
was
not
watched
,
and
then
tapped
his
forehead
significantly
.
This
somewhat
relieved
him
,
and
he
did
his
duty
smartly
for
a
man
going
to
the
bottom
with
his
eyes
open
.
But
ill
luck
is
not
to
be
bespoken
any
more
than
good
:
the
Agra
's
seemed
to
have
blown
itself
out
;
the
wind
veered
to
the
south-west
,
and
breathed
steadily
in
that
quarter
for
ten
days
.
The
topgallant
sails
were
never
lowered
nor
shifted
day
nor
night
all
that
time
,
and
not
a
single
danger
occurred
between
this
and
the
Cape
,
except
to
a
monkey
,
which
I
fear
I
must
relate
,
on
account
of
its
remoter
consequences
.
One
fine
afternoon
,
everybody
was
on
deck
amusing
themselves
as
they
could
:
Mrs.
Beresford
,
to
wit
,
was
being
flattered
under
the
Poop
awning
by
Kenealy
.
The
feud
between
her
and
Dodd
continued
,
but
under
a
false
impression
.
The
lady
had
one
advantage
over
the
gentler
specimens
of
her
sex
;
she
was
never
deterred
from
a
kind
action
by
want
of
pluck
,
as
they
are
.
Pluck
?
Aquilina
was
brimful
of
it
.
When
she
found
Dodd
was
wounded
,
she
cast
her
wrongs
to
the
wind
,
and
offered
to
go
and
nurse
him
.
Her
message
came
at
an
unlucky
moment
,
and
by
an
unlucky
messenger
:
the
surgeon
said
hastily
,
“
I
ca
n't
have
him
bothered
.
”
The
stupid
servant
reported
,
“
He
ca
n't
be
worried
;
”
and
Mrs.
Beresford
,
thinking
Dodd
had
a
hand
in
this
answer
,
was
bitterly
mortified
;
and
with
some
reason
.
She
would
have
forgiven
him
,
though
,
if
he
had
died
;
but
,
as
he
lived
,
she
thought
she
had
a
right
to
detest
him
,
and
did
;
and
showed
her
sentiments
like
a
lady
,
by
never
speaking
to
him
,
nor
looking
at
him
,
but
ignoring
him
with
frigid
magnificence
on
his
own
quarter-deck
.
Now
,
among
the
crew
of
this
ship
was
a
favourite
goat
,
good-tempered
,
affectionate
,
and
playful
;
but
a
single
vice
counterbalanced
all
his
virtues
:
he
took
a
drop
.
A
year
or
two
ago
some
light-hearted
tempter
taught
him
to
sip
grog
;
he
took
to
it
kindly
,
and
was
now
arrived
at
such
a
pitch
that
at
grog-time
he
used
to
butt
his
way
in
among
the
sailors
,
and
get
close
to
the
canteen
;
and
,
by
arrangement
,
an
allowance
was
always
served
out
to
him
.
On
imbibing
it
,
he
passed
with
quadrupedal
rapidity
through
three
stages
,
the
absurd
,
the
choleric
,
the
sleepy
;
and
was
never
his
own
goat
again
until
he
awoke
from
the
latter
.
Now
Master
Fred
Beresford
encountered
him
in
the
second
stage
of
inebriety
,
and
,
being
a
rough
playfellow
,
tapped
his
nose
with
a
battledore
.
Instantly
Billy
butted
at
him
;
mischievous
Fred
screamed
and
jumped
on
the
bulwarks
.
Pot-angry
Billy
went
at
him
there
;
whereupon
the
young
gentleman
,
with
all
eldrich
screech
,
and
a
comparative
estimate
of
perils
that
smacked
of
inexperience
,
fled
into
the
sea
,
at
the
very
moment
when
his
anxious
mother
was
rushing
to
save
him
.
She
uttered
a
scream
of
agony
,
and
would
actually
have
followed
him
,
but
was
held
back
,
uttering
shriek
after
shriek
,
that
pierced
every
heart
within
hearing
.
But
Dodd
saw
the
boy
go
overboard
,
and
vaulted
over
the
bulwark
near
the
helm
,
roared
in
the
very
air
,
“
Heave
the
ship
to
!
”
and
went
splash
into
the
water
about
ten
yards
from
the
place
.
He
was
soon
followed
by
Vespasian
,
and
a
boat
was
lowered
as
quickly
as
possible
.
Dodd
caught
sight
of
a
broad
straw
hat
on
the
top
of
a
wave
,
swam
lustily
to
it
,
and
found
Freddy
inside
:
it
was
tied
under
his
chin
,
and
would
have
floated
Goliath
.
Dodd
turned
to
the
ship
,
saw
the
poor
mother
with
white
face
and
arms
outstretched
as
if
she
would
fly
at
them
,
and
held
the
urchin
up
high
to
her
with
a
joyful
“
hurrah
.
”
The
ship
seemed
alive
and
to
hurrah
in
return
with
giant
voice
:
the
boat
soon
picked
them
up
,
and
Dodd
came
up
the
side
with
Freddy
in
his
arms
,
and
placed
him
in
his
mother
's
with
honest
pride
and
deep
parental
sympathy
.
Guess
how
she
scolded
and
caressed
her
child
all
in
a
breath
,
and
sobbed
over
him
!
For
this
no
human
pen
has
ever
told
,
nor
ever
will
.
All
I
can
just
manage
to
convey
is
that
,
after
she
had
all
but
eaten
the
little
torment
,
she
suddenly
dropped
him
,
and
made
a
great
maternal
rush
at
Dodd
.
She
flung
her
arms
round
him
,
and
kissed
him
eagerly
,
almost
fiercely
:
then
,
carried
away
wild
by
mighty
Nature
,
she
patted
him
all
over
in
the
strangest
way
,
and
kissed
his
waistcoat
,
his
arms
,
his
hands
,
and
rained
tears
of
joy
and
gratitude
on
them
.
Dodd
was
quite
overpowered
.
“
No
!
no
!
”
said
he
.
“
Do
n't
now
,
pray
,
do
n't
!
There
!
there
!
I
know
,
my
dear
,
I
know
;
I
'm
a
father
.
”
And
he
was
very
near
whimpering
himself
;
but
recovered
the
man
and
the
commander
,
and
said
,
soothingly
,
“
There
!
there
!
”
and
he
handed
her
tenderly
down
to
her
cabin
.
All
this
time
he
had
actually
forgotten
the
packet
.
But
now
a
horrible
fear
came
on
him
.
He
hurried
to
his
own
cabin
and
examined
it
.
A
little
salt
water
had
oozed
through
the
bullet-hole
and
discoloured
the
leather
;
but
that
was
all
.
He
breathed
again
.
“
Thank
Heaven
I
forgot
all
about
it
!
”
said
he
:
“
it
would
have
made
a
cur
of
me
.
”
Lady
Beresford
's
petty
irritation
against
Dodd
melted
at
once
—
before
so
great
a
thing
:
she
longed
to
make
friends
with
him
;
but
for
once
felt
timid
.
It
struck
her
now
all
of
a
sudden
that
she
had
been
misbehaving
.
