The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-08-04 00:00:00

[ALL 111/GETS RESERVED.
PiVE AT THE WHEEL

G. MANVILLE FENN.
Author of " Ship Ahoy," "Dutch, the Diver," "The
Foundry Belle," #c., ,fc.

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CHAPTER VI.
THE VIRGIN ISLAND

DAYLIGHT at last, and with it the wind fallen to a
dead calm. There was a rosy flush in the sky, which,
coni t:;.; through the dim skylights, showed the
wretched aspect of the saturated cabin.
"No sink dis time, mass' doctor, sah," said 'Thello,
returning to Helston's aide, as he finished an exami-
nation of Laurent, who lay, pale and insensible, in
the cot—" we safe ashore, sah."

" Can you hear anybody on deck P"
"\'o, sah ; dis chile tink dey go off in de boat, or
all wash away by de sea, and we hab de wreck to
our6‘,.lbes."

"Horrible!" exclaimed Helston. " Hark ! what
was that ?

" Dat am de women," said Othello showing his
white teeth. "Dey all squeal to be let out."
"Come along, 'Thello, said Helston.
And he forced open the cabin window, heat out
the dead light, and half climbed out, to try and get
upwards to the deck.
Two or three trials, though, resulted in failure;
and as the sun rose, gilding the ship till she shone
like refined gold, and filling the cabin with a flood
of ligl,t, Helston looked down into the clear water
bolo w.

" We _must drop down, and swim ashore, There,"
said lelston, "and trust lo chance to climb on
board and set the women at liberty."
" Wait lilly bit, sah, and let's see how far we are
off de shore," said 'Thello, forcing out his woolly
hea

"About a quarter of a mile," said Holston.
" Weat ebber de good of go dere to get board de
*hip? You swim ashore, and switb back, and go
round de ship; but, less lilly rope hang down, how
you get on deck, Bah?"
Helston saw the force of his arguments, and stood
thinking.
" Yah, yahi Look dere, Bah!" yelled the black.
And he p9;nted down into the amber water, il-
lumined, as it was, by the sun.
Helstou shuddered, for gliding slowly round Ihe
ship, about two feet below the surface, were one
two—four—seven sharks of from five to eight or
nine feet long.
"You fink you swim round dis ship now, sah':"
said 'Thello. "No, sal, no swim at all. Look at
de debbles."

As he spoke, one of the monsters gave itself a roll
on one side, so as to show its whiteness; then, with
a stroke of its vigorous tail, it glided onwards out of
sight, closely followed by the others.
Helston took a quick glance round, to see on his
right the beautiful shores of some strange land, with
tall, waving palms, and a rich undergrowth f trees,
coming apparently close to the water's edge; while
inland the place seemed to rise into quite a moim-
tain, which looked of a delicate rosy hue in the
morning light. Inhabitunts there seemed to be none
visible.

Away to the left was the open sea, with about half
a "mile away a long sandy bar, upon which the sea
broke heavily still, though beyond it the surface
looked smooth, only heaved and fell in great undu-
lationq, which ghstened in the sun.
" e must try the skylight, 'Thello," said Hols-
ton. "Those poor women must be half suffocate
"Not dey, sah," said 'Thello, grinning; "hark at
dem, how dey sing in de lilly cage ! "
For at that moment a loud shriek or cry plainly
reached their ears.
"There can be nobody on deck," said Helston, as
he climbed on the table, and reached up.
"Not a single nobody, sah," said 'Thello, "or we
been up dar before now. You no open him, sah "
"I can get it open, 'Thello; but it's all strongly
covered with wire, and even then there would not be
room to crawl out."

" Nebber mine, Mass' Helston, sah—l got my
knife. Golly, him berry strange if we no can't cut
de way out trough de door."
Without another word Othello opened a great ja,k
knife, and began hacking away at the panel of the
strongly made door, upon which he had made ery
little elect, when there was a loud splash and in h-
ing noise under the stern windows, which made
them both run at, to gaze upon a sight which held
them to the spot enchained by horror; for the clear
water was now becoming stained of a hideous red,
as half a dozen sharks made havoc of the 'holy of
one of the unfortunate sailors that had evidently
been washing slowly ashore.
They turned away at last as one of the sharks shot
off, making the water flash and shimmer with a
hundred hues, and 'Thello said, in a loud, frightened
tone—

