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Cornell University Library 
 PR 5039.M82G8 
 
 The 'Great Orion' / 
 
 3 1924 009 621 768 
 
Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of tliis bool< is in 
 tine Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924009621768 
 
THE 
 
 'GREAT ORION' 
 
" ' FOIRE A\VA\, ME LAB,' WAS THE ANSWER FROM THE MAINMAST.* 
 
 Frontispiece. -Pa^e ^ 
 
THE 
 
 'GREAT ORION' 
 
 BY 
 
 F. FRANKFORT MOORE 
 
 AUTHOR OF 'the MUTINY ON THE " ALBATROSS*" * THE FATE OK 
 THE "black swan"* * WILL*S VOYAGES' ETC. 
 
 ILLUSTRATED BY y. NASH 
 
 PUBLISHED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE 
 
 COMMITTEE OF GENERAL LITERATURE AND EDUCATION APPOINTED BY 
 
 THE SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE 
 
 LONDON 
 
 SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE 
 NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE, CHARING CROSS, W.C. 
 
 43 QUEEN VICTORIA STREET, E.G. 
 
 26 ST. George's place, hyde park corner, s.w. 
 
 BRIGHTON : 135 north street 
 
 New York : E. & J. B. YOUNG & CO. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAI'TER PAGE 
 
 I. THE PRICE OF A DEGREE .... 7 
 
 11. A SHIP IS FOUND l8 
 
 III. GOOD-BYE TO EVERYBODY 28 
 
 IV. THE SHIP AND HER COMPANY . . . . 34 
 V. ,IN THE queen's NAME 4I 
 
 VI. A BAD BEGINNING 5I 
 
 VII. THE STEWARD'S THEORIES .... 58 
 
 VIII. I SEE A GHOST 64 
 
 IX. VERY MUCH AT SEA 72 
 
 X. THE GHOST REAPPEARS 79 
 
 XI. CROSS-EXAMINING A SPECTRE .... 87 
 
 XII. THE CAPTAIN'S PRINCIPLES 97 
 
 XIII. IN THE SOUTH I02 
 
 XIV. A THIEF ABOARD 107 
 
 XV. WHO WAS THE THIEF? IIS 
 
 XVI. THE LAUGH IS AGAINST ME . . . . I23 
 
 XVII. THE GATEWAY TO THE PACIFIC . . . I30 
 
 XVIII. THE KRAKATOA ERUPTION I37 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 XIX. THE VOLCANIC WAVE 
 
 XX. THE SHIP IS DISABLED , , 
 
 XXI. THE CAPTAIN'S PLAN 
 
 XXII. I ASTONISH THE CAPTAIN . 
 
 XXIII. AMONG THE ISLANDS 
 
 XXIV. WE REACH MAORI ISLAND . 
 XXV. AN EVENING'S EXPLORATION . 
 
 XXVI. 'LAY YOUR GUN ACROSS YOUR KNEES ' 
 
 XXVII. WE LEAVE OUR MOORINGS 
 
 XXVIII. A WHOLESALE DESERTION . 
 
 XXIX. WE SLIP OUR CABLE. 
 
 XXX. FROM BAD TO WORSE . . . . 
 
 XXXI. A NATIVE VISITOR . , . . 
 
 XXXII. THE captain's CAUTION 
 
 XXXIII. A ROYAL LEVfiE .... 
 
 XXXIV. WE ARE MADE PRISONERS . 
 XXXV. OUR captor's PROPOSALS . 
 
 XXXVI. WE ACCEPT THE TERMS 
 
 XXXVII. WE ARE LEFT TO OUR OWN DEVICES 
 
 XXXVIII. THE ONLY DEVICE LEFT TO US . 
 
 XXXIX. THE ARTFUL RAJAH .... 
 
 XL. A GREAT SURPRISE . . . . 
 
 XLI. OUR TURN COMES AT LAST 
 
 XLII. AT THE HEAD OF OUR JIEN 
 
 XLIII. ONCE MORE ON OUR OWN DECK 
 
 XLIV. THE rajah's PUNISHMENT . 
 
 I' AGE 
 146 
 
 155 
 163 
 168 
 
 174 
 180 
 187 
 196 
 203 
 208 
 214 
 222 
 230 
 236 
 242 
 249 
 
 254 
 258 
 265 
 271 
 
 -79 
 2S6 
 294 
 301 
 309 
 315 
 
THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE PRICE OF A DEGREE. 
 
 HAVE been induced to undertake the 
 narrative of the adventures I met with 
 during the eleven months that I was 
 absent from England, and I hope that I shall 
 succeed in interesting even those boys who have 
 never heard either my name or the name of the 
 good ship aboard which I spent so many pleasant 
 and — it must be confessed — extremely unpleasant 
 days. To be sure, a fuss was made about this 
 same ship, the ' Great Orion,' and her voyage ; 
 but as more than two years have passed since 
 the newspapers published their paragraphs re- 
 specting our adventures, I dare say much of what 
 I may write about will be quite new to English 
 boys, who as a rule, unlike their fathers, can 
 manage to eat hearty breakfasts without having 
 first read the morning paper. 
 
THE 'GREAT ORION! 
 
 I frankly admit that my motives for under- 
 taking the task of writing a book are selfish. Some 
 people may write books with unselfish motives ; 
 but I don't think that these people are any more 
 numerous than the tradesmen who open shops for 
 the sake of selling all manner of useful articles 
 ' under cost price.' The fact is, that I have been 
 visited during the past year by so many persons — 
 the majority total strangers to me — who expressed 
 a desire to learn all that I went through from the 
 time I left England until, by the goodness of 
 Providence, I once again came in view of the 
 coast I knew so well, that I have become rather 
 tired of repeating, almost daily, the same story ; 
 and so I have come to the conclusion that it would 
 be wise to embody my experience in a book, which 
 all who run — by train, to see me and hear my 
 story — may read. Having thus frankly admitted 
 my selfish motives, I venture to hope that no one 
 will accuse me of vanity. 
 
 Rly story begins with a headache — I hope that 
 none of my readers will end it with one. I had 
 been reading pretty hard for several months at 
 Oxford for my degree. The result was the head- 
 ache to which I have just alluded. I had never 
 been troubled with such a complaint before, and 
 in fact I had come to regard headache as some- 
 thing existing only in the imagination of girls, 
 who find it a convenient though a somewhat 
 vague excuse for failing to put in an appear- 
 ance to entertain a disagreeable visitor. There 
 was, however, nothing vague about my attack of 
 
THE PRICE OF A DEGREE. 
 
 headache. I awoke with it one morning, and I 
 felt that I could heartily sympathise with the 
 sufferings of the unhappy man who wore — from 
 necessity, not choice — the red-hot iron crown long 
 ago. 
 
 I managed to get out of bed and to dress myself, 
 but reading was out of the question. I tried, by 
 the advice of a brother student, the cold-water cure 
 for my headache, sitting for a couple of hours 
 with a wet towel bound like a turban about my 
 brows. Strange to say, I felt no relief from this. 
 In the course of the day a second friend paid me 
 a visit, and, on hearing of my suffering, promptly 
 disappeared, and returned in a short time accom- 
 panied by a doctor. 
 
 ' My boy,' said the doctor after cross-question- 
 ing me, and making sure that I had not been 
 overtraining myself or going in too eagerly for 
 gymnastics — it never seemed to occur to him that 
 anyone in the college might injure himself by over- 
 reading — ' My boy, your system is altogether out 
 of order. You have let yourself run down — you 
 have been exercising your brain. You must give 
 up all of this sort of thing.' 
 
 I began exercising my brain with a view to 
 find out how, if I took this advice, I should get 
 my degree, when the doctor continued his pre- 
 scription. 
 
 'You must run home without a moment's 
 delay, even if your home is in Connemara or the 
 Orkney Islands. You must not open a book for 
 at least six months. Now get a railway guide 
 
THE 'GREAT ORION: 
 
 and find out when the first train leaves for your 
 home.' 
 
 ' What ! ' I cried, ' send for a raihvay guide, 
 when you have just declared that I must not open 
 a book for six months ! Oh, no, doctor ; I esteem 
 your advice far too highly to send for a railway 
 guide. Give me some pill or dose, or something 
 that will send me to sleep for ten hours or so, and 
 I shall be all right, I promise you.' 
 
 He got into a rage, or pretended to do so, and 
 declared that he would not be responsible for the 
 consequences if I did not immediately leave college 
 and return home. Considering that I had never 
 asked him to be responsible for anything, I could 
 not help laughing at his earnestness, though I 
 knew that he was anxious to do his best for me. 
 After some further discussion I compromised the 
 matter with the doctor by promising that if I did 
 not feel myself fully recovered by the next day I 
 would throw aside my books and get home without 
 delay. 
 
 ' It's all nonsense to make such an agreement,' 
 said the doctor, putting on his gloves, ' for you'll 
 not be better to-morrow ; you'll be worse, and the 
 day after you'll be worse still, and then — well, I'll 
 not say what then.' 
 
 I laughed, so he went away. I remained lying 
 back on my little sofa for about an hour, I should 
 say. 
 
 ' What ! ' I thought, ' shall I give up all ideas 
 respecting the exam. ? Shall my seven months 
 of hard reading go for nothing ? How can a 
 
THE PRICE OF A DECREE. 
 
 fellow break down all in a moment ? I have never 
 had a touch of headache until this morning, and 
 I am convinced that this visitation is an accident 
 I will shake it off.' 
 
 I forced myself to rise. I gathered my books 
 on my table and worked for exactly six hours — in 
 agony at first, but after the first couple of hours in 
 complete freedom from pain. I attended a couple 
 of lectures and, after dining, worked for a few 
 hours before going to bed. My headache had 
 departed in spite of what the doctor had said. 
 
 Alas ! the next morning I was undeceived. I 
 woke with my poor head throbbing like a double- 
 action printing-machine with extra pressure on the 
 boiler. Remembering, however, the system that I 
 had pursued with such success on the previous day, 
 I resolved to repeat it. I rose, took a cup of coffee 
 and a slice of toast, and settled myself once more 
 at my books. When the doctor paid me a visit, 
 about midday, I was in a condition truthfully to 
 declare that I had no headache. 
 
 ' You are a fool,' he cried in response. ' You 
 have a headache — you can't avoid having one — only 
 you have become intoxicated with those books of 
 yours and so don't feel any pain. I'll leave you to 
 yourself You are pig-headed.' 
 
 'At any rate my pig's head doesn't ache,' I 
 cried. He glared at me, gave an exclamation of 
 impatience, and picked up his hat as if it had been 
 a refractory child. 
 
 ' You'll get that precious degree,' he cried as 
 he pulled on his gloves. ' Yes, you'll get it, but 
 
THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 you'll regret it as long as you live — that is, for 
 three weeks or a month.' 
 
 ' Au revoir,' I said, smiling at his vehemence. 
 
 ' No,' he cried, ' not au revoir — good-bye, good- 
 bye ! ' 
 
 He would have succeeded in frightening me 
 if I had not given all my attention to my books. 
 
 The doctor was right up to a certain point. I 
 did obtain my degree. The examination lasted 
 for three days. I must confess that I felt very 
 weak while I worked out my papers, but only in 
 the mornings had I the least headache. The 
 relief I felt when, on the evening of the third day, 
 I found myself in my rooms, with the oak sported 
 to keep out intruders, cannot be described. I threw 
 myself on the sofa, and I must have fallen asleep 
 almost immediately. 
 
 When I awoke I found myself seated at my 
 table. The lamp was burning, though I had no 
 recollection of lighting it, and my door was as 
 securely locked as when I had gone to sleep. This 
 was strange ; but stranger than all was a discovery 
 I made when 1 had turned up the lamp, that was 
 burning low. Upon the table were a number of 
 slips of paper, closely written over, and some with 
 the ink not yet dry upon their surface. On look- 
 ing over these, I found, to my great amazement, 
 that they contained exactly what I had written 
 upon the examination papers which I had worked 
 out on this day. 
 
 What could this mean, I wondered. Was it 
 possible that I had by some terrible mistake put 
 
THE PRICE OF A DEGREE. 13 
 
 the examination papers in my pocket and brought 
 them here to my rooms ? No : I remembered 
 clearly seeing them taken from the desk I had 
 occupied when in the awful presence of the 
 examiners. When the truth flashed across me 
 that I had in my sleep arisen from the sofa, lit 
 the lamp, and worked out, for the second time, 
 the examination papers, I confess that I felt 
 frightened. 
 
 Something was evidently wrong with the 
 machinery of my brain. I had never before been 
 guilty of somnambulism, and I knew that such a 
 fit would not come upon me unless my health were 
 seriously impaired. I looked at my watch, and 
 was astonished to find that the hour was three in 
 the morning ; so that I must have been in the room 
 for nearly nine hours. How many hours I had 
 passed in sleep — that is, the proper, natural sleep 
 'that knits up the ravelled sleeve of care' — and 
 how many in that unnatural condition known as 
 somnambulism, I could not tell, and the effort to 
 make the calculation was an agony to me now, 
 though the papers on the table showed that during 
 the night I had done a good deal in the calculating 
 way. 
 
 I rose from the chair where I had found myself; 
 but then — well, I can scarcely say what happened 
 then. I had a queer dream of being turned into a 
 comet and forced to compute my periodic times of 
 coming within view of the earth — this had formed 
 the substance of one of the examination papers. 
 Then I fancied that I utterly failed to work out 
 
14 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 the calculation, and that as a punishment I was 
 broken into meteors ; and I remember distinctly 
 doing my best to gather up my own fragments — 
 I need hardly say that such attempts resulted in 
 ignominious failure. Then I fancied, by one of those 
 strange jumbles that occur in a dream — most 
 frequently after an indiscreet supper — that I was 
 standing on a lonely rock in the middle of an 
 ocean whose waves surged heavily around me on 
 every side. It was night, and the wind was howl- 
 ing like a pack of wolves that have been kept on 
 short commons for a week. Suddenly there came 
 in sight a great ship with strange blood-red sails, 
 and at the same instant the doctor appeared by 
 my side on the rock. 
 
 ' What ship is that ? ' I cried eagerly. 
 
 'That is your scholarship, my boy,' he answered 
 in a hoarse voice, and then laughed loudly. In 
 another instant the vessel had run upon the rock, 
 the jibboom struck me on the head and then 
 tossed me into the air as if it had been the horn of 
 a unicorn. I went up and up, and then, naturally 
 enough, I came down and down ; I fell into the 
 water with a splash, and continued going down 
 and down until 
 
 ' Hold hard, George, old chap ; let some of the 
 clothes stay on the bed, if only as samples.' 
 
 The voice was that of my young brother Jack. 
 
 I opened my eyes. I was lying in bed in my 
 room. Jack was sitting by my side, and on the 
 table were a number of bottles of various sizes, a 
 measuring-glass, and a tumbler. 
 
THE PRICE OF A DEGREE. 
 
 ' Hallo ! ' I said. ' Where am I ? How did 
 you come here ? Where's the ship ? ' 
 
 ' What ship ? ' said Jack, with his eyes staring. 
 
 ' The " Scholarship " — the doctor said that was 
 her name.' 
 
 'You may well ask about a ship, for you're 
 all at sea yourself,' Jack replied, with a laugh. 
 ' Now don't you worry yourself, old chap,' he 
 continued. ' That exam, nearly did for you. You 
 don't know, I suppose, that you have been laid 
 up for the past ten days — ever since the exam. — 
 raving mad now and again, talking about comets 
 and how they come back in so many thousand 
 years, days, hours, and seconds — you were very 
 particular about the seconds and decimals, as if it 
 mattered whether they ever returned or not ; and 
 then you yarned me until furtlier notice about a 
 heap of other things. But I forgot — you are not 
 to be talked to ; you are to sleep, so the doctor 
 says. Now, be off to sleep like an express train.' 
 
 ' I'll do my best in that way. Jack. But first 
 tell me what has been the matter with me ? ' 
 
 ' Oh, something of the fever order, but not a 
 fever, the doctor said,' replied Jack to my inquiry. 
 -You let yourself run down to nothing, like a 
 mechanical top that wants winding up. We're 
 winding you up now.' 
 
 'That's very kind of you,' said I. 'I don't 
 remember anything except being at my table — 
 yes, I worked out the exam, papers a second time 
 in my sleep. Is there any news about the exam. 
 Jack?' 
 
1 6 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 ' The announcement was just made this morn- 
 ing,' he replied. 
 
 ' Well ? ' 
 
 ' Well ! Of course you have got your degree. 
 You didn't fancy you'd let yourself run down for 
 nothing, did you 1 Now make yourself comfortable, 
 and don't try to think.' 
 
 I lay back on the pillow and did my best to 
 obey Jack, though he was usually the advised one 
 and I the adviser. After some time I succeeded 
 in thinking about nothing, and fell into a dreamless 
 sleep. 
 
 In a few days I was able to leave college ; and 
 with my mother and Jack, both of whom had been 
 nursing me while my illness lasted, I returned 
 home to Fairthorpe. From the moment I saw 
 in the degree list the name ' Mostyn, Georgius,' 
 I began to mend. Still, it could not be said that, 
 even with the careful nursing which I received at 
 home, I was making satisfactory progress towards 
 convalescence. I had, indeed, allowed my system 
 to run down completely while reading for the 
 degree. 
 
 When I had been a month at Fairthorpe, and 
 it was found that I was scarcely gaining any 
 strength, my father went to London one morning, 
 and returned the next day with one of the most 
 eminent physicians. 
 
 I had the honour of being cross-examined by 
 this distinguished gentleman, and the result of his 
 consideration of my case was communicated to me 
 by my father in the evening. 
 
THE PRICE OF A DEGREE. 
 
 17 
 
 ' S'r Courtenay Marsh says you must take a 
 long sea voyage, George,' said my father. 
 
 ' Then I will take a long sea voyage,' I replied. 
 
 ' I only wish he'd prescribe the same dose for 
 me,' cried Jack. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 A SHIP IS FOUND. 
 
 CANNOT say that I looked forward to 
 a long sea voyage with unmixed feelings 
 of pleasure. The fact was, I may as well 
 confess at once, that I had set my heart upon 
 getting married within a year after leaving college. 
 Lily Cranstoun was the daughter of the Rector of 
 Fairthorpe. We had known each other since we 
 had been children together, and the question of 
 our marriage was merely a question of time. Of 
 course my father, as well as the rector, had said 
 that there was no need for such an event to be 
 hurried on ; there would be plenty of time to think 
 of our getting married when I should have left 
 college and lived at home for a year or two. 
 Curiously enough, I could not be brought to look 
 upon the matter in the same light, though I gene- 
 rally agreed with my father and the rector. I 
 thought it would be better to get married at once, 
 as I was now twenty-one, and think over the 
 matter quietly afterwards — for the rest of my life 
 perhaps ; and so it had come to be understood 
 
A SHIP IS FOUND. 19 
 
 that Lily and I were to be married in the autumn 
 of next year. If I were forced to take a long 
 voyage now, of course I should have to abandon 
 my hopes in this direction for some time at least. 
 
 Under these circumstances it can easily be 
 believed, I am sure, that it was not from my heart 
 I agreed to obey the great doctor. 
 
 ' It is your only means of complete restoration 
 to health,' said my father ; ' and I am glad to see 
 that you are not afraid to face Sir Courtenay's 
 prescription. I hope your mother will be equally 
 reasonable. I have every confidence, at any rate, 
 that Lily will look at the matter in its proper 
 light.' 
 
 ' I am sure she will,' I replied. 
 
 ' Of course it would be pleasant if we could 
 have carried out our intentions as regards your 
 marriage.' 
 
 ' It would indeed have been pleasant,' I admitted 
 willingly. 
 
 ' But you are both young,' continued my father ; 
 ' and a year or so apart before you are married will 
 do you both all the good in the world.' 
 
 I quite failed to see the wisdom of this state- 
 ment at the time. I do so now, however. The 
 heart of every true man and woman is strengthened 
 by suffering, as iron is strengthened by the blows 
 it receives on the anvil. 
 
 My mother bore with resignation the news 
 that I was to leave home for a year. My beloved 
 Lily, when she heard that we were to be parted for 
 so long, was at first overcome with grief ; but soon. 
 
THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 like the noble girl that she was, and is, she dried 
 her tears, and, putting her hand in mine, said : 
 
 ' I can bear it, George, if you come back quite 
 restored in health.' 
 
 ' I promise you, darling, to do my best to get 
 back my health,' I said. ' No Royalist during the 
 time of Cromwell worked half so zealously to bring 
 about the Restoration as I shall work to restore 
 my health.' 
 
 All that remained to be done was to find a 
 vessel suitable for my purpose. It would, of course, 
 have been easy enough for me to have bought a 
 return cabin ticket aboard one of the Orient line of 
 steamers, and have made the voyage to Australia 
 and back ; or to have stepped aboard a P. and O. 
 steamer bound for China. After talking over the 
 matter, however, with several persons who had 
 made such voyages, my father and I came to the 
 conclusion that, in order to obtain the fullest ad- 
 ■\antage to be derived from a long sea voyage, I 
 should become a passenger aboard a sailing-ship, 
 and not a steamer. After some inquiry at the 
 principal ports for a first-class vessel about to leave 
 for a long voyage to the East, under the command 
 of a captain who could be trusted not to run any 
 risks when so valuable a life as mine would be in 
 his keeping, a correspondent of my father's at 
 Liverpool telegraphed to us to the effect that he 
 had successfully negotiated with the owners of a 
 fine full-rigged ship, almost new, named the ' Great 
 Orion,' to take me as passenger on her next 
 vovage. 
 
A SHIP IS FOUND. 21 
 
 My father hastened off to Liverpool to inspect 
 the vessel personally and to find out by an inter- 
 view with the captain whether or not he was a 
 man that I should be likely to get on with. It is no 
 trifling matter taking a voyage that may last the 
 greater part of a year, in one ship. The comfort of 
 a passenger must be dependent in a large measure 
 upon the character of the captain and his capacity 
 for making one feel at home. It would be awkward 
 if I were to find about the middle of the Indian 
 Ocean that the captain of the ' Great Orion ' and I 
 had nothing in common, or that he was inclined to 
 be a bully, or to drink more spirituous liquors than 
 were consistent with the proper discharge of his 
 duties in sailing the ship. On shore, if a fellow 
 objects to his lodgings he can always give notice to 
 the landlord ; but when he is a couple of thousand 
 miles from the nearest coast, there is more or less 
 difficulty in the way of carrying out a threat of 
 giving notice. My father declared that he was 
 not half so particular about the ship as about the 
 captain in whose charge I was to be placed. 
 
 ' If a ship runs straight upon a rock it scarcely 
 matters whether she is a fine clipper or a Dutch 
 galliot,' he said ; ' she will go to pieces as quickly if 
 the cabins are upholstered in the best plush as if 
 they were done in inferior American cloth. But if 
 she has a careful commander, the chances are that 
 she will not be found with the point of a rock 
 through her timbers some fine morning.' 
 
 He went to Liverpool one day, and returned 
 the next bearing a glowing account of the ' Great 
 
THE ' GREA T ORION.' 
 
 Orion ' and her master, Captain Harwood. The 
 vessel was eleven hundred tons register, and ship- 
 rigged. She was well found in every respect, and 
 her cabins were roomy, and not those stuffy holes 
 which were formerly regarded as affording ample 
 accommodation for the officers and passengers on 
 the old ships. My father was, however, more 
 enthusiastic in his account of the captain than of 
 the vessel. Captain Harwood was, he said, looked 
 upon by the owners of the ' Great Orion ' as by far 
 the ablest and most trustworthy officer in their 
 service. He had been sailing to the East during 
 a period of fifteen years and had never lost a ship 
 that he commanded. He had been presented with 
 a share in the ' Great Orion ' for the ability he had 
 displayed in certain transactions in respect to a 
 cargo consigned to a merchant at Melbourne, who 
 had become bankrupt before the arrival of the 
 vessel. The shrewdness of the captain had saved 
 the owners some thousands of pounds ; and now, 
 having an interest in the ship, he was about to 
 take her on a voyage to Bombay and thence to 
 Sydney. 
 
 The owners did not guarantee that the voyage 
 of the ' Great Orion ' would be in every particular 
 as announced ; for the fact was that freights were 
 so low between English and foreign ports, that 
 taking a cargo direct to Bombay would not be 
 profitable. The captain was to use his own discre- 
 tion as to the course to be pursued after discharg- 
 ing at the Indian port. It was quite likely that 
 the vessel would run up to Maulmein or Rangoon 
 
A SHIP IS FOUND. 23 
 
 before going to the China Seas, and then her stay 
 at Sydney before returning home would be inde- 
 finite. The judgment of the captain would alone 
 control the course of the vessel. 
 
 ' That is the very thing for me,' said I to my 
 father on his return with a full account of the 
 ' Great Orion ' and her captain. ' I don't want to 
 take an ordinary voyage that may be mapped out 
 months beforehand : I want something out of the 
 common — I should like to visit some strange out- 
 of-the-way places ; and, with the captain of the 
 " Great Orion " using his own judgment, I think it 
 may be taken for granted that my wishes will be 
 gratified.' 
 
 ' I hope,' said my mother, ' that you will not 
 have to go to any dangerous place, George, and 
 that the voyage will not last altogether longer 
 than a year.' 
 
 The dear mater was, I could see, at the point 
 of breaking down now that our plans were all but 
 completed and I was ready to say good-bye. My 
 sister Bertha, too, was very sad at heart, though 
 the dear girl was doing her best to keep up the 
 spirits of everyone else, laughing and making 
 merry little jests about the likelihood of my land- 
 ing on some island in the Pacific and marrying 
 half-a-dozen wives — she called them squaws, having 
 read some of Jack's exciting stories of the North 
 American Indians. 
 
 As for my brother himself, the fellow made 
 no pretence of being in grief at my departure ; 
 he declared that he knew very well that I was 
 
THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 delighted at the prospect of travelling about the 
 world, for I had often confessed to him long ago 
 that there was nothing I should like better than 
 taking a series of long voyages to nowhere in 
 particular. For his own part, he announced his 
 willingness to go abroad in my place if I should 
 change my mind ; he assured us all that his good- 
 nature was so great that, if our father had the least 
 suspicion that I would not be able to take care of 
 myself, he would gladly give up Eton for a year 
 for the sake of looking after me. On the whole, 
 then, our household bore up very well against the 
 hour of parting, and my beloved Lily allowed no 
 one to see whatever tears she may have shed 
 during my week of preparation. 
 
 On the day before that fixed for my departure 
 for Liverpool I was strong enough to walk through 
 my father's park, and on to our pretty little fishing 
 village of Fairthorpe to say good-bye to all my 
 good friends there. I knew every man, woman, 
 and child in the village. They were my father's 
 tenants, and I was of course bound to shake hands 
 with everyone. 
 
 I gave myself plenty of time for the discharge 
 of this duty, and by the end of the second hour I 
 was in a position to write a chapter describing 
 what would be the probable sensations of a pump- 
 handle at the close of a long and unusually thirsty 
 summer's day. 
 
 The last of the inhabitants whom I saw was 
 an old man named Hiram, who had been a smack 
 owner as long as I could remember. He helped 
 
A SHIP IS FOUND. 25 
 
 to look after our yacht and boats, and it was 
 from him I had gained all that I knew of seaman- 
 ship. 
 
 ' Well, Master George, sir,' said he, ' you are 
 goin' to do what every lad that's worth his salt is 
 bound to do sooner or later. There's nothin' like 
 the salt sea, and plenty of it, for puttin' a back- 
 bone into a lad, whether he means to folly the sea 
 or become a squire, or maybe a parson — all of 
 them needs a backbone, and that bit o' anatummy 
 doesn't grow ashore. Landsmen has a bit o' 
 elastic for a backbone — they has to put up with it, 
 for, says I, the backbone comes from holdin' your 
 face again a gale o' wind, with a dash o' salt spray 
 in it maybe.' 
 
 ' You're right there, Hiram,' I replied. ' I don't 
 think that there is anything so good for a fellow 
 as a while at sea.' 
 
 ' It's a fact. Master George, sir. A while at sea 
 is an eddycation in itself, particklerly when it 
 makes a lad settle down ashore after. A life afloat 
 is one constant fight, some people says — and I don't 
 say but what they may be right in the main ; but 
 if it are a fight, I says, then a bit o' a fight like that 
 is the best thing for a lad that wants to turn out a 
 real man — a man with a backbone. When I heard 
 that you was thinkin' o' takin' a voy'ge, says I, 
 " Master George, mark my words, won't look about 
 for one o' them iron pots that they call steamers 
 for to take him a trip across the 'lantic inside a 
 week, as I hear they do it in nowaday ; no," says 
 I, " he'll look about for a ship that is a ship " ; and 
 
26 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 you've done it, Master George, and you'll never be 
 sorry that you've done it.' 
 
 ' Ah, you see, all that you taught me was not 
 thrown away, Hiram,' said I. At this his face 
 wrinkled itself up into an expression of super- 
 natural sagacity. He seemed the most knowing 
 old boy in the world, though he really was as 
 simple as a child. He chuckled, for some moments, 
 winking like an owl, and then he began to gurgle 
 deep down in his throat in a way that would have 
 frightened most people, making them fancy that 
 he was at the point of having a fit. I knew, how- 
 ever, that he was only laughing — it was his way ; 
 but unless a person knew him, his peculiarities were 
 rather terrifying. 
 
 He chuckled and gurgled so long that even I, 
 who was fully acquainted with his powers, began 
 to be alarmed. Suddenly he became solemn. 
 
 ' Maybe you did learn summut from me. 
 Master George, sir,' he managed to murmur, as 
 though he were particularly anxious that no one 
 should overhear him. ' Maybe you did learn 
 summut from me. If you did you'll hear me now, 
 when I make bold to speak to you as if I was 
 preachin'.' 
 
 ' Indeed I will listen to anything you have to 
 say to me, Hiram.' 
 
 ' It's only one bit o' advice, Master George, but 
 it's the best I know for anyone goin' to sea. It 
 has stood to me many a time, and maybe you'll 
 find it stand to you. It's this, Master George : 
 never give up hope for yourself or anybody else, 
 
A SHIP IS FOUND. 
 
 wherever you may be, in all weathers, at all times, 
 and in all places. Keep up your heart by tellin' 
 yourself, what's a fact, there's nothin' happens in 
 the world by chance ; everything is brought about 
 for a purpose. Think o' that. Master George ; think 
 o' that, and God bless you.' 
 
 The tears were running down the furrows of 
 the old man's face. I took his hand and felt his 
 firm hold over my thin fingers. I could not speak 
 a word, and in another moment we had parted. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 GOOD-BYE TO EVERYBODY. 
 
 N leaving Hiram I walked along the shore 
 for some distance, thinking of the more 
 bitter parting that was still before me. 
 Lily had promised to meet me on my return 
 from the village, and I knew that she would keep 
 her promise. I left the shore way, and strolled 
 up the little track that led to the summit of the 
 sand-cliffs. I reached the summit, and stood there 
 gazing at the scene — the long curved bay of brown 
 sand, with the low rocks, at one point ; the little 
 village, with a single street and white cottages, 
 just below, at the other side. The fishing-fleet 
 were getting ready for their evening's work, and 
 I could hear the words of the men as they 
 hoisted the peak of a mainsail or shook off the 
 nets from the stays where they had been hung to 
 dry. 
 
 I knew the scene well. I had known it in all its 
 details from my childhood. I looked upon it as 
 one might gaze upon a familiar face ; but suddenly 
 there flashed across my mind the thought, ' Shall I 
 
GOOD-BYE TO EVERYBODY. 29 
 
 ever see it again ? ' I could not help thinking for 
 the moment that the scene was before me for the 
 last time, and I felt sadder than I had yet done 
 since I had made up my mind to go abroad. 
 
 I turned away, and soon got upon the little 
 track leading across the sand-cliffs to the inland 
 road. I expected to meet Lily at some part of 
 this road, and thought that I should have caught 
 sight of her figure in the distance. There was no 
 one there, however, except a man who was follow- 
 ing a cart laden with seaweed for a farm. 
 
 I allowed the cart and its driver to get a good 
 start of me, and then, feeling somewhat chilly, I 
 began walking briskly along in the faint spring 
 twilight. I wished to banish, so far as it was in 
 my power, the feeling of sadness that had come 
 upon me. I meant to keep up my own spirits 
 as well as the spirits of my beloved Lily. 
 
 The church stands some little way off the road, 
 about a mile beyond the fishing village, but I 
 reached the square ivy-clad tower without meeting 
 her. I was thinking that perhaps I had kept her 
 waiting on the road too long and she had returned 
 to the rectory, when I noticed that the gate of the 
 avenue leading up to the church was open. I 
 passed through, and then I saw that the door of 
 the church itself was half open. Standing there 
 for an instant, I heard the soft sounds of the organ, 
 playing a prelude that seemed like the voice of 
 distant waters moving around a low shoreway of 
 rocks. Then arose the tones of a voice that I knew 
 well, singing a hymn we had often sung together. 
 
30 THE 'GREAT ORION! 
 
 I gently passed through the porch and into 
 the dim church. I knelt there beside a tomb, on 
 which a marble angel was also kneeling, and I 
 listened while my beloved sang through the 
 verses. 
 
 I remained on my knees in the church until 
 the sweet voice had died away, and once more the 
 music of the organ sounded like the moan of a 
 mysterious sea. She lifted her fingers from the 
 ivory keys and clasped her hands, bowing her head 
 over the keyboard. I knew that she was praying 
 for my safety. 
 
 That night was a mournful one for all of us 
 at home. In these days, when a fellow takes a 
 trip to the Rocky Mountains or Tierra del Fuego, 
 to Kamtschatka or the Zambesi, without going 
 through any more formalities of parting with his 
 relations than a shake of the hand — when a fellow 
 drops in quietly to breakfast with another, and, 
 on being asked where he has been for the past 
 week or two, not having been seen about the 
 club as usual, replies, ' I have just returned from 
 paying a round of visits in the Fiji Islands ; I 
 couldn't really put off my friends there any longer 
 with excuses ' — in these days of distant travel, 
 I say, it seemed curious that we should all be so 
 melancholy this evening; but^o we were. There 
 seemed to be a cloud hanging over us that we 
 could not disperse. I really felt relieved when I 
 found myself alone in my room. 
 
 I was not left alone for long, however. Jack 
 
GOOD-BYE TO EVERYBODY. 31 
 
 entered without much ceremony, bringing with him 
 a gift — a silver-mounted revolver, in a pretty maho- 
 gany case. 
 
 ' I know you haven't a revolver, old boy,' said 
 he, ' and you don't suppose you'll have need for 
 one. People don't meet with adventures nowadays, 
 you say, and as you're not going among the miners 
 of California, where, according to the stories, every 
 fellow fires at another fellow two or three times a 
 day, you won't carry a " shootin'-iron." ' 
 
 ' I won't say any such thing, Jack,' I cried. 
 
 ' Well, I thought you would say so, and I was 
 going to say that no fellow should be too sure, 
 when he goes away like this, that he won't meet 
 with just as rum adventures as any of the other 
 fellows that went away to sea long ago and dis- 
 covered places and fought with savages. There 
 are plenty of places to discover and heaps of 
 savages still left in the world, and no fellow can be 
 quite sure that he won't have need for a revolver 
 when he goes away as you are going.' 
 
 'I'll never go to sleep without your present being 
 within easy reach, dear old boy,' said I. ' There 
 really is no knowing what may occur. There are, 
 as you say, plenty of savages both at home and 
 abroad, and their savage nature is best kept under 
 when they know that a man is provided with the 
 means of doing so.' 
 
 ' Right you are, George, cried Jack. ' I don't 
 want you to keep this in your pocket to pop away 
 at every savage you meet,' he added seriously ; 
 'but don't let them cheek you. Remember that 
 
32 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 you are a free Briton, and that the honour of your 
 country should be dearer to you than hfe.' 
 
 ' Just so,' I said. ' I'll do my best to take your 
 advice.' I knew that Jack had been reading a 
 good many of the old sea stories about bold 
 buccaneers and desperate pirates, and he had 
 evidently become impressed with the definition one 
 of the heroes had given of the whole duty of a 
 free Briton under trying circumstances. 
 
 'And look here, George,' he added, after a 
 pause, 'if ever you find yourself in a great difficulty 
 — if you are captured by pirates or cannibals, or if 
 the crew of the ship you are on mutiny — you may 
 depend on my going to your rescue if I can only 
 find out where you are.' 
 
 ' I'll drop you a line, never fear,' I answered 
 with a laugh. 
 
 Poor Jack turned red. 
 
 ' Now don't go laughing at me,' he cried. ' It 
 may be nonsense that I'm talking, but nobody 
 knows whether it may not turn out to be sound 
 sense. Don't we read every day in the papers of 
 stranger things happening than ever Fenimore 
 Cooper or Captain Marryat wrote about ? But 
 nowadays every fellow forgets what he reads in 
 the newspaper.' 
 
 ' My dear Jack,' I said gravely, ' all that you 
 have said is perfectly true. No one knows what 
 may come about at sea — nothing is too impro- 
 bable to happen. I know what a brave heart you 
 have, and you may be sure that if ever I should 
 be in a terrible strait and need assistance, I will 
 
GOOD-BYE TO EVERYBODY. 33 
 
 trust in your doing all that is in your power to 
 help me.' 
 