However
,
she
caught
Dodd
alone
on
the
deck
,
and
said
to
him
softly
,
“
I
want
so
to
end
our
quarrel
.
”
“
Our
quarrel
,
madam
!
”
said
he
;
“
why
,
I
know
of
none
:
oh
,
about
the
light
eh
?
Well
,
you
see
the
master
of
a
ship
is
obliged
to
be
a
tyrant
in
some
things
.
”
“
I
make
no
complaint
,
”
said
the
lady
hastily
,
and
hung
her
head
.
“
All
I
ask
you
is
to
forgive
one
who
has
behaved
like
a
fool
,
without
even
the
excuse
of
being
one
;
and
—
will
you
give
me
your
hand
,
sir
?
”
“
Ay
,
and
with
all
my
heart
,
”
said
Dodd
warmly
,
enclosing
the
soft
little
hand
in
his
honest
grasp
.
And
with
no
more
ado
these
two
highflyers
ended
one
of
those
little
misunderstandings
petty
spirits
nurse
into
a
feud
.
The
ship
being
in
port
at
the
Cape
,
and
two
hundred
hammers
tapping
at
her
,
Dodd
went
ashore
in
search
of
Captain
Robarts
,
and
made
the
Agra
over
to
him
in
the
friendliest
way
,
adding
warmly
that
he
had
found
every
reason
to
be
satisfied
with
the
officers
and
the
crew
.
To
his
surprise
,
Captain
Robarts
received
all
this
ungraciously
.
“
You
ought
to
have
remained
on
board
,
sir
,
and
made
me
over
the
command
on
the
quarter-deck
.
”
Dodd
replied
politely
that
it
would
have
been
more
formal
.
“
Suppose
I
return
immediately
,
and
man
the
side
for
you
:
and
then
you
board
her
,
say
,
in
half-an-hour
?
”
“
I
shall
come
when
I
like
,
”
replied
Robarts
crustily
.
“
And
when
will
you
like
to
come
?
”
inquired
Dodd
,
with
imperturbable
good-humour
.
“
Now
,
this
moment
:
and
I
'll
trouble
you
to
come
along
with
me
.
”
“
Certainly
,
sir
.
”
They
got
a
boat
and
went
out
to
the
ship
:
on
coming
alongside
,
Dodd
thought
to
meet
his
wishes
by
going
first
and
receiving
him
.
But
the
jealous
,
cross-grained
fellow
,
shoved
roughly
before
him
and
led
the
way
up
the
ship
's
side
.
Sharpe
and
the
rest
saluted
him
:
he
did
not
return
the
salute
,
but
said
hoarsely
,
“
Turn
the
hands
up
to
muster
.
”
When
they
were
all
aft
,
he
noticed
one
or
two
with
their
caps
on
.
“
Hats
off
and
be
—
—
to
you
!
”
cried
he
.
“
Do
you
know
where
you
are
?
Do
you
know
who
you
are
looking
at
?
If
not
,
I
'll
show
you
.
I
'm
here
to
restore
discipline
to
this
ship
:
so
mind
how
you
run
athwart
my
hawse
:
do
n't
you
play
with
the
bull
,
my
men
;
or
you
'll
find
his
horns
—
—
sharp
.
Pipe
down
!
Now
,
you
,
sir
,
bring
me
the
log-book
.
”
He
ran
his
eye
over
it
,
and
closed
it
contemptuously
:
“
Pirates
,
and
hurricanes
!
I
never
fell
in
with
pirates
nor
hurricanes
:
I
have
heard
of
a
breeze
,
and
a
gale
,
but
I
never
knew
a
seaman
worth
his
salt
say
'
hurricane
.
'
Get
another
log-book
,
Mr.
Sharpe
;
put
down
that
it
begins
this
day
at
noon
;
and
enter
that
Captain
Robarts
came
on
deck
,
found
the
ship
in
a
miserable
condition
,
took
the
command
,
mustered
the
officers
and
men
,
and
stopped
the
ship
's
company
's
grog
for
a
week
for
receiving
him
with
hats
on
.
”
Even
Sharpe
,
that
walking
Obedience
,
was
taken
aback
.
“
Stop
—
the
ship
's
company
's
—
grog
—
for
a
week
,
sir
?
”
“
Yes
,
sir
,
for
a
week
;
and
if
you
fling
my
orders
back
in
my
face
instead
of
clapping
on
sail
to
execute
them
,
I
'll
have
you
towed
ashore
on
a
grating
.
Your
name
is
Sharpe
;
well
my
name
is
Dammedsharpe
,
and
so
you
'll
find
.
”
In
short
,
the
new
captain
came
down
on
the
ship
like
a
blight
.
He
was
especially
hard
on
Dodd
:
nothing
that
commander
had
done
was
right
,
nor
,
had
he
done
the
contrary
,
would
that
have
been
right
:
he
was
disgracefully
behind
time
;
and
he
ought
to
have
put
in
to
the
Isle
of
France
,
which
would
have
retarded
him
:
his
rope
bulwarks
were
lubberly
:
his
rudder
a
disgrace
to
navigation
:
he
,
Robarts
,
was
not
so
green
as
to
believe
that
any
master
had
really
sailed
sixteen
hundred
miles
with
it
,
and
if
he
had
,
more
shame
for
him
.
Briefly
,
a
marine
criticaster
.
All
this
was
spoken
at
Dodd
—
a
thing
no
male
does
unless
he
is
an
awful
snob
—
and
grieved
him
,
it
was
so
unjust
.
He
withdrew
wounded
to
the
little
cabin
he
was
entitled
to
as
a
passenger
,
and
hugged
his
treasure
for
comfort
.
He
patted
the
pocket-book
,
and
said
to
it
,
“
Never
you
mind
!
The
greater
Tartar
he
is
,
the
less
likely
to
sink
you
or
run
you
on
a
lee
shore
.
”
With
all
his
love
of
discipline
,
Robarts
was
not
so
fond
of
the
ship
as
Dodd
.
While
his
repairs
were
going
on
he
was
generally
ashore
,
and
by
this
means
missed
a
visit
.
Commodore
Collier
,
one
of
the
smartest
sailors
afloat
,
espied
the
Yankee
makeshift
from
the
quarter-deck
of
his
vessel
,
the
Salamanca
,
fifty
guns
.
In
ten
minutes
he
was
under
the
Agra
's
stern
inspecting
it
;
then
came
on
board
,
and
was
received
in
form
by
Sharpe
and
the
other
officers
.
“
Are
you
the
master
of
this
ship
,
sir
?
”
he
asked
.
“
No
,
commodore
.
I
am
the
first
mate
:
the
captain
is
ashore
.
”
“
I
am
sorry
for
it
.
I
want
to
talk
about
his
rudder
.
”
“
Oh
,
he
had
nothing
to
do
with
that
,
”
replied
Sharpe
,
eagerly
:
“
that
was
our
dear
old
captain
:
he
is
on
board
.
Young
gentleman
!
ask
Captain
Dodd
to
oblige
me
by
coming
on
deck
!
Hy
!
and
Mr.
Fullalove
too
.
”
“
Young
gentleman
?