"You no tink more 'bout swim 'shore, mass'
doctor, af' dat ? " a
At this moment there was a loud cry on deck,
followed by a babble of voices, and the hurrying of
footsteps.
. "They've got on deck," cried Holston, joyfully.
" Hey ! hi! captain! sailors!" cried a voice.
F. "Golly, sah, dat de she-griffum woman," said
'Thello, in an awe-stricken voice.
"Here, this way, Mrs. Burrows," shouted Helston,
in reply.
"Some one in the cabin," cried half a dozen
voices; and a rush was made in their direction.
"Who's in here ? " cried Deborah Burrows, then.
"Mr. Laurent, the mate; Othello, the cook; and
Charles Helston," said the latter. "Can you take
away what wedges the door ? "
"No," was the reply; "one of the boats is
crushed up against it with a big spar. Where are
the captain and the sailors?"
' "The captain w washed over," said Helston,
"early in the storm. Are there no sailors there ? "
"We can't see a soul," said another voice. "Can't
You get out?"
"Yes, if you make fast a rope and lower it down
over the stern windows," said 'Liston.
There was a rush of feet, and, after a time, a rope
came swinging down; and Helston, leaning out,
could speak to some of the girls hanging over the
stern.
" Is it fast ?"
"Yes, quite safe; and we are holding it too,"
cried several voices.
"Better keep 'em there," said a voice, with a
grim laugh. "I don't know that we want 'em."
Helston recognised Deborah Burrows' voice.
'' "For shatne; Mrs. Burrows ; and at such a time
too ! " said another voice, as Helston seized the rope,
and he knew that it was Mary Dance who spoke.
" Golly! take care, Mass' Helston—make de
sharks come see you swing, sah ! " shouted "I hello.
But Charles Helston was active and strong. With
the aid of the rope he had very little difficulty; and
in a few seconds he was on the poop-deck, seeing to
the security of the rope, as the black cook made the
best of his way after him.
It was a strange sight, as they stood there in the
midst of the crowd of sallow, dirty, dishevelled
women, who had been shut up for days almost with-
out food, and who now looked gaunt and wild on
the shattered decks of the great, mastless ship.
"Are you the only men left on board, then?' said
Deborah, pushing to the front.
"1 ametfraid so," said Helston.—" excepting poor
Mr. Laurent, who is much injured, below."
Tnere was a sharp, hysterical sob heard here,
tad Deborah looked round, her eyes lighting on the
Pale face of Mary Dance, which was quite impas-
sive.
"Was that you, my dear ?" said Deborah.
"If it was, I should not tell you," said Mary
Dance, boldly.
"And how are you all?" said Helston, looking
anxiously round.
"half dead, and so hungry, sir," chorused fifty
voices. "What shall we do?"
Helston saw Deborah's eyes fixed upon him.
"It is a terrible catastrophe," he said; '- but fol-
low re.v directions, and I will do the best to alleviate
our sufferings. We are in no danger now; so the
first thing is to get at the provisions, and then after
- awhi.e we must try to get ashore. 'Thello !"
-'
"I !, here, sah," said that individual, standing rub-
bing his wool, and grinning. "I know, mass' doe-
tor-_;yee want um braxfuss. Well, we try and get
, A search was first made, though, through the
- vessel, for them to find that the forecastle was still
battened down; and as there was not a boat left
Save the broken one which wedged in the cabin
door, it seemed evident that the crew had, in a time
(3f panic, taken to the sea, leaving the helpless
women to their fate.
Such were the young doctor's thoughts; but he
did not give them utterance.
"The poor fellows must have shared the captain's
fate, and been swept overboard," he said to those
about him.
And he pointed to the torn bulwarks, the denuded
deck, and utter absence of everything upon which
the waves could vent their spleen.
But his eye met that of Deborah Burrows as he
q°l,e, and he saw that she did not, believe him,
from her mocking look.
Continuing their examination, it seemed that the
Lull of the yes-el was but little injured; and this
levoraised hopefully as to provisions—plenty of bis-
eoit and water having been found by "Mello, who
rtcw summoned them aft, where the simple meal was
distributed, to be attacked with avidity.
As lielston looked round, he now for the first
e,
"nl6 caught sight of Grace Monroe, looking very
Pale,,,
Z:.c by side with Mary Dance, before whom the
lel, lay untested.
box. the women had grouped themselves about on
the deck, drinking in, with brightening eyes, the
:I(3ft, balmy air; and, now that the dread of imme-
i
e ate danger was removed, feeling more curiosity than
any other sensation as they appeased their hunger.
nelston's next movement was to move the broken
, boat,the way by means of the leverage of a small spar, and
way down to the cabin was once more open,
Where,,l Laurent lay in a state half sleep, half stupor.
. must have a nurse for the injured man in the
eetb_ull" said Helston, returning to the group, whdm
7 "alined ea&erlv "Where is the matron—Mrs.
aeent ?” . e •--

" I, •
I saul share. h voicert" aufheLatad in that

den you brave men forced us into, that you might
take the boats, and leave us to our fate."
"You must know Deborah Burrows, that you
were safer below,* said Helston firmly; "and that
it was for your good you were placed there."
"it's a lie ! " she exclaimed,. fiercely.

" -An—dliany Of the crew did deseit the ship," he
continued, without heeding her words, "I fear that
the poor fellows paid for it dearly. But I want
some one to act as nurse to poor Mr. Laurent, who
is badly hurt."
"Consult with me then," said Deborah Burrows,
sharply. "I'm leader here now '
"I will wait on Mr. Laurent, sir," said a voice;
and Mary Dance came quietly forward. "I have
been used to attend on sick people."
"Thank you!" said Balaton.
And a bright look of pleasure crossed his face as
he lead the way to the cabin.
" Hy-yah, hy-yah !" laughed Othello, codling up
grinning. "Peso berry hard times, ladies; but—
hy-yah, hy-yah !—we make um softer. You no frow
de tater to-day, Ma'am Burrows, 'cause dere none to
frow till me get um up."
Deborah made a half-start forward, but she re-
strained herself.
"Now, Lilly dears," said 'Thello, "1 fine some-
thing make you all smile—plenty tea and sugar,
eh? Now, two ob you come an' help dis chile cut
wood and boil water, and I make you all lubbly
cup o' tea."
Twenty girls started up on the instant; but De-
borah Burrows checked them.

"You go, Sarah Lao; and you, Ann Smith. That
will do." _ _ _

" Hy-yah, hy-yah! "" Yes, dat'll do," said 'Thello.
" Dere's tub o' butter, too, and bimeby I get below
at de Utters." •