 ' Agreed 1 ' cried Jack. ' I'll find you if you 
 are in the heart of an unexplored country and in 
 the midst of the fiercest savages that ever shot a 
 poisoned arrow.' 
 
 We clasped hands, and Jack looked very brave. 
 Before our hands were loosed, however, he had 
 burst into tears. He rushed from the room leaving 
 me alone. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE SHIP AND HER COMPANY. 
 
 i BOARD the ' Great Orion.' The tug that 
 brought us out of the Mersey has just 
 cast off, and we are standing off the 
 North-West Lightship. An immense Atlantic 
 hner, anxious, no doubt, to beat by a few minutes 
 the ' fastest passage on record,' is steaming across 
 our bows. She rushes through the waves without 
 any more fuss than she would make if the sea 
 were perfectly smooth, though our bows are rising 
 and dipping as if they were part of a big steam- 
 engine at work. I stand on the poop deck 
 watching the progress of the big steamer. She 
 does not seem to have half the speed of the 
 tug that is paddling away astern ; but before I 
 have time to remark this, the Atlantic steamer is 
 out on the horizon, while the tug has scarcely 
 re-entered the river. 
 
 The hands have been aloft shaking out the 
 sails ever since the tug cast off A fresh breeze 
 is blowing, and we mean to make the most of it. 
 The captain is on the poop deck astern, and the 
 two mates, Mr. Borrows and Mr. Merrick, are 
 
THE SHIP AND HER COMPANY. 35 
 
 amidships giving orders every now and again, which 
 the boatswain translates to the men aloft through 
 the medium of his whistle — a shrill penetrating 
 pipe like the note of a seabird. Though I have 
 been accustomed to the management of a yacht 
 all my life, I am in every sense ' at sea ' aboard a 
 full-rigged ship such as the 'Great Orion.' I do 
 not quite realise the system of halliards, braces, 
 and running gear ; but as sail after sail is set I 
 begin to understand the uses of everything, and 
 fancy I could almost steer the ship myself 
 
 Captain Harwood is a man of perhaps a year 
 or two under forty. He is a tall athletic man 
 with a short beard joined on to dipt whiskers and 
 moustache. He has a pair of very keen eyes, and 
 all that is left to view of his face is copper-coloured. 
 No one could possibly mistake his calling. The 
 sailor is indelibly stamped upon every feature, and 
 appears, as I now notice for the first time, in every 
 movement of his upon the deck. The pitching of 
 the ship he treats with indifference, and he takes 
 no notice whatever of the rolling. I have not yet 
 got my sea legs, but he seems never to have parted 
 with his. I have never seen him ashore, but I 
 am convinced that he walks as if the streets were 
 as frequently off the level as the deck of the ship. 
 He gives a glance aloft every now and again, and 
 says a word or two to the steersman, but beyond 
 this he takes no active part in the management of 
 the vessel. 
 
 Mr. Borrows, the chief mate, is evidently the 
 captain's senior by a year or two. He is a grave- 
 
36 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 faced man with a very red beard and short straight 
 liair of the same colour. He wears a cap with a 
 curious arched peak that overhangs the upper part 
 of his face — indeed, only that his nose is a remark- 
 ably long specimen, it would also be hidden by 
 this peak. He is a restless man, I notice, and he 
 gives his orders with an earnestness that would, I 
 am sure, startle a nervous boatswain. One could 
 easily fancy that Mr. Borrows was convinced that 
 upon the carrying out of the simplest order with 
 the utmost dispatch the entire safety of the ship 
 depended. 
 
 The second mate is a very young man, and 
 he does not seem disposed to rush about as Mr. 
 Borrows does. Mr. Merrick gives his orders in a 
 tone no louder than is necessary, and he more 
 frequently contents himself with merely making a 
 sign to the men in his neighbourhood in the fore 
 part of the ship. 
 
 I made these observations from where I was 
 standing on the poop as the ' Great Orion ' beat 
 out to the Channel, for the wind was not in our 
 favour. I thought it best to bestow all my attention 
 upon the ship and the ship's company, lest I should 
 find myself giving way to the very mournful feelings 
 which I knew were endeavouring to assert them- 
 selves, but to which I determined not to yield. It 
 is not the actual moment of parting that is so bitter : 
 it is when one finds oneself alone after a while, 
 and begins to think how changed everything is in 
 the absence of the loved ones. 
 
 I did not allow my thoughts to wander from 
 
THE SHIP AND HER COMPANY. 37 
 
 the present to the past, and I soon became so 
 interested in what was going on that no effort 
 was needed on my part to keep down my gloomy 
 reflections. 
 
 At last everything seemed to be satisfactory to 
 Mr. Borrows. The boatswain's pipe sounded less 
 frequently and the men were reappearing on deck 
 from aloft. We were sailing very close to the 
 wind, but were making as much progress as could 
 be expected. 
 
 ' Well, Mr. Mostyn,' said the captain, coming 
 to my side, ' has the cure begun to work yet ? Do 
 you feel any better for your first half-hour aboard 
 the ship ? ' 
 
 ' As a matter of fact, I do,' I answered. ' I 
 feel stronger and clearer-headed than I have done 
 for a long time. I can't say that I could walk 
 the deck quite as jauntily as you do, but I'll be 
 able to toe a line with anyone aboard the ship in 
 the course of another week. There's no fear that 
 the " Great Orion " will be turned into a hospital 
 ship on my account.' 
 
 ' If you have made up your mind to that you're 
 all right,' replied the captain. ' More than half 
 the cure Hes in believing yourself to be on the 
 right track for being cured. I don't think there's 
 much the matter with you myself; and one thing 
 is certain — you don't mean to be sea-sick.' 
 
 'I can promise you that,' I answered. 'I'm 
 not altogether a landsman ; I know the port side 
 from the starboard, and I fancy, if I were put 
 to it, I might manage to work out a course on 
 
THE '■GREAT ORION! 
 
 a large scale chart with a parallel rule and com- 
 passes.' 
 
 ' I'm glad to hear that,' said the captain. 
 ' We'll get on well together, I know, even if we 
 have our arguments every day about the position 
 of the ship.' 
 
 ' I have brought a pocket sextant with me to 
 keep you straight, and to make sure that you are 
 not trifling with me in the sailing of the ship,' I 
 said, with a laugh. 
 
 ' I'll confiscate that instrument the first time it 
 heaves in sight,' said the captain. ' The fact is 
 that I have a queer prejudice against pocket sex- 
 tants, especially when they are used by college 
 gentlemen. I had a passenger once on a voyage 
 to the Mauritius — a college gentleman that wanted 
 to observe a transit of Venus from the island. 
 Well, he was sick in his berth for the first fortnight 
 we were at sea, though wc had lovely weather ; 
 but one day, to the surprise of every one, he 
 appeared on deck, with the smallest pocket sextant 
 I ever saw in his hand. It was near about eight 
 bells, and I was thinking of taking the sun myself 
 I got my sextant from my cabin, and began to 
 work out the sight I had of the sun. But before I 
 had done more than set down a figure or two, the 
 professor was standing at the door of my cabin. 
 " What do you make it ? " he inquired. " Why, I 
 have hardly begun to work it out yet, sir," I replied. 
 " I beg your pardon," said he. " Don't let me hurry 
 you. I have made the calculation myself; but don't 
 let me hurry you." I never knew anything so irri- 
 
THE SHIP AND HER COMPANY. 39 
 
 tating as to see that man stand in the cabin door 
 with his pup of a sextant — that's really all you can 
 call one of those instruments — in one hand, and a 
 sheet of paper with his calculation on it in the other.' 
 
 ' But you did your work in the cabin in spite of 
 him ? ' 
 
 ' Certainly ; but I took as long about it as a 
 schoolboy would with the eye of the master upon 
 him. " Ah, have you finished .'' I hope you didn't 
 let me hurry you } " he said — I don't think he 
 meant to be sarcastic. Well, Mr. Mostyn, we 
 compared our observations. They differed slightly, 
 scarcely worth mentioning ; but he thought the 
 difference well worth mentioning^it wasn't honour- 
 able mention so far as I was concerned. My sex- 
 tant must be astray, he affirmed. Of course I took 
 the part of the sextant, and we had a fine battle. 
 The same thing was repeated the next day, and so 
 on for a month.' 
 
 'And you never found out which was in the 
 wrong ? ' 
 
 ' The worst part of the whole story is that he 
 proved me to be in the wrong,' said the captain. 
 ' It turned out that there was an error in the 
 dividing of my instrument' 
 
 ' The moral of your story is that I am not to 
 take my " sights " within your sight,' I cried. 
 ' Very well, sir ; I'll go as far for'ard as possible, 
 and if the ship runs on a reef you won't be able to 
 blame me.' 
 
 At this moment Mr. Borrows came up, evidently 
 in a state of excitement. 
 
40 
 
 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 ' One of the Liverpool tugs is in our wake, sir,' 
 said the mate, ' and I think she is signaUing to us.' 
 
 ' What can she mean by doing that ? ' asked 
 the captain, crossing the deck and directing his 
 binocular pilot-glass towards a small steamer that 
 was about a mile astern, but fast gaining upon us. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 IN THE QUEEN'S NAME. 
 
 nsjaiHAT does that sewing-machine want with 
 
 aim us, Mr. Borrows?' asked the captain. 
 
 S^ ' Do you really fancy that she is after 
 us ? ' he added. 
 
 ' She is, surely, sir,' replied Mr. Borrows. ' She 
 is signalling for us to heave-to.' 
 
 ' So she is,' said the captain, after another ob- 
 servation of the little steamer through his pilot- 
 glass. ' What can be the meaning of this ? Bring 
 the ship up to the wind and heave-to, Mr. Borrows, 
 if you please. The tug may come from the owners 
 with additional orders, and we needn't give her an 
 extra long race to overhaul us.' 
 
 Mr. Borrows gave a few orders, in a tone that 
 indicated his belief that unless they were carried 
 out without a moment's delay the consequences 
 would be frightful. 
 
 In a short time the ship was lying without any 
 way on her, only rising and falling as the sea 
 swept under her keel with a curious gurgle and a 
 splash. 
 
 I stood on the poop deck watching the progress 
 of the little steamer, the sound of whose paddles 
 
42 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 \vc could now hear distinctly. It had evidently 
 a high pressure of steam on, and the stoker had 
 not spared the coal in the furnaces. A black cloud 
 like a roll of velvet went out from the funnel and 
 streamed aft, without losing its density until it 
 reached almost the entrance to the estuary of the 
 Mersey. I don't suppose the tug had at any time 
 of its existence shown such a desire to make a noise 
 as it was now doing. The water was churned into 
 a seething mass in its wake. The Atlantic liner of, 
 it might be, five thousand tons had passed on its 
 way without making nearly so much fuss. 
 
 In a very short time the tug was within hailing 
 distance. 
 
 ' Tug ahoy ! ' shouted Captain Harwood from 
 the rail. 
 
 The paddles of the little steamer ceased to beat 
 the water, so that wc could hear the voice that 
 responded to the captain's hail. 
 
 ' " Great Orion " ahoy ! We have to come 
 alongside and board you.' 
 
 ' What's your business ? Do you come from 
 the owners .' ' 
 
 ' From the police,' was the reply from a man 
 in the uniform of a superintendent of police, who 
 stood beside the paddle-box. He seemed to have 
 some difficulty in maintaining his dignity in this 
 position, for the little craft was very uneasy, though 
 there really was not much sea on. 
 
 ' What have the police to do with us ? ' cried 
 Captain Harwood as soon as the tug had drifted 
 almost alongside the ship. 
 
IN THE QUEEN'S NAME. 43 
 
 'We have a warrant for the arrest of one of 
 your crew,' replied the superintendent of police, 
 ' and we must board you.' 
 
 ' Board away, then,' shouted the captain ; ' but 
 don't be long about it. I want to make the most 
 of the tide.' 
 
 Here was a bit of excitement at the outset of 
 my voyage. We were on the same ship with a 
 criminal, or at any rate with a man whose com- 
 pany was desired by the police. I looked round 
 at those of the crew who were standing abaft the 
 mizzen mast ; I wondered which of them would be 
 selected by the police official to be relieved from 
 the risks of a long sea voyage, and the discomfort 
 of a fo'c's'le berth. The five men in my immediate 
 neighbourhood could scarcely be called handsome. 
 They were weather-beaten fellows with big limbs 
 and great hands, which, I could see as they hauled 
 together at the braces, were seamed with a variety 
 of old scans. One of the men had lost the upper 
 joint of the fourth finger, and two joints of the third, 
 on one hand ; but this circumstance did not prevent 
 his appearing to be a bright and good-humoured 
 fellow. 
 
 They did not seem to mind the approach of 
 the tug with the police aboard. One of the men 
 winked at another, and made some rough jest 
 about the other's time being now come. The rest 
 laughed, and there was an interchange of tobacco 
 among the party. 
 
 Before my observations had come to an end, 
 the police superintendent and two of his men had 
 
44 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 jumped on the deck of the ' Great Orion,' a plank 
 having been run out from the paddle-box of the 
 tug to the bulwarks of our vessel amidships. 
 
 ' Now, sir,' said Captain Harwood to the police 
 official, as soon as the latter had come up the deck, 
 'just to save time, let me have a look at your 
 authority to board my ship. Everything must be 
 done regular.' 
 
 The superintendent produced a capacious pocket- 
 book, out of which he extracted a document printed 
 on blue paper. 
 
 ' There you are. Captain Harwood,' he said, 
 handing over the document. ' This is a warrant, 
 in the Queen's name, for the arrest of Stephen 
 Sliddell, who, from information received, I believe 
 to be aboard this ship.' 
 
 ' This is all square,' said the captain, returning 
 the warrant. ' What is the charge against the 
 man ? ' 
 
 ' Manslaughter so far ; murder it may be when 
 the affair comes to be looked into more particular!)-.' 
 
 ' You can identify the man ? ' 
 
 ' We have a good description to go on, nothing 
 more. Never fear, captain ; you just muster the 
 ship's company aft, and we'll pick out our man 
 without much trouble. Only you'll see that the 
 whole company comes on deck, and that there's no 
 skulking.' 
 
 ' Every man in the articles shall come aft,' said 
 the captain. ' Boatswain, pipe all hands aft.' 
 
 ' A)', ay, sir.' 
 
 In about five minutes the eighteen men of the 
 
IN THE QUEEN'S NAME. 45 
 
 ship's company, with the cook and the steward, 
 had come aft. They had not hurried in the least, 
 it was evident. They lounged up in couples, en- 
 deavouring to look as indifferent as possible to the 
 ordeal to which they were being subjected. It 
 struck me, as I am sure it would have any ordinary 
 observer, that beneath this affectation of indiffer- 
 ence there was a consciousness of guilt ; but, as 
 every man in the ship's company assumed this 
 appearance, the police-officer would have no easy 
 task in deciding from observation alone which of 
 the crew should be arrested. If all seemed equally 
 guilty, it might with equal truth be said that all 
 seemed equally innocent. 
 
 ' Now, then,' said the captain, opening his log- 
 book, which the steward had brought from the 
 cabin, ' Now, then, answer to your names, my men.' 
 
 He called out the names of the entire ship's 
 company, and, in various tones and dialects of 
 English, Irish and Scotch, the men responded. 
 The name Stephen Sliddell was, however, not on 
 the ship's books. This circumstance did not seem 
 to puzzle our visitors.- They appeared to think it 
 a matter of course that the man should have shipped 
 under an assumed name. 
 
 All the time that the captain was calling the 
 roll the superintendent and his men were consult- 
 ing together in whispers, scrutinising the company 
 attentively. 
 
 ' Well, superintendent,' said the captain, ' I hope 
 you are convinced that a mistake has been made 
 — there is no Stephen Sliddell aboard this craft' 
 
46 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 ' We know better, sir,' replied the officer, going 
 up to one of the crew — a young fellow strongly 
 built, with dark hair, but with a very clean-shaven 
 face. He was standing as far back as possible, 
 close to the mizzen mast ; but when the police 
 officer went beside him he stepped forward, and 
 then I noticed that he had a particularly black 
 eye, which he was trying to conceal beneath the 
 peak of his fur cap. 
 
 ' What part of Ireland do you come from, my 
 man .'' ' asked the superintendent of this man. 
 
 ' Sure it's not from Oirland oi come at all at 
 all,' replied the man. ' It's from Bristhol oi hail, 
 and me name is Smith— John Smith. Did ye ever 
 hear tell of an Oirisman be the name o' John 
 Smith .' Ye should be ashamed o' yersilf ' 
 
 'I think your name is Stephen Sliddell,' said 
 the officer. ' Can you give an account of yourself ? ' 
 
 ' Faith, oi can give both an account of missilf 
 and of }'e too, misther, if ye give me foive minutes 
 wi' ye, an' nobody to spoil sport.' 
 
 ' Hold your tongue, my man,' said the captain. 
 ' Can you satisfy the police-officer by any means 
 that your name is really Smith and that you are 
 not Stephen Sliddell ? ' 
 
 ' How do oi know what'll satisfy him, sur ? ' said 
 the man. ' All that oi know is that oi'm not Steve 
 Shliddell. Steve had a foine beard. Now, how cud 
 oi be him, when ye see oi'm as smooth as the top o' 
 that binnacle ? ' 
 
 I could not help laughing at the simplicity of 
 the man's argument in support of his assertion. 
 
IN THE QUEEN'S NAME. 47 
 
 ' It's easy getting a shave,' remarked the super- 
 intendent. Then turning to the captain, he asked 
 when the man had come aboard. 
 
 ' Only this morning,' repHed the captain ; ' but 
 it's frequently the case that I don't get my crew 
 together until I am ready to haul out of dock. Does 
 this man answer to the description of the man you 
 want .■■ ' 
 
 ' He answers close enough for us to arrest him,' 
 said the officer. ' You have heard how unsatisfactory 
 his explanations are.' 
 
 ' Look here, my man,' said the captain to the 
 suspected sailor, ' you will save trouble if you con- 
 fess that your name is not John Smith.' 
 
 ' Af coorse it's not moi name,' said the man ; 
 ' but it's as good a wearing name as any other, an' 
 it'll do me well enough. Why should I save thim 
 throuble, capt'n? Let thim foind the raal Steve 
 Shliddell if they can.' 
 
 ' We've found you at any rate, and we'll trouble 
 you to come with us,' said the superintendent. 
 
 'Faith, ye'll throuble yersilves more nor me,' 
 cried the man ; and before the police-officer could 
 lay his hand upon his shoulder the sailor had 
 sprung into the shrouds and was running up the 
 ratlines. He had reached the crosstrees before 
 anyone on the deck seemed aware of what he was 
 doing. He then went hand over hand along the 
 mizzentop stay to the mainmast. He seated him- 
 self astride on the maintop, and, taking a pipe 
 from his pocket, began quietly filling it. 
 
 I could not help bursting out laughing as the 
 
4S THE 'GREAT ORION: 
 
 man, not having enough tobacco already cut, took 
 a clasp-knife from his pocket and began cutting up 
 some common ' twist,' rubbing the scraps in the 
 palm of one hand with the ball of the thumb of the 
 other hand. 
 
 The police superintendent had taken a revolver 
 from his pocket. He cocked the weapon ostenta- 
 tiously and pointed it aloft, shouting, just as the 
 man had applied the match to his pipe : 
 
 ' If you don't come on deck inside a minute I'll 
 fire.' 
 
 ' Foire away, me lad,' was the answer from the 
 maintop. 
 
 ' Come,' said the captain, ' we'll have no man- 
 slaughter aboard a craft that I command. Put up 
 your shootin'-iron until it's needed in earnest' 
 
 ' Mind your own business, sir,' cried the officer, 
 who was now thoroughly out of temper. ' If you 
 interfere with me in the exercise of my duty you 
 will have to answer for it.' 
 
 ' Don't you try to teach me what my power is 
 aboard my own ship,' said the captain. If you 
 empty a single barrel of that revolver aboard this 
 craft I'll have you placed in irons. I'm a friend to 
 the law, but the law doesn't allow you or any one 
 else to shoot a man that's in the same room with 
 you in a house or aboard the same ship with you,' 
 
 ' Three cheers for the capt'n,' cried a voice from 
 the crew. The response was hearty enough, and it 
 was joined in most heartily by the man on the 
 maintop. 
 
 ' Avast there,' said the captain. ' There's no- 
 
IN THE QUEEN'S NAME. 49 
 
 thing to make a noise about. The superintendent 
 has a right by the warrant he holds to arrest the 
 man that he believes is this Stephen Sliddell, and 
 I've no intention of preventing the arrest from 
 being made. But I will prevent a revolver from 
 being fired. Now do what you choose, officer.' 
 
 ' If I fail to arrest that man I'll get an Admi- 
 ralty writ to arrest the vessel at the first British 
 port she reaches,' said the superintendent. 
 
 The captain only laughed. 
 
 ' There'll be a bill against you for demurrage, my 
 friend,, if you keep us here much longer,' said he. 
 
 The officer consulted with his two men for a 
 few minutes ; then one of these men went to the 
 port shrouds and another to the starboard, and 
 both began the ascent of the mainmast simulta- 
 neously. It was evidently their intention to arrest 
 the man aloft, having cut off his retreat to the deck. 
 The superintendent was clearly under the impres- 
 sion that so far as he himself was concerned it 
 would not be wise to follow his men aloft. 
 
 It is needless to say that the crew watched the 
 operations of the police with great interest, and not 
 altogether without criticism. 
 
 ' They'll never get higher in the force than they 
 are just now. Bill,' said the steward to the cook. 
 
 ' It's a bit o' house-paintin' they fancy they're to 
 do for their day's wages,' remarked another of the 
 crew. 
 
 ' Paving is more in their line,' cried another. 
 
 'They'll not masthead Johnny Smith, you bet,' 
 laughed a Nova Scotian. 
 
 D 
 
50 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 ' Would you like a handrail goin' up them 
 stairs ? ' cried the cook. 
 
 ' Avast there, my men,' said the captain. ' I'll 
 not have the police interfered A\'ith : they are doing 
 their duty, and nothing beyond it' 
 
 By this time the two constables had reached 
 the crosstrees. From the maintop the man above 
 their heads kept up a running fire of sarcastic en- 
 couragement delivered in the broadest Irish brogue. 
 He told them to remember that they had wives 
 and families and that they should not run any 
 risks. He inquired what their pay might be, and 
 if the sort of work they were doing was paid extra, 
 and finally asked them what was their private 
 opinion on the subject of cold mutton handed 
 up from the area. Then, as he jerked himself to 
 his feet and knocked the ashes out of his pipe 
 against the topmast, he politely begged the police- 
 men to give his best respects to their wives and 
 families, expressing his regret that he would not 
 be able to visit them for some time. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 A BAD BEGINNING. 
 
 HE policemen were becoming still more 
 cautious the higher they went aloft. They, 
 however, succeeded in getting only about 
 half way up the topgallant mast, when the man 
 above them quietly caught the stay and went 
 hand over hand to the foremast head. On the fore 
 he again seated himself and took out his pipe. 
 
 ' Faith, this ixorcoise is makin' me quare an' 
 dhry,' he remarked. ' Ye don't happen to have a 
 flashk about ye, me bould purshoors, have ye ? ' 
 
 This was too much for the superintendent on 
 the deck. He got into the foreshrouds, and went 
 aloft much faster than either of his men had done. 
 But the higher he went the man he sought still 
 kept above him, till when the topgallant mast was 
 almost reached the fellow grasped the topgallant 
 stay and slid down to the jibboom end. He sat 
 astride the cap, rising and dipping as the bows rose 
 and fell. The crew gave his achievement a cheer, 
 but Mr. Borrows shouted to them to avast their 
 
 noise. 
 
 The police-officer and his two men had returned 
 
52 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 to the deck by this time. Each of them seemed 
 considerably relieved on finding himself once more 
 on the solid planks. They were very much more 
 at home here than aloft. The superintendent was 
 almost brave — but he did not attempt to follow the 
 Irishman out to the end of the jibboom. 
 
 ' If he escapes, I'll hold you responsible,' cried 
 the officer to Captain Harwood. 
 
 ' How can you do that, when you've never 
 asked me to assist you .? ' said the captain quietly. 
 
 ' I ask you now,' shouted the superintendent, 
 
 ' Why could you not do so before, and save all 
 this tomfoolery .' ' said the captain. Then walking 
 up to the bows, he made a motion to the man on 
 the jibboom. ' Come on deck at once,' he said. 
 ' Do you think we can spend the remainder of the 
 day watching your antics ? Come on deck at once.' 
 
 ' Och, capt'n darlin', ye don't mane it } ' cried 
 the man. ' Oi give ye me wurrud, capt'n, it's not 
 me that's Steve Shliddell ; it's another man en- 
 toirely. Me brother is in Austhralia, an' oi want 
 to say him an' give him a missage from me father. 
 Oi don't want to be tuk up by mishtake for Steve 
 Shliddell — let me be tuk up for missilf if oi be to 
 be tuk up at all.' 
 
 ' Come on deck, sir, before I noose you.' 
 
 ' Och, capt'n, yer a sayman and ye know how 
 to do for me, not loike thim gossoons that oi cud 
 pla}' missilf wid till eight bells.' 
 
 The captain picked up a few fathoms of a stout 
 line and prepared to make a noose. 
 
 ' Don't throuble yersilf, capt'n ; oi'll come down, 
 
A BAD BEGINNING. 53 
 
 cried the man, getting upon his knees and prepar- 
 ing to creep along to the jibboom. At that instant 
 one of the policemen took from his pocket a pair 
 of handcuffs. The jingle they made seemed a 
 familiar sound to the man on the jibboom. I saw 
 him give a start, and his lips moved as he paused. 
 He was evidently muttering something not alto- 
 gether favourable to the police force. The next 
 instant he seemed to overbalance himself, and there 
 was a shout before his splash sounded in the water 
 under the bows. 
 
 We all ran forward and leant over the bulwarks 
 in expectation of the man's reappearing. A couple 
 of boat-hooks were brought to the bows, and a life- 
 buoy was cut adrift ready to cast. A couple of 
 seamen got into the chains, with lines in their 
 hands. The police-superintendent could only 
 shout, ' Don't let him escape ; catch him with the 
 boat-hooks, throw a rope round him, drop the life- 
 buoy over his head.' 
 
 'Wait till his head comes up, won't ye ?' shouted 
 one of the crew. 
 
 I must confess that I was quite as anxious as 
 anyone aboard for the Irishman's head to appear. 
 I stood by the side of the two mates at the bul- 
 warks peering into the water at the bows. We 
 peered and waited there for certainly five minutes 
 No head rose above the surface. 
 
 ' Clear away a boat,' shouted the captain. 
 
 ' Yes, clear away a boat — he mustn't escape 
 us,' almost shrieked the police-officer. 
 
 In a surprisingly short space of time a boat 
 
54 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 was lowered from the davits and manned, the 
 police-superintendent getting into the stern. 
 
 Captain Harwood looked very grave. 
 
 'Whether the man is guilty or innocent, he 
 mustn't be drowned,' he muttered. ' Why did I 
 allow that tomfoolery to go on so long } ' 
 
 We watched the boat as it rowed round the 
 ship, the men spearing about with the boat-hooks 
 in every direction. 
 
 Could the man swim } ' Mr. Borrows inquired. 
 The crew on deck declared that they had never 
 seen the man before that day, but they did not 
 believe that he could swim. 
 
 ' The foolish fellow wouldn't think of making 
 the attempt to reach shore,' said the captain. 
 
 ' We could not fail to see his head if he were 
 to do so, sir,' said the second mate. ' My belief is 
 that he went under the ship immediately, and we'll 
 never see him again.' 
 
 The captain made no further remark. He did 
 not even look over the ship's side. We heard 
 shouts every now and again from the boat, making 
 us believe that the search was successful ; but on 
 hurrying to the ship's side we found that the 
 shouts were false alarms on the part of the police- 
 officer. 
 
 In about twenty minutes, after the boat had 
 gone round the ship half-a-dozen times, the police- 
 officer scrambled once more on deck. 
 
 ' We have done all that we could, captain,' said 
 he very humbly ; ' we did all we could to arrest 
 him. If he had come quietly at first, all would 
 
A BAD BEGINNING. 55 
 
 have been well. He has only himself to blame for 
 what happened.' 
 
 The captain shook his head gravely. 'If you 
 had not pulled out your revolver so quickly,' he re- 
 plied, ' but had asked me to bear a hand to help 
 you to arrest him, that poor fellow, whether or not 
 his name was Sliddell, would probably be alive now.' 
 
 ' It was an accident, sir,' said the superintendent, 
 'and I'll take care that it's reported truly. He 
 must have been carried out to sea with the current. 
 The body will be found at the Isle of Man or on 
 the Irish coast.' 
 
 ' Stand by to cast off the tug,' shouted the 
 captain, before the officer had finished speaking. 
 
 In a few minutes the afteryards of the ' Great 
 Orion ' were hauled round and the tug was cast 
 off; but I could see that it did not steam at once 
 back to the river — it remained cruising slowly 
 around where we had lain to ; and through the 
 binocular glass I could make out the figures of the 
 superintendent of police and his two men leaning 
 over the bows as if watching for the body of the 
 man to appear. 
 
 'This is an agreeable start on your pleasure 
 trip, Mr. Mostyn,' remarked the captain, coming 
 beside me when the tug was lost in the haze at 
 the entrance to the river, and we were beginning 
 to feel the fresh breeze blowing up the Channel. 
 
 ' It is a very melancholy affair,' said I. ' But I 
 really don't think that anyone aboard this ship is 
 to blame for it.' 
 
 ' If anyone is to blame, I am,' said the captain. 
 
56 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 ' I feel that I might have been active rather than 
 passive in the matter. , I might have taken steps 
 to arrest the poor fellow before he went so far. I 
 respect the authority of the law, and I should not 
 have been passive just now.' 
 
 ' I don't think that anything you could have done 
 would have caused matters to turn out differently,' 
 said I. ' The man would not have acknowledged 
 your authority when he set the warrant of the 
 police at defiance.' 
 
 ' A shipmaster, Mr. Mostyn,' said the captain, 
 after a pause, ' has a very difficult part to play in 
 matters of this sort. He must act as the protector 
 of his crew and take their part against all comers. 
 If a warrant is issued for the arrest of one of my 
 men I would not interfere with the action of the 
 authorities ; but if I were to put myself about to 
 help the police against any man aboard, the effect 
 upon the remainder of the crew might be very 
 serious. I don't know but that I'll actually be 
 blamed in the fo'c's'le for the loss of that man 
 just now. I must confess my own conscience does 
 not acquit me from all blame in the matter. The 
 police, as a rule, act discreetly in the face of the 
 most trying circumstances, and they should be as- 
 sisted by every man who has a respect for the law. 
 I'm afraid I helped to make the superintendent and 
 his men look ridiculous just now. They may not 
 have shown very much discretion in this affair, but 
 that is no excuse for me.' 
 
 ' I don't think you should blame yourself,' I 
 replied. 'After all, the accident was due to the 
 
A BAD BEGINNING. 57 
 
 fellow's own tricks. I laughed at his antics, but 
 the result is no laughing matter ; I don't believe 
 that he was the man mentioned in the warrant. 
 Sliddell is not an Irish name.' 
 
 ' We shall probably never know if he was the 
 right man,' said the captain. ' He shipped under 
 the name John Smith, and he had most likely- 
 been recently in a row — did you notice his eye ? 
 All the same, he may not have been the man 
 named in the warrant.' 
 
 Just then the tea-bell was rung by the steward, 
 and I went down to the cabin with the second 
 officer. The captain would not leave the deck, but 
 desired a cup of tea to be taken up to him and 
 another to Mr. Borrows. 
 
 I found that both the steward and the second 
 officer were disposed to believe that the superin- 
 tendent of police had made a mistake in assuming 
 that the Irishman was Stephen Sliddell. 
 
 ' The poor chap had, likely enough, his own 
 reasons for not wishing to be moored alongside a 
 bobby,' said the steward ; ' but that's not saying 
 that he should have been put on his trial for 
 manslaughter in place of Stephen Sliddell.' 
 
 ' It's the policeman who took out the irons that 
 should be tried for manslaughter,' said the second 
 officer, between enormous bites of freshly-baked 
 bread and corned beef 
 
 I could not quite agree with this theory, but I 
 said nothing; I only shook my head as significantly 
 as I could at a moment's notice. 
 

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 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE STEWARD'S THEORIES. 
 
 T was very gratifying to me to find, on 
 awaking next morning, that I had no 
 tendency whatever to sea-sickness. I had 
 gone to my cabin long before midnight, and as 
 only a breeze was blowing, the ship was very 
 steady, so I fell asleep almost immediately. When 
 I next opened my eyes, I saw from my little 
 timepiece — my sister's parting gift — that it was 
 almost eight o'clock. From the swinging of the 
 lamp I also became aware of the fact that the ship 
 was not nearly so steady as she had been during 
 the night. The breeze had evidently increased to 
 half a gale, for I could hear the whistle of the 
 wind through the rigging and the rush of water 
 off the sides, as the ship plunged heavily. ' 
 
 Robson, the steward, knocked at my cabin 
 door while I was in the act of tumbling out of 
 my bunk, and told me that my bath was ready. 
 The vessel did not possess a regular bath-room ; 
 but a spare cabin, that had been used by the 
 steward as a store-room, was cleared of its contents, 
 
THE STEWARDS THEORIES. 59 
 
 and fitted with a big bath, of such depth that the 
 rolling of the ship would not send the water flying 
 over the edge. 
 
 Going on deck before breakfast, I found that 
 the captain, having been up all night, was now 
 asleep in his cabin, Mr. Borrows being left in 
 charge of the ship. All plain sail was set, but 
 instead of being close-hauled as she had been on 
 the previous evening, the ship might be said to be 
 running before the wind. I strolled over to the 
 binnacle, and saw by the compass that our course 
 was changed. We were now sailing about NNW. 
 This was not a course likely to carry us to the 
 Lizard. 
 
 ' Are we bound for the White Sea, Mr. Bor- 
 rows?' I inquired of that officer when I found 
 myself in his neighbourhood. 
 
 ' For the White Sea ? No, sir ; to the Cape first,' 
 replied Mr. Borrows, who, I perceived, was in the 
 habit of taking everything that was said to him in 
 its literal sense. 
 
 ' To the North Cape, you mean,' said I with a 
 laugh. 
 
 ' No, sir ; the Cape of Good Hope,' he answered 
 gravely. 
 
 ' But surely that part of the world does not lie 
 to the nor'-nor'-west ? ' 
 
 ' No, certainly not. But the fact is, the wind 
 has been blowing up Channel for the past week, 
 and the captain doesn't believe it will change for 
 some time yet, so he put the vessel on a nor- 
 therly course. It won't make much difference if 
 
6o THE 'GREAT ORION! 
 
 wc leave the Channel by the north instead of the 
 south. It would take us, maybe, a week passing 
 the Lizard with this wind, and the Channel's not a 
 nice place to beat about in.' 
 
 ' So that \\& shall shortly be off the north-east 
 coast of Ireland ? ' 
 
 ' ^^'^e hope so, sir ; if the wind doesn't die away 
 we should be able to take the bearings of Ailsa 
 Craig early to-morrow.' 
 
 ' It doesn't show any sign of dying away just 
 yet,' I remarked as I answered the steward's sum- 
 mons to breakfast. 
 
 ' When are my lonely meals to cease, Robson?' 
 I inquired from the steward as I sat down alone 
 to the table. 
 
 'AH in good time, sir,' he replied, laughing. 
 ' When we get well clear of all lee shores, and the 
 Trades are blowing steadily over our quarter, you'll 
 find that the cook won't be insulted as he is just 
 now. There's not much else to think about aboard 
 a well-found craft like this except what we're going 
 to get for dinner.' 
 
 ' Not forgetting breakfast and supper, I sup- 
 pose ? ' 
 
 ' By no means forgetting any accident in the 
 same line, sir. Now, you are sent aboard this craft 
 for the good of your health, sir, aren't j-ou .' Well, 
 when you go back to your home, so stout and 
 hearty that when you tell your folk who you are 
 they send away for a policeman to have you taken 
 up as an impostor, they'll all say that the fine 
 sea air has cured you. They'll all be wrong. It's 
 
THE STEWARDS THEORIES. 6l 
 
 not the fine sea air that cures a man : it's the fine 
 sea feeding. The sea air is given credit for doing 
 a lot that it never does, sir.' 
 
 ' But perhaps the sea feeding would not be so 
 hearty if it virere not for the sea air that gives one 
 an appetite,' I suggested. 
 
 ' Ah, that's going too deep for me, sir,' he re- 
 plied. ' Talking that way is next to talking about 
 what the food is composed of — how many parts 
 starch, how many sugar, how many v/ater, and how 
 many iron. They say, these knowing ones, that we 
 eat starch and iron in every sea biscuit — they can't 
 force that down my throat.' 
 
 ' I'd object to have a sea biscuit forced down 
 my throat under any circumstances,' I remarked. 
 ' If it were a sea biscuit made of starch, I'm in- 
 clined to believe that it would stick in my throat ; 
 and I dare say I'd relish quite as little one made 
 of iron ; though I can quite understand how the 
 knowing ones that you talk about say that iron 
 goes largely to the making of sea biscuits — some 
 specimens that I have seen were about as soft as 
 iron.' 
 