”
inquired
Collier
.
“
What
the
devil
officer
is
that
?
”
“
That
is
a
name
we
give
the
middies
;
I
do
n't
know
why
.
”
“
Nor
I
neither
;
ha
!
ha
!
”
Dodd
and
Fullalove
came
on
deck
,
and
Commodore
Collier
bestowed
the
highest
compliments
on
the
“
makeshift
.
”
Dodd
begged
him
to
transfer
them
to
the
real
inventor
,
and
introduced
Fullalove
.
“
Ay
,
”
said
Collier
,
“
I
know
you
Yankees
are
very
handy
.
I
lost
my
rudder
at
sea
once
,
and
had
to
ship
a
makeshift
;
but
it
was
a
cursed
complicated
thing
,
not
a
patch
upon
yours
,
Mr.
Fullalove
.
Yours
is
ingenious
and
simple
.
Ship
has
been
in
action
,
I
see
:
pray
how
was
that
,
if
I
may
be
so
bold
?
”
“
Pirates
,
commodore
,
”
said
Sharpe
.
“
We
fell
in
with
a
brace
of
Portuguese
devils
,
lateen-rigged
,
and
carrying
ten
guns
apiece
,
in
the
Straits
of
Gaspar
:
fought
'
em
from
noon
till
sundown
,
riddled
one
,
and
ran
down
the
other
,
and
sunk
her
in
a
moment
.
That
was
all
your
doing
,
Captain
:
so
do
n't
try
to
shift
it
on
other
people
;
for
we
wo
n't
stand
it
.
”
“
If
he
denies
it
,
I
wo
n't
believe
him
,
”
said
Collier
,
“
for
he
has
got
it
in
his
eye
.
Gentlemen
,
will
you
do
me
the
honour
to
dine
with
me
to-day
on
board
the
flag-ship
?
”
Dodd
and
Fullalove
accepted
.
Sharpe
declined
,
with
regret
,
on
the
score
of
duty
.
And
as
the
cocked
hat
went
down
the
side
,
after
saluting
him
politely
,
he
could
not
help
thinking
to
himself
what
a
difference
between
a
real
captain
,
who
had
something
to
be
proud
of
,
and
his
own
unlicked
cub
of
a
skipper
with
the
manners
of
a
pilot-boat
.
He
told
Robarts
the
next
day
:
Robarts
said
nothing
,
but
his
face
seemed
to
turn
greenish
,
and
it
embittered
his
hatred
of
Dodd
the
inoffensive
.
It
is
droll
,
and
sad
,
but
true
,
that
Christendom
is
full
of
men
in
a
hurry
to
hate
.
And
a
fruitful
cause
is
jealousy
.
The
schoolmen
,
or
rather
certain
of
the
schoolmen
—
for
nothing
is
much
shallower
than
to
speak
of
all
those
disputants
as
one
school
—
defined
woman
,
“
a
featherless
biped
vehemently
addicted
to
jealousy
.
”
Whether
she
is
more
featherless
than
the
male
can
be
decided
at
a
trifling
expense
of
time
,
money
,
and
reason
:
you
have
but
to
go
to
court
.
But
as
for
envy
and
jealousy
,
I
think
it
is
pure
,
unobservant
,
antique
Cant
which
has
fixed
them
on
the
female
character
distinctively
.
As
a
molehill
to
a
mountain
is
women
's
jealousy
to
men
's
.
Agatha
may
have
a
host
of
virtues
and
graces
,
and
yet
her
female
acquaintance
will
not
hate
her
,
provided
she
has
the
moderation
to
abstain
from
being
downright
pretty
.
She
may
sing
like
an
angel
,
paint
like
an
angel
,
talk
,
write
,
nurse
the
sick
,
all
like
an
angel
,
and
not
rouse
the
devil
in
her
fair
sisters
,
so
long
as
she
does
not
dress
like
an
angel
.
But
the
minds
of
men
being
much
larger
than
women
's
,
yet
very
little
greater
,
they
hang
jealousy
on
a
thousand
pegs
.
Where
there
was
no
peg
,
I
have
seen
them
do
with
a
pin
.
Captain
Robarts
took
a
pin
,
ran
it
into
his
own
heart
,
and
hung
that
sordid
passion
on
it
.
He
would
get
rid
of
all
the
Doddites
before
he
sailed
.
He
insulted
Mr.
Tickell
,
so
that
he
left
the
service
and
entered
a
mercantile
house
ashore
:
he
made
several
of
the
best
men
desert
,
and
the
ship
went
to
sea
short
of
hands
.
This
threw
heavier
work
on
the
crew
,
and
led
to
many
punishments
and
a
steady
current
of
abuse
.
Sharpe
became
a
mere
machine
,
always
obeying
,
never
speaking
:
Grey
was
put
under
arrest
for
remonstrating
against
ungentlemanly
language
;
and
Bayliss
,
being
at
bottom
of
the
same
breed
as
Robarts
,
fell
into
his
humour
,
and
helped
hector
the
petty
officers
and
men
.
The
crew
,
depressed
and
irritated
,
went
through
their
duties
pully-hauly-wise
.
There
was
no
song
under
the
forecastle
in
the
first
watch
,
and
often
no
grog
on
the
mess
table
at
one
bell
.
Dodd
never
came
on
the
quarter-deck
without
being
reminded
he
was
only
a
passenger
,
and
the
ship
was
now
under
naval
discipline
.
“
I
was
reared
in
the
royal
navy
,
sir
,
”
would
Robarts
say
,
“
second
lieutenant
aboard
the
Atalanta
:
that
is
the
school
,
sir
,
that
is
the
only
school
that
breeds
seamen
.
”
Dodd
bore
scores
of
similar
taunts
as
a
Newfoundland
puts
up
with
a
terrier
in
office
:
he
seldom
replied
,
and
,
when
he
did
,
in
a
few
quiet
dignified
words
that
gave
no
handle
.
Robarts
,
who
bore
the
name
of
a
lucky
captain
,
had
fair
weather
all
the
way
to
St.
Helena
.
The
guard-ship
at
this
island
was
the
Salamanca
.
She
had
left
the
Cape
a
week
before
the
Agra
.
Captain
Robarts
,
with
his
characteristic
good-breeding
,
went
to
anchor
in-shore
of
Her
Majesty
's
ship
:
the
wind
failed
at
a
critical
moment
,
and
a
foul
became
inevitable
.
Collier
was
on
his
quarter-deck
,
and
saw
what
would
happen
long
before
Robarts
did
;
he
gave
the
needful
orders
,
and
it
was
beautiful
to
see
how
in
half
a
minute
the
frigate
's
guns
were
run
in
,
her
ports
lowered
,
her
yards
toppled
on
end
,
and
a
spring
carried
out
and
hauled
on
.
The
Agra
struck
abreast
her
own
forechains
on
the
Salamanca
's
quarter
.
(
Pipe
.
)
“
Boarders
away
.
Tomahawks
!
cut
everything
that
holds
!
”
was
heard
from
the
frigate
's
quarter-deck
.
