Facing the World

“I see you have been removing articles from the ship,” continued the captain, in a tone of disapproval.

“Certainly,” answered the mate. “We need them, and I didn’t know how long the ship would last.”

“It seems in no immediate danger of going to pieces.”

“Things look more favorable than they did yesterday morning. What sort of a trip did you have in the boat?”

“A curious question to ask,” said the captain, captiously. “We were in danger of being swamped more than once.”

“We had better have remained on board the Nantucket with you, Mr. Holdfast,” said Appleton, the Melbourne merchant.

Captain Hill chose to take offense at this remark.

“You were quite at liberty to stay, Mr. Appleton,” he said. “I didn’t urge you to go with me.”

“True, Captain Hill; but I trusted to your opinion that the ship was unsafe.”

The captain looked angry, but did not make any reply.

By the sailors Mr. Holdfast was warmly greeted. He was much better liked than the captain, being a man of even temper and reasonable in his demands.

CHAPTER XV

THE LAST OF THE “NANTUCKET”

Though the mate had removed some of the stores, much the larger portion was left on board, for the Nantucket had been provisioned for a long voyage. Yet Captain Hill saw fit to complain.

“It is fortunate that you didn’t take all the stores, Mr. Holdfast,” he remarked, in a sarcastic tone.

The mate eyed the captain steadily.

“May I ask your meaning, Captain Hill?” he asked.

“I mean what I say, sir. I think my language requires no interpreter.”

“Then I can only reply that it would have made no difference if I had removed all the provisions.”

“You appear to forget that I am your superior officer,” said the captain in a heat.

“I had no superior officer at the time I ordered the removal.”

“You have now, at any rate.”

“We are not at sea, Captain Hill. The vessel is wrecked, and all distinctions are at an end. Now it is each for himself.”

“So, sir, you defy my authority!” exclaimed the captain, looking black.

“I don’t recognize it, that is all.”

“You shall, sir!” retorted the captain, frowning. “You shall learn, also, that I have means to enforce it. I have nearly a dozen seamen under me, and you have only the boy, Jack Pendleton.”

“Captain Hill, all this is very foolish. We are ship-wrecked, and have taken refuge on the same island. Instead of quarreling, we should help each other.”

“So you presume to lecture me!” sneered the captain.

Mr. Holdfast didn’t care to continue the dispute.

“I am ready to help you remove what you require,” he said, quietly. “It will be well to remove as much as possible today, for we may at any time have a storm, that will effectually put an end to our work.”

“Very well, sir; I am glad you show a better spirit.”

The mate was both annoyed and amused at this evident intention to throw upon him the whole onus of the quarrel, but he did not care to reply. He and the two boys helped remove the stores, and it being quite early, by noon several boatloads had been deposited on shore, to be removed farther inland when there was a good opportunity. One thing Mr. Holdfast noted with apprehension. There was a considerable quantity of brandy and other spirits in the captain’s cabin, which he took care to have included in the articles removed. Remembering the captain’s weakness, he feared this might lead to trouble. But he did not take it upon himself to remonstrate, knowing that in the state of the captain’s feelings toward him it would be worse than useless.

By three o’clock about all the stores, with other needful articles, had been removed, and there was a large pile on the bluff.

“Captain, will you walk over and see my encampment?” asked Holdfast, now that there was leisure.

“Lead on, sir,” said the captain, though not overpolitely. It was not far away, and a short walk brought them in front of it.

“Perhaps you will feel inclined to settle near by,” suggested Holdfast.

“No, sir; I don’t care to intrude upon you.”

Eventually the captain selected a spot about half a mile away. Here an encampment was made, very similar to the mate’s but on a larger scale.

“I am glad the captain is not close alongside,” said Jack Pendleton.

“So am I,” answered Harry, to whom this remark was made. “We are better off by ourselves.”

“He would be sure to interfere with us. I saw him scowling at me more than once this morning. You know he don’t like me.”

“Nor me, either, Jack. It will be well for both of us to keep out of his way.”

To the great delight of Clinton, more of his “wardrobe,” as he called it, was brought ashore. For this he was indebted to the good-natured persistence of Harry, who, though amused at the vanity of the young man from Brooklyn, felt disposed to gratify him in a harmless whim.

The two parties remained apart, the original company remaining with the captain, while four passengers and Jack Pendleton stayed with the mate. Captain Hill showed a disposition to claim Jack, but Holdfast said, quietly: “I think captain, Jack had better stay with me for the present, as he is company for Harry Vane.”

The captain looked dissatisfied, but was too tired to remonstrate at that time. He went to his own encampment, and indulged in liberal potations of brandy, which had the effect of sending him to sleep.

That night a violent wind sprang up. It blew from the sea inland, and though it did not affect the ship-wrecked parties or their encampment seriously, on account of their being screened by the intervening bluff, it had another effect which a day or two previous might have been disasterous. The ill-fated Nantucket was driven with such force against the reef that the strength of its hull was overtaxed. When the mate went to the bluff in the morning to take an observation, he was startled to find in place of the wreck a confused debris of timbers and fragments of the wreck.

As the mate was surveying the scene of ruin, Jack and Harry joined him.

“Look there, my lads!” said Holdfast. “That’s the last of the poor old Nantucket. She will never float again.”

They had known this before, but it was now impressed upon their minds forcibly, and a feeling of sadness came over the three.

“That settles it,” said Harry, giving expression to a common feeling. “We are prisoners on the island now, and no mistake.”