 ' Yes, I've knowed them severely hard, sir,' said 
 the steward reflectively. ' I've knowed some that 
 would have turned the edge of any axe, and others 
 that would have done at a pinch for grindstones. 
 I pitied even the weevils that were trying to pick 
 up an honest living in the middle of them biscuits. 
 The poor things had a bad time of it, I'm sure. I 
 don't as a rule sympathise with either weevils or 
 maggots, sir. Not but what I own that they are 
 
62 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 industrious — I wish they weren't quite so indus- 
 trious.' 
 
 'Well,' said I, amused at the ready way in 
 which this good fellow strayed from one subject 
 to another, 'well, Robson, I don't suppose there 
 are any biscuits like those you mention under your 
 charge in this ship; but even if you had some, 
 I'd trust to the cook to make them eatable, he 
 has done so well as regards this breakfast. If you 
 continue feeding me like this, I think I shall return 
 in the condition of the man you mentioned as 
 being looked on as an impostor after making a 
 sea voyage.' 
 
 ' I hope you'll have to call me as a witness to 
 prove that you really are yourself, sir,' said the 
 steward. ' You may have heard tell of a man 
 named Tichborne ? ' he continued. 
 
 ' I heard of a man who called himself Tich- 
 borne ; but so far as I can learn, he did not suc- 
 ceed in getting many other people to call him by 
 that name.' 
 
 'He didn't succeed, sir, because he didn't go the 
 right way about the business. He said, " I left 
 home as thin as a whipping-post, but I grew stout, 
 double stout, in the Australian bush." Of course 
 no one believed him. But if he had said, " I have 
 been passing the last twenty years of my life 
 aboard a well-found ship," the judge and jury, if 
 they knew anything of their business whatsoever, 
 would have said, " It's all right, my man ; the title 
 and estates arc yours." That's my theory of the 
 case.' 
 
THE STEWARD'S THEORIES. 
 
 I laughed, and as I rose from the table I was 
 forced to confess that I had never eaten a heartier 
 breakfast, and that I had never felt in better 
 health. Whatever doubts I may have had before 
 as to the claim of Sir Courtenay Marsh to the 
 •baronetcy which he had received from the Queen 
 now vanished. In recommending a long sea voy- 
 age for my health he had proved himself worthy 
 of a dukedom. 
 
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 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 I SEE A GHOST. 
 
 KNOW nothing more exhilarating than 
 a fine spring day spent aboard a ship in 
 the Channel, when the wind is blowing 
 from the right quarter and there is not too much 
 of it. 
 
 Going on deck after breakfast, I felt a warm 
 glow through my body as the wind forced its way 
 down to my lungs. The white spray that was 
 whirled aloft as our bows broke though the small 
 waves with a flapping sound, and plunged into the 
 troughs of the heavier seas with a crash, came upon 
 my face more than once. I did not try to avoid 
 its shower. The scent of the brine brought back 
 to me all dear old memories of the days when Jack, 
 Bertha, and occasionally Another, were accustomed 
 to sail with me on the lovely long summer evenings 
 in the yacht. Were those evenings past for ever ? 
 I wondered. Would they never be repeated ? I 
 asked myself. I could not help feeling that all our 
 past happiness would one day return to us. ' 
 
/ SEE A GHOST. 65 
 
 It seemed months since I had been at home. 
 My new Hfe seemed to have nothing new in it for 
 me. I felt that if I had suddenly found myself at 
 home I should be anything but ' at home ' in an- 
 other sense ; and yet I had not been twenty-four 
 hours aboard the ' Great Orion.' People certainly 
 do become quickly accustomed to even the strangest 
 surroundings. With the experience I have had, I 
 can quite understand how a man sentenced to 
 penal servitude might so accustom himself to his 
 cell that the order for his release should be far from 
 welcome. 
 
 There was a slight chill in the air that forced 
 me, after I had been on deck for a short time, to go 
 to my cabin and put on the only heavy overcoat 
 I had brought with me. When I buttoned up this 
 garment and had a walk of a few miles in twenty- 
 yard laps, I was in a condition to sit in my deck 
 chair on the poop and enjoy the sight of the 
 sparkling green water through which the 'Great 
 Orion ' was making a white track. 
 
 Many ships were in sight on all sides, and we 
 passed quite close to more than one. A dim low- 
 lying cloud would now and again be seen on the 
 horizon, and then the masts of a steamer would 
 gradually appear, followed by the stumpy funnels, 
 and lastly the long hull, generally very deep in the 
 water. It did not give some of those steamers 
 much trouble to overhaul the ' Great Orion,' 
 though she was sailing at the rate of seven knots. 
 They frequently passed so close to our quarter 
 that I could have recognised a friend among the 
 
 E 
 
66 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 passengers who \\'atchcd us from the rail or the 
 bridge. 
 
 About noon there sailed across our bows from 
 the westward an enormous ironclad man-of-war 
 of the turret pattern. It had no sail set, and the 
 propellers were so deep in the water that they 
 neither ' churned ' the surface nor made the least 
 sound. Only from the way this tremendous mass 
 of iron threw up a wave on either side of its cut- 
 water could we guess at what speed it must have 
 been moving in that grimly silent fashion. Not 
 more than a few feet of bulwarks fore and aft might 
 he regarded as freeboard, and not half-a-dozen men 
 ' 'Tc to be seen at any part of this mighty monster ; 
 t'lcy were all concealed below the turtle-back deck 
 or within the turrets. I had never before seen an 
 ironclad of this type at sea ; and I must confess 
 that though I was impressed by the appearance of 
 the thing, I was in no way disposed to regret that 
 I was aboard a good ordinar)- sailing-ship of wood 
 instead of being within the maw of that monster of 
 iron plates and bolts. 
 
 Captain Harwood showed an old sailor's enjoy- 
 ment as I sneered at the turret-ship, calling it a 
 cast-iron saucepan, and referring to it in the most 
 uncomplimentary terms I had at my command. 
 When at last he put in a good word for the 
 despised craft, he did so in a way that caused me 
 to feel that my severest ' slating ' was a good deal 
 less hard upon the ironclad than his commendation. 
 
 At noon the Isle of Man was off our quarter, 
 and wc could even distinguish the form of the 
 
/ SEE A GHOST. 67 
 
 headlands at the south-west pouit of the island. 
 Toward the evening the coast of Ireland was seen, 
 but without giving any indication of the emerald 
 pastures lying within the circle of that dark grey 
 coast. There is no suggestion of the ' Emerald 
 Isle' in the long bare coast of County Down, 
 especially when viewed from the Channel. 
 
 I remained on deck all the evening in a state 
 of delightful idleness. I found that my interest 
 was aroused by everything I saw aboard the ship, 
 and in the scene around me. The lighting of the 
 lamps I watched as if the operation were a marvel- 
 lous one ; and then, as the darkness came on, I sat 
 close to the cabin skylight, through which the 
 light of the swinging lamp was pleasantly shining. 
 All the cabin was aglow, and very snug it appeared 
 when viewed from above. 
 
 Then through the darkness there shone around 
 us on every hand the sidelights and the masthead 
 lights of the vessels in the Channel. They looked 
 like glowworms scattered about a broad field. 
 Later in the evening one of the lights on the Irish 
 coast was seen, and by the aid of the captain's fine 
 pilot-glass I could even make out where a village 
 of the coast was lying snug beneath the hills. 
 
 The breeze had died away long before the light 
 on Mew Island came up from the horizon ; but 
 the captain never left the deck for more than a few 
 minutes at any time. The vessel was, he said, in 
 the track of the steamers crossing the Channel from 
 Belfast to Fleetwood, Barrow-in-Furness, and Liver- 
 pool, as well as in that of the Holyhead steamer from 
 
63 THE '■GREAT ORION.' 
 
 Greenore, and of many others leaving Irish ports for 
 England and Wales ; under these circumstances, 
 he thought it best not to go below except to have 
 an irregular dinner, and to drink a cup of tea at a 
 single draught. 
 
 ' It's not wind nor a lee-shore that shipmasters 
 most dread, Mr. Mostyn,' remarked the captain. 
 ' They are most afraid of ships. Ninety-nine out 
 of every hundred collisions that we hear of occur 
 without anyone being able to tell how they come 
 about. A couple of ships read each other's lights 
 while they are some miles apart, and not making 
 for one particular point. Now, why they should 
 run one another down it would be hard to say ; 
 but I've known such a thing happen, I suppose, 
 fifty times. I'm afraid that some day the same 
 thing will happen with a ship I'm aboard of; 
 but I'll do my best to prevent it while you're 
 aboard. Yes, I'm a mortal coward of nothing but 
 ships when I'm on the deck of one myself 
 
 Not having the same sense of responsibility, I 
 could descend both to dinner and tea with a light 
 heart. I found myself at both meals with as 
 large an appetite as I had shown for the excellent 
 breakfast. I had been, by the thoughtfulness of 
 my mother, provided with a case of jams and 
 jellies, and a quantity of preserved things in bottles 
 and tins and jars — just in case the ship's supplies 
 might not be adequate to my requirements ; but I 
 could perceive, from the way the cabin table was 
 furnished at every meal, that there was every like- 
 lihood of my carrying back the case of ' extras.' 
 
T SEE A GHOST. 69 
 
 After sitting for a long time in front of the 
 cheerful brass stove in the cabin, listening to the 
 movements of the men on the deck, and now and 
 again to the creaking of a boom or the flapping of 
 a sail — for the wind had died away almost to a 
 breath — I picked up a copy of a Liverpool news- 
 paper which had been thrown on the top of one of 
 the lockers. 
 
 I did not expect that there would be much to 
 interest me in the paper, but I did not think it 
 would be dull enough to send me to sleep. I had 
 underestimated its drowsy tendencies ; for before 
 I had finished reading an article endeavouring to 
 account for the depression of trade throughout the 
 country by the divergence, or supposed divergence, 
 of the Gulf Stream, I have the strongest reasons 
 for believing that I fell asleep. 
 
 When I next opened my eyes I found that the 
 lamp had burnt very low. I turned up the wick 
 and looked at the clock. It wanted only a few 
 minutes of being midnight. 
 
 I should have been in bed more than an hour 
 ago if I meant to adhere to the rule of life I had 
 laid down for myself. Now, having slept for nearly 
 three hours, I shrunk from turning into my berth, 
 feeling certain that I should lie awake tossing and 
 tumbling for hours ; so I put my arms through 
 the sleeves of my great-coat, and, buttoning it up 
 round my throat, I went on deck. 
 
 The night was very dark, though not cloudy, 
 for the stars appeared in many parts of the sky, 
 but they were so faint it would have been impos- 
 
70 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 sible to tell any constellation. The surface of the 
 water was broken up into countless little ripples, 
 through which the ship moved slowly, with a 
 whispering sound that seemed to come from 
 beneath the keel. 
 
 On the poop deck astern, Mr. Borrows was 
 walking nervously, as was his habit, from rail to 
 rail, throwing a glance every now and again to the 
 sails, just to give the man who was steering a hint 
 that it would not do for him to fall asleep, however 
 strong his temptation might be 
 
 I exchanged only a few words with the chief 
 officer before going down from the poop to have 
 a longer stroll on the deck beside the hatches. 
 Through the foot of the foresail I could see the 
 figures of the men belonging to the watch on deck 
 walking about, scarcely exchanging a word with 
 one another, but whistling in a half-hearted way 
 snatches of old tunes. I had no intention of going 
 so far forward as to come in contact with the men, 
 but, after a brisk walk along the deck at the main 
 hatch, I seated myself on the wooden fender on the 
 starboard side about amidships, simply to rest. 
 
 In a few minutes I rose, and, before resuming 
 my exercise, stood with my arms folded on the top 
 of the bulwarks, looking down to the water which 
 was flashing with a singular phosphorescence, un- 
 like any light I had ever seen before. 
 
 While I stood, motionless, in this way, I fancied 
 that I heard a slight sound behind me. Glancing 
 round, I saw the door of the cook's galley open 
 sufficiently wide to allow a man to squeeze his 
 
/ SEE A GHOST 71 
 
 body through. I saw the body behig squeezed 
 through, and then the man walked cautiously 
 across the deck to where the water-cask stood. 
 He lifted up the long tin drinking-vessel that was 
 suspended from the cork inside, and took a hearty 
 draught of the water, drawing his sleeve across his 
 lips as he put back the measure. 
 
 Though the man was not more than a dozen 
 yards from where I was standing, yet I could not 
 see his face, the night was so dark ; I could only 
 see dimly what he was doing. 
 
 His next action, after taking the drink, was to 
 feel in his waistcoat pocket. A pipe was produced, 
 and then followed a closer search in his pockets 
 for (as I believed) tobacco. The result of this 
 search was, apparently, not quite satisfactory. At 
 last, however, the pipe was filled, and the man 
 squatted down at the further side of the cask, so 
 that his head just appeared above the end. He 
 struck a match upon the leg of his trousers and 
 made his hands into a lantern over the bowl of his 
 pipe. In doing so, the light gleamed for an instant 
 upon his face. I gave a start, and an exclamation 
 of surprise escaped from my lips at that instant 
 for I recognised the features of the man : they 
 were the features of the Irishman whose arrest had 
 been attempted on the previous dny. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 VERY MUCH AT SEA. 
 
 IT is unnecessary to say that I was startled 
 by what I had seen. The exclamation 
 which I had given seemed to act like 
 magic upon the tace beyond the water-cask. It 
 vanished as quickly as a wax-match is extinguished 
 with a breath. To confess the truth, I was so 
 astonished as to be incapable of moving for some 
 moments. I could only stare at the place where I 
 had seen the man's face. When I recovered myself I 
 hastened across the deck to the water-cask. No one 
 was there ; and yet I had not heard the sound of feet 
 upon the deck, and I had certainly seen no figure 
 above the bulwarks. I could not but admit, however, 
 that it would have been quite possible for anyone 
 to have escaped my notice by creeping along the 
 scuppers. The night was so dark that I might have 
 stumbled across any object beneath the bulwarks. 
 
 I hastened to the door of the galley with the 
 intention of entering, but, to my surprise, I found 
 the door locked. Was it not through this door 
 that I had seen the figure of the man come a few 
 minutes before .■" If so, how was the door of the 
 [jalley now locked ? 
 
VERY MUCH AT SEA. 73 
 
 I went round the deck-house and tried the door 
 on the port side. It was also fast. I thought for 
 a few moments what I should do in investigating 
 this apparent mystery. The result of my delibera- 
 tion was that I walked to the fore part of the ship 
 without any show of eagerness, and managed to 
 pass so close to each of the men who were on 
 watch that I could see their features distinctly. 
 None of the men bore the slightest resemblance to 
 the missing Irishman. 
 
 I spoke casually to the seaman on the starboard 
 side. 
 
 ' I thought I saw you amidships at the water- 
 cask/ I remarked. 
 
 ' Not me, sir,' replied the man. ' I've not been 
 abaft the foremast since it was my watch on deck — ■ 
 none of us here has been aft — leastways, I think 
 not. Joey, have you been aft lately ? ' he called to 
 his shipmate, who was whistling the selection of 
 old tunes. 
 
 Joey stopped whistling and replied that he had 
 not been further aft than the foremast. 
 
 ' Ah, I must have been mistaken,' said I, with an 
 affectation of carelessness. I then made a remark 
 about the lightness of the breeze, and strolled aft. 
 Mr. Borrows was still on the poop. I spoke a few 
 words to him before bidding him good-night and 
 going down to my berth. 
 
 It was not until I had tumbled into my bunk 
 that I began to think that what I had seen was 
 merely the result of imagination. On deck every- 
 thing in connection with the occurrence appeared so 
 
74 THE 'GREAT ORIOX.' 
 
 real that I never asked myself if all might not be 
 a delusion ; but now I was beginning to think that 
 perhaps my head was not so sound as it had once 
 been. If I had, only a couple of months ago, been 
 in such a condition that I was unconscious of 
 having worked out a series of examination papers, 
 might I not now have fancied that I saw the face 
 of the man who had fallen from the jibboom, and 
 whose body had not been recovered ? 
 
 I did not quite succeed in persuading myself 
 that my imagination had played a prank upon me ; 
 and I went to sleep without having arrived at an)- 
 satisfactory conclusion on the matter. 
 
 The next morning I thought it prudent to say 
 nothing to anyone aboard about what I had seen, 
 or fancied I had seen. I knew that seamen are as 
 a rule superstitious, and if it came to be known in 
 the fo'c's'le that the Irishman had been seen on the 
 previous midnight leaving the cook's galley and 
 taking a drink from the water-cask, the majority 
 of the men would feel convinced that the ship was 
 haunted by the ghost of the unfortunate man, and 
 that she was consequently doomed never to reach 
 port. To be sure, there might be some far-seeing 
 fellows in the fo'c's'le who would perceive that the 
 inconsistent point in the story of the reappearance 
 of the man was his drinking so copiously of the 
 water. If it had been something stronger than 
 water that the cask contained, the story would run 
 a better chance of being universally accepted. 
 
 We were now running northward, with a fine 
 breeze almost directly astern. The Irish coast lay 
 
VERY MUCH AT SEA. 75 
 
 off the port quarter, and Ailsa Craig, that curious 
 sugarloaf rock which is a sort of half-way house 
 (without the show of hospitaHty) between Ireland 
 and Scotland, was on the opposite side. Here the 
 course of the ship was altered by a point or two to 
 the west, and before long the north-east coast of 
 Ireland could but dimly be seen on the horizon. 
 The fine weather, however, continued, and the fair 
 wind allowed us to keep on all plain sail. 
 
 We were now clear of the Channel, and might 
 be said to have entered the Atlantic. For my own 
 part, I failed to notice any difference between the 
 water of the ocean and the water of the Channel. Of 
 course it was something to be able to say ' This is 
 the Atlantic — the glorious Atlantic !' and to feel that 
 you might sail for four thousand miles to the west- 
 ward without meeting land ; but I never succeeded, 
 though I tried hard, in realising that there was any- 
 thing particularly grand in the Atlantic. 
 
 The sight of sails in the distance had now 
 become rarer. We only caught a glimpse now and 
 again of a vessel bound for some Scotch port ; but 
 toward evening there passed quite close to the 
 ' Great Orion ' a large steamer, which Captain 
 Harwood said was one of the Anchor line on her 
 way to Glasgow. This was really the only incident 
 of the day, and I began to wonder how many more 
 days of the same sort I should have to pass 
 aboard the ship. 
 
 Sir Courtenay Marsh had enjoined idleness upon 
 me as an important part of his prescription for my 
 complete recovery. I was not to open a book that 
 
76 THE 'GREAT ORION! 
 
 had even the most remote connection with mathe- 
 matics. The well-known x, that had once been my 
 favourite symbol, was henceforth to be a dead letter 
 so far as I was concerned. All the same, I had 
 secretly stowed away some of my favourite books 
 treating of higher mathematics — the subject that in- 
 terested me most, and that in which I had made the 
 greatest progress. I resisted as long as I could the 
 temptation to open the box where these books had 
 been secreted ; but the hour came when I thought 
 I might at least have a look at these old friends of 
 mine. I would not begin to study the contents, I 
 thought, as I set about uncording the box, but I felt 
 that I should like to see their backs once again, if 
 only to remind me of past associations. 
 
 I loosed the knot and unfastened the cord, and 
 raised the lid. Surely some transformation had 
 been undergone by my library of mathematics ! I 
 suppose most boys know well enough — too well, per- 
 haps — what is the usual style adopted in the bind- 
 ing of such volumes. There is not much gilding on 
 the cover, and rarely even a scrap of crimson cloth 
 brightens up the back. This being so, it can easily 
 be believed that I was surprised to find, in the place 
 where I had stowed my collection of grey and brown 
 battered and dog-eared treatises, a number of green, 
 gold, and crimson volumes, with outline pictures 
 on the back, and designs of anchors and sails and 
 blocks worked into every spare corner of the covers. 
 
 I tossed aside these volumes of nautical adven- 
 tures and travel in distant lands, expecting to find 
 beneath them the books I had selected to bring 
 
V£JiV MUCH AT SEA. 77 
 
 with me. But the second stratum of hterature I 
 found to consist of even lighter reading — novels 
 by various authors and dreadful yellow-backed 
 stories with pictorial covers. 
 
 What could this mean ? I remembered having 
 placed my own books in this very box and also 
 a large number of my own papers, and yet here 
 were novels and books of travels only — nothing 
 else except an envelope, addressed to me, in my 
 sister's handwriting. 
 
 I tore open the envelope and found within the 
 following letter : — ■ 
 
 ' Dear Old Boy, — You are extremely clever, we 
 all know, but I think you must have made a 
 mistake in packing this box. How grateful you 
 will be to me for discovering it in time and making 
 it all right for you ! The fact is, dear George, that, 
 though the doctor said you were on no account to 
 open a single book on mathematics or any of those 
 horrid things that brought on your illness, you 
 must unconsciously — perhaps in your sleep — have 
 stuffed this box with such books and papers. How 
 funny, wasn't it .' Never mind ! I have made it all 
 right for you in this respect. I have taken out the 
 books that you put into the box, by mistake, and 
 have given you instead a number of quite too 
 charming volumes. — No, no, I'll have no thanks, 
 though I know you'll be thoroughly grateful to me 
 when you come home all right. 
 
 ' Ever your loving sister, 
 
 ' Bertha. 
 
78 THE 'GREAT ORION! 
 
 ' P.S. — Jack has selected the stories in the 
 ornamental bindings. He says he can recommend 
 with every confidence "The Boy Admiral" and 
 "The Pirate Chief of the Spanish Main."' 
 
 I let this epistle fall from my hands. Some 
 moments had passed before I had sufficiently 
 recovered from my surprise to be able to lie back 
 on my cabin sofa and enjoy a good laugh at the 
 clever \\'ay I had been tricked by my sister, and 
 Jack also, for I recognised his hand in this trans- 
 action. 
 
 I picked up one of the volumes — not 'The 
 Pirate Chief of the Spanish Main,' however — and I 
 acknowledge that I found it extremely interesting. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE GHOST REAPPEARS. 
 
 E had now been a week at sea, sailing to 
 the westward, for the wind continued to 
 come from a quarter unfavourable to our 
 course, which should have been to the south. 
 However, as the captain explained, we should, after 
 all, not lose many days, for the usual track of 
 vessels to the Cape brings them close to the coast 
 of South America. If a northerly or westerly 
 wind were to spring up, we would soon be bowl- 
 ing along in the right course and would not need 
 to bear away for the Brazils in a more southerly 
 latitude. 
 
 Of course I had no right to complain that the 
 wind did not change just at the right moment to 
 allow of the ship steering south and carrying me 
 into a more balmy region. But I must confess 
 that before the first week had come to a close I 
 was heartily tired of the cold airs of this high 
 northern latitude. Had we been able to sail out 
 of the Channel by the south, we should, with 
 favourable winds, be now clear of the Bay of 
 
8c5 THE 'GREAT OlilON.' 
 
 Biscay, and making for the Madeiras or the Azores. 
 Instead of being in such a position now, we had 
 not altered our latitude, but were suffering from 
 a continuance of the coldest winds I had ever felt. 
 
 The steward did not bear with exemplary 
 patience the continued cold of the air that com- 
 pelled him to light the brass stove every day. He 
 seemed to be decidedly of the belief that we were 
 being ill-treated by the weather, and expressed 
 himself freely on this topic. 
 
 I laughed whenever he was unusually vehement, 
 and assured him that I was quite satisfied with the 
 wind, so long as it never got beyond the limits of 
 half a gale in force. 
 
 ' I don't agree with you there, sir,' he replied. 
 ' I'd rather have a full gale of wind blowing in the 
 right direction than half a gale from the wrong 
 quarter. It's not to the North Cape )'ou want to 
 take a trip, I believe, sir ? ' 
 
 ' Not particularly, Robson,' said I. ' But I don't 
 expect it will be found necessary to run for the 
 North Cape.' 
 
 ' I don't know that, sir,' said the steward, 
 shaking his head. ' I'm not prepared to say posi- 
 tively that we won't catch a glimpse of " Green- 
 land's icy mountains " before the end of another 
 fortnight' 
 
 As a matter of fact the weather was very cold ; 
 and when one day a high piercing wind came, 
 bringing with it a snowstorm that lasted for some 
 hours, no one aboard the ship seemed to be 
 surprised. 
 
THE GHOST REAPPEARS. 8i 
 
 Before the coming of this storm the day had 
 been cloudy, and the captain, finding the barometer 
 falling and the mercury in the thermometer only a 
 few degrees above the freezing-point, gave orders to 
 have sail shortened. The men went aloft for the 
 first time since leaving the Channel and the royals 
 were stowed. This duty had scarcely been done, 
 when the storm came down with a swoop as of a 
 mighty bird of prey upon its victim. Beneath the 
 weight of snow, sleet, and wind the ' Great Orion ' 
 bowed, but only for an instant ; then, recovering 
 herself, she swept on with a crash through the 
 grey seas, every timber shivering with the shock. 
 Had the royals been allowed to remain upon the 
 ship, they would probably have been carried away 
 with the first shock of the tempest. 
 
 When the storm had passed the sea remained 
 high and the cold was intense and penetrating. 
 But when, in the course of a few hours, the wind 
 shifted round a point or two to the northward, and 
 the ship's course was changed accordingly, there 
 were many expressions of satisfaction aboard. It 
 seemed to be taken for granted that we should 
 have no more unfavourable winds, but that every 
 breath would come from the north or the nor'-east, 
 bearing us to the warm latitudes which we hoped 
 to have reached long ago. 
 
 Toward evening the wind went down consider- 
 ably. The atmosphere became curiously hazy ; 
 everything was seen in a grey light, such as I had 
 often noticed on winter days at home. The men 
 who had gone aloft to shake out the royals could 
 
82 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 be but dimly seen from the deck. Still, as we 
 were now not so far out of the course we wished 
 to steer, we felt that we had no right to complain 
 of such a trifle as the want of a perfectly clear 
 atmosphere. 
 
 The evening came on very dark and cold. 
 After drinking tea and eating the hot cakes that 
 the cook had provided, I could with difficulty force 
 myself to take my usual walk upon deck — the 
 warm cabin made me feel very lazy ; but after such 
 a conflict as most of us undergo previous to getting 
 out of bed on cold winter mornings, I put on my 
 heavy coat and v\'ent on deck. 
 
 I was, I might almost say, stunned at the 
 darkness of the night, intensified as it was to me, 
 through my coming directly up from the bright 
 and cheerful cabin. The masthead light shone 
 faintly through the hazy atmosphere and the 
 binnacle lights appeared only as a distant glow. 
 
 Mr. Merrick, the young second officer, was 
 walking rapidly to and fro on the poop. I joined 
 him, and in a short time I found how bracing was 
 the chilly air. Mr. Borrows was taking his watch 
 below, Mr. Merrick told me, and the captain was 
 at tea in the cabin. We spent about half-an-hour 
 walking the deck without anything occurring 
 \\orthy of notice. But all at once there came the 
 sound of a flapping sail. 
 
 ' Keep the vessel on her course,' Merrick shouted 
 to the quartermaster at the wheel. 
 
 ' She's on her course sir ' said the man : ' sou'- 
 sou'-Avest half-west,' 
 
THE GHOST REAPPEARS. 83 
 
 ' The wind died away suddenly,' I suggested ; 
 ' but it's blowing all right now.' 
 
 Mr. Merrick made no reply. He stood silent 
 for a few moments, as if listening attentively to 
 some strange sound. 
 
 ' Did you fancy you heard some queer noise ? ' 
 he asked at length. 
 
 ' I heard nothing,' I replied ; ' nothing except 
 the splash of the water against the sides of the 
 ship.' 
 
 ' That's just what I heard,' said he ; ' only it 
 seemed, somehow, that the sound came from a dis- 
 tance : it seemed to be the breaking of the water 
 upon another craft, or, upon my word, it seemed 
 to me like the sound of breakers upon a reef or a 
 sandbank.' 
 
 'I didn't hear anything that suggested that 
 to my mind,' said I. ' We cannot, surely, have 
 reached the Banks of Newfoundland already, 
 though we have been sailing in that direc- 
 tion.' 
 
 The officer did not answer, but went over to 
 the side of the ship, evidently uneasy in his mind. 
 At that instant there came upon my face a breath 
 of icy air. I had never felt anything like it before ; 
 it seemed to cut like a razor. 
 
 It was not so dark in the neighbourhood of the 
 cabin skylight but that I could see the second mate 
 give a start as he also felt this singular stratum of 
 icy air. But before either of us had time to make 
 a remark, there came a shout — a yell rather — from 
 ^he fore part of the ship. 
 
THE 'GREAT ORION: 
 
 ' Down with the helm ! Down with the helm ! 
 'Bout ship, for all sakes ! ' 
 
 In a second I had sprung to the wheel. Before 
 the quartermaster, \vith my assistance, had put the 
 wheel over until the last bolt of the tiller chains 
 was reached, we heard the flapping of the sails. 
 The vessel was brought up to the wind ; but 
 before all way could be taken off her, the bows 
 had crushed into something — something that 
 yielded to the weight of the hull and broke away 
 into fragments. Then came the captain's voice 
 shouting out orders to the men, who had come 
 up from the fo'c's'le at the first alarm. Above the 
 sound of the flapping sails and the creaking of the 
 tackle I heard the hollow roar of waters plunging 
 about the base of apparently a long line of pre- 
 cipitous cliffs. I had also a sense of standing 
 beneath the shadow of a great hill. 
 
 The vessel was drifting slowly astern, her bows 
 rising and falling from wa\-e to wave as the water 
 swirled along her keel. Suddenly there came 
 what seemed like a blaze of red light from beside 
 us. I turned, and there met my eyes a sight that 
 I shall never forget. 
 
 The red sidelight of the ship was reflected from 
 the sheer walls of an immense iceberg that towered 
 high above our masts. The effect was magical. 
 We seemed to be beneath the high battlements of 
 a fortress of crystal, through the prismatic walls of 
 which a million lamps were gleaming. Our red 
 sidelight flared on the countless peaks of that mighty 
 hill of ice till each seemed lit with a beacon fire ; it 
 
THE GHOST REAPPEARS. 8^ 
 
 gleamed through the immense fissures, and shone 
 into the deep caves hollowed out by the action of 
 the waves. The white masthead light threw a 
 yellow mysterious glare over the higher parts of 
 the ice-island, while here and there a curious green 
 reflection appeared like a patch of emerald upon 
 the face of the crystal cliff. 
 
 The whole scene was one of marvellous beauty, 
 and its impressive nature was increased by the 
 suddenness, the awful suddenness, with which it 
 had come before us. As the vessel drifted away 
 from the iceberg, and the lights danced along the 
 line of white waves that broke about its base, I 
 could not help shuddering. I could see that we 
 had been steering straight for the iceberg. It was 
 the sound of the waves plunging around it that 
 the second mate had heard, causing his suspicions 
 to be aroused. It was the icy touch of the wind 
 passing over the berg that I had felt upon my face. 
 Through the haze that increased the darkness of 
 the night we had failed to see even the outline of 
 the iceberg ; and had that voice not come out from 
 the darkness of the fore part of the ship, warning 
 us of our danger, we should in all probability have 
 been broken to pieces. 
 
 I stood at the rail as we drifted away, with my 
 eyes fixed upon the illuminated island of ice, and 
 I was scarcely conscious of the voice of the cap- 
 tain giving orders for sail to be shortened and for 
 the vessel to be put on a new course. I heard 
 Mr. Borrows report that the vessel had run into 
 a bit of ice that had become detached from 
 
S6 THE ' CREA T ORION.' 
 
 the berg, but that no serious damage had been 
 sustained. 
 
 'Thank God !' said the captain fervently. 'We 
 have had a narrow escape, Mr. Mostyn — as narrow 
 an escape as I should like for any ship that I have 
 an interest in. Who was it that gave the order to 
 put down the helm .'' It was not Mr. Merrick.' 
 
 ' I heard the shout from, the bows, and I ran to 
 bear a hand at the wheel,' I replied. ' As for the 
 voice that ga\'e the alarm, I may tell you that it 
 was the voice of the Irishman who fell off the jib- 
 boom while we lay-to outside the Mersey.' 
 
 ' Hush ! ' said the captain ; ' don't let anyone 
 aboard the ship hear 3'qu say so. You have no 
 idea how superstitious sailors are.' 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 CROSS-EXAMINING A SPECTRE. 
 
 |]EEP a sharp loolv-out, Mr. Merrick,' said 
 the captain, turning to where the second 
 ^ mate was standing. ' There may be a lot 
 of drift ice in the neighbourhood. The men can't 
 have their watch below. Let them stand by to put 
 the ship about at a moment's notice. Send tiie 
 boatswain aft if you see him anywhere on deck.' 
 
 ' I will, sir.' 
 
 In a few minutes the boatswain appeared on 
 the poop. 
 
 ' Boatswain,' said the captain, ' were you on 
 deck just now when the iceberg hove in sight ? ' 
 
 ' It was my watch below, sir.' 
 
 ' Who were the watch on deck ? ' 
 
 ' Plunkett, Watson, and Heron, sir.' 
 
 ' Which of them sang out to put down the 
 helm .<" 
 
 ' I don't know, sir. I heard some one sing out, 
 but it didn't seem to me to be one o' the watch on 
 deck.' 
 
 ' Why, who else could it have been ? There 
 was no one on deck but the second mate and the 
 passenger.' 
 
THE 'GREAT ORION J 
 
 ' No one else, sir.' 
 
 ' What do you mean, then ? Who was it that 
 sang out? ' 
 
 ' I believe it was the Irishman who called him- 
 self Smith, sir.' 
 
 ' What do you say ? — the man that the police 
 came to arrest, and that fell from the jibboom end 
 off Liverpool river .? ' 
 
 ' The same, sir.' 
 
 'You fancy his voice came from the bottom of 
 the Channel to warn us ? ' 
 
 ' I don't say where it came from, sir.' 
 
 ' That will do,' said the captain with a laugh. 
 ' Send aft the deck watch.' 
 
 In a short time three of the seamen appeared 
 on the poop and took off their caps. 
 
 ' I want to learn the truth of this matter, my 
 men,' said the captain. ' Which of you sang out 
 to put down the helm when the iceberg hove in 
 sight .' ' 
 
 There was a long and an awkward pause, 
 the men looking at each other and then gazing 
 vacantly to the fore part of the vessel, as if they 
 were particularly anxious to return there. 
 
 ' Come, I can't wait here till six bells,' said the 
 captain. ' Which of you sang out to put down the 
 helm } • 
 
 ' Beggin' your pardon, capt'n,' said one of the 
 men in anything but a clear voice, ' beggin' your 
 pardon, sir — if we're not makin' too free — or if it be 
 that we are makin' too free — but we're under the 
 b'licf — leastways we think, says you, but can't take 
 
CROSS-EXAMINING A SPECTRE. 89 
 
 our davy of it — for why? says you — well, sir, the 
 fack is that he come aboard o' his own will, says 
 he, bein' on the ship's books and signin' the articles 
 and never gettin' nothin' whatsumever in the way 
 o' a discharge as is formal like, says you, though 
 maybe it's not shipshape, says he. That's how it 
 come about.' 
 
 The man wiped his forehead after making this 
 long and mysterious speech, and took a step back 
 with a bow that made up in vigour what it lacked 
 in grace. 
 
 ' What an unpicked oakum sort of story is this 
 you have been trying to get through ? ' said the 
 captain. ' Can't you tell me, my man, in one word, 
 who it was that sang out to put down the helm ? ' 
 
 ' Well, capt'n,' said the second of the seamen 
 in exactly the same tone as that adopted by the first, 
 who seemed glad to get out of the difficulty of an 
 explanation, ' well, sir, maybe Joey is a bit awry — 
 he claps on too much sail at once, sir, does Joey, 
 and when his skys'ls is carried away, he runs afore 
 the wind, and so maybe gets poop'd ; for a plain 
 tale, sir, a plain man is needed — though I'm no 
 sea lawyer nor yet given to sway away on all top 
 ropes, but ' 
 
 ' Avast there, Charlie me lad, an' let me shpeak 
 for missilf,' came a voice from behind us. We both 
 started, for there stood the Irishman himself, with 
 his cap in his hand, trying to look ashamed, but 
 light enough came from the cabin skylight to show 
 that he was not succeeding very well in his attempt 
 in this direction. 
 
90 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 ' What is the meaning of this ? ' asked the cap- 
 tain. (As he addressed the Irishman, the three 
 other seamen thought that there was no need for 
 tliem to remain aft any longer.) 
 
 ' I a.K yer pardon, capt'n dear,' said the man. 
 ' If oi had knowcd that there was any harrum in 
 singin' out whin oi did, it's missilf that would ha' 
 shut up altogither. But says oi to missilf, as oi 
 kape me oyes will beyant, " It's yersilf Mick, me lad, 
 that knows will what's beyant," for it's in the North 
 Ameriky timber thrade oi'\e been for more nor 
 six yarcs, and will practoised in lookin' afther thim 
 oice-boys — so whin oi filt the cowlt air on me face, 
 says oi, " Micky, me lad, there's one o' thim things 
 sailin' about on its own account, so kape yer oyes 
 will to wind'ard, or there'll not be livin' man lift 
 among the ship's company." An' be the same 
 token, thim wurruds had scarce dhried up in the 
 air afore oi sees that boy ahid, an' sings out at 
 wanst ; not but what oi admit that it wud ha' been 
 more rishpickful to ha' touched me cap to the 
 mate, tillin' him that the oice-boy was roight ahid 
 o' u.s — axin' yer pardon, and his into the bargin.' 
 