Rush
came
a
boarding
party
on
to
the
merchant
ship
and
hacked
away
without
mercy
all
her
lower
rigging
that
held
on
to
the
frigate
,
signal
halyards
and
all
;
others
boomed
her
off
with
capstan
bars
,
etc.
,
and
in
two
minutes
the
ships
were
clear
.
A
lieutenant
and
boat
's
crew
came
for
Robarts
,
and
ordered
him
on
board
the
Salamanca
,
and
,
to
make
sure
of
his
coming
,
took
him
back
with
them
.
He
found
Commodore
Collier
standing
stiff
as
a
ramrod
on
his
quarter-deck
.
“
Are
you
the
master
of
the
Agra
?
”
(
His
quick
eye
had
recognised
her
in
a
moment
.
)
“
I
am
,
sir
.
”
“
Then
she
was
commanded
by
a
seaman
,
and
is
now
commanded
by
a
lubber
.
Do
n't
apply
for
your
papers
this
week
;
for
you
wo
n't
get
them
.
Good
morning
.
Take
him
away
.
”
They
returned
Robarts
to
his
ship
,
and
a
suppressed
grin
on
a
score
of
faces
showed
him
the
clear
commanding
tones
of
the
commodore
had
reached
his
own
deck
.
He
soothed
himself
by
stopping
the
men
's
grog
and
mast-heading
three
midshipmen
that
same
afternoon
.
The
night
before
he
weighed
anchor
this
disciplinarian
was
drinking
very
late
in
a
low
public-house
.
There
was
not
much
moon
,
and
the
officer
in
charge
of
the
ship
did
not
see
the
gig
coming
till
it
was
nearly
alongside
:
then
all
was
done
in
a
flurry
.
“
Hy
!
man
the
side
!
Lanterns
there
!
Jump
,
you
boys
,
or
you
'll
catch
pepper
.
”
The
boys
did
jump
,
and
little
Murphy
,
not
knowing
the
surgeon
had
ordered
the
ports
to
be
drooped
,
bounded
over
the
bulwarks
like
an
antelope
,
lighted
on
the
midship
port
,
which
stood
at
this
angle
/
,
and
glanced
off
into
the
ocean
,
lantern
foremost
:
he
made
his
little
hole
in
the
water
within
a
yard
of
'
Captain
Robarts
.
That
Dignity
,
though
splashed
,
took
no
notice
of
so
small
an
incident
as
a
gone
ship-boy
:
and
if
Murphy
had
been
wise
and
stayed
with
Nep
.
all
had
been
well
.
But
the
poor
urchin
inadvertently
came
up
again
,
and
without
the
lantern
.
One
of
the
gig
's
crew
grabbed
him
by
the
hair
,
and
prolonged
his
existence
by
an
inconsiderate
impulse
.
“
Where
is
the
other
lantern
?
”
was
Robarts
'
first
word
on
reaching
the
deck
:
as
if
he
did
n't
know
.
“
Gone
overboard
,
sir
,
with
the
boy
Murphy
.
”
“
Stand
forward
,
you
,
sir
,
”
growled
Robarts
.
Murphy
stood
forward
,
dripping
and
shivering
with
cold
and
fear
.
“
What
d'ye
mean
by
going
overboard
with
the
ship
's
lantern
?
”
“
Och
,
your
arnr
,
sure
some
unasy
divil
drooped
the
port
;
and
the
lantern
and
me
we
had
no
foothold
at
all
at
all
,
and
the
lantern
went
into
the
say
,
bad
luck
to
ut
;
and
I
went
afther
to
try
and
save
ut
—
for
your
arnr
.
”
“
Belay
all
that
!
”
said
Robarts
;
“
do
you
think
you
can
blarney
me
,
you
young
monkey
?
Here
,
Bosen
's
mate
,
take
a
rope's-end
and
start
him
!
—
Again
!
—
Warm
him
well
!
—
That
's
right
.
”
As
soon
as
the
poor
child
's
shrieks
subsided
into
sobs
,
the
disciplinarian
gave
him
Explanation
for
Ointment
:
“
I
ca
n't
have
the
Company
's
stores
expended
this
way
.
”
The
force
of
discipline
could
no
farther
go
than
to
flog
zeal
for
falling
overboard
:
so
,
to
avoid
anticlimax
in
that
port
,
Robarts
weighed
anchor
at
daybreak
;
and
there
was
a
southwesterly
breeze
waiting
for
this
favourite
of
fortune
,
and
carried
him
past
the
Azores
.
Off
Ushant
it
was
westerly
,
and
veered
to
the
nor'-west
just
before
they
sighted
the
Land
's
End
:
never
was
such
a
charming
passage
from
the
Cape
.
The
sailor
who
had
the
luck
to
sight
Old
England
first
nailed
his
starboard
shoe
to
the
mainmast
for
contributions
;
and
all
hearts
beat
joyfully
—
none
more
than
David
Dodd
's
.
His
eye
devoured
the
beloved
shore
:
he
hugged
the
treasure
his
own
ill
luck
had
jeopardised
—
but
Robarts
had
sailed
it
safe
into
British
waters
—
and
forgave
the
man
his
ill
manners
for
his
good
luck
.
Robarts
steered
in
for
the
Lizard
;
but
,
when
abreast
the
Point
,
kept
well
out
again
,
and
opened
the
Channel
and
looked
out
for
a
pilot
One
was
soon
seen
working
out
towards
him
,
and
the
Agra
brought
to
.
The
pilot
descended
from
his
lugger
into
his
little
boat
,
rowed
alongside
,
and
came
on
deck
;
a
rough
,
tanned
sailor
,
clad
in
flushing
,
and
in
build
and
manner
might
have
passed
for
Robarts
'
twin
brother
.
“
Now
then
,
you
,
sir
,
what
will
you
take
this
ship
up
to
the
Downs
for
?
”
“
Thirty
pounds
.
”
Roberts
told
him
roughly
he
would
not
get
thirty
pounds
out
of
'
him
.
“
Thyse
and
no
higher
,
my
Bo
,
”
answered
the
pilot
sturdily
:
he
had
been
splicing
the
main
brace
,
and
would
have
answered
an
admiral
.
Robarts
swore
at
him
lustily
:
Pilot
discharged
a
volley
in
return
with
admirable
promptitude
.
Robarts
retorted
,
the
other
rough
customer
rejoined
,
and
soon
all
Billingsgate
thundered
on
the
Agra
's
quarter-deck
.
Finding
,
to
his
infinite
disgust
,
his
visitor
as
great
a
blackguard
as
himself
,
and
not
to
be
outsworn
,
Robarts
ordered
him
to
quit
the
ship
on
pain
of
being
man-handled
over
the
side
.
“
Oh
,
that
's
it
,
is
it
?
”
growled
the
other
:
“
here
's
fill
and
be
off
then
.
”
He
prudently
bottled
the
rest
of
his
rage
till
he
got
safe
into
his
boat
,
then
shook
his
fist
at
the
Agra
,
and
cursed
her
captain
sky-high
.
“
You
see
the
fair
wind
,
but
you
do
n't
see
the
Channel
fret
a-coming
,
ye
greedy
gander
.
Downs
!
You
'll
never
see
them
:
you
have
saved
your
—
—
money
,
and
lost
your
—
—
ship
,
ye
—
—
lubber
.
”
Robarts
hurled
back
a
sugar-plum
or
two
of
the
same
and
then
ordered
Bayliss
to
clap
on
all
sail
,
and
keep
a
mid-channel
course
through
the
night
.
At
four
bells
in
the
middle
watch
,
Sharpe
,
in
charge
of
the
ship
,
tapped
at
Robarts
'
door
.
“
Blowing
hard
,
sir
,
and
the
weather
getting
thickish
.
”
“
Wind
fair
still
?
”
“
Yes
,
sir
.
”
“
Then
call
me
if
it
blows
any
harder
,
”
grunted
Robarts
.
In
two
hours
more
,
tap
,
tap
,
came
Bayliss
,
in
charge
.
“
If
we
do
n't
take
sail
in
,
they
'll
take
themselves
out
.
”
“
Furl
to-gallen'sels
,
and
call
me
if
it
gets
any
worse
.
”
In
another
hour
Bayliss
was
at
him
again
.
“
Blowing
a
gale
,
sir
,
and
a
Channel
fog
on
.
”
“
Reef
taupsles
,
and
call
me
if
it
gets
any
worse
.
”
At
daybreak
Dodd
was
on
deck
,
and
found
the
ship
flying
through
a
fog
so
thick
that
her
forecastle
was
quite
invisible
from
the
poop
,
and
even
her
foremast
loomed
indistinct
and
looked
distant
.
“
You
'll
be
foul
of
something
or
other
,
Sharpe
,
”
said
he
.
“
What
is
that
to
you
?
”
inquired
a
loud
rough
voice
behind
him
.
“
I
do
n't
allow
passengers
to
handle
my
ship
.
”
“
Then
do
pray
handle
her
yourself
;
captain
!
Is
this
weather
to
go
tearing
happy-go-lucky
up
the
Channel
?
”
“
I
mean
to
sail
her
without
your
advice
,
sir
;
and
,
being
a
seaman
,
I
shall
get
all
I
can
out
of
a
fair
wind
.
”
“
That
is
right
Captain
Robarts
,
if
you
had
but
the
British
Channel
all
to
yourself
.
”
“
Perhaps
you
will
leave
me
my
deck
all
to
myself
.
”
“
I
should
be
delighted
:
but
my
anxiety
will
not
let
me
.
”
With
this
Dodd
retired
a
few
steps
,
and
kept
a
keen
look-out
.
At
noon
a
lusty
voice
cried
“
Land
on
the
weather
beam
!
”
All
eyes
were
turned
that
way
and
saw
nothing
.
Land
in
sight
was
reported
to
Captain
Robarts
.
Now
that
worthy
was
in
reality
getting
secretly
anxious
:
so
he
ran
on
deck
crying
,
“
Who
saw
it
?
”
“
Captain
Dodd
,
sir
.
”
“
Ugh
!
Nobody
else
?
”
Dodd
came
forward
,
and
,
with
a
respectful
air
,
told
him
that
,
being
on
the
look-out
,
he
had
seen
the
coast
of
the
Isle
of
Wight
in
a
momentary
lift
of
the
haze
.
“
Isle
of
Fiddlestick
!
”
was
the
polite
reply
;
“
Isle
of
Wight
is
eighty
miles
astern
by
now
.
”
Dodd
answered
firmly
that
he
was
well
acquainted
with
every
outline
in
the
Channel
,
and
that
the
land
he
had
seen
was
St.
Katherine
's
Point
Robarts
deigned
no
reply
,
but
had
the
log
heaved
:
it
showed
the
vessel
to
be
running
twelve
knots
an
hour
.
He
then
went
to
his
cabin
and
consulted
his
chart
;
and
,
having
worked
his
problem
,
came
hastily
on
deck
,
and
went
from
rashness
to
wonderful
caution
.
“
Turn
the
hands
out
,
and
heave
the
ship
to
!
”
The
manoeuvre
was
executed
gradually
and
ably
,
and
scarce
a
bucketful
of
water
shipped
.
“
Furl
taupsles
and
set
the
main
trysail
!
There
,
Mr.
Dodd
,
so
much
for
you
and
your
Isle
of
Wight
.
The
land
you
saw
was
Dungeness
,
and
you
would
have
run
on
into
the
North
Sea
,
I
'll
be
bound
.
”
When
a
man
,
habitually
calm
,
turns
anxious
,
he
becomes
more
irritable
;
and
the
mixture
of
timidity
and
rashness
he
saw
in
Robarts
made
Dodd
very
anxious
.
He
replied
angrily
,
“
At
all
events
,
I
should
not
make
a
foul
wind
out
of
a
fair
one
by
heaving
to
;
and
if
I
did
,
I
would
heave
to
on
the
right
tack
.
”
At
this
sudden
facer
—
one
,
too
,
from
a
patient
man
—
Robarts
staggered
a
moment
.
He
recovered
,
and
with
an
oath
ordered
Dodd
to
go
below
,
or
he
would
have
him
chucked
into
the
hold
.
“
Come
,
do
n't
be
an
ass
,
Robarts
,
”
said
Dodd
contemptuously
.
Then
,
lowering
his
voice
to
a
whisper
,
“
Do
n't
you
know
the
men
only
want
such
an
order
as
that
to
chuck
you
into
the
sea
?
”
Robarts
trembled
.
“
Oh
,
if
you
mean
to
head
a
mutiny
—
—
”
“
Heaven
forbid
,
sir
!
But
I
wo
n't
leave
the
deck
in
dirty
weather
like
this
till
the
captain
knows
where
he
is
.
”
Towards
sunset
it
got
clearer
,
and
they
drifted
past
a
revenue
cutter
,
who
was
lying
to
with
her
head
to
the
northward
.
She
hoisted
no
end
of
signals
,
but
they
understood
none
of
them
,
and
her
captain
gesticulated
wildly
on
her
deck
.
“
What
is
that
Fantoccio
dancing
at
?
”
inquired
Captain
Robarts
brutally
.
“
To
see
a
first-class
ship
drift
to
leeward
in
a
narrow
sea
with
a
fair
wind
,
”
said
Dodd
bitterly
.
At
night
it
blew
hard
,
and
the
sea
ran
high
and
irregular
.
The
ship
began
to
be
uneasy
,
and
Robarts
very
properly
ordered
the
top-gallant
and
royal
yards
to
be
sent
down
on
deck
.
Dodd
would
have
had
them
down
twelve
hours
ago
.
The
mate
gave
the
order
:
no
one
moved
.
The
mate
went
forward
angry
.
He
came
back
pale
.
The
men
refused
to
go
aloft
:
they
would
not
risk
their
lives
for
Captain
Robarts
.
The
officers
all
assembled
and
went
forward
:
they
promised
and
threatened
;
but
all
in
vain
.
The
crew
stood
sullen
together
,
as
if
to
back
one
another
,
and
put
forward
a
spokesman
to
say
that
“
there
was
not
one
of
them
the
captain
had
n't
started
,
and
stopped
his
grog
a
dozen
times
:
he
had
made
the
ship
hell
to
them
;
and
now
her
masts
and
yards
and
hull
might
go
there
along
with
her
skipper
,
for
them
.