 ' You saved the ship, my man,' said the captain, 
 when the man paused. ' But what I want to know 
 is how you saved yt)urself, in the first place, when 
 }'ou fell off the jibboom.' 
 
 ' Fall off the jibboom, capt'n — fall, is it ye be 
 a sa)'in' of? Och, capt'n dear, don't be hard on a 
 lad. Don't say that it was a fall. Give a sayman 
 a chance. Sure it's missilf that cud ha' kep' thim 
 boys larkin' about till fardcr notice if it hadn't ha' 
 
CROSS-EXAMINING A SPECTRE. 91 
 
 been that you come an' gi' me the orther to quit. 
 Sure everybody knows that it was missilf that 
 dhropt from the jibboom into the wather — an' it 
 was near bcin' a dhrop too much for me.' 
 
 I could sec that the captain with difficulty 
 kept his gravity. It would not do, however, for 
 the master of a ship to laugh at such an esca- 
 pade on the part of one of his crew. 
 
 ' That's all very fine,' said he sternly. ' But 
 how did you manage to get on deck, when every 
 man of the ship's company, to say nothing of the 
 police, was on the look-out for you ? ' 
 
 'Why, capt'n, don't you parsaive that it was 
 jist because you were all lookin' out for me about 
 the bows, that I conthroived to crape up by the 
 starn ? It was missilf that doived under the ship 
 and come up blowin' loike a grampus not a yard 
 from the rudder. A Jacob's-laddher was hangin' 
 over the quarther just as if ye had been expectin' 
 of me roisin' there. Oi was wake as wather, but it 
 didn't take me a powerful long toime to get on 
 deck an' sthow missilf in the bottom o' the long 
 boat. Don't be angery wid a poor boy, sur, but 
 whin oi heard ye all talkin' about me and lettin' 
 go the boat — it war will ye didn't take a fancy to 
 lower the wan oi was lyin' in — it made the tares 
 come to me oyes wid the laughin'. But ye tuk 
 me part, capt'n — oi cud hare how ye tuk me part, 
 an' it did me good.' 
 
 ' I took your part because I thought you had 
 made a fool of yourself and had suffered in conse- 
 quence,' said the captain ; ' but it now appears that 
 
93 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 you were only making a fool of us. How have 
 you managed to hide yourself aboard the ship for 
 the past week ? ' 
 
 ' It wasn't very aisy, sur ; on the conthrairy, it 
 war very uncomforthable for me now an' agin ; but 
 the sorra a wan aboard knew that oi was hare — no, 
 capt'n, there's no wan to blame but missilf. The 
 young gintleman there ' — he pointed to me — ' was 
 nigh comin' across me wan night ; but sure it was 
 into the galley oi wint, sur, an' locked the door, jist 
 for fare o' accidents, sur.' 
 
 The captain knew perfectly well that every man 
 among the crew was well aware that the Irishman 
 had saved himself. He said nothing about this, how- 
 ever, but when the man had finished his story he 
 took a step or two astern — to conceal his laughter, 
 I thought. In a few moments he returned. 
 
 ' Look here, my man,' said he, ' you have be- 
 haved like a fool.' 
 
 ' Well, capt'n, if ye say so, maybe oi did ; it 
 was makin' fray oi was to shout out to put down 
 the hilm ; but sure oi'll know what to do next 
 toime,' said the Irishman slyly. 
 
 ' I don't mean in respect to that,' said the 
 captain quickly ; ' your quickness saved the ship, 
 I believe ; but I say it was foolish of you to play 
 such pranks as you did with the police-superinten- 
 dent. Don't you know perfectly well that it is my 
 duty to hand you over to the authorities at the 
 first British port we touch } ' 
 
 ' Ye won't do that, capt'n ! Oh, no, indade ye 
 won't ! It would be onjust. They thried to take 
 
CROSS-EXAMIAhVG A SPECTRE. 93 
 
 me, but they war bate. Isn't the game at an end 
 afther that ? ' 
 
 ' A warrant has been issued for your arrest — 
 that's enough for me,' said the captain. 
 
 ' Not for me, capt'n,' cried the man. ' Tliere's 
 no warrant out agin me. It's Steve Shliddell that's 
 a-wantin', sur ; that's not me.' 
 
 ' How do I know that } ' asked the captain. 
 ' Because Micky O'Hara is moy name, sur. 
 There's three men aboard this craft can swear to 
 that — that's the first rayson whoy ; and the second 
 is because Steve Shliddell himsilf is aboard this 
 ship.' 
 
 ' What ! You knew this, and yet you let the 
 police arrest you for him ? ' 
 
 'Axin' yer pardon, capt'n, oi didn't let thim 
 arrist me. That's just what oi didn't do ; it wint 
 agin me conscience to go so far, sur. It's a sinsi- 
 tive man that oi am, and moighty partikler in such 
 things.' 
 
 ' But knowing that you could satisfy them in a 
 moment that you were not the man they were in 
 search of, you still ran the risk of being shot or 
 drowned to throw them off the track of your mess- 
 mate ? ' 
 
 ' It's no love oi bear to Steve,' said the man in 
 a hard voice. ' He's a bad lot, an' if wanst he 
 dhrops into the hands o' the polis it's the long 
 dhrop that'll be a-follyin' o' him. But sure we're 
 all agin the polis — savin' the masther mariners and 
 such-like shuperior min. What for should the polis 
 be paid if we're to hilp thim in doin' their business ? ' 
 
94 THE '■GREAT ORION: 
 
 ' But you allowed such a man as this Stephen 
 Sliddell to remain aboard my ship ? ' 
 
 ' Don't be afeard, sur,' said the man ; ' it's missilf 
 that has an oye on him. He'll play none o' his 
 thricks aboard this craft. We all get into throuble 
 now and again — it's mostly no2u wid me — for why 
 should oi have to ship as John Smith if it wasn't 
 for a bit of a scrimmage that ga' me the black oj'e ? 
 — but we're not all Steve Shliddells. But don't be 
 afeard. Oi'll keep an oye to him — not me black oye, 
 but the other wan.' 
 
 ' I needn't ask you to point him out to me,' 
 said the captain. 
 
 ' Oh, no, sur ; you won't gi' me an orther loike 
 that. By yer lave oi'll go for'ard now, capt'n. 
 Oi'vc been that long off juty oi don't fale thatoi'm 
 arnin' me wages.' 
 
 ' You may go for'ard,' said the captain. ' Be 
 sure I'll not forget that your seamanlike conduct 
 saved the ship.' 
 
 ' Ah, that's nothin' worth talkin' about at all,' 
 cried the man as he put on his cap and went quickly 
 to the fore part of the ship. 
 
 When he had disappeared, the captain turned 
 to me. 
 
 ' You'll have some idea of the troubles of ship- 
 masters before you leave this vessel, jMr. RIostyn,' 
 said he. ' That man was most probably helped up 
 the stern by a shipmate, after he had come up from 
 his dive under the keel, and he has been living in 
 the fo'c's'le ever since ; though if I were to question 
 the crew about it, they would declare that they had 
 
CROSS-EXAMINING A SPECTRE. 95 
 
 never seen him since the evening he went over- 
 board. What did he mean by saying that you 
 nearly found him out ? ' 
 
 ' I saw him leave the galley one night,' I replied. 
 ' He took a drink from the water-cask, but I did 
 not catch sight of his features until he squatted 
 down to have a smoke ; then the light of the match 
 revealed him. I must have given an exclamation 
 of surprise, for when I went to the place where he 
 had been, he was gone. He said just now that he 
 returned to the galley and locked himself in.' 
 
 ' He has been having a good time for the past 
 week,' laughed the captain. ' I think on the whole 
 he has got very much the better of me.' 
 
 ' I agree with you,' said I. ' But it strikes me 
 that his promptness just now should be regarded as 
 covering a multitude of sins.' 
 
 ' I feel that also,' said the captain ; ' but discipline 
 should be respected, Mr. Mostyn, and, above all, 
 the crew should be taught that their captain is a 
 lover of law and order, and that he does not share 
 their belief that the authorities should be opposed 
 on principle.' 
 
 I burst out laughing — most impolitely, I must 
 admit. 
 
 ' My dear Captain Harwood,' said I, ' I beg 
 your pardon sincerely for what may appear a 
 breach of discipline ; but don't fancy that you can 
 make me believe that your sympathies are not on 
 the side of the men rather than on the side of the 
 authorities, as represented by the blue coat and 
 helmet. I know that you are in your heart glad 
 
96 
 
 THE 'GREAT ORION. 
 
 that poor Micky O'Hara, and, perhaps, Steve 
 Sliddell into the bargain, escaped from the poHce- 
 officer.' 
 
 The captain shook his head gravely, and there 
 was a long pause before he said : 
 
 ' No, Mr. Mostyn ; you are wrong. I would not 
 have been sorry if Sliddell had been nabbed.' 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE captain's PRINCIPLES. 
 
 HE passing of the iceberg marked a change 
 in the fortunes of our voyage : up to the 
 time of that incident, we had had nothing 
 but contrary winds and cold weather ; but before I 
 went to sleep the same night, I heard the men shift- 
 ing the sails. The next morning was like one in an 
 English spring, only without the usual east wind 
 that causes people who go out to gather daffodils 
 to return with colds that last through the summer, 
 probably, and, possibly, well on into the autumn. 
 
 The air over the sea was balmy, and the heat 
 from the sun was genial, though it did not force 
 me to wear a straw hat or the pith helmet which 
 I had carefully stowed away in anticipation of that 
 mysterious region, the Tropics, so much talked 
 about by travellers. 
 
 In about ten days I had my first experience of 
 the Tropics, and, curiously enough, the only tho- 
 roughly disagreeable day experienced by us since 
 leaving the Channel was the day on which we 
 
 G 
 
98 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 entered the Tropics. A drizzling rain, with a cold 
 breeze, a chopping sea, and a dreary sky of dead 
 grey — if these do not include all the elements of 
 disagreeableness, they make a very decent contribu- 
 tion to such an end. Under these circumstances it 
 can easily be believed, I am sure, that I was by no 
 means impressed by my first day in the Tropics. 
 I knew more about the region in the course of the 
 next few months of my life. 
 
 But I must not allow myself to be carried away 
 by my recollections. I must return to my prosaic 
 chronicle of the voyage of the ' Great Orion ' to 
 the Cape. 
 
 I have already said that from the hour we 
 passed the iceberg, the unfavourable winds that 
 we had previously encountered came to an end. A 
 careful look-out was kept for more ice in our 
 course ; but we scarcely met with as much as would 
 have served to cool a glass of water. The berg that 
 we had so nearly run into was evidently a stray 
 one that had been broken off a large mass and 
 had drifted south, gradually wasting away as it 
 approached the equator. It seemed, however, to 
 be large enough to carry its own climate with it, 
 and to affect the atmosphere for a considerable 
 distance around. We could only hope that any 
 other vessel that might sail in its way would be as 
 fortunate as we had been in noticing it. I could 
 easily understand now that many ships might 
 never be heard of after coming in contact with 
 such a mighty mass of solid ice as that which we 
 had just passed. A steamer running at full speed 
 
THE CAPTAIN'S PRINCIPLES. 99 
 
 into such an obstacle could scarcely survive the 
 collision. The ' City of Boston ' probably dis- 
 appeared with her living freight through coming 
 in contact with an iceberg that overwhelmed the 
 vessel before the boats could be launched. The 
 more I thought over the escape of the ' Great 
 Orion ' the more thankful did I feel to Providence 
 for having so preserved us all. I could not help 
 thinking how remarkable was the series of inci- 
 dents that led up to our escape. If the Irish 
 sailor had not been forced to keep in hiding so long, 
 he would no doubt have taken his watch below, in 
 turn with the other seamen, and the chances of his 
 being on deck so early in the night would be few. 
 As it was, however, all that had occurred appeared 
 to have happened for our benefit. The hand of 
 Providence was in all. 
 
 As for our friend Micky O'Hara, he appeared 
 aft as seldom as possible. He seemed to be very 
 well satisfied with the turn that events had taken ; 
 but he did not appear quite confident that the 
 captain would not change his mind and hand him 
 over to the authorities at Cape Town. I fancied that 
 he thought that on the whole it would be wiser not 
 to put himself under the captain's notice with more 
 prominence than the discharge of his ordinary duties 
 demanded. We could only hope that Micky was 
 carrying out his promise of looking after Stephen 
 Sliddell. I frequently inquired of the captain if he 
 had arrived at any conclusion as to the identity of 
 Stephen Sliddell ; but I found that he had not 
 thought it worth his while to consid^f what might 
 
THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 be the result of having such a man aboard the 
 ship. 
 
 ' There's no good trying your skill at reading 
 character here,' said the captain. ' Sailors get so 
 knocked about in the course of a long life, exposed 
 to all sorts of weather and every form of disease, 
 that some of the best characters among them ap- 
 pear to be the most forbidding scoundrels. The men 
 that have shirked duty and taken care of them- 
 selves so that they are hardly the worse for v/ear 
 after ten or fifteen years at sea, would not likely 
 be hit on by an outsider as the worst characters. 
 I shouldn't wonder if the man who you made up 
 your mind was Sliddell turned out to be as decent 
 a fellow as ever went aloft' 
 
 'Then I'll not try my hand at guessing which 
 of the crew is the man that should be tried for 
 manslaughter,' said I. ' All that we can do is to 
 trust that he will some day come in contact with a 
 cleverer officer than the superintendent at Liver- 
 pool.' 
 
 ' There's a considerable difference between them 
 in the matter of cleverness, Mr. Mostyn,' said the 
 captain. ' It's the same with them as it is in all 
 trades ; there are clever and discreet ones among 
 them as well as stupid and overbearing. These 
 latter are, I believe, in the minority, whatever 
 people may say to the contrary. That's my ex- 
 perience.' 
 
 ' I'm greatly afraid,' said I, ' that our friend 
 Micky wasn't quite right when he took it for 
 granted that the police have an enemy in you.' 
 
THE CAPTAIN'S PRINCIPLES. 
 
 lot 
 
 ' I'm a respectable shipmaster, Mr. Mostyn,' he 
 replied, ' and I'm bound to do all that is in my 
 power to help the authorities. If the authorities 
 now and again show themselves to be pig-headed, 
 there's all the greater reason why men who aren't 
 pig-headed should do their best to help them.' 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 IN THE SOUTH. 
 
 IN due course we reached the Cape, and I 
 was able to change my system of exercise 
 from a three-mile promenade in twenty- 
 yard lengths to a good stiff walk of six miles in a 
 straight line, or in as straight a line as I could find, 
 ashore. 
 
 I did not find it particularly easy walking 
 along a road that did not roll as the deck of the 
 ship usually did. I felt myself unconsciously looking 
 out for a lurch every now and again, and I could 
 not help feeling something like disappointment 
 when no such movement took place. It seemed 
 unworthy of a fellow with sea legs to walk along 
 a level road that never put his powers to the trial 
 by suddenly becoming an inclined plane, or by 
 giving a roundabout roll. In a short time, how- 
 ever, I became reconciled to the want of excitement 
 in this way compared with what I had experienced 
 during my daily exercise aboard the ship ; and 
 though I was slightly stiff at first, I enjoyed my 
 stroll immensely. 
 
 I walked along the base of Table Mountain 
 
IN THE SOUTH. 
 
 towards where poor Cetewayo had had his farm, 
 previous to coming to England and returning to his 
 own country to die. On the road I met numbers of 
 Malays driving in their curiotisly-shaped carts, the 
 men wearing immense conical hats of grey straw, 
 and the women with bright silk scarves. The day 
 was, I afterwards learned, one of the Malay holi- 
 days, and certainly all the representatives of the 
 race seemed bent on enjoying themselves. I was 
 struck with the appearance of the Kaffir bullock- 
 wagons which I also met along this road. Some 
 of these vehicles were covered with canvas sup- 
 ported on an arched framework. I noticed as 
 many as twenty bullocks yoked to one of these 
 wagons ; and as the Kaffir di'iver, standing on 
 the board, in what sailors would call the bows, 
 launched out the lash of his long whip with a 
 bamboo handle like that of a fishing-rod, I could 
 not help thinking that now and again the most 
 straightforward animal must be forced to suffer 
 for the disobedient. I was told, however, that the 
 aim of the drivers with their long whip was so 
 accurate that every animal bore the penalty of his 
 own misdeeds only. 
 
 To one who has never been in a land where 
 more than a single race of man may be noticed, 
 the sudden appearance of Kaffirs, Hottentots, 
 Malays, and Coolies in the neighbourhood of 
 Cape Town cannot but seem very strange. It con- 
 stantly seemed to me that I was merely looking at 
 a series of moving pictures of a southern land. 
 When, however, after wandering along by the 
 
104 THE 'GREAT ORION! 
 
 slopes of lovely green vineyards — the vines growing 
 in long rows, each plant not more than two feet 
 high — I heard the whistle of a locomotive, I felt 
 more at home. The familiar sound banished all 
 my dreams. I hastened to the pretty little railway 
 station of Mowbray and took the train back to 
 Cape Town. 
 
 At the hotel I found Captain Harwood, whom 
 I had invited to dine with me ; and on the table by 
 his side there was a packet of letters from home 
 awaiting me. They were the product of two mails ; 
 and from them I learned all the English news up 
 to the date at which they had been posted, which, 
 I found, was scarcely three weeks before. The 
 pleasure of getting such letters in a distant land 
 cannot be told. I seemed, when reading them, to 
 hear once more the voices of those whom I loved, 
 and to clasp their hands when I came to the 
 parting words. 
 
 The ' Great Orion ' remained at Cape Town for 
 about ten days ; and though it was mid-winter now, 
 I found the neighbourhood very interesting, and 
 made many friends ; for an old comrade of my 
 father's occupied a high command at the castle, 
 and with him and his family I spent most of my 
 time riding and dri\-ing. 
 
 When I explained to my friends that I was 
 taking the voyage for the benefit of my health, 
 they were impolite enough to laugh. The fact 
 was that the steward's prophecy at the outset of 
 the voyage on the subject of the advantages of 
 sea-air and sea-feeding had been fully realised. 
 
IN THE SOUTH. 105 
 
 I was now feeling as strong as I had done 
 before beginning my course of reading for my 
 degree. 
 
 A storm off Cape Agulhas, a couple of days 
 after leaving Cape Town, was really the first severe 
 weather we had experienced since we had been 
 towed out of the Mersey. The captain, knowing the 
 dangerous character of the coast, gave it a wide 
 berth, and soon, like the schooner ' Hesperus ' in 
 Longfellow's ballad, we ' sailed a wintry sea.' We 
 went southward into a region of snow and sleet. 
 The seas ran so high that for two days we were 
 forced to heave-to the ship and lie there battered 
 about without knowing an hour of comfort, without 
 even know/ng what it was to have a comfortable 
 meal, for the cook had been struck by a falling 
 spar and was laid up for several days. 
 
 But even if this accident had not happened, 
 the pitching and rolling of the ship would have 
 prevented anything being cooked in the galley. 
 To go still further, it might be said that if the cook 
 had not been injured, and if the galley had been 
 available for cooking, it would have been impossible 
 to serve a dinner even between the ' fiddles ' of the 
 cabin table. The jerking down below was terrific. 
 We could not light the swinging lamp ; and as the 
 darkness came on about four o'clock, we were 
 forced to hold our food in one hand and a candle 
 in the other, balancing ourselves as best we could 
 against the bulkheads. The only redeeming feature 
 about such weather is that the howling of the wind 
 and the roaring of the sea prevent all grumbling 
 
io6 
 
 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 being heard. There may have been some grumbling 
 aboard the ' Great Orion ' — indeed I am strongly 
 of the belief that there was a good deal from time 
 to time — but no rumble of a grumble was beard by 
 anyone aboard. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 A THIEF ABOARD. 
 
 HE run to Bombay was accomplished in 
 such good time that Captain Harwood 
 declared that he would rather be aboard 
 the ' Great Orion ' than the fastest of the Peninsular 
 and Oriental steamers. 
 
 At Bombay I received another packet of letters, 
 and here also I met a number of friends, including 
 a cousin who was stationed at Kuratchee. It is 
 scarcely necessary to say that I explored the 
 caves of Elephanta and saw all the sights of Bombay. 
 I then went in the steamer round the coast to 
 Kuratchee, where I played my first game of 
 Badminton, finding it a good deal warmer than 
 our Oxford lawn-tennis. 
 
 Though I enjoyed my run ashore greatly, I 
 found I had become so attached to the sea and 
 the ship that I felt glad to return to Bombay and 
 get aboard once more. 
 
 ' There's no place like home, Robson,' I said as 
 I sat down to the cabin table, which was well fur- 
 nished with all the dainties that the Indian market 
 could supply. ' There's no place like home.' 
 
io8 THE 'GREAT ORION: 
 
 The steward was delighted with my suggestion 
 that I regarded the cabin as my home. 
 
 ' I was afraid, Mr. Mostyn,' said he, ' that when 
 you got among your friends ashore there you'd sHp 
 your moorings, so far as we were concerned, and 
 drift away from your berth here.' 
 
 ' No chance of that happening,' said I heartily. 
 ' I know when I'm well off, and I know where I 
 shouldn't be well off. I mean to stand by the ship 
 until the North-West Light comes into view again.' 
 
 ' Now, didn't they try to make you believe that 
 you were losing your time aboard a sailing-ship, 
 and that you would be doing well to see the rest of 
 the world in a steamer, sir ? ' 
 
 ' If they did make such an attempt, Robson, 
 )-ou see that it didn't succeed.' 
 
 ' I knew they'd try it on, and I said so to the 
 captain,' cried the steward indignantly. 'The idea 
 nowadays is that every hour spent at sea is an 
 hour wasted. Don't you believe it, I\Ir. Mostyn.' 
 
 ' I think I have proved to you pretty clearly 
 that I don't believe it,' I replied. 
 
 ' I'm satisfied, sir — I'm fully satisfied,' said he in 
 a patronising tone. 
 
 Before the vessel had been piloted out of the 
 harbour I learned from the captain that he had 
 received a telegram from the owners directing him 
 to take the ship to Sydney, leaving it to his own 
 discretion to go through the Straits of Sunda and 
 to call at Cheribon, in Java, upon a merchant at that 
 port, who might have some goods for Australia. 
 This course the captain thought he would pursue. 
 
A THIEF ABOARD. 109 
 
 I was ashamed to own my ignorance on the 
 subject of this port, so I merely said, ' Oh, indeed ! 
 Cheribon.' But on the same evening I borrowed 
 from the chief officer a copy of the sailing-direc- 
 tions for the Indian Ocean and the China Seas, 
 and without much searching I discovered that 
 Cheribon was situated on the north-east coast of 
 the island of Java, a hundred and sixty miles 
 beyond the Straits of Sunda, which, as every- 
 one knows, or should know, separate the islands of 
 Sumatra and Java. These sailing-directions I 
 found invaluable under the present circumstances. 
 I found out a great deal respecting the archipelago 
 between the Malay peninsula and the north coast 
 of Australia. The islands in this sea are innu- 
 merable, many of them being merely exaggerated 
 coral reefs. The most important are, of course, 
 Sumatra, Java, Borneo, and New Guinea. 
 
 As for the Straits of Sunda, I learned that the 
 navigation of the broad channel between the islands 
 was perilous owing to the number of coral reefs 
 scattered about from one entrance to the other. 
 Among the smaller islands was one named Kra- 
 katoa, which contained, the book told me, a vol- 
 cano, but not of the active type. The track for 
 vessels was within ten or fifteen miles of this island. 
 
 Our voyage from England to Bombay had been 
 singularly devoid of excitement. The appearance 
 of the iceberg after we had been a week out was 
 really the only incident worth recording that had 
 occurred, and I could not help feeling that unless 
 the remainder of the voyage differed materially 
 
no THE 'GREAT ORION: 
 
 from the first three months, the story I would have 
 to tell on returning home would be anything but 
 an adventurous one. I began to think that all the 
 stories I had read respecting the constantly varying 
 scenes of adventure associated with a life of sea- 
 faring were the product only of the imagination 
 of the composers. A course of study of some of 
 the books with which I had been provided for the 
 voyage by my brother Jack did much to strengthen 
 my views in this direction. How could I avoid 
 thinking as I did when I reflected that the ' Great 
 Orion ' had passed over about ten thousand miles 
 of ocean, without meeting any adventure worth 
 mentioning .■* 
 
 About a fortnight after leaving Bombay, an 
 incident occurred which I cannot help recording. 
 The hot weather that we had had without cessation 
 from the time we re-entered the Tropics, sailing 
 northward from the Cape, increased to an almost 
 intolerable degree. The fine breeze that bore us 
 along with all sail set seemed to be coming from 
 the mouth of a furnace. There was no freshness 
 in its breath, and though I rigged up a windsail 
 outside my cabin port, to force, as it were, every 
 breath into the berth, it remained so very hot and 
 stuffy that I was forced to sleep on deck, until the 
 men came with the hose in the early morning to 
 swab down everything. Sleep from this point was, 
 of course, impossible ; so I accustomed myself to 
 drop from the sea-grass hammock with which I 
 had provided myself, and stand before the stream 
 that came from the ' nozzle ' of the hose for my 
 
A THIEF ABOARD. in 
 
 morning's bath. The delight of this system of 
 bathing cannot be appreciated by anyone who has 
 not tried it during such a spell of heat as we ex- 
 perienced aboard the ' Great Orion.' I felt the 
 appropriateness of submitting to the same treat- 
 ment as that which is brought to bear upon a 
 burning house, for several times I awoke from a 
 frightful dream, imagining myself to be in the 
 condition of a box of lucifer matches when one has 
 by accident ignited, and the others fizz away like a 
 body of troops firing a feti de joie on the Queen's 
 birthday. I believed that I could fully enter into 
 the feelings of the matchbox when undergoing such 
 treatment ; and on awaking, I invariably hurried, as 
 it might be said, to get myself extinguished. 
 
 One morning, after some weeks of the hottest 
 weather we had yet known, I had gone down to 
 my cabin to dress after receiving my bath on deck. 
 Very little clothing, and that of the lightest sort, 
 was sufficient for those days. I wore no waistcoat, 
 and as my watch had once dropped from the side 
 pocket of the cricketing-shirt that was my principal 
 garment, I thought it prudent to depend in future 
 upon the ship's clock that hung against the bulk- 
 head in the cabin, and not to run the chance of 
 my watch being smashed beyond the possibility of 
 repair, by falling upon the deck. I had thus put 
 it carefully away in its case, with the chain coiled 
 around it, placing the whole in my dressing-bag. 
 On the morning to which I allude, I had, as I have 
 already said, gone into my cabin to dress. I had 
 scarcely lifted my brushes before I noticed on my 
 
THE 'GREAT ORION: 
 
 little sofa a small tortoiseshell case into which I had 
 long ago put my sleevelinks and the studs that I 
 had taken from my last linen shirt before adopting 
 the bushranger's costume, which I found much 
 more comfortable during the hot weather. 
 
 How careless it was of me not to return this 
 case to my bag when I had last used it, I could 
 not help thinking, as I picked up the case and was 
 at the point of dropping it into the bag. 
 
 As I did so, it struck me that the case was 
 curiously light. The gold links alone were 
 heavier, I felt sure. I quickly opened the case, 
 and learned why it was so light ; the fact being, 
 that it was empty — studs and links had disap- 
 peared. 
 
 I remembered so distinctly putting the articles 
 into their place, I could not for a single moment 
 fancy that it might be I had merely laid them 
 aside on taking them out of the cuffs and the front 
 of my last shirt. The only question that remained 
 was, How had they disappeared ? 
 
 On opening the bag, I was still further surprised 
 to find that the case containing my watch and 
 chain was no longer there. Being now thoroughly 
 alarmed, I began a complete search through the 
 dressing-bag. The result was the discovery that 
 almost every article of any value in itself had 
 disappeared : the silver mountings of the bottles, 
 three cases containing scarfpins — one of these was 
 mounted in diamonds and rubies — a gold case of 
 antique French manufacture holding a miniature, 
 on ivory, of my mother. 
 
A THIEF ABOARD. 113 
 
 I hastily lifted the false bottom of the bag, and 
 found, to my great delight, that the flat box 
 containing English sovereigns, which I had placed 
 in this secret recess, was undisturbed. The robber, 
 whoever he was, had not suspected the existence 
 of the false bottom' to the dressing-bag. His 
 ignorance proved th^t he was an amateur ; for, as 
 the professional brigands of Sicily and some parts 
 of Italy invariably search in the soles of the boots 
 of their victims for bank-notes, so the clever bur- 
 glars at home always look for a false bottom in a 
 dressing-bag and trunk — so I have been given to 
 understand. 
 
 Who was the thief.'' This was the question 
 which I had now to set about answering. Being 
 flush with the deck, owing to the poop stern of the 
 ship, my cabin could easily have been entered by 
 any person aboard, though the steward was, of 
 course, the only one of the ship's company who 
 was accustomed to go out and in as it suited him. 
 Robson was, however, beyond suspicion. 
 
 The thought struck me, however, that, as the 
 steward was particularly fond of taking things out of 
 my cabin for cleaning purposes, it might be that he 
 had noticed a tarnishing of the watch-case, the 
 sleeve-links, and the other articles, and that he was 
 now busily engaged polishing them with plate- 
 powder. He was especially fond of plate-powder, 
 I knew, and always went about with a plate-brush 
 sticking out of his apron pocket. 
 
 I thought it better not to make any fuss for the 
 present about the missing articles ; so, on entering 
 
 II 
 
114 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 the cabin for breakfast, I asked Robson, in the 
 most casual manner I could assume, if he had 
 taken anything from my cabin during the previous 
 day to clean up. 
 
 ' I forgot to tell you, sir,' he replied at once. 
 ' Yes ; I took two pairs of boots that were begin- 
 ning to be mildewy, not to say mouldy, about the 
 patent leather. They're not done up yet, for I 
 don't suppose you'll be needing them till you go 
 ashore at Sydney.' 
 
 ' You don't suppose I intend to wear them so 
 long as this weather lasts .? ' cried I, with a laugh. 
 ' All right, Robson, knock the mildew off them. 
 You are not polishing up anything else of my 
 belongings ? ' I added, with apparent carelessness. 
 
 ' Nothing else, Mr. Mostyn,' he replied. ' But, if 
 you want anything done, I'm j'our man, sir ' — he 
 fingered the handle of the plate-brush that pro- 
 truded from his pocket. 
 
 ' I'll see what I can do for )'ou,' said I as I sat 
 down to breakfast. 
 
 ' You should have come in before the tea had 
 time to get warm,' said the captain. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 WHO WAS THE THIEF ? 
 
 HO was the thief ? This was the question 
 that was before me all day, as I sat on my 
 comfortable deck-chair under the awning 
 of the poop. It was by no means pleasant on this 
 fine day to reflect that I was the victim of a robber 
 — that there was aboard the ship at least one man 
 who had had no scruples in appropriating my 
 goods and chattels. 
 
 Who was he .'' 
 
 The fact of my thinking over this question 
 brought back to my recollection the previous 
 question which I had attempted to answer aboard 
 this ship, namely, which of the sailors was Stephen 
 Sliddell ? I gave a start. 
 
 ' What if success in answering the one question 
 meant success in answering the other ? ' 
 
 I rose from my seat and strolled to the rail 
 abaft the wheel, looking out over the stern as if 
 I expected to see on one of the many birds that 
 were following us the face and features of the man 
 for whom I was searching, without having any clue 
 to his identity. 
 
ii6 THE 'GREAT ORION: 
 
 The fact was, that I had become excited when 
 the thought suggested itself to me that it was 
 Stephen Shddell who had stolen my watch and 
 the other articles from my bag. I began to fear 
 that I might do something to betray what was on 
 my mind. In a few minutes, however, I was cool 
 enough to be able to return to my seat and think 
 what was best for me to do under the circumstances. 
 
 The result of my deliberations was that when 
 I saw Mr. Micky O'Hara come aft with a couple 
 of other men to heave the log at eight bells, I 
 went to my cabin and returned with a fishing-line, 
 just in time to meet him as he was leaving the 
 poop, shaking from his hand the water that he had 
 got while hauling in the log-line. 
 
 'You are just the man I need,' I said. 'I 
 want you to bend on for me a new set of hooks. 
 When this wind falls away we'll have some fishing, 
 and I want to be ready to drop the line within the 
 first five minutes of calm.' 
 
 ' All roight, sur,' said the Irishman ; ' oi'm at yer 
 sarvice. It's in quoite a purty set o' kinks, this 
 hemp.' 
 
 ' It's a bit tangled, indeed,' I replied. ' Never 
 mind, we'll soon set that right. Come aft with me 
 and I'll show you just what I want.' 
 
 We went as far aft as the skylight, and began 
 the unrolling of the fishing-line. 
 
 ' Listen to me for a moment, O'Hara,' said I in 
 a low voice. ' I got you to do this job for me that 
 I might have a chance of asking your advice about 
 a certain matter.' 
 
WHO WAS THE THIEF? 117 
 
 ' All roight, sur ; oi don't know what advoice a 
 boy loike missilf could give to the loikes o' you, 
 but oi'll do me bist.' 
 
 ' The fact is that I have been robbed,' said I. 
 
 ' Robbed, sur ! ' he did not give any start, but 
 the tone of his voice let me know how surprised 
 he was. 
 
 'Yes, robbed. Some one must have got into 
 my cabin last night when I was asleep on the deck, 
 and the consequence is that my watch is gone, and 
 my sleevelinks have disappeared, with a few scarf- 
 pins and the silver tops of some bottles.' 
 
 ' Begorra ! there's some wan has sarious intin- 
 tions o' sittin' up a jew'ler's shop somewheres,' said 
 Micky. 
 
 ' But I can't see my way to become a partner 
 in the business,' said I. ' Now, the reason I have 
 brought you here is to ask you if you don't think 
 that Stephen Sliddell is the thief .' ' 
 
 ' Whisht, sur ; don't talk above yer breath,' said 
 my companion, working away at the tangles of the 
 fishing-line. ' What do ye want me to be a-doin' 
 of in the matther ? ' 
 
 ' I want you to treat with this Sliddell, if you 
 find out that he was the thief, and get him to 
 return the articles without any fuss. If I were to 
 tell the captain of my loss he would make it very 
 uncomfortable for you all in the fo'c's'le.' 
 
 ' He would, sur ; there's no doubt about that ; 
 but ye'd niver clap eyes on the things that ye've 
 lost. He's a dape wan, this Steve Shliddell. It's 
 himsilf has thim things all consaled in some place 
 
ii8 THE 'GREAT ORION: 
 
 where no wan aboard this craft cud foind thim if 
 we was to luk for a month o' Sundays.' 
 
 ' Then you believe it was SHddell that stole the 
 things ? ' 
 
 ' An' who ilse would it be, sur? Will ye tell me 
 that ? Sure he's the only wan here that has lived 
 all his loife doin' thricks loike that Ah, ye don't 
 know Steve, sir,' he added in a half-pitying way. 
 
 ' No, but I think I'm beginning to know some- 
 thing of him,' I replied. ' It seems that you are 
 the only one among the ship's company who knows 
 him, and that's why I have brought you here. I 
 want you to get back the things that were stolen : 
 I want you to bring them back to me. I am 
 prepared to give ten pounds for the lot and make 
 no fuss about the transaction.' 
 
 ' Ah, sur,' said Micky, ' sure 3'c wouldn't be 
 afther offerin' a thafe o' the ^vurruld loike that 
 money for what's ycr own propurty ? It would be 
 no use, sur, at all, at all. It's him that would turn 
 round an' laugh at me if oi was to go to him an' 
 make him such an offer. It's him that knows will 
 that nobody aboard this ship cud lay their hands 
 on what he has tuk. No, no ; he's a smarther 
 boy nor that. But oi'll be ayven wid him yit. 
 The blackyard, that would ha' stud boy to say me 
 tuk up be the polls in his place ! ' 
 
 ' But you see that your being even with him 
 won't get me back my goods,' I remarked. 
 
 ' IMebbc not, sur ; mebbe not. It's hard to till 
 anything loike this. Mebbe things '11 turn out 
 differint to what ye expeck. Let me go my own 
 
WHO WAS THE THIEF? 119 
 
 way to work ; but don't say anything about the tin 
 pounds agin. The thruth is, sur, I couldn't thrust 
 missilf to say " no " to the money, so don't timpt a 
 poor boy to make himsilf as big a thafe as th'other 
 blackyard. " Sit a thafe to catch a thafe," they 
 say ; but oi don't want ye to make me a thafe for 
 the sake o' grabbin' Steve Shliddell. Say no more, 
 sur. It's a long toime before we're jew in port, an' 
 it won't be moy fault if he goes ashore wid those 
 things.' 
 
 ' I'll leave the matter in your hands,' said I- 
 ' You will do your best, I know ; and if you don't 
 succeed you may be sure that I won't blame 
 you.' 
 
 ' That's all oi ask for, sur,' he replied. ' None 
 of us can do more than our bist, and ye may be 
 sure that it isn't me that'll do liss.' 
 