”
Robarts
received
this
tidings
in
sullen
silence
.
“
Do
n't
tell
that
Dodd
,
whatever
you
do
,
”
said
he
.
“
They
will
come
round
now
they
have
had
their
growl
:
they
are
too
near
home
to
shy
away
their
pay
.
”
Robarts
had
not
sufficient
insight
into
character
to
know
that
Dodd
would
instantly
have
sided
with
him
against
a
mutiny
.
But
at
this
juncture
the
ex-captain
of
the
Agra
was
down
in
the
cabin
with
his
fellow-passengers
,
preparing
a
general
remonstrance
:
he
had
a
chart
before
him
,
and
a
pair
of
compasses
in
his
hand
.
“
St.
Katherine
's
Point
lay
about
eight
miles
to
windward
at
noon
;
and
we
have
been
drifting
south
and
east
this
twelve
hours
,
through
lying
to
on
the
starboard
tack
;
and
besides
,
the
ship
has
been
conned
as
slovenly
as
she
is
sailed
.
I
've
seen
her
allowed
to
break
off
a
dozen
times
,
and
gather
more
leeway
.
Ah
!
here
is
Captain
Robarts
.
Captain
,
you
saw
the
rate
we
passed
the
revenue
cutter
.
That
vessel
was
nearly
stationary
;
so
what
we
passed
her
at
was
our
own
rate
of
drifting
,
and
our
least
rate
.
Putting
all
this
together
,
we
ca
n't
be
many
miles
from
the
French
coast
,
and
,
unless
we
look
sharp
and
beat
to
windward
,
I
pronounce
the
ship
in
danger
.
”
A
horselaugh
greeted
this
conclusion
.
“
We
are
nearer
Yarmouth
sands
than
France
,
I
promise
you
,
and
nothing
under
our
lee
nearer
than
Rotterdam
.
”
A
loud
cry
from
the
deck
above
,
“
A
LIGHT
ON
THE
LEE
BOW
!
”
“
There
!
”
cried
Robarts
with
an
oath
:
“
foul
of
her
next
!
through
me
listening
to
your
nonsense
.
”
He
ran
upon
deck
,
and
shouted
through
his
trumpet
,
“
All
hands
wear
ship
!
”
The
crew
,
who
had
heard
the
previous
cry
,
obeyed
orders
in
the
presence
of
an
immediate
danger
;
and
perhaps
their
growl
had
really
relieved
their
ill-humour
.
Robarts
with
delight
saw
them
come
tumbling
up
,
and
gave
his
orders
lustily
:
“
Brail
up
the
trysel
!
up
with
the
helm
!
in
with
the
weather
main
brace
!
square
the
after
yards
!
”
The
ship
's
bow
turned
from
the
wind
,
and
,
as
soon
as
she
got
way
on
her
,
Robarts
ran
below
again
,
and
entered
the
cabin
triumphant
.
“
That
is
all
right
:
and
now
,
Captain
Dodd
,
a
word
with
you
.
You
will
either
retire
at
once
to
your
cabin
,
or
will
cease
to
breed
disaffection
in
my
crew
,
and
groundless
alarm
in
my
passengers
,
by
instilling
your
own
childish
,
ignorant
fears
.
The
ship
has
been
underlogged
a
hundred
miles
,
sir
;
and
but
for
my
caution
in
lying
to
for
clear
weather
we
should
be
groping
among
the
Fern
Isl
—
—
”
CRASH
!
An
unheard-of
shock
threw
the
speaker
and
all
the
rest
in
a
mass
on
the
floor
,
smashed
every
lamp
,
put
out
every
light
;
and
,
with
a
fierce
grating
noise
,
the
ship
was
hard
and
fast
on
the
French
coast
,
with
her
stern
to
the
sea
.
One
awful
moment
of
silence
;
then
,
amidst
shrieks
of
agony
,
the
sea
struck
her
like
a
rolling
rock
,
solid
to
crush
,
liquid
to
drown
,
and
the
comb
of
a
wave
smashed
the
cabin
windows
and
rushed
in
among
them
as
they
floundered
on
the
floor
,
and
wetted
and
chilled
them
to
the
marrow
.
A
voice
in
the
dark
cried
,
“
O
God
!
we
are
dead
men
.
”
CHAPTER
XIV
“
ON
deck
for
your
lives
!
”
cried
Dodd
,
forgetting
in
that
awful
moment
he
was
not
the
captain
;
and
drove
them
all
up
,
Robarts
included
,
and
caught
hold
of
Mrs.
Beresford
and
Freddy
at
their
cabin
door
and
half
carried
them
with
him
.
Just
as
they
got
on
deck
the
third
wave
,
a
high
one
,
struck
the
ship
and
lifted
her
bodily
up
,
canted
her
round
,
and
dashed
her
down
again
some
yards
to
leeward
,
throwing
them
down
on
the
hard
and
streaming
deck
.
At
this
tremendous
shock
the
ship
seemed
a
live
thing
,
shrieking
and
wailing
,
as
well
as
quivering
with
the
blow
.
But
one
voice
dissented
loudly
from
the
general
dismay
.
“
All
right
men
,
”
cried
Dodd
,
firm
and
trumpet-like
.
“
She
is
broadside
on
now
.
Captain
Robarts
,
look
alive
,
sir
;
speak
to
the
men
!
do
n't
go
to
sleep
!
”
Robarts
was
in
a
lethargy
of
fear
.
At
this
appeal
he
started
into
a
fury
of
ephemeral
courage
.
“
Stick
to
the
ship
,
”
he
yelled
;
“
there
is
no
danger
if
you
stick
to
the
ship
,
”
and
with
this
snatched
a
life-buoy
,
and
hurled
himself
into
the
sea
.
Dodd
caught
up
the
trumpet
that
fell
from
his
hand
and
roared
,
“
I
command
this
ship
.
Officers
come
round
me
!
Men
to
your
quarters
!
Come
,
bear
a
hand
here
and
fire
a
gun
.
That
will
show
us
where
we
are
,
and
let
the
Frenchmen
know
.
”
The
carronade
was
fired
,
and
its
momentary
flash
revealed
that
the
ship
was
ashore
in
a
little
bay
;
the
land
abeam
was
low
and
some
eighty
yards
off
;
but
there
was
something
black
and
rugged
nearer
the
ship
's
stern
.
Their
situation
was
awful
.
To
windward
huge
black
waves
rose
like
tremendous
ruins
,
and
came
rolling
,
fringed
with
devouring
fire
;
and
each
wave
as
it
charged
them
,
curled
up
to
an
incredible
height
and
dashed
down
on
the
doomed
ship
—
solid
to
crush
,
liquid
to
drown
—
with
a
ponderous
stroke
that
made
the
poor
souls
stagger
,
and
sent
a
sheet
of
water
so
clean
over
her
that
part
fell
to
leeward
,
and
only
part
came
down
on
deck
,
foretaste
of
a
watery
death
;
and
each
of
these
fearful
blows
drove
the
groaning
,
trembling
vessel
farther
on
the
sand
,
bumping
her
along
as
if
she
had
been
but
a
skiff
.
Now
it
was
men
showed
their
inner
selves
.
Seeing
Death
so
near
on
one
hand
,
and
a
chance
of
escape
on
the
other
,
seven
men
proved
unable
to
resist
the
two
great
passions
of
Fear
and
Hope
on
a
scale
so
gigantic
and
side
by
side
.
Bayliss
,
a
midshipman
,
and
five
sailors
stole
the
only
available
boat
and
lowered
her
.
She
was
swamped
in
a
moment
Many
of
the
crew
got
to
the
rum
,
and
stupefied
themselves
to
their
destruction
.
Others
rallied
round
their
old
captain
,
and
recovered
their
native
courage
at
the
brave
and
hopeful
bearing
he
wore
over
a
heart
full
of
anguish
.
He
worked
like
a
horse
,
encouraging
,
commanding
,
doing
;
he
loaded
a
carronade
with
a
pound
of
powder
and
a
coil
of
rope
,
with
an
iron
bar
attached
to
a
cable
,
and
shot
the
rope
and
bar
ashore
.
A
gun
was
now
fired
from
the
guard-house
,
whose
light
Robarts
had
taken
for
a
ship
.
But
no
light
being
shown
any
nearer
on
the
coast
,
and
the
ship
expected
every
minute
to
go
to
pieces
,
Dodd
asked
if
any
one
would
try
to
swim
ashore
with
a
line
made
fast
to
a
hawser
on
board
.
A
sailor
offered
to
go
if
any
other
man
would
risk
his
life
along
with
him
.
Instantly
Fullalove
stripped
,
and
Vespasian
next
.
“
Two
is
enough
on
such
a
desperate
errand
,
”
said
Dodd
with
a
groan
.
But
now
emulation
was
up
,
and
neither
Briton
,
Yankee
,
nor
negro
would
give
way
.
A
line
was
made
fast
to
the
sailor
's
waist
,
and
he
was
lowered
to
leeward
;
his
venturesome
rivals
followed
.
The
sea
swallowed
those
three
heroes
like
crumbs
,
and
small
was
the
hope
of
life
for
them
.
The
three
heroes
being
first-rate
swimmers
and
divers
,
and
going
with
the
tide
,
soon
neared
the
shore
on
the
ship
's
lee
quarter
;
but
a
sight
of
it
was
enough
:
to
attempt
to
land
on
that
rock
with
such
a
sea
on
was
to
get
their
skulls
smashed
like
eggshells
in
a
moment
.
They
had
to
coast
it
,
looking
out
for
a
soft
place
.
They
found
one
,
and
tried
to
land
;
but
so
irresistible
was
the
suction
of
the
retiring
wave
,
that
,
whenever
they
got
foot
on
the
sand
,
and
tried
to
run
,
they
were
wrenched
out
to
sea
again
,
and
pounded
black
and
blue
and
breathless
by
the
curling
breaker
they
met
coming
in
.
After
a
score
of
vain
efforts
,
the
negro
,
throwing
himself
on
his
back
,
went
in
with
a
high
wave
,
and
,
on
touching
the
sand
,
turned
,
dug
all
his
ten
claws
into
it
clenched
his
teeth
,
and
scrambled
like
a
cat
at
a
wall
.
Having
more
power
in
his
toes
than
the
Europeans
,
and
luckily
getting
one
hand
on
a
firm
stone
,
his
prodigious
strength
just
enabled
him
to
stick
first
while
the
wave
went
back
;
and
then
,
seizing
the
moment
,
he
tore
himself
ashore
,
but
bleeding
and
bruised
all
over
,
and
with
a
tooth
actually
broken
by
clenching
in
the
convulsive
struggle
.
He
found
some
natives
dancing
about
in
violent
agitation
with
a
rope
,
but
afraid
to
go
in
and
help
him
;
and
no
wonder
,
not
being
seagulls
.
By
the
light
of
their
lanterns
,
he
saw
Fullalove
washing
in
and
out
like
a
log
.
He
seized
one
end
of
the
rope
,
and
dashed
in
and
grabbed
his
friend
,
and
they
were
hauled
ashore
together
,
both
breathless
,
and
Fullalove
speechless
.
The
negro
looked
round
for
the
sailor
,
but
could
not
see
him
.
Soon
,
however
,
there
was
a
cry
from
some
more
natives
about
fifty
yards
off
and
laterns
held
up
;
away
he
dashed
with
the
rope
just
in
time
to
see
Jack
make
a
last
gallant
attempt
to
land
.
It
ended
in
his
being
flung
up
like
a
straw
into
the
air
on
the
very
crest
of
a
wave
fifteen
feet
high
,
and
out
to
sea
with
his
arms
whirling
,
and
a
death
shriek
which
was
echoed
by
every
woman
within
hearing
.
In
dashed
Vespasian
with
the
rope
,
and
gripped
the
drowning
man
's
long
hair
with
his
teeth
:
then
jerked
the
rope
,
and
they
were
both
pulled
ashore
with
infinite
difficulty
.
The
good-natured
Frenchmen
gave
them
all
three
lots
of
vivats
and
brandy
and
pats
on
the
back
,
and
carried
the
line
for
them
to
a
flagstaff
on
the
rocks
nearer
the
stern
of
the
ship
.
The
ship
began
to
show
the
first
signs
of
breaking
up
:
hammered
to
death
by
the
sea
,
she
discharged
the
oakum
from
her
opening
seams
,
and
her
decks
began
to
gape
and
grin
fore
and
aft
.
Corpses
of
drunken
sailors
drowned
between
decks
now
floated
up
amidships
,
and
washed
and
rolled
about
among
the
survivors
'
feet
These
,
seeing
no
hope
,
went
about
making
up
all
quarrels
,
and
shaking
hands
in
token
of
a
Christian
end
.
One
or
two
came
to
Dodd
with
their
hands
out
.
“
Avast
ye
lubbers
!
”
said
he
angrily
;
“
do
you
think
I
have
time
for
nonsense
?
Foksel
ahoy
!
axes
,
and
cut
the
weather
shrouds
!
”
It
was
done
;
the
foremast
went
by
the
board
directly
,
and
fell
to
leeward
:
a
few
blows
of
the
axe
from
Dodd
's
own
hand
sent
the
mainmast
after
it
.
The
Agra
rose
a
streak
;
and
the
next
wave
carried
her
a
little
farther
on
shore
.
And
now
the
man
in
charge
of
the
hawser
reported
with
joy
that
there
was
a
strain
on
it
.
This
gave
those
on
board
a
hope
of
life
.
Dodd
bustled
and
had
the
hawser
carefully
payed
out
by
two
men
,
while
he
himself
secured
the
other
end
in
the
mizen
top
:
he
had
left
that
mast
standing
on
purpose
.
There
was
no
fog
here
;
but
great
heavy
black
clouds
flying
about
with
amazing
swiftness
extinguished
the
moon
at
intervals
:
at
others
she
glimmered
through
a
dull
mist
in
which
she
was
veiled
,
and
gave
the
poor
souls
on
the
Agra
a
dim
peep
of
the
frail
and
narrow
bridge
they
must
pass
to
live
.