 All the time that we were engaged in this con- 
 versation we were not neglecting the fishing-line, 
 which I had brought as an excuse for our consul- 
 tation. We loosed the tangles, and Micky bent 
 on a finer piece of hemp, with a series of hooks on 
 crossed whalebone, to be ready to bait when the 
 wind should die away, as I expected it would in 
 the course of the day. 
 
 The Irishman then went to the fore part of the 
 ship as usual. 
 
 I felt that I was doing right in trusting to his 
 honesty and ingenuity to recover my property, 
 though I really found it hard, when I questioned 
 myself on the subject, to say what grounds I had 
 for doing so. He had come aboard the ship with 
 
THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 a black eye originally, and such a decoration, 
 though it may be to some persons a sign of valour, 
 does not as a rule tend to impress people favourably 
 toward the wearer. Still I liked the man in spite 
 of his blemish. I did not believe that the dis- 
 coloration of his eye was deeper than the surface : 
 it was not a stain upon his character. 
 
 A week passed without any change in the 
 weather or our circumstances. The heat was 
 intense, but the breeze from the north sent us 
 along at seven or eight knots with stun'-sails set, 
 so that we had no time to think about the discom- 
 fort of the broiling sun. During all this time I 
 never had a chance of speaking to Micky O'Hara. 
 Indeed I never looked for such an opportunity. 
 I believed that he was doing his best for me in 
 respect to recovering the stolen articles, so that 
 nothing I could say to him could make him do 
 more. 
 
 At the end of ten days a sudden fall in the 
 barometer was noticed. The captain had the 
 stun'-sails taken in, and sail shortened generally in 
 preparation for a gale. 
 
 ' It will be the tail end of a second-class cyclone, 
 I expect,' said he in answer to my inquiry. 
 
 This being so, I thought it prudent to keep in 
 my own berth at night, and not to remain, as usual, 
 on deck. I had no particular desire to be washed 
 out of my hammock by the deluge of rain and 
 clouds of spray that would be sure to follow even 
 the tail end of a second-class cyclone. 
 
 I turned in to my cabin about four bells, and in 
 
WHO WAS THE THIEF? 
 
 spite of the sound of the washing of the water 
 along the side of the ship, and the quick splash 
 every now and again of a wave whose crest the 
 wind had fairly caught, I was soon asleep. 
 
 I cannot tell how long I slept, but I was con- 
 scious of awaking with a start. An unusual sound 
 had awakened me. It is curious that people who 
 are accustomed to sleep soundly through a constant 
 series of noises will start up when there is an 
 unusual sound, however light it may be. 
 
 The instant I unclosed my eyes I saw that some 
 one was in my cabin. The door had been left 
 open and hooked back, and a streak of light from 
 the swing-lamp in the companion shone through 
 the open space. I could not only hear that some- 
 one was fumbling about my sofa, but I could see 
 the form of a man bending over the sofa and feel- 
 ing for something— perhaps for more than one 
 thing. 
 
 My first impulse, on becoming aware of the 
 presence of the man, was to put my hand over my 
 head to where the silver-mounted revolver, given to 
 me by Jack, was hanging, and to have a shot at 
 this fellow, who was, I felt convinced, Stephen 
 Sliddell. What seemed to me his audacious con- 
 duct in returning to my room in search of further 
 spoil made me lose my temper. I felt that I 
 had never before been so insulted, and I thought 
 that only a shot at the man would relieve my 
 feelings of indignation. 
 
 I managed to restrain myself, however. Put- 
 ting forward my hand to the little shelf at the side 
 
122 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 of the bunk, I picked up the matchbox, without 
 making the least sound to attract the attention of 
 the man at the sofa. In another moment I had 
 sprung from my bunk, striking the match, and 
 endeavouring to get between the man and the 
 open door of the cabin. 
 
 He threw down whatever was in his hand, and 
 was evidently about to make for the door, when I 
 barred the entrance. 
 
 ' You ruffian ! ' cried I, holding the lighted 
 match above my head. ' If you dare to stir from 
 where you are, I'll send a bullet through you. 
 Who are you ? ' 
 
 The man gave a start. The light gleamed 
 upon his face. I dropped the match, for the face 
 that I saw was the face of the Irishman in whom I 
 had so freely confided. 
 
IF YOU DARE TO STIR FROM WHERE YOU ARE, ILL SEND a BULLET THROUGH VOU. 
 
 Pa£'e 122. 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 THE LAUGH IS AGAINST ME. 
 
 HAT ! ' said I, in a low voice, after a long 
 pause, ' you here — you ! I could not 
 have believed that you were capable of 
 such baseness. I have been a fool. You have 
 indeed befooled me.' 
 
 He stood there, in the darkness, without a word. 
 I fancied that I could see a look of shame on his 
 face — that I could see him endeavouring to turn 
 away his head. 
 
 ' If you have any conscience^' said I at length, 
 ' if you have any remnant of shame left, you will 
 restore me my property ; you will restore me at 
 least one article— the frame with the picture 
 inside.' 
 
 He made no answer, and his doggedness caused 
 me to lose my temper. I kicked out the hook that 
 held the door back, and closed it, turning the key 
 in the lock. The next instant I had grasped my 
 revolver. The little ' click-click ' made by cocking 
 it caused the man to move back a step or two. 
 
 ' You hear that sound, and you know what it 
 means,' said I. 'It means that I must have your 
 
124 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 promise that I shall receive once again the article 
 I have named. Do you understand that ? Stand 
 where you are, now, and promise that I shall 
 receive the article that I have mentioned.' 
 
 ' Don't fear, sur ; ye'll get it,' said the man. 
 
 ' You swear that to me solemnly .' ' 
 
 ' It's thrue, sur ; the promise o' a boy loike me 
 mayn't be worth much, but it's all ye ask for. Ye 
 don't want me to stay here till ye lay yer hand 
 upon the pictur ? ' 
 
 ' You have promised,' said I. ' Go now.' 
 
 I unlocked the door, and threw it open. 
 
 The man seemed to hesitate. 
 
 ' Oi hope, sur,' said he after a pause, ' that ye 
 won't say a word to the capt'n about me bein' here 
 at this toime. Oi'm a bit afeard o' the capt'n, sur ; 
 he's not loike you, that's ready to give a boy a 
 chance to do will. Oh, ye won't say a wurrud to 
 him, sur.'' 
 
 ' If you keep your promise you may be sure 
 that I'll give you the chance of redeeming your 
 character,' said I. ' I'm quite willing to keep your 
 act a secret.' 
 
 ' Oi'm much obliged to ye, sur,' said the man. 
 ' Oi suppose oi can go now. Good-night, sur. It's 
 a bit rough outsoide.' 
 
 The cool effrontery of the man paralysed me. 
 I felt that I should like to rush out upon him 
 where he stood on the deck, just beyond my cabin 
 door, as he spoke his last words ; but the tranquil 
 everyday tone he had assumed so astonished 
 me, that it was really some time before I could 
 
THE LAUGH IS AGAINST ME. 125 
 
 return to my bunk, after carefully locking the 
 door. 
 
 I found it impossible to sleep. The indigna- 
 tion I felt at the conduct of the man whom I had 
 so implicitly trusted kept me in such a state of 
 excitement, that I could only lie awake with the 
 smallest amount of clothes covering me. I reflected 
 upon all that had occurred. That the Irishman 
 was the thief I never for a moment doubted. When 
 I thought of the way he had listened to my story 
 of how I had -been robbed, and had agreed with me 
 at once that Stephen Sliddell was the thief, I felt 
 my face become hot with anger. He had indeed 
 made a fool of me, and in the heat of my anger 
 I made a resolution never to trust anyone again. 
 I had always believed in my power of reading 
 faces, but I would never place any reliance in it 
 again. I would have proof of a man's honesty 
 before regarding him as honest. 
 
 The steward knocked at my door at the usual 
 hour to awaken me and tell me that I could have 
 either a hose bath on deck, or the more civilised tub 
 in the spare cabin. 
 
 ' Have you taken to locking your door at 
 night, sir ? ' asked Robson, who, no doubt, was 
 surprised to find that I responded to his knock 
 by jumping out of my bunk and shooting back the 
 bolt, which I had fastened after the visit of the 
 Irishman. 
 
 ' The ship was rolling a lot, Robson, and I find 
 that the bolt keeps the door from shaking,' I 
 replied. 
 
126 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 ' I'll give you some pegs to keep it steady,' said 
 the steward, going away. 
 
 Before he had taken half-a-dozen steps he 
 turned round, hearing a sudden exclamation which 
 came from me. 
 
 ' Did )-ou speak, sir ? ' he asked. 
 
 ' No,' I replied after a pause, ' I — I — didn't 
 speak ; only — it's all right now, Robson.' 
 
 The exclamation which was forced from me 
 was owing to my perceiving on the sofa a number 
 of articles which certainly had not been there when 
 I had turned in. The articles included the leather 
 case containing my watch and chain, the tortoise- 
 shell case with my studs and links, the boxes with 
 my three scarfpins, the antique frame with the 
 miniature of my mother, and the half-dozen silver 
 mountings of the bottles in my dressing-bag. 
 
 I was so bewildered that I could only lean 
 against the side of my bunk and stare at the things 
 before me. Even when I had recovered myself in 
 some measure, I could only turn over the articles 
 one by one, as if I had never seen them before. 
 
 How had they come there, I wondered. Had 
 I only dreamt that they had been stolen ? Was it 
 only a dream that I had of seeing a man in my 
 cabin a few hours before daybreak .'' I could 
 almost bring myself to fancy that my imagination 
 \\'as accountable for all that I believed had occurred 
 — that I had had such another brain attack as 
 came to me in my rooms at college on the evening 
 after the exam. If I had worked out my mathe- 
 matical papers in my sleep, might I not have 
 
THE LAUGH IS AGAINST ME. 127 
 
 hidden away those things which were now lying 
 on the sofa before me ? 
 
 Suddenly my glance alighted upon an object 
 that lay upon the cabin floor — something that I 
 could not count among my legitimate possessions. 
 It was a small and extremely black briarwood 
 pipe. I had seen it often before, and I at once 
 recognised it as the property of Micky O'Hara. 
 When I picked it up now, and held it at arm's 
 length from my nose, I could not help wondering 
 how it was that I had not become aware long ago 
 of its presence in the cabin, even though I had 
 not seen it. I knew now that whatever dreams I 
 might have had, the Irishman had certainly been 
 in my cabin ; for in addition to the evidence in 
 that direction afforded by the pipe, I found in the 
 case with the watch a piece of paper on which 
 was written in pencil as follows : 
 
 ' Sur thees is thim oil rite with ure umBill 
 sur-vints Kombill-immense.' 
 
 I seated myself on the sofa, and I could feel my 
 face become hot with shame as the truth of what 
 had occurred flashed across me. The Irishman 
 had not only kept his promise to do his best to get 
 the case with the portrait that had been stolen 
 from me, but he had succeeded in obtaining from 
 the thief everything that I had lost. He had 
 brought all into my cabin, thinking to leave them 
 there unobserved by anyone, when I had awakened 
 and, without putting a single question to him, had 
 accused him of being the thief ! 
 
 When I thought over the scene that we had had 
 
128 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 together — how I had taken down my revolver and 
 threatened him — I felt overcome with shame. But 
 when I recollected how he had made no attempt to 
 justify himself, and to let me know that, so far from 
 being the thief, he was actually the restorer of the 
 stolen goods, I could not help laughing. He had 
 enjoyed the joke that he had played upon me, and 
 had encouraged me to involve myself more deeply 
 in the mistake I had originally made. He had 
 indeed made a fool of me. I blushed when I 
 thought of how he must have enjoyed his practical 
 joke. 
 
 After breakfast I took ten sovereigns and forced 
 them into the capacious bowl of the pipe, and, 
 wrapping the pipe in paper, gave it to the boat- 
 swain who had come aft on some duty. 
 
 ' Will }'ou oblige me by handing that to the 
 Irish sailor when you go for'ard, boatswain ? ' said 
 I. 'It's a pipe that he must have dropped down 
 below — I picked it up this morning.' 
 
 'All rightj sir,' said the boatswain, touching his 
 cap. 
 
 I watched him go forward and hand the parcel 
 to Micky, who carelessly put it into his pocket so 
 as not to attract attention. 
 
 Not until nearly a week had passed did I hear 
 from the Irishman how he had watched Stephen 
 Sliddell night after night until he found out where 
 the stolen articles had been secreted. They had 
 been stowed in the tube of one of the two brass 
 cannon that stood amidships ; the watch-case, being 
 tolerably broad, had refused to be pushed in further 
 
THE LAUGH IS AGAINST ME. 129 
 
 than six inches from the muzzle. One night, when 
 he fancied he was unobserved, the thief liad gone to 
 the cannon to satisfy himself that his booty was 
 safe ; he had been seen by Micky, who, by the aid 
 of an iron hook used in the galley, had then ' drawn 
 the charge,' as he explained to me, of the gun, 
 restoring the articles to their rightful owner. 
 
 After telling me the story, not forgetting to 
 describe the way Stephen Sliddell had sworn on 
 finding that he had been cheated out of his booty, 
 though, of course, he was afraid to say openly what 
 was the cause of his outburst, my friend Micky 
 went on to reproach me for sending him the ten 
 sovereigns. 
 
 ' It wasn't fair o' ye, sur, at all, to timpt a poor 
 boy,' said he. ' I feel as bad as a thafe missilf for 
 takin' such a fill o' the poipe o' rale golden lafe. 
 Indade it's on me conscience still. Oi'll tell ye 
 what oi'll do, sur : if oi foind that it's oppressin' me 
 all down to the ground oi'll retorn it back to ye 
 again. But oi'm thinkin' that mebbe me con- 
 science will git used to carryin' about the money, 
 an' it'll not inconvanience me afther a bit — mebbe 
 it's wrong o' me to hope so, but oi can't hilp it at 
 all. It's moy proivate opinion that ye'll niver see 
 the money again, sur.' 
 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 THE GATEWAY TO THE PACIFIC. 
 
 T length the ' Great Orion ' was nearing 
 the end of the third stage of her voyage. 
 The first stage \\as from England to the 
 Cape, the second from the Cape to Bombay, and 
 the third, naturally, n-as from Bombay to the Straits 
 of Sunda. 
 
 Nearly five months had passed since we had 
 left England, and probably seven, or perhaps eight, 
 would pass before I should be again at home. If 
 we were but through the Straits, however, I should 
 think of the voyage as half over. Hitherto I had 
 been looking forward only to the strange places 
 abroad ; but after lea\ing the Straits I should feel 
 myself entitled to count the daj's till my return. 
 
 The Straits of Sunda may be regarded as the 
 gateway to the Pacific for one wishing to reach 
 that ocean by sailing east. On passing through 
 this channel a new world of wonder lies before a 
 voyager. Away from the countless beautiful 
 islands of this archipelago, the China Seas wash the 
 shore of one of the most interesting countries in 
 the world. Japan and the Corea are to the north ; 
 
THE GATEWAY TO THE PACIFIC. 131 
 
 to the south is the island-continent of Australia, 
 with Tasmania and New Zealand. To the east 
 are New Guinea, and the many islands that 
 lie, like green oases in the desert, scattered about 
 the great ocean. It was scarcely surprising that 
 I should look forward with eagerness to passing 
 through the Straits of Sunda to the enchanted 
 ocean-empire beyond. 
 
 It was on Saturday, August 25, 1883, that Cap- 
 tain Harwood said I might expect to catch my 
 first glimpse of the western shore of the island of 
 Java. The day was bright, with scarcely enough 
 breeze stirring to be called a draught, though 
 generally the captain gave this name to everything 
 under half a gale. Had the wind not died away 
 we should certainly have been able to see the 
 coast of North- Western Java before evening on 
 this day. As it was, however, we were scarcely 
 moving through the water, and I soon went astern 
 from the position I had taken up with my binocular 
 glass in the fore part of the ship. 
 
 I had frequently read that the perfume of the 
 spice forests of these islands is carried for many 
 miles out to sea, so that voyagers know by the 
 scented air when they are approaching these coasts. 
 I consequently went about the deck with my nose 
 high in the air, sniffing, as it were, for the first spicy 
 breeze from shore. I confessed to the captain my 
 disappointment at the result. Not the least sug- 
 gestion of a nutmeg, a clove, or a cinnamon stick 
 could I perceive, to say nothing of a peppercorn, 
 which I was not especially anxious to smell. It 
 
132 THE 'GREAT ORION! 
 
 struck me before sunset that there was a suspicion 
 of sulphur in the air rather than anything aromatic; 
 and when I called the captain's attention to this, 
 he admitted that there was something sulphurous 
 in the atmosphere. 
 
 I shall never forget the sunset that day. There 
 seemed to be a haze over the disc as it descended ; 
 but before it touched the horizon this haze became 
 penetrated with the sunlight. At first it was a 
 pale pink in tint, then it became a soft orange, and 
 when the sun disappeared, the colour changed, as 
 it seemed, in an instant to crimson. Like a mighty 
 velvet curtain suspended from mid-heaven, this gor- 
 geous red cloud hung over all the West, making the 
 water like a sea of blood. 
 
 Everyone on deck stood looking out at that 
 wonderful sight, for the most beautiful equatorial 
 sunset was colourless in comparison with this. For 
 more than half-an-hour the vivid colour remained ; 
 and then, curiously enough, it seemed, not to 
 dwindle away on the horizon to a single band of 
 red, but to pass away and fade directl)' over our 
 heads. The ship then was wrapped in mist, and 
 the sulphurous smell increased. 
 
 There was now a dead calm in the air. The 
 sails were not c\-cn flapping as the ship drifted 
 imperceptibly with the current. Every now and 
 again there came the sound of the rudder shaking 
 in its socket — such a sound is common aboard a 
 becalmed ship. 
 
 ' What's your idea of the weather .' ' I inquired 
 of the captain, who had not left the deck. 
 
THE GATEWAY TO THE PACIFIC. 133 
 
 ' I can make nothing of it,' he replied. ' That 
 sunset should mean wind ; and yet the aneroid is 
 high, and still rising. This queer thickness in the 
 air should mean a storm of rain ; — but the wet 
 monsoon does not come on till October.' 
 
 ' If you can't make out what it means,' said I, 
 ' you may depend upon my not giving a guess on 
 the subject. Altogether, there seems to be some- 
 thing very mysterious in the air.' 
 
 ' Mysterious ? ' said the captain. He looked at 
 me for a moment, then glanced aloft, then round 
 the horizon. Finally, he gave a little whistle and 
 walked to the fore part of the ship. 
 
 It is unnecessary to say that his mode of pro- 
 ceeding did not help to reduce the mysteriousness 
 of the situation. He was evidently very uneasy 
 about the weather ; and, as he was so, it was but 
 natural that I should not feel quite at ease. 
 
 About an hour after sunset the temperature fell 
 to a surprising extent. I had gone down to the 
 cabin to drink a cup of tea, and when I returned 
 to the deck I noticed the difference in the air im- 
 mediately. I felt almost chilly, and was glad to 
 keep in motion. The dead calm remained over 
 the water, disturbed only by the light splash of 
 a fish rising to the surface ; and the darkness was 
 intense. We seemed to be under a heavy pall, 
 and afraid to speak except in whispers. The 
 captain and Mr. Borrows stood together conversing ; 
 but though they were only a dozen yards away, 
 I could not hear a sentence spoken by either of 
 them. 
 
134 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 In the course of another hour I fancied that I 
 heard a louder splash at the ship's side than could 
 be caused by any fish unless a shark. I went to 
 the rail over the stern and looked down. The 
 water around us was curiously phosphorescent, and 
 it appeared to me that a combat between the fish 
 was going on beneath the surface, for the water 
 was seething and boiling and curling within a 
 radius of about six feet from one point. It seemed 
 as if we had come upon a whirlpool, if that motion 
 of the water was not caused by a duel between 
 sharks or swordfish. 
 
 While I stood watching this singular thing it 
 seemed to me that the stern of the vessel was 
 lifted up suddenly, as if by a wave. The wheel 
 spun round in the hands of the man who was in 
 charge of the helm, and a curious shivering passed 
 through the ship. 
 
 ' What was that ? ' said the captain from the 
 fore part of the poop. 
 
 ' A fish must have run into the rudder, sir,' said 
 the seaman, who had now hold of the spokes of 
 the wheel. 
 
 ' It must have been a whopper,' remarked the 
 captain. ' The chain has not fouled, I hope t ' 
 
 ' It's all free, sir,' replied the man, giving the 
 wheel a turn to illustrate the freedom of the 
 steering-gear. 
 
 ' All right,' said the captain. 
 
 The words had scarcely been spoken when 
 there came a sound like that of a mighty waterfall. 
 By the side of the ship there arose a dense column 
 
THE GATEWAY TO THE PACIFIC. 135 
 
 of water — nearly a hundred feet high, it seemed to 
 me. It broke above us and came with a crash 
 upon the deck, deluging us fore and aft, and 
 scattering fish of all sizes, and shells, and stones 
 about the sails. 
 
 Before I had recovered from my astonishment 
 there came a rumble as of distant thunder ; the 
 next moment I was thrown against the skylight 
 by a shock that raised the stern high into the air 
 and dashed the seaman at the wheel to the deck. 
 
 I interlaced my fingers in the brass rods of the 
 skylight guard, and held on grimly, with my teeth 
 clenched, until the ship settled down once more on 
 an even keel after a number of convulsive shud- 
 derings. 
 
 ' You are not hurt, I hope .'' ' said the captain, 
 helping me to regain my feet. 
 
 ' Not a scratch,' I replied. ' I was more startled 
 than anything else. Your aneroid did not tell us 
 to expect that, or I should not have been taken 
 unprepared.' 
 
 ' Take my advice and stand amidships,' said 
 the captain ; ' and moor yourself with a stout line to 
 the deckhouse. There's no knowing what's in store 
 for us.' 
 
 I took a turn of a line round my waist. 
 
 ' Can you tell me what has already occurred ? ' 
 I asked. 
 
 ' I never came across anything like this before,' 
 said the captain. ' But Mr. Borrows says it means 
 a submarine earthquake. We can only wait for a 
 breeze to carry us away from the neighbourhood.' 
 
136 THE 'GREAT ORIUN^ 
 
 While we were speaking, the water, as far as we 
 could see, was boiling around us on every side 
 So peculiar a sensation as it produced can scarcely 
 be described. It appeared to me as if the ship 
 were upon wires, with some strong hand shaking 
 the whole fabric about for amusement. This went 
 on for some time, the craft spinning round as if the 
 centre of the keel were on a pivot. Then she lay 
 as quiet as a log. But as soon as she had settled 
 there came a succession of the most appalling 
 sounds I had ever heard. They at first seemed to 
 be thunderclaps coming from a distance ; but as 
 they increased, they suggested rather the firing 
 of a thousand great guns double-charged. The 
 crashes were dull, hard, and metallic ; they con- 
 tinued, with intervals of only a few seconds, for 
 more than an hour, and the ship shuddered like a 
 living thing in fear, until it seemed that the top- 
 masts would be shaken down. To provide against 
 such an accident, the captain gave orders for the 
 topmasts to be stowed. The crew were engaged 
 at this work when I went down to the cabin to 
 take a rest, for I must confess that I felt a few 
 sore places about my body, though the knocking 
 about I had undergone had not done me an_\' 
 material injury. 
 
 'mm^^:^ 
 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 THE KRAKATOA ERUPTION. 
 
 DID not go to my berth, for I felt that 
 sleep under the present circumstances 
 would be impossible ; I merely lay down 
 on the cushions in the circular seat of the stern. 
 But though I had no idea of falling asleep, it some- 
 how happened that I did so in a very short time. 
 
 When I awoke I was conscious that the ship 
 was sailing free ; I could hear the lapping of the 
 water against the sides and the splash of the ripples 
 in our wake. I rose quickly and went on deck. 
 As I did so the quartermaster sounded two bells, 
 and I knew that it was one o'clock in the morning. 
 
 My first impression on mounting to the poop 
 deck was that the cold was intense. A fine breeze 
 was sending the ship along at the rate of eight 
 knots, and the night was moderately clear. 
 
 ' You .should have been on deck an hour ago to 
 have caught the first sight of land, Mr. Mostyn,' 
 said the second mate. 
 
 ' What ! ' cried I, ' is land in sight ? ' 
 
 He pointed over the starboard bow, and there 
 I saw twinkling a single light. 
 
1 38 THE ' GREAT ORION: 
 
 ' That's Anjer Lighthouse,' said he. ' We'll enter 
 the channel in a couple of hours.' 
 
 ' And how about the earthquakes ? ' I inquired. 
 
 ' They are over — for the present at any rate,' 
 he replied. ' They only gave us a shaking — unless 
 you find that you are hurt by your fall more than 
 you thought at first.' 
 
 ' I'm all right,' said I. ' But what is that curious 
 reflection in the sky to the nor'-east ? Does it 
 come from another lighthouse in that direction ? ' 
 
 The mate looked in the quarter indicated. 
 
 ' There certainly is a queer sort of glare,' said 
 he. ' It looks like the light of a volcano — there are 
 lots of them on these islands.' 
 
 ' Doesn't Krakatoa lie in that direction ? ' 
 
 ' Yes, it lies about there ; but it's what may be 
 called snuffed out. It hasn't been known to erupt 
 for a good many years.' 
 
 There certainly was a peculiar glare in the sky 
 to the nor'-east. It appeared like the first glow of 
 a lovely dawn in a northern latitude, only it varied 
 in brightness at intervals. Curiously enough, it 
 recalled to my mind a journey I had once taken 
 by night through the Black Country of England ; 
 the mighty blazing furnaces sent a red glow like 
 that up to the sky. 
 
 I felt that I might now get a good sleep with- 
 out any chance of being disturbed by an earthquake. 
 Indeed I felt so sleepy after a stroll on deck that 
 I believed nothing short of an earthquake would 
 arouse me if once I fell asleep. The night was 
 delightfully cool, and I felt very snug as I rolled 
 
THE KRAKATOA ERUPTION. 139 
 
 myself up in my blankets and laid my head on my 
 pillow. 
 
 I was not mistaken in the estimate I had formed 
 of my sleeping powers. It was broad daylight 
 before I awoke. 
 
 When I got on deck I found that the ship had 
 entered the Straits of Sunda. We had passed 
 Anjer Lighthouse, and were within sight of the 
 coast of the island of Java, though too far away 
 to be able to distinguish objects ashore, or even 
 the position of the villages which, I learned from 
 the sailing-directions, were along the north-west 
 shore. 
 
 The Straits at the entrance are between eighty 
 and ninety miles broad. In every direction lie 
 islets of various sizes, many of them refreshingly 
 green, with rich tropical plants, and others bearing 
 but a clump of palms. It can easily be believed 
 that navigation here is not child's play. The 
 captain had, however, been through the channel 
 several times before, so he had not signalled for a 
 pilot from Anjer, though we saw one of their boats 
 scudding along with a great lateen sail. By the 
 aid of a telescope I also caught sight of several 
 native sampans in the distance. While I remained 
 on deck a Dutch man-of-war steamed past us. 
 This craft could be seen without the aid of a tele- 
 scope. Far astern was a large four-masted ship, 
 evidently iron-built, and with iron masts and yards 
 and wire rigging, and almost alongside the ' Great 
 Orion ' was a China clipper making her way to the 
 Indian Ocean. We replied to her signals, though 
 
140 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 a long time elapsed before I heard that she had 
 reported us at home. 
 
 I ^\•as so interested in all that was around us 
 that I scarcely noticed the dark cloud that was hang- 
 ing around the horizon to the north-east. It was 
 not until Mr. Borrows called my attention to this 
 cloud, and told me that it was coming from the 
 volcanic island of Krakatoa, which had evidently 
 become once more active, that I took an interest in 
 that particular quarter of the scene. 
 
 ' Then,' said I, ' it was certainly the reflection 
 from the volcano that so lit up the sky last night' 
 
 ' It's more than likely,' said Mr. Borrows. ' I've 
 sailed in the South Pacific a bit, and I know what 
 these outbreaks are like. Why, there was one 
 burning mountain near the Fijis ; we saw its 
 reflection two hundred miles away and got some 
 of its du^t on our decks three hundred miles off 
 If that smoke doesn't come from Krakatoa it 
 comes from some of the other volcanoes about 
 here. These islands are nothing short of one big 
 safety-valve for the inside of the earth. When 
 there's too much steam in her boiler she lets it off 
 by some of the vents in this neighbourhood.' 
 
 I went down to breal^fast determined not to 
 waste any time below, but to see everything that 
 was to be seen in these Straits. 
 
 But even during the short space that elapsed 
 between the time of my leaving and reappearing 
 upon deck a great change had taken place. The 
 breeze continued to blow as fresh as ever, but the 
 day was no longer clear. A curious mist like that 
 
THE KRAKATOA ERUPTION. 141 
 
 of the previous night filled the air. When I laid 
 my hand upon the rail I found that it was thickly 
 coated with black dust. The sun appeared as if one 
 were looking at it through the darkest-coloured 
 glass of a sextant ; and in the course of another hour 
 it disappeared altogether. 
 
 Then there followed a darkness that might be 
 felt. The scene, that a few hours ago had been one 
 of brightness and freshness, became darker than 
 the darkest night. We seemed to breathe the 
 darkness. It was appalling in its density. 
 
 The captain ordered the sidelights to be lit, 
 and also the masthead light. Much of the sail 
 was taken off the ship, and one of the mates stood 
 by the wheel to see that the course was kept to a 
 degree. The danger of running on one of the 
 islands would be avoided if the course were kept 
 exactly ; otherwise our chances of safety would be 
 small. 
 
 I admit that this unnatural darkness was 
 terrifying to me. A feeling of being buried alive 
 came over me through the darkness and the 
 sulphurous atmosphere. The sense of drinking in 
 ashes at every breath almost suffocated me. The 
 swinging-lamp in the cabin was lit, but the glass 
 shade soon became dim with the fine dust that 
 floated down upon us. I could not lay my hand 
 upon anything in the cabin without feeling the 
 gritty layer. 
 
 Robson, the steward, usually so brisk and cheer- 
 ful, I found seated on one of the cabin chairs ; the 
 darkness was so great, that I could not see whether 
 
143 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 or not he was so much appalled as myself by the 
 terrible scene. 
 
 ' What is to be the end of this, Robson ? ' I 
 asked of him. ' Have you ever been through any- 
 thing like this before .? ' 
 
 ' It's awful, sir, awful,' he answered in a tone 
 that let me know he was as much struck as I could 
 possibly be. ' I've never felt before now what the 
 end of the world will be like. It will just be like this, 
 Mr. Mostyn, if this is not the thing itself There's 
 not a bit of good dusting down anything in the 
 cabin. I've been and used up three napkins and 
 a tablecloth already this morning, and nothing's a 
 bit better. The Egyptians wasn't in it with us, 
 sir, so far as darkness and dust are concerned. It's 
 awful, sir, awful ! ' 
 
 His last sentence was followed by a noise that 
 seemed to come from beneath the ship — a horrible 
 crash that cannot be described. It suggested the 
 falling of an entire street of the highest towers 
 ever built ; it was like the toppling over of a moun- 
 tain — nay, that first crash was as if two enormous 
 mountain-masses had met in mid-air. I fell back- 
 on a chair, and sat there trembling. I do not think 
 that any human being could have heard that sound 
 without being equally affected. 
 
 Then there came a sudden glare of red light 
 through the blackness of the air. It shone through 
 the ports behind me, and brought out the shadows 
 of c\-cry thing in the cabin on the bulkhead op- 
 posite. I found it impossible, however, to rise 
 from my seat and look through the port above 
 
THE KRAKATOA ERUPTION. 143 
 
 me, to see wliat was the origin of this lurid 
 glare. 
 
 It was as well that I remained seated, for in 
 another moment there came a roar of waters from 
 beneath the keel — the ship was literally jerked into 
 the air as if she had been a cork, and thrown upon 
 her beam ends. The port side, at which I had 
 been sitting, was that which struck the water, so 
 that I was only thrown a few feet off my chair ; but 
 I actually found myself sprawling over the port 
 that had been above my head. In this position I 
 seemed to remain for several minutes — though the 
 time could only have been a few seconds ; then I 
 felt the ship tremble all over like a living thing, as 
 if she were struggling to right herself Would she 
 succeed .'' was the question that rose in my mind 
 at that time. The answer was for some time — it 
 seemed hours — doubtful ; but gradually I felt her rise 
 on her keel, and amid the crashing of glass broken by 
 the shock, and the snapping of spars, the ' Great 
 Orion' righted, and I slid once more to the floor of 
 the cabin. 
 
 She had scarcely become manageable before 
 there was another rush of water alongside, and then 
 sounded the rattle of stones upon the deck. I 
 heard the captain's voice above the din, and his 
 orders were followed by a rush of feet overhead and 
 on the companion, and a dozen men swarmed into 
 the cabin, while another shower of stones was heard 
 rattling about the timbers, and the waters surged 
 around the ship. 
 
 ' Won't you sit down ? ' said the steward, sarcasti- 
 
144 the: 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 cally, to the sailors who had so unceremoniously 
 invaded his dominions. ' Let me press )-ou to take 
 seats, and just say what refreshments you'd like. 
 Make yourselves quite at home.' 
 
 ' Stow that, sonn)',' said one of the men — an 
 ancient quartermaster, ' stow that, or take a run 
 up on deck yourself, and report how many five- 
 pound pebbles you find abaft the mainmast.' 
 
 ' We didn't sign articles for this, mates,' remarked 
 another seaman. ' It's the first time I ever did 
 hear tell o' a merchant-ship's company bein' made 
 to stand an artillery fire from Davy Jones.' 
 
 ' It's a newfangled notion this,' said another. 
 ' Airthquakes, so far as I can make out, should keep 
 to their own speer, and their own speer is nat'rally 
 the airth. They're exceedin' their dooty, as the 
 magingstrates say about the bobbies that knocks 
 sober men down ; I never did hear tell o' seaquakes 
 o' the same build an' rig as airthquakes.' 
 
 ' If they be tae gang on like this, a ken that 
 oor wages be tae be doubled, mates,' said a 
 Scotchman. 
 
 ' It's a pity }'ou left your umbrellas and go- 
 loshes at home,' said the steward. ' Yes, it was a 
 bit of neglect that you're bound to suffer by. But 
 don't you be too much cut up about it ; we'll 
 always be glad to see you come for shelter to the 
 cabin ; only give us notice, and we'll take care that 
 the dinner is extra good.' 
 
 The men laughed at the steward's rather broad 
 ' chaff,' and one of them suggested that, sooner 
 than put the steward to any inconvenience, the 
 
THE KRAKATOA ERUPTION. 145 
 
 crew had made up their minds to be content with a 
 glass of stiff grog apiece. 
 
 ' What'U you take it in ? ' asked Robson. ' You've 
 managed the ship so well between you, that there's 
 not a whole glass, bottle, or cup aboard. There's 
 a fine collection of tumblers and wineglasses in 
 half-inch bits on the cabin floor : all you have to do 
 is to piece them together like a dissected map, and 
 run a brushful of cement round the edges, and 
 there you are.' 
 
 ' Come, mates,' said a quartermaster, ' the 
 shower above seems to be about over now ; we'd 
 best tumble up.' 
 
 ' Truer words never were spoken,' said the 
 steward. 
 
 The men laughed, and tramped up the com- 
 panion. I heard their feet on the deck, and then 
 the voice of Captain Harwood giving some order. 
 The sound of brooms followed, and I knew that the 
 men were clearing away the debris that had been 
 flying about the ship from the second submarine 
 discharge. 
 
 I afterwards learned that the captain had 
 ordered the men to go below to escape the shower 
 of stones, he only remaining on deck to steer the 
 ship. 
 
 \'^S^0^^-^ 
 
 K 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 THE VOLCANIC WAVE. 
 
 HORTLY after the sailors had paid us the 
 visit which the steward failed to regard as 
 complimentary, the darl-cness became less 
 intense. I could make out the features of Robson 
 at the entrance to the cabin, and had no difficulty 
 in reading the expression that was upon his face as 
 he picked up some fragments of the fine row of 
 glasses that had been upon the swinging-frame. 
 It was an expression of utter helplessness. He 
 gave a sigh as he knelt on the floor and began 
 searching among the pieces to see if by good luck a 
 glass remained whole. 
 
 In less than half-an-hour the darkness had 
 passed away. I thought I might now venture on 
 deck ; and when I did so, I found that though 
 everything was in a terrible state of disorder, no 
 great damage had been done by the submarine 
 upheavals. To be sure, not a whole pane remained 
 in the skylight, and a boat on the port quarter had 
 been wrenched off the davits and swept away 
 when the ship had all but fallen on her beam ends. 
 Still the captain admitted that, considering the peril 
 we had been in, our escape had been wonderful, 
 
THE VOLCANIC WAVE. 147 
 
 Not until the sun shone out once more and the 
 course of the ship was apparent, did the captain 
 discover how completely changed was the naviga- 
 tion of the channel. Some of the landmarks that 
 he had known for years had disappeared altogether, 
 and others marked upon the Admiralty chart had 
 also gone. One of the largest of the islands, whose 
 name in the chart was ' Athwart the Way,' was 
 broken into four or five fragments, and many other 
 islands of smaller size had sprung up in the course 
 of the past few hours. Several palms and other 
 trees floated in our track, their roots still clinging 
 to the portion of rock that had become detached 
 from the island where they had originally grown. 
 The water for many miles around was of a brown 
 colour ; consequently the navigation of the ship 
 was extremely perilous. It was quite possible that 
 beneath the surface w-ere many sunken rocks, and 
 upon one of these she might run at any moment. 
 
 Happily, however, no accident of this nature 
 took place. The captain tacked about the channel ; 
 and the result of his observation was that he 
 ordered a course to be kept several miles nearer 
 the southern shore. Here the water was compara- 
 tivfely clear, and he judged that it was more likely 
 to be free from danger than the northerly track. 
 
 A bright clear evening, but cold, followed this 
 day of terror — probably the most terrible day 
 known to civilised people since the destruction 
 of the Roman cities beneath Vesuvius. When I 
 reflect now upon the perils of the voyage through 
 the Straits of Sunda upon that day, our escape 
 
148 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 seems marvellous. Other craft were in the main 
 channel at the same time, and I afterwards learned 
 that none had received greater injury than the 
 ' Great Orion.' 
 
 But the worst was yet to come. 
 
 I feel that I cannot be too brief in my record 
 of the incidents of the next day, which was Monday, 
 August 27. 
 
 On awaking, at an early hour, I went on deck 
 to take a hose-bath ; but I had scarcely begun to 
 mount the companion when I heard a series of 
 explosive noises louder and harsher than any of 
 those of the day before. 
 
 ' They have been going on all night, sir,' said 
 the steward in answer to my inquiry. 
 
 ' And yet I have been able to sleep through 
 them ! ' said I. 
 
 ' There's nothing like getting accustomed to a 
 thing,' said the steward. ' After a week or two of 
 these eighty-one-ton-gun display's I believe that I'll 
 get to like them myself 
 
 The captain I found still on deck. He had 
 not gone below during the night. The morning 
 was very dark and there was a smell of sulphur in 
 the air. Several upheavals had taken place during 
 the night, and the volcano of Krakatoa had been 
 like a furnace, throwing its flames up to the sky. 
 The ship was now sailing through a sea of pumice, 
 and fragments of vegetation and great gnarled 
 roots floated past, and thousands of cocoanut palms, 
 their feathery tufts just appearing above the surface, 
 the long stems being anchored upon the mould of 
 
THE VOLCANIC WAVE. 149 
 
 the half-ton of rock that had parted from some of 
 the islands. 
 
 ' There will be no deck-swabbing to-day, Mr. 
 Mostyn,' said the captain. ' Take my advice and 
 put off your bath till the evening, when I hope we 
 shall be quite clear of this locality. The dust has 
 been falling all the morning and the pumps are 
 choked.' 
 
 'The sooner we are out of this the better it 
 will be for all concerned,' said I. ' But surely that 
 thing will have burnt itself out before long.' 
 
 I pointed in the direction of Krakatoa, where 
 clouds of lurid smoke were ascending and roUing 
 away in mighty volumes to the north-east. 
 
 'That thing, as you call it,' said the captain, 
 shaking his head, ' has a pretty fair-sized coal 
 bunker to fall back upon when its furnaces are 
 showing signs of burning low. The biggest coal 
 mine, in Lancashire would not be able to supply it 
 for more than an hour or two.' 
 
 I did not now feel any alarm when the rumble 
 and roar of the volcano reached us. I had indeed 
 become accustomed to the sounds, and scarcely 
 noticed them. When, about six bells in the morn- 
 ing, just as I was thinking about dressing myself, 
 the darkness came on quite as dense as that of the 
 previous day, I simply lit my candle and went on 
 brushing my hair as if the darkness were quite 
 natural. 
 
 The Steward had gone forward to the galley to 
 see about getting me a cup of coffee, and as he had 
 not returned to the cabin, I thought I might have 
 
ISO THE 'GREAT ORION! 
 
 another turn on deck. I went up the companion, 
 and found that all the ship's lights were in their 
 places. To the south everything was black as 
 night, but in the north-east the lurid glare of 
 Krakatoa shone from the horizon up to twenty- 
 five degrees of arc on the sky. At very short 
 intervals there came the sound of the unearthly 
 cannonade. 
 
 I was at the point of speaking to the captain, 
 when he started up and rushed aft, as if seized by 
 a sudden frenzy. He looked out over the stern 
 for a few moments, then shouted— I might almost 
 say shrieked — an order that could be heard all 
 over the ship. 
 
 ' Clear the decks ! ' he shouted. ' Down below, 
 every man of you ! Batten down the hatches and 
 hold on below.' 
 
 As he delivered the order he lashed down the 
 wheel, passing a stout line between several of the 
 spokes. 
 
 ' Off with the binnacle-top, Mr. RIost)-n : save 
 the compass,' he cried out to me, pointing to the 
 binnacle. 
 
 I sprang forward and loosened the thumb- 
 screws in the brass binnacle-top. In another 
 moment I had lifted out the compass. 
 
 ' Down to the cabin, for your life ! ' shouted the 
 captain, grasping me by the arm. 
 
 He gave a single glance astern. I looked out 
 in the same direction. What I saw filled me with 
 horror. 
 
 In the distance there appeared a mighty white 
 
THE VOLCANIC WAVE. 151 
 
 mass, stretching apparently right across the channel, 
 like a solid wall a hundred feet high. I was trans- 
 fixed with terror as I watched that mountain of 
 water advancing towards us. I could not move, and 
 the captain was obliged to force me down the 
 companion by the shoulders. 
 
 Half-a-dozen men were already below, and Mr. 
 Borrows and the chief officer were nailing boards 
 across the skylight — a tarpaulin had already been 
 lashed down over the brass guards outside. 
 
 The captain lashed the compass to a stanchion 
 in the cabin floor, shouting to the steward to fetch 
 tablecloths and whatever rope there might be 
 below, for the men to lash themselves down. 
 
 Without another word everyone in the cabin 
 grimly wound about his body either the stout linen 
 or the hempen line, passing an end through a 
 stanchion or round the brass handrail that was 
 screwed to the bulkhead. The captain himself cut 
 the lashings of the chairs, and dragged them into 
 one of the side-cabins. Not for some time did 
 I know his reason for doing so. He believed that 
 the coming shock would break the lashings, and 
 the chairs would then be flung about the cabin like 
 ninepins, crashing against us when we could not 
 avoid them. 
 
 When this was done we waited. 
 
 Only for a few minutes were we left in suspense, 
 but the space seemed hours. 
 
 Not a word was spoken in that dark cabin. 
 We were like men chained alive in a dark 
 sepulchre. 
 
152 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 The sound of many waters — I knew now what 
 the words meant. 
 
 After an unusually long roll of the volcanic 
 thunder, to which we had now become accustomed, 
 there came the long harsh roar as of a hundred 
 Niagaras. It increased in volume until the sound 
 became absolutely overwhelming, taking away 
 one's senses, making a man mad. I remember 
 crying out and doing my best to work out of the 
 rope with which I was lashed to the handrail. 
 Then came a horrible crash, not overhead, but 
 beneath the keel of the ship. The stern was flung 
 upward until it seemed that the ship was at the 
 point of turning a complete somersault in the air, 
 with the bows in the water. She seemed to be 
 poised for several minutes in this position. I be- 
 lieve that a man could have stood upright on the 
 bulkhead at the fore part of the cabin. Then I 
 experienced the sensation of falling from a great 
 height. My head became dizzy as the stern 
 plunged down — down until it seemed that we 
 should only stop when the bottom was reached. 
 Then came a sudden wrench of the hull, and the 
 ship almost fell on her beam ends ; after that it 
 seemed to me that the ship was being whirled 
 round about like a toy on the centre of the keel, 
 while the water poured into the cabin in volumes 
 both through the skylight and the entrance to the 
 companion. 
 
 I am not prepared to say what followed during 
 the remainder of this terrible hour. I have only 
 the vaguest recollection of hearing a confused noise 
 
THE VOLCANIC WAVE. 153 
 
 of straining timbers and breaking spars — of surging 
 waters and a prolonged roaring of thunder. I do 
 not think anyone aboard the ' Great Orion ' knew 
 more than I did about what was taking place on 
 deck. The truth was, simply, that the mighty 
 wave had engulfed the ship and was carrying her 
 along with it in its irresistible course, just as a leaf 
 is carried along by a rapid stream to whose surface 
 it has fallen. 
 
 All that we could do was to remain lashed to 
 our places and await the subsiding of the wave, 
 unless in the meantime the ship should capsize or 
 become swamped. Fortunately neither catastrophe 
 occurred, or I should not be able to relate what 
 actually did take place aboard the good ship ' Great 
 Orion ' on this awful day. 
 
 I afterwards learned all that could be known re- 
 garding this phenomenal wave that swept through 
 the Straits of Sunda. It seems to have travelled 
 across the Indian Ocean from Ceylon, and to have 
 been felt on some parts of the coast of Australia. 
 When it reached the shores of Sumatra and Java 
 it must have been at its greatest height. On the 
 north-west of Java it swept away towns and vil- 
 lages, not leaving a vestige of even the largest 
 habitations. All the lights along the coast were 
 extinguished, the large lighthouse off Anjer being 
 carried away, and not a stone left to tell where 
 it had once stood. The destruction to property 
 was, of course, enormous ; but unhappily the de- 
 vastation brought about by that wave was not 
 confined to property. Ships passing through the 
 
154 
 
 THE 'GREAT ORION: 
 
 Straits the next day were forced to sail among 
 thousands of bodies that were floating on the 
 surface. It was estimated that upwards of forty 
 thousand persons lost their lives within the space 
 of a quarter of an hour. 
 
M 
 
 
 ia^Mbl 
 
 ^LJ^'faS' 
 
 m 
 
 9 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 THE SHIP IS DISABLED. 
 
 CANNOT say what time elapsed before I 
 became aware of the fact that the ship 
 was still afloat, and my impression of 
 being engulfed was removed. 
 
 The darkness had passed away, and I could 
 hear the men talking on all sides of me. I was 
 conscious of pain, where the lashings bound me to 
 the rail, and my head was aching. 
 
 The captain was engaged loosing himself from 
 his bonds beside me. 
 
 ' Are you all right so far, Mr. Mostyn ? ' he 
 inquired. 
 
 ' I believe I am,' I replied. ' I suppose if I were 
 really hurt I should know it.' 
 
 ' There's no question about that,' said he. 'If 
 you don't feel half dead you may consider yourself 
 all sound. I feel a bit dazed myself, as if I had 
 just got up after a bad fall of a hundred feet or 
 thereabouts; but I'm all right. We've had a nar- 
 row escape ; but, thank God, all immediate danger 
 is now over, though I'm afraid the ship is little 
 better than a wreck.' 
 
156 THE 'GREAT ORION. 
 
 After freeing himself he assisted me in also 
 getting free. The cabin seemed like the room 
 with the Seven Sleepers after the breaking of the 
 spell. The men had apparently been as much 
 dazed as the captain and myself ; but now they 
 were unlashing themselves, having recovered at 
 the same instant. 
 
 The captain was the first to go on deck. 
 He was followed by the two officers and the half- 
 dozen seamen, the steward and I bringing up the 
 rear. 
 
 I was prepared for a scene of wreckage on deck, 
 but what I saw there far surpassed the picture of 
 destruction that I had conjured up. 
 
 The ship might almost be said to be nothing but 
 a barren hull. Everything on deck had been swept 
 away — 'As clean as if done by contract,' the steward 
 remarked — the deck-house, the cook's galley, the 
 wheel, binnacle, and skylight. The mizzen-mast 
 had broken off close to the stock, and was hanging 
 over the side, held only by the starboard shrouds. 
 The foremast was almost intact, but the main- 
 mast was broken off b)- the crosstrees, not a scrap 
 of rigging remaining to tell that there ever had 
 been a spar upon the mast. The jagged top 
 appeared above the crosstrees. Then the bowsprit 
 was a mere stock, and the quarter had been stove 
 in. One of the anchors remained all right, but the 
 second was doubled up like a piece of lemonade- 
 bottle wire. One of the flukes was straightened 
 out, and the stock was bent into the shape of the 
 letter S. The davits, to which the boat that we 
 
THE SHIP IS DISABLED. 157 
 
 had lost on the previous day had been hanging, 
 were washed away ; but of the two boats that 
 remained neither could be said to have received 
 any great injury, though, curious to relate, the 
 long boat had been turned over on the deck 
 where it was stowed. 
 
 When the captain mustered the crew on 
 deck, it was found that three seamen were miss- 
 ing. They had not obeyed the captain's order 
 to go below, but had merely turned into the 
 galley. With it they had been, of course, swept 
 away. The other men, who had taken refuge 
 in the fo'c's'le, were uninjured, with the excep- 
 tion of a few bruises, and I was glad to see 
 my friend Micky O'Hara looking nothing the 
 worse for the shock his nervous system must have 
 sustained. 
 
 ' Murthur aloive ! ' I heard him exclaim as he 
 looked around the deck. ' Is it aboord a ship 
 oi am, or on the deck of a marine store .' Will, 
 boys, there's somethin' surely good in store 
 for us now. The worst has happened, so the 
 next change is bound to be for the betther. 
 Wouldn't we make a fortshun if we was in the 
 firewood loine ? ' 
 
 ' Now, my men, bear a hand aft,' said the cap- 
 tain. ' We're in a bad way, to be sure ; but we 
 might be worse. We've plenty to be thankful to 
 Providence for. I don't suppose any of us here 
 ever went through a danger like that, with such a 
 small amount of loss. We've lost three hands, 
 it's true ; but it's a wonder that five times three 
 
158 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 weren't lost I've come through a bit in my time, 
 but nothing hke that we've just passed, and I hope 
 I never may have to face aught of the same pattern 
 again. Clear away the pumps, carpenter, and 
 sound the water in the well. I believe the ship 
 to be staunch yet. Send a crew aft, boatswain, to 
 rig up a jury-rudder, and clear away the wreck of 
 the mizzen-mast.' 
 
 ' Ay, ay, sir,' cried the boatswain cheerily ; and 
 in a short time everyone aboard was hard at work, 
 including both cook and steward, who were endea- 
 vouring to make the cabin stove do duty for the 
 large cooking-stove that had been washed away 
 with the galley. 
 
 Under these circumstances, I thought the best 
 thing I could do \\-ould be to place myself at the 
 disposal of the captain. I was something of a 
 carpenter, I told him, and every hand, I knew, 
 would be worth something at the present moment. 
 
 ' I'm much obliged to you,' said the captain, as 
 I went up to him with my coat off and my shirt- 
 sleeves rolled up, to make a show, at any rate, of 
 looking as if I meant business. ' I'm much obliged 
 to you, and I'll be glad of your services. Get a 
 spare axe from the carpenter, and help to cut the 
 mizzen-mast adrift.' 
 
 The carpenter supplied me with the necessar)- 
 tool, which, by the way, was so blunt as to force 
 me to spend a quarter of an hour grinding it, and 
 then, by the side of three of the crew, I worked 
 under the direction of the boatswain. 
 
 The wreck of the mizzen-mast v.'as soon cleared 
 
THE SHIP IS DISABLED. 159 
 
 away ; and as Mr. Borrows found that the rudder 
 and the steering-gear were comparatively uninjured, 
 the wheel only being carried away, we had no 
 difficulty in bending on a jury-tiller, which did the 
 work of steering admirably, by the aid of a couple 
 of blocks and running-gear from the bulwarks. 
 
 Then a binnacle was contrived in a way that 
 caused endless grins among the crew. For the idea 
 on which it was founded I claim credit ; and I am 
 ready to maintain that it showed both originality 
 and ingenuity — particularly the former — to suggest 
 placing the compass in the seat of one of the cabin 
 chairs, out of which the cushion had been taken. 
 The chair was brought up and lashed to the bin- 
 nacle stanchions, and by a little coaxing the outer 
 gimbal ring of the compass was made to swing 
 easily. To be sure, the thing had a queer look ; but 
 it answered its purpose as well as a twenty-guinea 
 binnacle-stand. 
 
 The carpenter now came to the after part of 
 the ship and reported that the pumps had been 
 cleared from the dust and pumice that had choked 
 them, but that there was over two feet of water in 
 the well. 
 
 ' Tell off a crew to the pumps, Mr. Merrick,' 
 said the captain. 'We must clear her of water 
 before we set about anything else. Get the lead 
 hove, Mr. Borrows.' 
 
 I admit frankly that I kept out of the way of 
 the second officer, for fear that he should ask me 
 if I would mind taking a trick at the pumps. I 
 
 couW not, of course, refuse if he were to ask me, 
 
i6o THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 but I shirked working at the pumps, and so I kept 
 out of his way, and busied myself at something 
 aft. 
 
 In a short time the monotonous sound of 
 the chain pumps was heard, and the crew broke 
 into singing to lighten their labour. Then the 
 mate reported to the captain that the first cast 
 of the lead had shown no bottom at a hundred 
 fathoms. 
 
 ' We're about clear of the Straits, then,' said the 
 captain ; ' so I reckon that we'll be drifting a bit to 
 the nor'ard. We must clap a bit of sail on the 
 ship, Mr. Borrows, and make the most of the 
 wind.' 
 
 ' You don't mean to run for the roadstead at 
 Batavia, sir ? ' asked the mate. 
 
 ' I mean to run for Port Jackson,' said the cap- 
 tain. ' I don't understand these shores, with their 
 earthquakes and burning mountains and volcanic 
 waves, and it strikes me that the sooner we get 
 free of them the better it \\\\\ be for ourselves. 
 The telegram I got at Bombay made it optional 
 with me to call at Cheribon, and I have no diffi- 
 culty now in deciding not to do so. Don't you 
 think I'm right?' 
 
 ' I do indeed, sir,' said Mr. Borrows. Then, 
 lowering his voice, he added, ' The fact is, sir, I 
 don't think it would be safe to run for any port 
 in these seas where there'b a fair amount of trade : 
 there's sure to be a ship or two ready for a fresh 
 crew, and I wouldn't trust some of our hands to 
 stand by the ship in her present state.' 
 
THE SHIP IS DISABLED. i6i 
 
 ' I have thought of that, too/ remarked the 
 captain. ' At any rate there's no need throwing 
 them in the way of temptation. I'll have a talk 
 with you and Mr. Merrick on the subject later in 
 the da}'. But now we must try and bend on a bit 
 of sail.' 
 
 The sail-lockers contained plenty of spare can- 
 vas, and before grog was served out to the men 
 at two bells in the afternoon, the tattered foresail 
 and the foretopsail, and a jib were sufficiently 
 patched up by the sailmaker to allow of the ship 
 being put on a course. The captain gave instruc- 
 tions for the mainmast to be rigged as well as was 
 possible, with a spar that was saved when the 
 broken mizzen mast was cut adrift. 
 
 I never was so much struck with the energy 
 and the courage of seamen as I was now. On 
 going on deck, immediately after that terrible wave 
 had swept over us, I saw nothing but wreckage. 
 It seemed to me to be impossible for the ship to 
 be sailed in any way. I regarded her as practi- 
 cally a wreck ; and yet before sunset she was being 
 sailed on a course, and was beating her way nobly 
 through the waves. 
 
 When one of the quartermasters hove the log 
 and reported to the officer on deck ' Three-and-a- 
 half, sir,' I saw the captain turn away. The ex- 
 pression upon his face was not a smile. I knew that 
 he was thinking of the contrast between this report 
 of the quartermaster and the usual ' Eight-and-a- 
 half, sir,' or, as it had been for several days after 
 leaving Bombay, ' Ten knots, sir.' 
 
 L 
 
1 62 
 
 THE 'GREAT ORION: 
 
 ' You have no reason to complain,' said I. ' I 
 consider three-and-a-half knots wonderful for a 
 craft that has come through so much as the " Great 
 Orion." ' 
 
 ' So do I,' he replied. ' At this rate we'll be 
 at Sydney a few days after Christmas.' 
 
CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 THE CAPTAIN'S PLAN. 
 
 MMEDIATELY after that volcanic wave 
 had swept over us, carrying us, as it must 
 have done, forty or fifty miles along with 
 it, we had a spell of fine weather. The smoke of 
 Krakatoa was faintly seen in the distance, but the 
 water around us was comparatively clear, though, 
 of course, the sea was running high. The sky was 
 cloudless, and the remarkable cold that we had 
 experienced during the two previous days passed 
 away, and was succeeded by the usual heat of these 
 latitudes before the winter monsoon comes on in 
 October. The sunset that closed the day of the 
 volcanic wave was full of lurid splendour. Its ap- 
 pearance led the captain to believe that the air 
 was not yet free from the volcanic matter dis- 
 charged by Krakatoa. Not until I returned to 
 England did I hear that it was supposed by some 
 of the most eminent scientific men that the succes- 
 sion of wonderful sunsets which were seen through 
 the winter in almost every part of Europe, were 
 caused by this same volcanic discharge. 
 
 Captain Harwood judged by the return of the 
 
i64 THE 'GREAT ORION' 
 
 usual heat, and by the cloudless sky, that we need 
 not dread another volcanic wave or any other of 
 the effects of the eruption. We were already a hun- 
 dred miles from Krakatoa, and every hour, slowly 
 it is true, but surely increased this distance from the 
 island ; he thought it as well, however, that the 
 crew should believe that he dreaded making for 
 the roadstead of Batavia, or Cheribon, or any of 
 the other Dutch ports on the north-east coast of 
 Java, solely .because of the likelihood of another 
 eruption. Some of the men might prefer taking a 
 voj'age to England in a sound ship rather than 
 facing the discomforts of the remainder of the run 
 to Australia in the ' Great Orion ; ' but the captain 
 believed that the majority of his crew would rather 
 risk an uncomfortable run of a few months than 
 face a second volcanic \va\'e. 
 
 When, however, after several hours' hard work 
 at the pumps, the carpenter reported that the water 
 in the well had not been materially reduced, and it 
 •was plain that the ship's timbers had been strained 
 with the shock she received, and that she was 
 leaking, I could see that the second mate at least 
 was of the belief that the course should have been 
 marked off to Batavia. 
 
 The captain gave orders for the pumps to be 
 kept at work, and asked both his officers to go 
 down to the cabin and talk over the position of 
 affairs. 
 
 To this council I was admitted also. The 
 captain stated the case veiy clearly. The ship 
 was, he said, leaking, but not badly as yet, and it 
 
THE CAPTAIN'S PLAN. 165 
 
 was quite likely that in the course of a day or 
 two, when men could be spared for the purpose, 
 the cargo might be shifted and the faulty timber 
 repaired. Only one complete mast was standing, 
 however, so that the question was. Should the 
 voyage to Sydney be attempted, or should Singa- 
 pore be run for, with a view to repairs ? 
 
 The two mates said that they were quite ready 
 to do whatever the captain suggested. 
 
 ' Then I'll tell you what I believe to be our 
 best course under the circumstances,' said he. ' I 
 look at the matter in this light : if we make for 
 Batavia or Cheribon, we may have to remain there 
 for six months, fitting out and getting a new crew — 
 for more than half of our men will clear off. Then 
 Singapore is more than five hundred miles to the 
 nor'ard, and when we get there we may be as badly 
 off as at the Dutch port. Now my notion is that 
 we'd best keep on our track to Australia, whatever 
 we do.' 
 
 ' We can't sail a ship with only one mast, sir,' 
 said the chief officer. 
 
 'You're right there, replied the captain. 'We 
 can't do that, and, what's more, I don't mean to 
 try. Just eleven years ago I was chief mate of the 
 barque " Maori " ; we were caught in a cyclone in 
 these waters — a bit further east — but the skipper 
 got a jury-mast rigged up, and, being well acquainted 
 with every coral reef from here to New Zealand, he 
 brought the barque into a natural harbour, and into 
 a natural dock as well, in one of the islands south 
 of Macassar. It's marked on the chart ; but it never 
 
1 66 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 had a name till we called it Maori Island, after the 
 barque. AVe put the barque in dock there, and 
 inside three months built new masts into her. Now 
 I can sail the " Great Orion " to that island ; and 
 what's to hinder us bending on at least a maintop- 
 mast, and maybe a jury mizzen-mast, stopping the 
 leak and finishing the run to Sydney .■" ' 
 
 ' There's nothing to hinder us, sir, if there's 
 any timber on the island you mention,' said Mr. 
 Borrows. 
 
 ' Timber ! ' said the captain. 'There's as much 
 timber as would make spars for the royal navy — 
 a good deal more, too, considering that most of 
 the royal navy spars are nowadays made of iron. 
 Why, there are trees along the cliffs of the shore that 
 only need to be stripped of their bark to make the 
 finest masts that were ever stepped in a ship. Then 
 we should find as much fresh vegetables on the 
 island as will last us till we get to Sydney. The 
 skipper of the "Maori" planted a lot, and there are 
 just three master-mariners besides myself who know 
 of the place, and they never fail to send a boat 
 ashore when in these waters.' 
 
 ' I don't see that we could do better than what 
 you say, sir,' said Mr. Borrows. 
 
 ' Nor I,' said Mr. Merrick ; ' provided that 
 the leak can be kept under till we sight the 
 island.' 
 
 ' That's just the point,' said the captain. ' There's 
 no use in breaking the heart of the men at the 
 pumps for the next month, or maybe six weeks. 
 But it's my belief that by shifting the cargo a bit 
 
THE CAPTAIN'S PLAN. 167 
 
 we'll be able to find the timber that's started and 
 calk the seam.' 
 
 ' In any case we'd have to sail nearly ten 
 degrees before we could look around us,' remarked 
 Mr. Borrows, putting on his cap ; 'so we may as 
 well sail to the east'ard on our course, if we do 
 have to keep a bit to the south'ard.' 
 
 ' Good,' said the captain. ' That's the best way 
 of looking at the matter. We're in a bad way, no 
 doubt, but there's no good trying to shirk our work. 
 We've got to reach Sydney before the end of the 
 year, and we'll run the best chance of doing so by 
 working on to the east'ard.' 
 
CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 I ASTONISH THE CAPTAIN. 
 
 SLEPT soundly that night — rather more 
 so than Captain Harwood, I am sure, for 
 I don't believe that he took off his clothes 
 during the entire night. I left him on deck when 
 I turned in and I found him on deck when I turned 
 out. 
 
 The steward came to me with a long complaint 
 against the captain. It appeared that he had not 
 had what Robson called a ' square meal ' for the 
 past three days. 
 
 ' And there he was pottering about the fore 
 hold this morning, when the cook and me had put 
 ourselves to no end of trouble to have a decent bit 
 of breakfast for him,' continued Robson. ' I do 
 wish, Mr. Most)'n, that you'd give him a hint — in a 
 delicate way, of course — that there'll be a mutin)- 
 in the galley and pantry if he doesn't treat the 
 hands in this part of the ship more respectful!}'.' 
 
 ' Then he hasn't taken any breakfast ? ' said I. 
 
 ' Not a bite, sir ; and, what's more, I don't 
 believe that he took any supper last night. That's 
 the way with your master-mariner ; he's of two 
 classes, and I don't know which is the worsen 
 
/ ASTONISH THE CAPTAIN. 169 
 
 There's the master-mariner that comes aboard with 
 a sheet in the wind and a bottle of rum in every 
 pocket ; he keeps below and lets the mates do the 
 sailing of the ship ; and then there's the master- 
 mariner that stays on deck in all weathers, and so 
 breaks down his constitution reg'Iar every run. I 
 don't really know which is the worser.' 
 
 ' Say no more, Robson ; I'll have the captain 
 down before another ten minutes is over,' I cried 
 as I ran up the companion steps. 
 
 ' Ca|)tain Harwood 1 ' said I when I got on deck, 
 ' perhaps you wouldn't mind having a chat with 
 me on the subject of the voyage.' 
 
 ' Certainly not,' he replied, evidently in surprise 
 at the grave manner I assumed at that moment, 
 and the formal way in which I spoke. ' I suppose 
 this evening will suit you,' he added. 
 
 ' I think it better that we should have an under- 
 standing without any delay,' I replied gravely. 
 ' As a passenger aboard this ship I think I have a 
 right to be heard, Captain Harwood, so I should 
 feel obliged by your coming with me down to the 
 cabin without a moment's delay.' 
 
 Reappeared to be in no small measure mystified. 
 
 ' The sooner the better,' said he after a pause, 
 bracing himself up, as it were, for an important 
 interview. 
 
 Needless to say that breakfast was waiting on 
 the cabin table when we got below. 
 
 ' We can talk as we take breakfast,' said I. 
 ' As you remarked just now, captain, " the sooner 
 the better." ' 
 
170 THE ■• GREAT ORION: 
 
 He seated himself, and I helped him largely to 
 the curry that was before me. He took the plate 
 mechanically, and began to cat what I knew was 
 his favourite breakfast dish. 
 
 'You need not wait on us, Robson,' said he 
 quickly ; and with a sly look at me the steward 
 went off. ' Now, Mr. Mostyn,' continued the 
 captain, ' perhaps you would kindly let me know 
 on what point you arc not clear respecting my 
 intentions— I am anxious to return on deck.' 
 
 ' I only wish to say at once, Captain Harwood, 
 that as I have paid for my passage to Sydney, I 
 think I should be allowed a voice on the subject of 
 the voyage.' 
 
 ' Why, you were here when the whole question 
 was talked over last evening by the officers and 
 myself,' said the captain. 
 
 ' Then you ha\-e decided to call at this island ? ' 
 
 ' Yes ; so much is, I may say, decided. We 
 hope to be able to calk the timber that has started, 
 and we shall likely reach JMaori Island in twenty- 
 eight or thirt)- days. It will take us probabl}' a 
 couple of months to instep the new masts, and 
 then wc shall likel}' reach Sydnc}-, as I said, by 
 the end of the year.' 
 
 ' Then let me tell j'ou at once that I object 
 altogether to that programme,' said I. 
 
 ' I'm sorry for that,' he replied. ' On what 
 grounds can you object to it?' 
 
 I then began a long and somewhat senseless 
 protest, something after the style of the people who 
 write to the ' Times ' respecting some imaginary 
 
I ASTONISH THE CAPTAIN. 171 
 
 grievance. I inquired how it could reasonably be ex- 
 pected that I should remain for two months on the 
 island he mentioned, without being able to commu- 
 nicate with my friends ; I declared that I had made 
 many important engagements to lunch and dine at 
 Sydney early in November, and could not possibly 
 break them without offending several persons whose 
 friendship I valued. I went on to give an address 
 on the charms of friendship and the necessity for 
 keeping appointments with scrupulous regularity ; I 
 assured the captain that I was willing, nay, anxious, 
 to oblige him, so far as it was in my power to do 
 so, but I declared that I must be at Sydney early 
 in November. 
 
 The unfortunate man, who was compelled to 
 listen to my harangue, made a feeble attempt to 
 protest as soon as he had recovered from the sur- 
 prise that first came upon him. Failing utterly in 
 this attempt, however, he became impatient ; he ate 
 rapidly of everything before him, scarcely pausing 
 except to stare at me now and again in a helpless 
 way, as I rose to a point of eloquence in describing 
 the unhappiness of an old age spent apart from the 
 joys of friendship. Finally — when most of the eat- 
 ables had disappeared — he drew out his watch, and 
 started to his feet. 
 
 ' I beg your pardon, Mr. Mostyn,' he cried ; 
 ' I'm really very sorry to interrupt you ; what you 
 say is very true — generally speaking — but I don't 
 think that it's quite to the point in question. I 
 must go on deck.' 
 
172 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 ' But I haven't half finished,' said I ; ' I've only 
 dealt with one side of the question.' 
 
 ' Oh, one side is quite enough for me,' he cried. 
 
 ' I'll come to the other side presently, if you 
 only wait long enough.' 
 
 The look he gave me was too much for my 
 gravity. I burst out laughing. 
 
 He seemed to be under the impression that I 
 had suddenly gone mad, and that my next move 
 might be to spring at his throat. 
 
 ' I hope you have enjoyed your breakfast,' said 
 I, still laughing. 
 
 ' I hope so, too, sir,' remarked Robson, who 
 entered at this moment. 
 
 The captain looked bewildered for a short 
 time. He glanced first at the steward, then at 
 me. 
 
 ' You pair of conspirators,' he cried ; ' I see what 
 you have been up to. Do )'ou call that acting up 
 to your high-flown sentiments on the subject of 
 friendship ? ' 
 
 ' Most decidedly I do,' I replied. ' I don't want 
 to see >'ou superseded in your command aboard 
 this ship, as you certainly should be if you persisted 
 in this course of sleeplessness and starvation. Now 
 sit down in )'our chair and I'll continue my dis- 
 course, and I can promise )-ou a good sleep before 
 I get well under weigh.' 
 
 The captain made a rush at me ; but I adroitly 
 slipped round to the other side of the table, and he 
 hurried, laughing, on deck. 
 
 ' I'm much obliged to you, sir," said Robson ; 
 
T ASTONISH THE CAPTAIN. 
 
 173 
 
 ' you have done more good than you know. It won't 
 matter if he doesn't touch a morsel for another 
 twenty-four hours. But how he did eat, sir, while 
 he was at it ! I was behind the door, and the tears 
 came into my eyes as I watched him. Think of 
 another trick for to-morrow, sir.' 
 
CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 AMONG THE ISLANDS. 
 
 lOR two days the crew of the 'Great Orion' 
 were employed shifting the cargo, and, in- 
 deed, everything heavy aboard the ship, to 
 the starboard side ; for the strained timber havine 
 been discovered, it was necessary to give the ship 
 a Hst in order that it might be calked. Of course 
 I worked in the hold w\\h. the men, for, though 
 I found no great pleasure in blistering my fingers 
 and making my back ache, yet I knew that every 
 hand counted something in our present emergency, 
 and so I took my turn in the hold and at the pumps, 
 the captain making no protest against my energy. 
 Fortunately the fine weather lasted while the 
 carpenter was at work in the hold, hammering 
 away at the side of the ship as if he were a prisoner 
 trying to work his way out of gaol to freedom. I 
 felt a certain fascination in going down to the main 
 hold and watching him hammering by the yellow 
 light of a single candle, that made the place more than 
 ever like a dungeon. When the carpenter stopped 
 work for a few minutes, the rats would come out 
 from behind the bales of cargo, and move stealthily 
 
AMONG THE ISLANDS. 175 
 
 along the timbers until the next ring of the 
 hammer sent them scurrying along out of sight. 
 
 The result of the carpenter's work in the hold 
 was to relieve the men at the pumps, and the 
 monotonous sound of the cranks, that I shall ever 
 associate with an aching back, came to an end. 
 The ship still leaked, but not to any alarming 
 extent, so that the crew were able to turn their 
 attention to other matters, apart from the work at 
 the pumps. 
 
 Of course the news quickly spread that the 
 captain's intention was neither to run into the 
 roadstead at Batavia nor to go northward to 
 Singapore, but to make for a certain island south 
 of the Celebes, the exact bearing of which no one 
 knew but himself. The chief mate told me that 
 at first the captain's determination caused some 
 dissatisfaction aboard, and there was talk about 
 getting up a round robin, asking him to make for 
 Singapore, as the ship was in so unseaworthy a 
 condition the crew did not believe that she could 
 be worked to the island where the captain intended 
 getting the mizzen-mast and the spars required for 
 rigging the mainmast and the maintopmast. 
 
 The boatswain had, however, succeeded in re- 
 conciling the men to the captain's plan, assuring 
 them that the island was only as many degrees to 
 the east as Singapore was to the north ; and, bed- 
 sides, that by keeping a course welFto the south the 
 chief danger from the Black Flags would be 
 avoided. If these native pirates who infest the 
 China seas were to come upon a ship in as 
 
176 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 crippled a state as the ' Great Orion,' they would 
 soon make her a prize and murder every man 
 aboard. 
 
 These representations prevailed upon the crew, 
 the chief mate said ; but I was strongly inclined to 
 believe that the idea of the round robin was given 
 up chiefly on account of the prospect of a two 
 months' course of fresh fruit and vegetables ; for the 
 captain had taken good care to let the men know 
 that there should be no lack of such dainties while 
 the ship was refitting. 
 
 The captain was naturally anxious that his 
 observations should be as accurate as possible 
 during these days. We found after the first week's 
 sailing eastward from the Straits of Sunda, that in 
 running by dead reckoning, that is, by heaving the 
 log regularly every hour, and calculating the day's 
 run accordingly, a large allowance would have to 
 be made for leewaj'. The current carried the ship 
 northward, and its force was, as might have been 
 expected, felt very much more strongly, owing to 
 the absence of a mizzen-mast. Indeed, when the 
 wind changed suddenly one day from the west to 
 the south, and continued in this direction for nearly 
 a week, the ship could not be kept upon her course, 
 being compelled upon nearly all occasions to run 
 before the wind. 
 
 During this week the captain's good humour 
 seemed to be approaching the vanishing point. 
 We had run a couple of hundred miles off our 
 course, and were nearing those seas most notorious 
 for native pirates. Our situation was just becoming 
 
AMONG THE ISLANDS. 177 
 
 serious, when the wind came round once again, and, 
 blowing steadily from the north-west, the ship was 
 able to run for several days at five and sometimes 
 six knots — a capital record, considering her crippled 
 condition. No one seemed to entertain the possi- 
 bility of the wind increasing to a gale, when our 
 position would be extremely perilous, though, I 
 must confess, this was my greatest fear. Happily, 
 however, the breeze continued favourable ; and 
 the captain told me, in confidence, that he 
 hoped in a few days to come in sight of Maori 
 Island. 
 