A
thing
like
a
black
snake
went
down
from
the
mizen-top
,
bellying
towards
the
yawning
sea
,
and
soon
lost
to
sight
:
it
was
seen
rising
again
among
some
lanterns
on
the
rock
ashore
:
but
what
became
of
it
in
the
middle
?
The
darkness
seemed
to
cut
it
in
two
;
the
sea
to
swallow
it
.
Yet
,
to
get
from
a
ship
going
to
pieces
under
them
,
the
sailors
precipitated
themselves
eagerly
on
that
black
thread
bellying
to
the
sea
and
flickering
in
the
wind
.
They
went
down
it
,
one
after
another
,
and
anxious
eyes
straining
after
them
saw
them
no
more
:
but
this
was
seen
,
that
scarce
one
in
three
emerged
into
the
lights
ashore
.
Then
Dodd
got
an
axe
,
and
stood
in
the
top
,
and
threatened
to
brain
the
first
man
who
attempted
to
go
on
the
rope
.
“
We
must
make
it
taut
first
,
”
said
he
;
“
bear
a
hand
here
with
a
tackle
.
”
Even
while
this
was
being
done
,
the
other
rope
,
whose
end
he
had
fired
ashore
,
was
seen
moving
to
windward
.
The
natives
,
it
seems
,
had
found
it
,
half
buried
in
sand
.
Dodd
unlashed
the
end
from
the
bulwarks
and
carried
it
into
the
top
,
and
made
it
fast
:
and
soon
there
were
two
black
snakes
dipping
shrorewards
and
waving
in
the
air
side
by
side
.
The
sailors
scrambled
for
a
place
,
and
some
of
them
were
lost
by
their
own
rashness
.
Kenealy
waited
coolly
,
and
went
by
himself
.
Finally
,
Dodd
was
left
in
the
ship
with
Mr.
Sharpe
and
the
women
,
and
little
Murphy
,
and
Ramgolam
,
whom
Robarts
had
liberated
to
show
his
contempt
of
Dodd
.
He
now
advised
Mrs.
Beresford
to
be
lashed
to
Sharpe
and
himself
,
and
venture
the
passage
;
but
she
screamed
and
clung
to
him
,
and
said
,
“
I
dare
not
!
oh
I
dare
not
!
”
“
Then
I
must
lash
you
to
a
spar
,
”
said
he
,
“
for
she
ca
n't
last
much
longer
.
”
He
ordered
Sharpe
ashore
.
Sharpe
shook
hands
with
him
,
and
went
on
the
rope
with
tears
in
his
eyes
.
Dodd
went
hard
to
work
,
lashed
Mrs.
Beresford
to
a
piece
of
broken
water-butt
:
filled
Fred
's
pockets
with
corks
and
sewed
them
up
(
you
never
caught
Dodd
without
a
needle
;
only
,
unlike
the
women
's
,
it
was
always
kept
threaded
)
.
Mrs.
Beresford
threw
her
arms
round
his
neck
and
kissed
him
wildly
:
a
way
women
have
in
mortal
peril
:
it
is
but
their
homage
to
courage
.
“
All
right
!
”
said
Dodd
,
interpreting
it
as
appeal
to
his
protection
,
and
affecting
cheerfulness
:
“
we
'll
get
ashore
together
on
the
poop
awning
,
or
somehow
;
never
you
fear
.
I
'd
give
a
thousand
pounds
to
know
where
high
water
is
.
”
At
this
moment
,
with
a
report
like
a
cannon
,
the
lower
decks
burst
fore
and
aft
:
another
still
louder
,
and
the
Agra
's
back
broke
.
She
parted
amidships
with
a
fearful
yawn
,
and
the
waves
went
toppling
and
curling
clean
through
her
.
At
this
appalling
sound
and
sight
,
the
few
creatures
left
on
the
poop
cowered
screaming
and
clinging
at
Dodd
's
knees
,
and
fought
for
a
bit
of
him
.
Yes
,
as
a
flood
brings
incongruous
animals
together
on
some
little
isle
in
brotherhood
of
fear
—
creatures
who
never
met
before
without
one
eating
the
other
;
and
there
they
cuddle
—
so
the
thief
Ramgolam
clung
to
the
man
he
had
tried
to
rob
;
the
Hindoo
Ayan
and
the
English
maid
hustled
their
mistress
,
the
haughty
Mrs.
Beresford
,
and
were
hustled
by
her
,
for
a
bit
of
this
human
pillar
;
and
little
Murphy
and
Fred
Beresford
wriggled
in
at
him
where
they
could
:
and
the
poor
goat
crept
into
the
quivering
mass
trembling
like
an
aspen
,
and
not
a
butt
left
either
in
his
head
or
his
heart
.
Dodd
stood
in
the
middle
of
these
tremblers
,
a
rock
of
manhood
:
and
when
he
was
silent
and
they
heard
only
the
voice
of
the
waves
,
they
despaired
;
and
whenever
he
spoke
,
they
started
at
the
astounding
calmness
of
his
voice
and
words
,
and
life
sounded
possible
.
“
Come
,
”
said
he
,
“
this
wo
n't
do
any
longer
.
All
hands
into
the
mizen-top
!
”
He
helped
them
all
up
,
and
stood
on
the
ratlines
himself
:
and
,
if
you
will
believe
me
,
the
poor
goat
wailed
like
a
child
below
.
He
found
in
that
new
terror
and
anguish
a
voice
goat
was
never
heard
to
speak
in
before
.
But
they
had
to
leave
him
on
deck
:
no
help
for
it
.
Dodd
advised
Mrs.
Beresford
once
more
to
attempt
the
rope
:
she
declined
.
“
I
dare
not
!
I
dare
not
!
”
she
cried
,
but
she
begged
Dodd
hard
to
go
on
it
and
save
himself
.
It
was
a
strong
temptation
:
he
clutched
the
treasure
in
his
bosom
,
and
one
sob
burst
from
the
strong
man
.
That
sob
was
but
the
tax
paid
by
Nature
;
for
pride
,
humanity
,
and
manhood
stood
staunch
in
spite
of
it
.
“
No
,
no
,
I
ca
n't
,
”
said
he
“
I
must
n't
.
Do
n't
tempt
me
to
leave
you
in
this
plight
,
and
be
a
cur
!
Live
or
die
,
I
must
be
the
last
man
on
her
.
Here
's
something
coming
out
to
us
,
the
Lord
in
Heaven
be
praised
!
”
A
bright
light
was
seen
moving
down
the
black
line
that
held
them
to
the
shore
;
it
descended
slowly
within
a
foot
of
the
billows
,
and
lighting
them
up
showed
their
fearful
proximity
to
the
rope
in
mid-passage
:
they
had
washed
off
many
a
poor
fellow
at
that
part
.
“
Look
at
that
!
Thank
Heaven
you
did
not
try
it
!
”
said
Dodd
to
Mrs.
Beresford
.
At
tins
moment
a
higher
wave
than
usual
swallowed
up
the