 Several times during the thirty-three days that 
 had elapsed since we left behind us the Straits of 
 Sunda we passed within a mile or two of some of 
 the loveliest coasts I had ever seen ; for this sea is 
 studded with islands of all sizes, each of which 
 breathes forth a spicy perfume from its woods. 
 Especially at evening were we conscious of the 
 sweet scent in the air. For my own part I did not 
 share the captain's anxiety to reach Maori Island 
 as soon as possible. I felt that I should not grumble 
 if the ' Great Orion ' were to be becalmed in these 
 waters for a fortnight. My only anxiety was lest 
 my people at home might" become alarmed at the 
 long delay there would necessarily be in getting a 
 letter from me. The captain had said it was 
 almost certain that we should be spoken by more 
 than one vessel sailing westward ; but though we 
 kept a sharp look-out, we only caught sight of the 
 smoke of a steamer on the northern horizon one 
 day ; no sail came in sight during these weeks, and 
 
 M 
 
178 THE 'GREAT ORION: 
 
 soon we were quite out of the general track of 
 vessels making for the Straits of Sunda or the 
 Straits of Malacca. 
 
 On the thirty-fourth day after the catastrophe 
 that disabled us, A\'e reached Maori Island. It 
 appeared ahead of us early in the morning — in fact, 
 the sun seemed to rise from beyond the land. The 
 accuracy of the captain's calculations was now 
 proved, for we had not to alter our course by a 
 single degree after the island came in sight. Our 
 bowsprit seemed to me, as I stood in the bows in 
 the early morning, like a great linger pointing to 
 the land ahead. 
 
 ^ Though we sighted the land immediately after 
 sunrise it was the afternoon before we had ap- 
 proached close enough to see what was its for- 
 mation. It did not look especially inviting, 
 viewed from the westward : the face of the land 
 was steep toward the sea, and though overgrown 
 with some brown lichen, it looked very bleak ; 
 certainly no landing place was to be seen beneath 
 those high cliffs. If any craft were to go ashore 
 there, no human being aboard could hope to 
 be saved. The harbour that the captain talked 
 about must have been at the opposite side of the 
 land. 
 
 W^e were not allowed a glance at any other 
 part of the coast this afternoon, for the captain, 
 shortly before sundown, when the island was per- 
 haps four miles to the eastward, ordered the ship 
 to lie-to for the night. 
 
 ' We'll have to warp her round in the morning,' 
 
AMONG THE ISLANDS. 
 
 179 
 
 said he. ' I should not like to make the attempt 
 in the darkness.' 
 
 Thus we lay all night, slowly drifting in the 
 current to the north-west, and all through the dark- 
 ness we could hear the roaring of the great ocean 
 rollers upon the coast of the island. 
 
 ua 
 
CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 WE REACH MAORI ISLAND. 
 
 WAS on deck early the next morning, and 
 found that we had almost recovered our 
 leeway since daylight. One of the boats 
 was being cleared awa}- and a hne prepared to 
 \\-arp the ship round the coast as soon as the 
 captain should give the signal. Not until we had 
 come within half a mile of the cliffs did the order 
 come to lower away the boat and stow the sails. 
 The helm was put to starboard a spoke or two, as 
 it might be said, though we were steering without a 
 wheel ; and as wc sailed round the coast I could 
 see here and there a tuft of cocoanut palm among 
 the rocks, and now and again a division in the cliffs 
 revealed a bright green patch of land as of a valley- 
 slope in the interior. I think I ne\'cr saw a more 
 brilliant green than that which sparkled before my 
 e)-es for a minute or so, until the ship had slid past 
 the parting in the cliffs, shutting out the vista of 
 lovely colour. 
 
 Sail was kept on the ship as long as possible ; 
 and then, just as we had come in sight of the line of 
 breakers on the opposite coast, the helm was put 
 
IVE REACH MAORI ISLAND. iSi 
 
 down, the sails were stowed, and the oars were 
 dropped into the water by the six men in the boat. 
 A line was payed out from tlie bowsprit end, and 
 the hard work of towing the heavy ship ashore was 
 comTnenced. 
 
 What work it was ! Two slow dips of the oars : 
 the slack line became straight ; another dip, a 
 quick jerk, and the line was slack again until it 
 dipped into the^water ; then dip, dip went the oars, 
 once more the line rising and the drops sparkling 
 from its curve. It did not seem as if we were 
 making any progress whatever toward the shore. 
 It appeared that the boat was tugging at a fixed 
 object. I could see, after the first half-hour's work, 
 that the men's faces were damp, and that the drops 
 were standing upon their foreheads ; for, though very 
 early in the day, the sun had already become hot. 
 
 On the east coast of the island the breakers 
 were roaring over a reef that stretched almost 
 from the northern to the southern point on this 
 side. At some places we could see the jagged 
 peaks of the line of rocks above the froth of the 
 surf ; but the northern point, round which our ship 
 had just passed, jutted out in a curious way, as if 
 the rocks here had been broken off abruptly. 
 Between this point and the line of reefs there 
 seemed to be no channel ; the surf spread in one 
 unbroken line round the coast, and eddied about 
 the point for which the boat was steering. 
 
 ' Well,' said I to the captain, who stood beside 
 the two men at the steering-gear, ' Well, I have 
 been trying for the past half-hour to make out the 
 
1 82 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 channel, but I haven't succeeded in the least. It 
 looks as if the ship were being towed to destruc- 
 tion.' 
 
 ' If it wasn't for such an appearance we might 
 save ourselves the trouble of landing in search 
 of vegetables/ said the captain. ' The key to the 
 puzzle is known, as I told you, to only four ship- 
 masters ; the Admiralty surveyors don't think it 
 worth their while sounding for a channel' 
 
 As the boat got closer to the point of the island 
 the men aboard became evidently doubtful as to the 
 exact course they were to take. They were rowing 
 as the captain had ordered them, direct for the point ; 
 but the bow oar was looking over his shoulder 
 every now and again, as if under the impression 
 that it was high time to keep the boat further to 
 the north. 
 
 The captain, when the boat was within about 
 two hundred yards of the point to which it was 
 steering, went into the bows of the ship, so that the 
 boat's crew could see him. He made a motion 
 with his left hand for the boat to keep over a little, 
 and the men obeyed at once. At the same 
 moment he signalled the men at the ship's tiller to 
 port the helm. The boat was then heading for 
 where the froth was boiling not fifty yards from the 
 jagged cliff 
 
 I could not help feeling somewhat anxious as 
 the boat neared the surf My thought was, What if 
 the formation of the reef has been changed since 
 the captain last visited the island ? What if the 
 boat should fall upon the edge of the reef and be 
 
IVE REACH MAORI ISLAND. 183 
 
 broken to pieces before our eyes ? Nothing in that 
 case could save the ship. She would drift upon 
 the reef and go to pieces within an hour. It was 
 scarcely to be wondered that I should keep my 
 eyes fixed anxiously upon the boat. It was 
 already beginning to feel the influence of the swell 
 caused by the relapse of the waves that were 
 clambering over the reef. The bow rose and fell for 
 a few moments as evenly as with the beat of a pen- 
 dulum. Another dip of the oars, and the bows were 
 buried in the white surf beyond ; the spring of the 
 tow-line, however, jerked the boat once again 
 into smooth water. The men then lay on their 
 oars for a while until the line slackened and dipped 
 deep into the water as the ship came on ; bracing 
 themselves up then, the men rowed vigorously for a 
 stroke or two. The bows plunged beneath the surf, 
 rose once more, plunged again, and the boat was 
 lost to view for a few seconds. Half-a-dozen more 
 strokes, and before the slack of the line had become 
 taut, the boat was in comparatively smooth water 
 within the line of reef; at the same instant the 
 ship had come into the swell and the loose halliards 
 were shaking. A few more tugs, and the surf was 
 roaring around us ; our bows swept round a point 
 or two with the influence of the waves, but the 
 next sharp tug that they received brought us within 
 the line of reefs, and beneath the shadow of the 
 cliffs at the point of the island. 
 
 The reef-line, I now saw, ended within a quarter 
 of a mile of the point, and the surf through which 
 the ship had just passed was due simply to the 
 
1 84 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 force of the swell between the termination of the 
 rocks and the cliff at the point. 
 
 The work of the men in the boat was not yet 
 ended. The captain signalled to them to keep on 
 toward the shore. They obeyed ; but though the 
 coast became less precipitous as we went on, I 
 could see no sign of a harbour, or even of a strand 
 where the ship might be beached. Before we had 
 passed more than half a mile of the coast, however, 
 the captain made signs to the boat to keep right in ; 
 and then, to my great surprise, and no doubt to the 
 surprise of everyone aboard who was ignorant of 
 the navigation of the island, a parting in the cliffs 
 appeared, disclosing what seemed a broad estuary or 
 fjord, with dark green water between sloping 
 banks. 
 
 To the entrance of this water the ship was 
 towed. From bank to bank the distance was not 
 more than a quarter of a mile ; but, when we had 
 passed the headlands at the entrance, a curve in 
 our course caused us to feel that we were actually 
 in a land-locked basin. Then there came before 
 our C3'es a view of bright green banks, overgrown 
 down to the water's edge on both sides with tropi- 
 cal vegetation, and crowned with cocoanut palms 
 and luxuriant plantains. Here the roaring of the 
 reef could scarcely be heard. Silence reigned in 
 the woods, and the splash of the oars in the glassy 
 ^vaters and their grinding in the rowlocks echoed 
 from bank to bank. We were apparently being 
 towed into the centre of the island, and the piece 
 of water broadened as wc went on. The formation 
 
WE REACH MAORI ISLAND. 185 
 
 of the island soon became plain. The centre was 
 a basin that had been hollowed out through thou- 
 sands of years of wave-washing ; unless, indeed, this 
 central basin was originally caused by a convulsion 
 of nature such as we had lately seen in the Straits 
 of Sunda. 
 
 For more than a mile the ship was towed 
 along, the quartermaster casting the lead at in- 
 tervals. The first cast showed eight fathoms, then 
 the quartermaster announced in succession seven 
 and five fathoms. No man aboard knew what 
 were the captain's intentions ; everything depended 
 on the motion of his hand to the men in the boat. 
 We were gradually creeping to the southern bank ; 
 and now we perceived that the shore at one 
 place jutted out, making a small peninsula — it 
 might more appropriately be called a natural pier 
 ■ — a couple of hundred yards in length. This 
 formed one point of a long crescent bay of white 
 sand. Everyone then knew what the captain meant 
 to do. It was soon done. A cable was run out 
 astern, and made fast by the men in the boat to 
 the stock of one of the largest of the many palms 
 growing out to the end of this natural pier. This 
 cable was gradually payed out as the vessel drifted 
 ashore. The bows soon touched the sand, but so 
 softly that we were scarcely aware of it. The stern 
 slowly swung round, and the ship gave a gentle 
 list to port. She was standing on her keel on the 
 sandy bottom. 
 
 Another cable was run out from the bows and 
 made fast to a tree ashore. All that now remained 
 
i86 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 to be done was to cut some logs to shore the ship 
 up and prevent her falHng on her side with the 
 ebb tide. The carpenter and a couple of nnen 
 dropped into the boat with axes to discharge this 
 duty, and the steward served out grog to the boat's 
 crew, who had been at the oars for the past three 
 hours. 
 
 ' Now, Mr. Mostyn,' cried the captain cheerily, 
 ' fetch your gun here, and a couple of dozen car- 
 tridges. We'll have a few hours' sport ashore, 
 unless you'd prefer standing by the ship for a day 
 or two yet.' 
 
 I need scarcely say that within a remarkably 
 short space of time I had buckled my cartridge- 
 belt around me and passed my gun down to the 
 captain, who was already in the stern of the boat. 
 A dozen strokes brought us ashore, and I jumped 
 out upon the white sand. 
 
CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 AN evening's exploration. 
 
 LARGE leaf from one of the trees on the 
 bank fluttered down through the air and 
 fell at my feet as I jumped from the gun- 
 wale of the boat to the shore. I picked up the leaf 
 and put it on the band of my cork helmet, where it 
 waved like a great feather. I could have shouted 
 with the joy I felt at the sight of this beautiful 
 place. After being for more than three months 
 looking out day by day over the waters, to come 
 suddenly upon this paradise of green leaves and 
 soft colours was almost too much for me. The 
 captain laughed as I ran like a boy up the green 
 bank and among the trees, until my feet became 
 entangled in the creepers and I nearly fell forward 
 on my head. 
 
 ' If you mean to do that again,' said the captain, 
 ' I'll beg of you,. as a particular favour, to take care 
 that the muzzle of your gun is pointed away from 
 me. I have no great desire to be the means of 
 starting a burying-ground in Maori Island.' 
 
 ' I could live and die here,' I cried enthusiast!- 
 
THE 'GREAT ORION: 
 
 cally. ' What more can a man want than is to 
 be found here ? ' 
 
 ' Nothing whatsoever,' said the captain ; ' if that 
 man's tastes arc limited to cockatoo and sweet 
 potatoes.' 
 
 ' And rest,' I added. ' There surely is rest for 
 anyone here. I can understand the attraction that 
 a hermit's life had for people long ago.' 
 
 ' Yes, long ago. The world went on very 
 slowly in those days. But now things are differ- 
 ent. Men are not fond of living lazy lives. Every 
 fellow feels that he has his work to do in the world. 
 Now, if you were to be left alone on this island, 
 the first thing you'd do would be, not to lie down 
 and rest, but to rig up the highest signal-post to 
 seaward that was ever built, to try and attract the 
 attention of any ship that might be passing — that's 
 what you'd do.' 
 
 ' If you know all about the matter,' said I, ' it 
 is useless for me to speak a word.' 
 
 ' Quite useless. You'll be on this island long 
 enough for your taste, j-ou'll find. Now I must 
 see how my garden is thriving. I little thought 
 I'd have to be in it so soon again.' 
 
 W'e rose froro where wc had been sitting and 
 went on through the palm groves, startling a num- 
 ber of bright green parrakeets that were sitting 
 in a row on a branch of a knotted trailer that 
 was stretched between two high trees, dropping 
 on cither side like a number of thick cords. Far- 
 ther on we caught a glimpse of an exquisite lyre- 
 bird floating gracefully under the feathery palms. 
 
AN EVENING'S EXPLORATION. 189 
 
 Countless other birds of rare plumage we saw 
 while we walked across the first ridge of the height 
 above where the ' Great Orion ' was lying ; but I 
 did not fire a shot from my gun. I had no inclina- 
 tion to slaughter these beautiful things simply for 
 the sake of slaughter. I preferred reserving my 
 cartridges for the more important game which the 
 captain had hinted might be found in another part 
 of the island. 
 
 Beyond the ridge we came upon the slope of a 
 valley that apparently wound through the island 
 from east to west. The nearer side sloped gently 
 downward, but the opposite was steeper and 
 more uneven. Both were overgrown with vegeta- 
 tion of a luxuriant type, but only upon the ridges 
 did the cocoanut palms appear in abundance. 
 Bananas, custard apples, loquats, and many other 
 delicious fruits grew thickly around us, and it is 
 needless to say that I hastened to test the quality 
 of all that were within reach. I was able to report 
 satisfactorily of everything except the loquats, which 
 I tasted for the first time. I told the captain that 
 it was my impression that the proportion of stone 
 to fruit was too great for comfort. 
 
 ' We'll do our best to grow some for you on a 
 new principle,' said the captain. ' Maybe you'd like 
 the next with the stones grown on separate twigs. 
 If you would, just say so, and I'll see what can be 
 done.' 
 
 After strolling along for about a mile, we 
 came upon a place that might be called a clearing. 
 The trees had been cut down, with the exception 
 
I go THE 'GREAT ORION: 
 
 of a clump in the centre, and within a square of 
 perhaps five acres there was a genuine EngHsh 
 vegetable gai'den, only on an exaggerated scale. 
 Cabbages of all varieties were here, and the small- 
 est was four feet high ; the leaves of others were 
 fully eight feet across. Cauliflowers on the same 
 scale, and vegetable-marrows appeared in profu- 
 sion ; while a little further on we came upon a 
 potato patch, extending over certainly half a mile 
 of ground. The stalks were six or seven feet high, 
 and they grew close enough together to form a 
 perfect jungle. 
 
 ' This takes my breath awa)-,' said my guide. 
 
 ' What ? the walking ? ' 
 
 ' No, the appearance of thi.s place. When I 
 first landed here I planted half-a-dozen potatoes, a 
 couple of cabbages, a single cauliflower, and a few 
 other vegetables — a seaman and I carried the lot 
 between us. My second visit was after an interval 
 of a couple of years, and yet we were able to store 
 our ship for \\\o months. Well, you see the place 
 now.' 
 
 ' In a few years the whole island will be nothing 
 but a vegetable garden,' said I. ' But did you plant 
 no live-stock on the island ? I fancy I saw some- 
 thing mo\-e among the furthest ridge of these 
 potatoes.' 
 
 ' Have your gun ready,' said the captain. ' I'm 
 not so sure about the live-stock ; but if there are any 
 here they may turn out a particularly lively stock.' 
 
 He had scarcely spoken when a snorting was 
 heard in our rear ; then came a wild rush, as of a 
 
AN EVENING'S EXPLORATION. 191 
 
 number of animals among the long potato-stalks ; 
 the next instant the captain was thrown off his 
 feet, and went sprawling among the vegetation. I 
 was more fortunate, for I had time to jump to one 
 side and take a snap shot at a black mass that 
 rushed past the captain and was at the point ot 
 disappearing in the dense jungle. 
 
 A series of unearthly shrieks followed the sound 
 of my second barrel ; and from the trees beyond 
 the potato patch arose a part song from the lories 
 and cockatoos that seemed to me the worst music 
 I had ever been forced to hear. I was almost 
 afraid to think what I had done that raised such 
 an indignant protest from the inhabitants, and it 
 was some time before I could join in the captain's 
 roar of laughter. 
 
 ' This is gratitude ! ' he cried ; ' either that 
 animal or that animal's foremother was originally 
 installed by me in this place, and it and its brethren 
 have been living luxuriantly here ever since ; and 
 yet this is how they meet their benefactor ! ' 
 
 While he was speaking he had hastened on 
 through the potato-stalks and had picked up the 
 spoil of my gun. He held it aloft by the fore-legs 
 — a fine fat young porker. 
 
 ' This will delight the cook, don't you think ? ' 
 he cried. 
 
 ' It will delight others beside the cook,' I replied. 
 'We would do well to carry it down to the ship for 
 fear of accidents. You can send a couple of the 
 men up here to cut cabbages and dig potatoes, and 
 give the ship's company a feast to-night' 
 
192 THE 'GREAT ORION! 
 
 ' A capital idea ! ' said the captain. ' Only you 
 haven't yet found out the weight of the animal. 
 How long do you think }ou would remain in a 
 good humour carrying this carcase on your back 
 over uneven ground ? ' 
 
 ' What are we to do ? ' I asked. ' Shall we dig a 
 hole and cac/ie it after the manner of Indians ? ' 
 
 ' I fancy I know where it may be placed with 
 safety,' said my companion. ' Come along with me 
 and take a leg of your game.' 
 
 Carrying the pig between us, we made our way 
 up the slope for a short distance, and soon the 
 bubbling of a little stream reached my ears. 
 
 ' We're on the right track,' said the captain. 
 
 ' No doubt,' I answered ; ' but this brute of a 
 pig has been overeating himself — he is very heavy.' 
 
 All at once we came upon a structure at the 
 border of the last line of trees, that was evidently 
 not a freak of nature. It was a cross between a 
 log cabin and a summer-house. It was a circular 
 building, formed of the stems of palms, about seven 
 feet high, placed side by side, and plastered over 
 with a sort of mortar made of clay and shells. 
 The roof was conical in shape, and through the 
 centre a flagpole projected to a height of about six 
 feet. A few rags of cloth still clung to the pole, 
 evidently the sole remnants of a flag. 
 
 ' This is Maori Castle,' said the captain, 'the 
 seat of the governor of the island. You must look 
 on those tatters on the flagpole as the symbol of 
 the majesty of the law, and the emblem of British 
 sovereignty.' 
 
WE PLACED THIS RECORD HERE WHEN WE FIRST \'IS1TED THE ISLAND, 
 
 SAID THE CAPTAIN." Page 1(^1' 
 
AN EVENING'S EXPLORATION. 193 
 
 'With pleasure,' said I. ' If I had a hand disen- 
 gaged I'd take off my helmet to the Royal Standard. 
 Is there a door to the governor's castle ? ' 
 
 ' There certainly should be a door somewhere,' 
 said the captain, groping round the palm trunks, 
 that were clothed with rich moss and creeping 
 plants. 
 
 The door was found after some little difficulty, 
 and the wooden bar that had been placed across it 
 removed. We found ourselves within a spacious 
 apartment with rough seats round the walls, and 
 a still rougher table in the middle. On this tablg 
 was a tin box carefully closed. Opening it, I found 
 that it contained the sole archives of the island — a 
 document written on blue foolscap paper, declaring 
 that Maori Island had been formally annexed to 
 the dominions of her Most Gracious Majesty 
 Queen Victoria, by Jacob Brown, Master Mariner, of 
 the barque ' Maori ' of Sunderland. The latitude 
 and longitude of the island were also given, and 
 the document ended with 
 
 'GOD SAVE THE QUEEN!' 
 
 printed in large capitals. 
 
 ' We placed this record here when we first 
 visited the island,' said the captain. ' It is as well 
 to be formal in such matters ; the question of the 
 possession of the island may arise at some future 
 date and perhaps involve Europe in a great war.' 
 
 'You will certainly not be to blame if this 
 takes place,' said I ; ' Captain Jacob Brown has an- 
 nexed the island with all proper formalities. The 
 
 N 
 
194 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 British flagpole is still there, if the British flag is in 
 tatters.' 
 
 We laid our prize porker on one of the plank 
 seats and made our way back to the ship. As 
 soon as we got aboard, the captain sent four of the 
 hands ashore to dig potatoes and other vegetables, 
 and to carry down the pig, for he gave them the 
 bearings of the log house. It was evening as I sat 
 in the stem of the ship. The glassy surface of the 
 water was disturbed by the presence of thousands 
 of waterfowl. I dropped into the boat and got two 
 of the men to row me along the shore until I was 
 within shot of the birds, and before I returned to the 
 ship I had secured about a dozen small ducks, and 
 four fine geese with black wings and wonderful 
 purple breasts. 
 
 What a feast we had that night ! The return 
 to fresh meat and vegetables, to say nothing of the 
 bananas and custard apples which the sailors had 
 brought from the island, was certainly relished by 
 the ship's companyeven more than the double allow- 
 ance of grog which was served out to all aboard. 
 
 In the cabin we were quite asjoll}- as the sailors 
 in the fore part of the ship. We heard the songs 
 that the musical portion of the crew were shouting, 
 and then the sound of a concertina came upon our 
 ears. Later in the night, when the moon, which was 
 in its last quarter, had arisen, we saw a couple of 
 figures dancing a hornpipe to the almost maddened 
 shrieks of the concertina, which, not being accus- 
 tomed to such fast music, was panting and gasping 
 very much more than the dancers. 
 
AN EVENING'S EXPLORATION. 195 
 
 Altogether the scene was a remarkable one. In 
 the shadow of that slope overgrown with strange 
 tropical plants lay the ship ' Great Orion ; ' and 
 here I thought she might lie until she went to 
 pieces without any human being in the outer world 
 knowing where she was. We might live and die 
 on this island without anyone being the wiser. 
 
 I could not help wondering if we were to 
 surround ourselves here with a few of those who 
 were dear to us, and never leave the island, would 
 happiness be the result. Why not ? We could 
 not possibly have any care on our minds. Wars 
 might break out in every quarter of the world ; we 
 could hear nothing of them in this place. Fashions 
 might come and go ; we should not be perplexed 
 what to wear ; and yet I knew that I should, in 
 spite of these facts, regard the beautiful island as 
 a prison. 
 
 ' You have your work to do in the world, and 
 you must do it,' said the captain. 
 
 I agreed with him. It is only the savage who 
 can take delight in a life of idleness. 
 
 JJ3 
 
CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 ' I AY YOUR GUN ACROSS YOUR KNEES.' 
 
 DO not intend to force anyone to read the 
 diary of my life spent upon Maori Island. 
 Very little would be gained by such read- 
 ing. 'My diary was simply a record of the wild pigs 
 I shot in the potato patch and the wild birds on the 
 water, for the benefit of the cook's pot. There were 
 hundreds of pigs in the woods, though the captain 
 said he had only brought two ashore originally. All 
 that I shot seemed not to lessen to any appreciable 
 degree the droves that I saw daily. As for the 
 birds, thinning their flocks was simply a matter 
 of impossibility ; they came in tens of thousands 
 everj- evening to the sheet of water where the 
 ship lay. 
 
 After the first fortnight at this place, when I 
 had explored ever}- part of the island, and carefully 
 drawn a chart of the place, I became heartily tired 
 of this life of hunting and fishing and idle roaming. 
 I watched with greater interest than ever the pro- 
 gress of the carpenter and his men at their work 
 upon the ship. The maintopmast and topgallant 
 had been sent up, and the yards rigged in proper 
 
'LAV YOUR GUN ACROSS YOUR KNEES.' 197 
 
 style. The defective timbers had been repaired, 
 and in a short time the carpenter and captain were 
 engaged exploring the woods in search of the best 
 spar that could be found for a mizzen-mast. 
 
 The men worked well, and the fresh diet on 
 which they lived, and the regular hours of sleep, 
 had a wonderful effect upon them. They became, 
 almost to a man, plump and, I might even say, rosy, 
 though the faces of nearly all aboard were so 
 bronzed by exposure, that the rosy patches were 
 not seen in a moment. There was, however, as my 
 friend Micky remarked one day within my hearing, 
 a ' giniral Sunday look ' about the ship's company 
 that could only be the result of what Micky called 
 ' reg'lar livin', an' plenty of it.' 
 
 At last, after being for about six weeks at the 
 island. Captain Harwood told me one day that he 
 hoped to be able to haul out in the course of forty- 
 eight hours. 
 
 I admit that, lovely as the island appeared, and 
 agreeable though my life was within view of its 
 beauty, I received the captain's announcement 
 without regret. I longed to be once again at sea 
 and on my way to Sydney. I felt that I had 
 gained during the past six months a sufficient store 
 of health to last me for the remainder of my 
 life. 
 
 On this very day I noticed the captain looking 
 more than once at his aneroid, and becoming pro- 
 portionately uneasy every time he looked. I ven- 
 tured to take a note of the index of the instrument 
 myself, and I was surprised to find that it had gone 
 
198 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 back on the scale from 30*3 inches to 29^4 inches 
 within the space of twenty-four hours. A later 
 observation showed me that the index was still 
 falliny. 
 
 What did this mean ? We had had neither 
 rain nor storm while we remained at the island. 
 The sky was blue, and though a light breeze was 
 usually blowing till nightfall, it never made its 
 voice heard in the sheltered place where the ship 
 lay. 
 
 ' Mr. Borrows,' I heard the captain say, 'just 
 cast an eye over the moorings fore and aft. See 
 that the cable astern is made fast ashore, so that 
 it can bear anj' strain. Then tell off eight men 
 to go ashore for supplies. We must haul out to- 
 morrow or we may have trouble doing it after- 
 wards.' 
 
 ' All right, sir,' said Mr. Borrows. ' I was think- 
 ing myself that the monsoon was due about this 
 time.' 
 
 ' I'm afraid ^\■e shall have a touch of it before 
 we get clear of the island,' remarked the captain ; 
 ' the aneroid has gone down nearly an inch since 
 last night' 
 
 ' That's a sure sign, sir ; but only a sign that 
 the monsoon is under weigh. W'e may not have 
 the first of it for another week' 
 
 'We'll be at sea by that time, I hope.' 
 
 Mr. Borrows went to examine the moorings, 
 and then he told off a foraging party for the 
 shore, the captain asking me if I would have the 
 goodness to accompany the party and shoot a 
 
'LAY YOUR GUN ACROSS YOUR KNEES.' 199 
 
 few porkers to keep us in fresh meat for at least 
 a week during the run to Sydney. I caught up 
 my gun, dropped into the boat, and in less than 
 an hour and a half I had provided as large a bag 
 of game as the men could carry, in addition to the 
 vegetables. 
 
 I could not help remarking that this excursion 
 was the most fatiguing I had ever had upon the 
 island. There was not a breath stirring. The 
 atmosphere of the woods was stifling, and the sun 
 overhead was scorching. I was heartily glad to 
 get back to the ship. I remarked this to the cap- 
 tain, and told him that I believed a thunderstorm 
 was lurking somewhere in the neighbourhood. 
 
 ' I agree with you,' said the captain. ' Let us 
 only hope that we shall be able to look at it from 
 the leeward of the island.' 
 
 This hope was not realised. That very night 
 I was awakened by a peal of thunder that made 
 the ship tremble in every timber. I sprang from 
 my hammock, expecting a deluge of rain to follow, 
 but found, to my surprise, that the night was fine. 
 The stars were shining, but with an unnatural 
 brilliancy, and at intervals the surface of the water 
 was stirred up in places as if with a strong wind — 
 a miniature cyclone that danced along, making 
 miniature waterspouts for its own amusement. 
 
 I knew that this playfulness on the part of 
 nature would soon vanish and be succeeded by a 
 graver mood. I was not wrong. The next time 
 that I awoke it was to find the rain coming down 
 in one solid sheet, while the chain-lightning 
 
THE 'GREAT ORION} 
 
 surrounded us with barriers of flame on every side, 
 and the thunder came in one continuous roar. 
 
 Drenched to the skin, bewildered by the noise 
 of the thunder, and almost blinded by the lightning, 
 I ran down to the cabin with as little delay as 
 possible ; and while drying myself, I heard the 
 captain give orders for the stern moorings to be 
 doubled. It was almost morning before his order 
 was carried out. I could hear the men on deck 
 engaged in the work of paying out the new cable, 
 though, of course, I could not hear the oars of the 
 boat's crew carrying it ashore. 
 
 The captain's mind did not appear to be quite 
 at ease, even when this order was carried out. He 
 had great reason for not feeling confident in the 
 position of the ship ; for while we were at breakfast 
 we were startled in no small measure by the ship, 
 which was standing on her keel, embedded in the 
 sand, rolling over until the scuppers at the port 
 side were almost under water. I just managed to 
 grasp the table-cloth at both ends and raise it, so 
 as to prevent the cups and saucers and dishes from 
 being smashed upon the floor. I thought that the 
 steward would prefer the coffee and ham and fried 
 potatoes and butter being mixed in the table- 
 cloth to seeing the fragments of the dishes mingled 
 in a heap under the cabin seats on the port 
 side. 
 
 The captain and chief mate ran on deck with- 
 out delay, and I followed them. The cause of the 
 eccentric behaviour of the ship was at once appa- 
 rent. The poles used in shoring her up had been 
 
'LAV YOUR GUN ACROSS YOUR KNEES: 201 
 
 washed away, consequently she had rolled over, 
 being aground in the bows. 
 
 There was, unfortunately, a considerable sea 
 on, and, though our position was comparatively 
 sheltered, the ship bumped more than once. The 
 captain gave orders for the handles to be put on 
 the winch, and the stern cables to be taken in so 
 as to float the ship. This was no easy task ; but in 
 the course of the forenoon the water rose in our 
 bay to the extent of three feet above its usual 
 height — the result of the strong wind blowing 
 through the entrance. The ship was found to 
 float, and the winch was turned as easily as the 
 reel of a fishing rod. The bow moorings were then 
 slackened away, and for the rest of the day the 
 ship rode easy. 
 
 We were now ready to resume our voyage ; 
 but we had first to get clear of this inland bay, 
 which we had named, in commemoration of our 
 visit, Orion Bay. The sea was too high to allow 
 of the ship being towed out, especially as the wind 
 would be against us. Not until the next day did 
 the sea go down sufficiently to give us a chance of 
 getting clear. The wind had shifted round a point 
 or two, so that the boat's crew would not have too 
 hard work at the tow-line. 
 
 At last the order was given to let go the 
 moorings fore and aft. I went forward to lend a 
 hand at hauling in the cable. Before the work 
 was done I found myself beside Micky O'Hara. 
 
 ' Well, Micky, my lad,' said I, ' how do you 
 like the notion of being at sea once more ? ' 
 
THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 ' It's missilf has no objicshun, sur,' he replied. 
 ' But there's more nor me aboard the ship, an' 
 mebbe they don't all be o' the same intinshun.' 
 
 ' Are they not ? Do they wish to remain at the 
 island all their lives ? ' 
 
 ' Oi don't know about all their loives, sur ; but 
 luk an' hear, sur ' — his voice sunk to a whisper — ' if 
 ye want to do a good turn for the skipper ye'll 
 git into the starn o' the boat that's got the tow- 
 line aboard, and lay your gun across your knees.' 
 
 ' What do you mean ? ' I asked. 
 
 ' There's no tellin' ye, sur,' he replied in a low 
 voice. ' Only do what oi hint, an' ye'll not be 
 sorry.' 
 
CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 WE LEAVE OUR MOORINGS. 
 
 |HOUGH I could not understand the import 
 of the Irishman's words, I knew that he 
 was a shrewd fellow, and would not speak 
 unless he had sound reasons for doing so. 
 
 While the boat was having the tow-line coiled 
 in the stern-sheets, I brought up my gun from the 
 cabin and hooked on my cartridge belt. 
 
 ' I'll just drop into the bows,' I said to the 
 captain, ' and perhaps I shall be able to pick up a 
 duck or two as we go out. You'll need some one 
 in the bows in any case.' 
 
 ' All right,' replied the captain ; ' only don't 
 shoot anything that's not in the course of the boat.' 
 
 Five men were already in the boat — four at the 
 oars and one astern. But the heavier the boat was 
 the less it would jerk when the tow-line became taut, 
 so that my getting into the bows would only make 
 the men's work easier. Still, when I appeared 
 with my gun, I could not avoid noticing that the 
 crew exchanged glances, by no means indicative 
 of satisfaction. 
 
204 THE 'GREAT ORION} 
 
 'You'll have a better chance shooting from the 
 bows of the ship than from the boat, sir,' remarked 
 one of the crew. ' We can pick up anything that 
 you bring down.' 
 
 'I'm much obliged to you for your offer,' I 
 replied ; ' but I should have no chance of anything 
 unless I were in the bows of the boat. The twenty 
 fathoms of tow-line between the boat and the ship 
 would be sufficient to keep anything out of range, 
 and the captain has given me orders to shoot 
 nothing that is not directly in our course.' 
 
 While making this explanation I was settling 
 myself comfortably in the bows of the boat with 
 the barrel of my gun resting on the thwarts. I did 
 not look at any of the crew, but I could hear a 
 muttered word or two between them. I believed 
 that for some reason of their own the men objected 
 to my presence in the boat, but they were, of 
 course, unable to protest aloud against my coming. 
 
 Soon the slackened tow-line became taut, and 
 the bows of the ship slowly drifted round. 
 
 ' Give \\'ay,' cried the captain, from the bows, 
 to the men in the boat. 
 
 A long slow stroke was the response. The 
 vessel slid away from the little harbour where she 
 had found shelter for so long, and soon all the 
 familiar landmarks were lost sight of. There was 
 a current running outwards from the land-locked 
 bay, and by its aid the labour of towing was some- 
 what lightened. Still, as the surface was anything 
 but smooth, it was no trifle working at the oars, 
 and the sun had set before the ship had passed 
 
IVE LEAVE OUR MOORINGS. 205 
 
 between the headlands at the entrance. It did not 
 take us long finding out the difference there was 
 between the sheltered bay and the exposed water 
 outside. The roaring of the breakers upon the reef 
 was heard long before we came within sight of their 
 white line, and before the ship was clear of the head- 
 land she felt the effects of the sea. The tow-line 
 strained and the oars creaked in the rowlocks, with 
 the exertions of the men in the boat to keep the 
 ship's head from slewing round with the force of the 
 waves. 
 
 ' Keep at it, my men ! ' shouted the captain. 
 ' Give way altogether ! Now then ! ' 
 
 Inch by inch the boat's crew fought their way 
 onward. The ship's head was kept out, it is true ; 
 but so strong was the current along the shore that 
 for every fathom she advanced toward the reef she 
 drifted three along the shore. By the time she 
 was half a mile out she had drifted a long way 
 to the southward, and, consequently, away from the 
 channel between the reef and the western point of 
 the island. A tug steamer would have been needed 
 to take us directly out ; so that I was not surprised 
 to hear through the dimness the voice of the 
 quartermaster calling out the soundings to the 
 captain. 
 
 In a short time the captain cried out to avast 
 rowing — an order that was willingly obeyed — and 
 the next moment came the sound of the anchor 
 being let go. As the crew wiped their foreheads, 
 I noticed that every man among them was looking, 
 not in the direction of the ship, but of the shore. 
 
3o6 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 They could sec nothing there except the dark high 
 coast w ith a gUstcning Hne of white foam where 
 the waves broke about the bases of the chffs. 
 
 What would the next move be ? I wondered. 
 
 I did not stir from the bows of the boat, and 
 the men made no attempt to return to the vessel, 
 which had swung round in the current until the 
 stern was nearest us. I could hear the seaman who 
 was at the stroke oar mutter something to the 
 coxswain, and I fancied also that I heard some- 
 thing very like an oath escape the latter. I was 
 determined that there should be no opportunity 
 for consultation among the crew, so I cried out 
 from the bows, as cheerily as I could, — 
 
 ' Now then, my men, take a stroke or two to 
 bring me alongside, before ^^•e drift any further.' 
 
 Sullenly, as it appeared to me, the boat was 
 put about, and brought under the ship's stern. 
 One of the men caught an end of the painter and 
 mounted on deck by a hanging ladder, and we 
 were all soon out of the boat. 
 
 ' Shall we haul the boat up to the davits, sir ?' 
 asked the coxswain of the chief mate. 
 
 ' No ; haul it under the quarter and make fast 
 the painter for the night,' replied the mate. 
 
 ' Ay, ay, sir.' 
 
 A few further orders were given with a view to 
 save time in getting under weigh early in the 
 morning, and the oars as well as the rowlocks were 
 allowed to remain in the boat. Everything aboard 
 the ship was snug. The anchorage was good, and 
 though the wind was in shore it was not strong 
 
WE LEAVE OUR MOORINGS. 
 
 207 
 
 enough to make the anchor drag to the extent of 
 a single fathom. 
 
 I turned into my bunk without any misgivings. 
 Probably before I should be on deck in the morn- 
 ing the ship would be under weigh. 
 
CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 A WHOLESALE DESERTION. 
 
 WAS awakened by the sounds of shouting 
 and a general hubbub overhead. The 
 day had just broken, and a very blustering 
 day it gave promise of being. 
 
 I heard the steward's steps on the companion, 
 and called to the man to come into my cabin. 
 
 ' What's the matter, Robson .' ' I asked. 
 
 ' What's the matter, sir ? Not much is the 
 matter, only that six of the crew have taken French 
 leave of the ship, and have rowed themselves ashore 
 in the long-boat' 
 
 ' Rowed themselves ashore ? ' I cried. ' Was 
 there no watch on deck ? ' 
 
 ' There was indeed ; but it so happened that 
 the watch themselves were on watch only for the 
 chance of clearing off.' 
 
 ' But the officer, he didn't go with them, I 
 suppose? ' 
 
 ' They didn't see any great need to be under 
 the command of an officer, so they didn't let either 
 Mr. Borrows or Mr. Merrick know of their move- 
 ments. They must have hauled the boat close 
 
A WHOLESALE DESERTION. 209 
 
 under the bows and dropped into it without making 
 any row. It was blowing a bit fresh through the 
 night, and the water was roaring over the reef, so 
 that it wasn't curious that the men were able to 
 carry out their plans without anyone being the 
 wiser.' 
 
 I hastened on deck and found that all Robson 
 had told me was true. I now recalled the hint 
 that the Irishman had given me on the previous 
 day. It was plain that a plot had existed among 
 certain of the crew to get ashore, and the original 
 plan was not to return aboard after towing the ship 
 to her anchorage. My presence in the boat with 
 the gun had interfered with this design ; but from 
 the mutterings and the sullen temper on the part 
 of the men, it was evident that they had not relished 
 my company. Still they had succeeded in making 
 their escape as effectually as if their first scheme 
 had not been frustrated. 
 
 The captain lost his patience over the affair. 
 He declared that if it should cost him the ship 
 he would see the deserters put in irons. If the 
 ship should be compelled to remain at her an- 
 chorage for a month he would have them aboard ; 
 and all through his threats there ran an under- 
 current of blame for the second officer, during 
 whose watch the men had escaped. 
 
 I said nothing, but I could not help feeling that, 
 whatever blame the second officer had earned, a 
 double portion should be given to me. If I had 
 only had the courage to acquaint the captain with 
 the hints that the Irish sailor had given me the 
 
 O 
 
THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 boat would doubtless have been hauled up to the 
 davits, and unless the deserters had succeeded in 
 swimming ashore, thej' could not have carried out 
 their plans. It is, however, very easy to be wise 
 after the event ; I saw clearly now what I should 
 have done, but on the previous evening I had not 
 thought for a moment that so daring a plan as the 
 stealing of the boat would be attempted by the 
 men who had made up their minds to desert. 
 
 Walking to the fore part of the ship, I came 
 upon Micky O'Hara. 
 
 ' Is Sliddell at the bottom of this business .'' ' I 
 asked in a low tone. 
 
 ' He is, to be sure, sur,' the man replied. ' He 
 can jaw the men into anything. He has been 
 jawin' for the past week about how good it would 
 be for us if we cud get off clear from the ship and 
 live as our own masthers on the fat o' the land 
 for the rest of our loives. Of coorse oi knew me 
 gintleman, and parsaived that it -was himsilf 
 that was afeard o' matin' a polisman at Sydney 
 that moight be acquainted wid him. It wud be 
 betthcr livin' on pork and green cabbage on the 
 oiland there than on the brown brid and cowld 
 Axather that they supply so ginerous at the S\'dney 
 gaol' 
 
 ' The captain intends bringing them all aboard 
 again,' I remarked. 
 
 ' Of coorse he does,' said Mick}- ; ' but if he tuk 
 moy advoice he'd lave Master Ste\'c alone upon 
 the oiland an' let him shift for himsilf. We're 
 betther wantin' him aboord,' 
 
A WHOLESALE DESERTION. 
 
 Before I could say that I quite agreed with 
 him, the captain's voice was heard ordering the 
 remaining boat to be cleared away. We had had 
 three boats on leaving the Mersey, but one had 
 been carried away in the Straits of Sunda. The 
 only remaining boat was now the captain's gig. It 
 was quickly lowered, and oars were dropped into 
 it. The captain disappeared for a few minutes, 
 and when he returned on deck he was carrying a 
 couple of guns ; the steward followed with two 
 more and a heavy box of cartridges. Every large 
 vessel sailing in those seas carries at least half a 
 dozen small arms in case of meeting with Black 
 Flags. It was evident that the captain meant 
 that the deserters should be forced to return to the 
 ship. 
 
 ' Mr. Borrows,' said the captain, ' you will take 
 command of the boat. You will have four rifles, 
 and you will use them if necessary. It will be 
 for yourself to decide whether or not the neces- 
 sity exists when you get ashore. I find that the 
 arms-chest has been broken open, and the other 
 four rifles that were there have been stolen — by the 
 deserters, no doubt. Your instructions are to try 
 and induce the six men to return on board. Ex- 
 plain to them that their life on the island will be a 
 miserable one, and that they will probably remain 
 there till they die. If they refuse to listen to you, 
 your instructions are to bring them aboard by 
 force. Let them know that if they fire a shot at 
 you they shall be hanged to a man. I'll have a 
 man-of-war's crew ashore inside three months — tell 
 
212 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 them that. You will do your duty, and so will 
 your boat's crew.' 
 
 The chief mate touched his cap with his finger. 
 
 He called out four of the crew by name. There 
 was not a wide margin left for him to choose from, 
 considering that six of the crew had deserted, and 
 that the boatswain and carpenter would have to 
 stand by the ship. 
 
 I observed the faces of the four men who 
 lowered themselves over the rail into the boat. I 
 did not believe that there was a deserter among 
 them. They seemed all honest fellows ; and ap- 
 pearances in this case were not deceitful. The 
 indifferent men in the ship's company had been 
 weeded out, so to speak, by Stephen Sliddell's 
 plot. 
 
 I stood on the quarter watching the boat as it 
 rode over the waves to the shore ; for a strong 
 breeze was blowing, and, while the sea outside the 
 reef was white as snow, the water within this 
 natural breakwater was stirred into light waves. 
 The set of the current was to the shore, and the 
 boat made good way toward the low headlands at 
 the entrance to the bay. There was a landing-place 
 on the beach far to the southward ; but the captain 
 took it for granted that the first boat would make 
 for Orion Bay, so he had directed Mr. Borrows to 
 do the same. There could be no difficulty finding 
 the deserters, he believed. They would be certain 
 to land where the ship had been moored, and they 
 would scarcely have finished their breakfast of 
 fresh — very fresh — pork and potatoes by the time 
 
A WHOLESALE DESERTION. 
 
 213 
 
 Mr. Borrows and his crew should arrive at the 
 plantation. 
 
 I kept my eyes fixed upon the boat until it dis- 
 appeared between the headlands, more than a mile 
 to the northward of where our ship was lying. 
 
CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 WE SLIP OUR CABLE. 
 
 I HAT would be the result of the search ex- 
 pedition which had just gone ashore ? 
 This was the question that occupied 
 all my thoughts after the boat with the chief mate 
 in the stern had disappeared. I dare say it occupied 
 the captain's thoughts as well, though he did not 
 seem to have time to ponder over the matter or 
 consider it in all its bearings. He kept the five of 
 the ship's company who remained aboard pretty 
 busy, the carpenter and boatswain especially. 
 Some alterations had to be made upon the new 
 mizzen-mast, the captain discovered on the previous 
 evening, -when the vessel was being towed out of 
 the ba)', and he meant to have put half-a-dozen of 
 the crew on to do this work. Now he was com- 
 pelled to allow the boatswain and the carpenter to 
 manage it between them. 
 
 At intervals during the forenoon he left the 
 deck, and I could see him tapping the aneroid in 
 his o\\"n cabin to learn what \\-as the tendency of 
 the instrument. I did not require to take any 
 observations of the aneroid to learn what was its 
 
Jl'E SLIP OUR CABLE. 215 
 
 tendency ; it was enough for me to observe the 
 captain's face every time he returned to the deck. 
 I knew from the anxiety he showed that the 
 aneroid was falHng. 
 
 About noon the wind, that had never exceeded 
 a strong breeze, began to blow in strong fitful gusts 
 from the sea. The vessel became very uneasy as 
 she swung at her moorings, and tlie captain became 
 more uneasy still. Only one anchor was available 
 for use, the other having been bent up by the 
 force of the volcanic wave in the Straits ; otherwise 
 an order would undoubtedly have been given to 
 let go the second anchor. The captain, after 
 remaining in the bows for some time in consulta- 
 tion with the second officer, got his pilot-glass, and 
 brought its double barrels to bear upon the shore. 
 From this action I judged that he had found that 
 the ship was dragging her anchor. 
 
 Immediately afterwards I had an opportunity 
 of observing the effect of those immense waves 
 known as rollers, which come with such frequency 
 to the shores of tropical islands. It is not neces- 
 sary that a strong wind should be blowing to 
 produce these enormous waves ; frequently, when 
 the weather is settled and a dead calm is over all 
 the sea, the rollers are highest. With a long heavy 
 swell they sweep along the coast with a noise like 
 thunder, making it impossible for any boat to be 
 launched from the shore, with the exception of 
 those high-beaked whalers to be found at Madeira 
 and elsewhere. 
 
 The wind off Maori Island was scarcely blowing 
 
2i6 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 what might be called half a gale, and yet before 
 noon the mighty waves were breaking over the 
 reef and tumbling ashore, striking the ship that lay 
 athwart their course and sweeping the decks fore 
 and aft. The new masts which had been built in 
 the ship were imperfectly rigged, being designed 
 only to make navigation to Sydney possible ; pro- 
 vision had not, therefore, been made against the 
 unnatural jerking to which the ship was now being 
 subjected, and I expected every minute that the 
 masts would be shaken out of their sockets. 
 
 As the day wore on the wind increased, and so 
 did the weight of the rollers. The anchor began 
 to drag, not inch by inch, but in ugly leaps ; and 
 shortly before eight bells, the new maintop-gallant- 
 mast came down with a crash. 
 
 This was a real catastrophe ; but, so far from 
 increasing the captain's temper, which had been 
 smouldering all day, it seemed to make him calm. 
 
 ' There's nothing for it, Mr. Merrick, but to 
 clap on a rag of sail and run for the channel,' he 
 said, in a quiet tone, to the second officer. 
 
 ' I'm afraid we'll have to try it, sir,' replied Mr. 
 Merrick. 'If the anchor drags at this rate, we'll be 
 ashore in an hour.' 
 
 ' And if the anchor holds, we'll be in a condition 
 for putting back for another month to refit. With 
 this ugly jerking, not a stick will be left in the 
 vessel by sunset.' 
 
 ' In any case, sir, the boats would not be able 
 to put off from shore to-day. We can lie-to to the 
 leeward of the island all night, and bear about for 
 
JVE SLIP OUR CABLE. 217 
 
 the reef in the morning to signal the boats to come 
 off.' 
 
 'Take the bearings of the anchorage, Mr. Mer- 
 rick ; we'll have to slip the cable and trust to be 
 able to pick it up with the grapples in a day or 
 two, if the weather moderates.' 
 
 It went to the captain's heart to slip the cable, 
 I knew ; but the step could not be avoided. The 
 hands that remained aboard were insufficient to 
 work the winch, and then a trysail and jib had 
 to be run up besides. It was plain that, in our 
 condition, slipping the cable was our only chance. 
 
 What a chance it was ! 
 
 We were fully two miles from the channel, 
 between the north point of the island and the reef, 
 and the wind was from the south-east ; so that, 
 with only a trysail and jib hoisted, we were bound 
 to make some leeway, especially as the sea was 
 so high. The chances were, I could perceive, de- 
 cidedly against our being able to reach the open 
 sea in safety. And what was the alternative ? 
 
 The slightest error in judgment would cause us 
 to rUn upon the jagged teeth of the reef at one 
 side, or to fall upon the rugged rocks of the 
 headland on the other. 
 
 ' Can I lend a hand to run up the jib ? ' I asked 
 of the captain, for I felt that I must do something 
 that should divert my attention from the peril of 
 the situation. 
 
 ' Certainly you can,' he replied. ' We'll need 
 every hand aboard the ship just now.' 
 
 The six of us who, with the captain and the 
 
2iS THE 'GREAT ORION: 
 
 second officer, were now on deck — for the steward 
 had come up from the cabin to do a day's work 
 — felt that we had before us the work of ten 
 men. Some of us ^-crc perhaps clumsy — Robson 
 and I were ready to admit so much for our- 
 selves ; but \vc did our best for the captain, who 
 gave us our orders — of that I am certain. Our 
 lives and the lives of our shipmates on the island 
 were, w& knew, dependent upon our exertions. 
 
 With considerable difficulty enough sail was 
 made to take the strain off the cable and allow of 
 its being slipped. The instant the ship was freed 
 the bows swung round, but the trysail was hauled 
 over, and the captain, who had taken the wheel — 
 we had a capital wheel now — ran the ship close to 
 the wind, so that we might keep well to the wind- 
 ward of the channel. The captain wished to run 
 down upon the channel, not to have to beat up 
 for it. 
 
 Many voyages half waj- round the world are 
 accomplished with less peril than there was in that 
 run of two sea miles between the reef and the 
 shore. The poor ship laboured through the heavy 
 swell, her jibboom dipping with every plunge she 
 made. After a sudden plunge she would roll till 
 the scuttles were under water, and all the time the 
 masts were creaking as though thc\- were crazy, 
 and the water that was shipped every time the 
 bows dipped, washed about the deck — now fore and 
 aft, then abeam, until there was no escaping a 
 splash. We stood ankle deep in the water beside 
 the trysail sheets, with our eyes fixed upon the 
 
WE SLIP OUR CABLE. 219 
 
 point of the reef toward which the ship was being 
 steered. 
 
 I never saw so fine a bit of steering in my life 
 as the captain showed at this time. He seemed 
 to take advantage of every roller — to steal, as it 
 were, round the breaking foam at the crests of the 
 big waves ; and yet he managed to keep the sails 
 drawing to the utmost, though we thought he was 
 running directly into the teeth of the wind. If the 
 ship was making any leeway it was not perceptible. 
 For my own part, I felt that the captain could have 
 done anything he chose with the vessel. I felt 
 that the passage to the open sea was no longer a 
 matter of chance. Had it been a mile to wind- 
 ward the captain could have run the ship out. 
 
 I had, however, reckoned upon the wind con- 
 tinuing to blow from the same quarter, and upon 
 the atmosphere remaining clear for the next hour. 
 But before the ship had gone over more than half 
 the distance to the passage between the reef and 
 the headland, the second mate pointed out to me 
 the aspect of the sky to windward. At the same 
 instant the captain also glanced over his shoulder, 
 and then down to the compass. He was evidently 
 taking the exact bearings of the headland. 
 
 He had great reason for doing so. In a few 
 minutes I knew that the headland — that every part 
 of the island — would be invisible from the ship. A 
 tropical rain squall was coming down upon us, 
 and would soon be wrapping us round as with a 
 blanket. I was not mistaken. Above the hollow 
 roaring of the waves that were breaking over the 
 
220 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 reef on the starboard quarter, and the distant 
 thunder of the mighty rollers upon the shore of the 
 island on the other hand, there came the sound as 
 of a cataract falling a hundred feet. The hissing of 
 the rain upon the water increased until it seemed 
 to overcome every other sound, and then the squall 
 swooped down upon us. 
 
 It appeared as if a waterspout had burst over 
 us. We were, to all intents and purposes, sailing 
 beneath a second Niagara. We ^\•cre deluged in a 
 single moment. The very weight of the water was 
 almost too much to stand against. The solid 
 sheets of rain struck the sails, and were thrown off 
 with a noise like the discharge of musketry. So 
 dense was the atmosphere that, standing amidships, 
 I could not see the captain at the wheel. Only by 
 the plunging of the ship could I tell in what direc- 
 tion was the bow or stern. The confusion of the 
 sounds of the rain and the sea appeared to be too 
 much for me : my senses seemed benumbed for 
 some minutes. 
 
 When I recovered sufficiently to be able to 
 realise the situation, the first thought that struck 
 me was, how many moments had I to live .' The 
 ship was trying to make the passage of the reef 
 and this passage was only about four hundred 
 yards in breadth, and it was altogether obscured 
 by the density of the rain squall. It was merely a 
 matter of seconds how long the ship lived — the 
 next plunge might be upon the jagged teeth of the 
 reef ; or, escaping this fate, she would be dashed 
 upon the steep rocks of the headland. I had never 
 
IVM SLIP OUR CABLE. at 
 
 before realised what was meant by Scylla and 
 Charybdis. 
 
 What would not five minutes of clear weather 
 have been worth to us ? But the clear weather 
 did not come. On every side the deluge of rain 
 encircled us — on every side sounded the roaring 
 of the breakers and the hissing of the rain-flood. 
 Suddenly there came a curious change — a change 
 that cannot easily be described. The sounds of 
 the tempest seemed to come from overhead in 
 hollow tones. Everyone aboard knew what this 
 indicated : the ship was beneath the high cliffs of 
 the headland. Were we steering for them or for 
 the passage ? Another moment would decide our 
 fate. At that moment the rain squall rushed past 
 us, the air became clear to leeward, and we saw 
 towering above us, within a biscuit's-throw of our 
 deck, the grim headland. We had just run through 
 the narrow passage. The judgment of the captain 
 had not been at fault. We were safe — for the 
 present at any rate. 
 
 The single prayer of thanks that I felt, but 
 could not utter, at that moment was, I know, the 
 sincerest that had ever been in my heart. 
 
 P¥i^^/^ 
 
CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 FROM BAD TO WORSE. 
 
 ITHOUT altering his course by a single 
 degree, the captain ran the ship right out 
 to sea. The island had almost disap- 
 peared before he thought it well to put about. He 
 then ga\'e the wheel to the boatswain and ordered 
 the trysail sheets to be slackened. The vessel was 
 run before the wind, and was in a much easier condi- 
 tion, though the sea was higher than when she had 
 been inside the reef Still it was impossible to 
 forget that we were altogether at the mercy of the 
 wind and sea. We had no ground-tackle, no 
 boats, no crew. We could do little more than run 
 before the wind. 
 
 Toward evening the captain thought he might 
 venture to put some more sail on the ship and lie- 
 to for the night to the leeward of the island. We 
 had all to go aloft, ^\■ith the exception of the 
 captain and the mate, and I cannot say that I 
 enjoyed my first experience on the j-ards. It 
 seemed to me that I was greatly in need of a third 
 hand to do the ^\•ork that was expected of me — 
 the work that my shipmates did with such ease. 
 
FROM DAD TO WORSE. 223 
 
 We beat up for the island, running as close 
 as was prudent to the reef. Through the pilot- 
 glasses we could see the figures of our crew on 
 the highest ridge of the cliffs signalling to us. 
 We ran up a signal in reply, and fired a gun as 
 well. Then we sheered off once more, and as dark- 
 ness came on, we lay-to, about four miles to the 
 southward of the island. The night was not un- 
 usually bad — only a few heavy rain squalls came 
 down upon us. Every hour we sent up a rocket, 
 and we could see that our friends ashore were 
 anxious to do as much for us as they could in the 
 same line. They lit a fire upon the highest point 
 of the island, and all through the night we could 
 see its flare, like the crater of a small volcano, in 
 the distance. 
 
 ' If we have a spell of good weather in the 
 morning,' replied the captain when I asked him re- 
 specting his plans, ' I shall signal to Mr. Borrows 
 to make the attempt to reach us in the boats out- 
 side the reef You won't find me trying to run that 
 passage again.' 
 
 ' But how about the anchor and cable that j-ou 
 slipped ? ' I inquired. 
 
 ' They won't be picked up by us on this cruise, 
 my boy,' he replied. ' I won't run the chance of 
 losing the ship, to say nothing of your valuable 
 lives, for the sake of some old iron. Once let me 
 get my crew aboard, and you'll not find me putting 
 myself about for the anchor and cable.' 
 
 When morning came, we found that we had 
 drifted some miles to the southward during the night. 
 
THE 'GREAT ORION! 
 
 Still we could see the smoke of the beacon fire on 
 the island, and we beat up for it without delay. 
 Once more we found ourselves to the windward of 
 the reef ; but it soon became plain that another 
 day of lying-to was before us. We could see by 
 our glasses that the rollers were higher than ever 
 upon the shore. It would be impossible for any 
 boat — even a whaler — to be launched through the 
 surf The boats of the ' Great Orion ' could not, we 
 knew, live in such a sea. They would be swamped 
 the instant they left their shelter at the entrance to 
 the bay, where the ship had lain for the past six 
 weeks. There was nothing for it but to lie-to, or 
 to run before the wind. 
 
 ' Well, captain, what do you think of the situ- 
 ation ? ' I asked, when we were once more sheering 
 off. 
 
 He shook his head. 
 
 ' The situation is more serious than you have 
 any notion of,' he replied. ' The aneroid is lower 
 than I ever saw it in these latitudes, and it's going 
 down still. We'll have to give as wide a berth as 
 we can to the island, and prepare for the worst' 
 
 'And what is the worst likely to be, do you 
 think ? ' 
 
 ' It may be the tail end of a cyclone ; it may be 
 the centre of another storm of the same sort. At 
 any rate, it's coming, and if we are to wind'ard of 
 the island, we'll be food for sharks before night.' 
 
 ' And what can we do ? ' 
 
 ' Nothing but run before the wind, and batten 
 everything down. Just see now, Mr. Mostyn, what 
 
FROM BAD TO WORSE. 225 
 
 a shipmaster has to put up with sometimes. You 
 know all that I brought this ship through ; and yet 
 here we are, reduced to this condition through one 
 scoundrel being among the crew. Most likely the 
 ship will be lost, and the men on that island will 
 die there. Few vessels pass this way, and if they 
 make signals they will only attract the attention of 
 the natives, and they will be worse off than before. 
 The man that started the idea of deserting the ship 
 simply because there was an unlimited supply of 
 bacon and potatoes ashore, is a murderer, if ever 
 a murderer lived on the earth.' 
 
 ' I need not tell you that the name of the 
 originator of the plot is Stephen Sliddell,' said I. 
 
 ' I guessed as much. The Irishman told you 
 so?' 
 
 ' Yes. Sliddell is at the bottom of all.' 
 
 The captain took a step or two up the deck, 
 with his hands clenched. Then he returned to me. 
 
 ' Mr. Mostyn, I'm not a revengeful man — I can 
 generally control myself ; but all I ask of you is, 
 that if ever you find Sliddell within shot of me, 
 with my knowing it, you'll not let firearms be 
 within my reach.' 
 
 The captain meant what he said, I could see. I 
 made up my mind to take him at his word. If we 
 were fortunate enough to get our crew aboard once 
 again, I determined not to press Micky O'Hara to 
 let me know which of the men was Sliddell, until 
 the ship was at Sydney, when the police would be 
 able to see that he did not escape the punishment 
 that he deserved. When, however, I thought of 
 
226 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 what the captain had said about our chances of 
 safety, I could not help feeling that there was little 
 need for me to resolve with such earnestness what 
 I should do on reaching Sydnc)', or what I should 
 avoid doing till then. 
 
 Before midday \\c were out of sight of the island, 
 running before the wind to the north-east. As 
 yet there was no appearance of the storm that the 
 captain expected. On the contrary, after sunset the 
 sails began to flap. Though the sea was still high, 
 the ship rode easily, for there was no wind to fling 
 the crest of the waves against her sides. Instead 
 of the storm that was expected, a calm had come 
 on us. In spite of this, the captain ordered all sail 
 to be stowed, with the exception of the trysail 
 and jib. Everything was battened down in antici- 
 pation of the worst. 
 
 ' Take my advice,' said the captain, coming up 
 to where I was standing ; ' go below and snatch 
 an hour's sleep while you can. I won't say when 
 you will be able to get another.' 
 
 I followed his advice, turning in without re- 
 moving any of my clothes. Having scarcely closed 
 my eyes the previous night, I did not need a 
 lullaby to be sung to me to send me fast asleep 
 now. 
 
 I slept until something occurred to disturb me ; 
 the occurrence being that I was thrown out of my 
 bunk to the cabin floor so suddenly, that if I had 
 not instinctively assumed a good falling shape, I 
 should have been severely hurt. As it was, I only 
 got a few bruises. 
 
FROM BAD TO WORSE. 227 
 
 I picked myself up as well as I could and 
 hurried on deck. 
 
 The scene before me was terrific. So far as I 
 could see the water around was white as snow, 
 churned up in foaming masses by the wind, that 
 seemed to blow with the violence of a hurricane, 
 from no quarter in particular, but alternately from 
 every point of the compass. The first blast that 
 came upon my face almost suffocated me, and the 
 remaining work of suffocation the sea appeared to 
 be anxious to accomplish ; for a wave struck me 
 between the shoulders and then engulfed me. As 
 I fell forward my head struck against the hand- 
 rail, and for the moment I saw a larger variety of 
 fireworks than may be witnessed even at the best 
 fetes. Fortunately, I was only stunned for the 
 moment. Shaking the water from my hair, I 
 crawled on my hands and knees astern. The ex- 
 pedition was like making a tour at the bottom of 
 the ocean. I was covered with water that rushed 
 foaming fore and aft, splashing over the bulwarks, 
 and apparently disdaining to escape by the 
 scupper-holes. I found it necessary to pause 
 every now and again, and to raise my head suf- 
 ficiently high to allow of my breathing. For an 
 excursion under similar circumstances one should 
 have a diver's helmet. 
 
 The chain lightning made a blaze all round 
 the ship. By its aid I saw that the captain had 
 lashed himself to the wheel. He caught sight of 
 me and flung me the end of a line. It struck me 
 in the face, and, grasping it, I made my way to' the 
 
 Si 
 
228 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 captain's side, taking the line a turn round my 
 body and lashing it to the stock of the wheel. 
 Grasping the spokes on the starboard side, I felt 
 that I might be able to help the captain to steer. 
 One man at the wheel in such weather was no 
 use. 
 
 By the lightning's glare I now saw that the new 
 mizzen-topmast was gone. I afterwards learned 
 that the heavy sea, which had struck the ship, 
 throwing me out of my bunk, had shaken down 
 the topmast. I could not fail to see, however, that 
 the trysail had not parted. Had it gone, the ship 
 would have been no better than a helpless log on 
 the water. Now, though in a very bad state, she 
 was very much better than a log as yet. But how 
 long would she remain so ? 
 
 We were running before the hurricane, and we 
 should be forced to continue doing so if we wished 
 to ha\e a chance for our lives. But whither was 
 the wind driving us? 
 
 The answer came soon enough. 
 
 The lightning ceased to blaze after two or 
 three hours ; but at the same time the wind, that 
 had been blowing pretty steadily, after the first 
 outburst, from one quarter, shifted some points to 
 the eastward, and the rain came down upon us, 
 cutting us like the lash of a whip. I shut my eyes 
 to prevent myself being blinded. 
 
 Just when the squall was at its highest, I felt 
 my arm grasped fiercely, and the wheel whirled 
 out of my hands. By the sickly light of the bin- 
 nacle-lamp—the new binnacle had but one — I saw 
 
FROM BAD TO WORSE. 229 
 
 a white face close to my own — a ghastly face with 
 staring eyes. 
 
 ' Starboard the helm, for life's sake ! ' the voice of 
 the second mate yelled into my ears. 
 
 Over went the wheel, the spokes flying through 
 my hands — over until I could feel the tiller jammed 
 against the port quarter. I felt the ship actually 
 swing round, and then there came a shock that 
 passed from stem to stern — a shock and a crash of 
 falling spars. The sea poured over the stern in 
 one mighty volume, but only for a few moments ; 
 then the stern was raised high into the air, and the 
 ship was flung forward like a chip upon the crest 
 of a wave. Once more there came a shock, but 
 less violent than before ; the stern fell down, and 
 the ship rolled over on her side, emptying herself 
 of water, and heaving like a living creature. 
 
 I knew what had happened. The ship had 
 run ashore upon one of the many islands south of 
 the Celebes. 
 
CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 A NATIVE VISITOR. 
 
 OR some minutes the ship bumped terribly, 
 but she had evidently struck upon a 
 sandy beach, and was being pushed for- 
 ward inch by inch by the waves. She had managed 
 to swing partly round when she had floated after 
 the first shock ; for she was resting on the entire 
 length of her keel, and her broadside was conse- 
 quently turned to the sea. Instead of going to 
 pieces with the force of the waves, the ship seemed 
 actually at ease. She was lying with the decks 
 sloping up from the shore, and she showed no sign 
 of rolling over. This being so, all we could do 
 was to wait till da^'break should reveal our exact 
 position. We might have struck only upon a sand- 
 bank. In such a case our position would be the 
 most perilous that could be imagined. The ship 
 would break up piece by piece, and, being without 
 boats, we should ha\'e no chance of escape. 
 
 It was a terrible hour that passed before day- 
 break, though the weather seemed to ha\"e mode- 
 rated, for we could hear each other's voices. The 
 
A NATIVE VISITOR. 231 
 
 mate set at rest our fears lest we had run upon a 
 sandbank. He had heard the sound of breakers, 
 he said, and, crawling to the bows, he had seen 
 what he believed to be a long high shore, not a 
 cable's length ahead. Without thinking of the 
 risk of being washed overboard, he had rushed aft 
 and put the wheel hard over. 
 
 When day broke our position was made plain. 
 The ship was lying on her side on the strand of a 
 long uneven shore, and she was protected from the 
 violence of the waves by a range of high rocks. 
 She was, in fact, lying in a little cove behind these 
 rocks, not more than a hundred feet from the en- 
 trance. 
 
 The mate had evidently seen the line of rocks, 
 but the helm had been put down too late to clear 
 them. The bows of the ship must actually have 
 passed the point of the rocks when the helm was 
 put down, so that, instead of clearing the point to 
 seaward, the ship had been run to leeward, and 
 had consequently struck with less violence upon 
 the sand. We had had a marvellous escape. Had 
 we run upon the chain of rocks, we should have 
 gone to pieces within half an hour, so heavy was 
 the sea ; and had we escaped the rocks and run 
 directly upon the strand of pebbles, we should have 
 been equally unfortunate. 
 
 The island where the 'Great Orion' had run 
 ashore, appeared to be a large one. The coast 
 stretched for miles east and west, and did not ap- 
 pear to be a coral formation. The shores were 
 high and well wooded, and there were apparently a 
 
232 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 number of rice-fields in a state of cultivation about 
 a mile inland. The island was, beyond doubt, 
 inhabited ; just above the rice-fields we could see a 
 cluster of native houses — huts of bamboo, plastered 
 with clay. At the furthest extremity of our cove 
 we also saw about half a dozen immense native 
 boats of the prahu pattern, with low masts for the 
 lateen-shaped sails of cocoanut fibre. 
 
 While we were giving our attention to these, 
 and wondering whether it was to our advantage or 
 otherwise to have landed on an inhabited coast, 
 we saw running toward the ship a crowd of natives 
 — men, women, and children. 
 
 'Your gun is the only one aboard, Mr. Mostyn,' 
 said the captain to me. ' Just bring it on deck, 
 with a few cartridges, for the sake of appearances.' 
 
 I hastened down to my cabin and brought up 
 the weapon, taking care also to put my revolver in 
 my breast pocket. As I did so, I could not help 
 remembering what my brother had said on giving 
 me the revolver the night before I left home. 
 Here I was, indeed, in the presence of savages ; 
 and perhaps in a few minutes I might be fighting 
 for my life and the lives of my companions. 
 
 By the time I had returned to the deck the 
 crowd of natives had reached the shore. They 
 stood in a line, gesticulating wildly, while a regular 
 babel of voices came from them. They were 
 scarcely what might be called a well-favoured 
 race, though very much more intelligent in appear- 
 ance than the negro of the west coast of Africa. 
 They were low-sized, almost to a man, and nearly 
 
A NATIVE VISITOR. 233 
 
 all had short straight hair well greased, and orna- 
 ments of fish-bones in their ears and thrust through 
 the cartilage of their noses. They wore very little 
 clothing — only a short apron of fibre. The children 
 were altogether naked. 
 
 As soon as I appeared with the gun, the crowd 
 set up a loud yell, and some of the men who carried 
 bows made a great display of these weapons. 
 Others held arrow-tubes — hollow reeds about three 
 feet in length' through which I had heard of sharp 
 and poisoned arrows being blown. 
 
 At the captain's suggestion I laid down the 
 gun, and at this there was a loud clapping of 
 hands and wilder gesticulations among the natives. 
 But though the side of the ship was not more than 
 a hundred yards from the shore, no attempt was 
 made to board us. 
 
 How long we should have remained looking at 
 each other it would be hard to tell ; but just as I 
 was about to ask the captain what the next step 
 would be, there was an additional commotion 
 among the natives. The reason for this outburst 
 was apparent. Hurrying down the side of the 
 slope, with but a trifling display of dignity, was a 
 man who evidently occupied an important position 
 among the natives. He was rather taller than the 
 others, and he was fully dressed, having on a calico 
 jacket and very baggy trotisers, made in European 
 style. He wore on his head a conical straw hat 
 of the Malay pattern. He carried a sword in his 
 hand, and he was attended by two men, each of 
 whom held an umbrella above him ; but it was 
 
THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 plain that the double umbrella system was more 
 embarrassing than useful to all concerned. The 
 umbrella men were constantly knocking against 
 each other ; and beyond doubt they were accustomed 
 to do so, for the matted material of which the 
 umbrellas were composed was tattered all along 
 the edges. The amount of protection which they 
 would have afforded the chief, in case either of 
 rain or sunshine, would be small. 
 
 On reaching the shore this potentate was greeted 
 with shouts from the natives already assembled, 
 and with a peculiar gesture which was probably 
 meant as a royal salute. His reply was a wave of 
 the sword he carried, and at this signal his friends 
 gave him a pretty wide berth. Then he gravely 
 looked toward us, and took off his hat in English 
 fashion, and, I am bound to say, with some amount 
 of grace. At the same time he shouted out some- 
 thing that sounded ver}- like the English greeting 
 of ' Good-day ! ' 
 
 Captain Harwood took off his cap and sang 
 out a similar greeting, which I now knew was the 
 Dutch for ' Good-day.' 
 
 ' The fellow has picked up some words from 
 the Dutchmen he has come in contact with — ^just 
 as I have done myself,' said the captain. ' He is, 
 I dare say, the chief or head man of the village.' 
 
 ' He's singing out something more, sir,' said the 
 mate. 
 
 ' I hear him ; he's asking if he may come 
 aboard. I don't see why he shouldn't. We can't 
 keep him off if he wants to board us.' 
 
A NATIVE VISITOR. 235 
 
 He then shouted out some words of Dutch in 
 reply to the chief, and the latter, nodding in a 
 pleased way, made signs, and gave an order to the 
 crowd of natives. In an instant a dozen men 
 rushed off to where the prahus were hauled up. 
 The chief stood without a word on the shore, 
 while his men carried on their shoulders one of 
 the smallest of the native craft to his feet. He 
 got into the boat and seated himself amidships ; 
 and hoisting it once more upon their shoulders, 
 the men carried it down to the sand and launched 
 it, half-a-dozen men wading out through the waves 
 until it was afloat; then, leaping at the same 
 instant over the gunwale, so that the thing might 
 not be capsized, every man seized a paddle, and 
 with great cleverness, considering the shape and 
 size of the paddles, commenced the passage to the 
 ship. 
 
CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 THE captain's CAUTION. 
 
 HE voyage was neither a long nor a diffi- 
 cult one. The ship lay, as I have already 
 said, not more than a hundred yards from 
 the shore, and the waves were not high in the 
 sheltered cove. The small prahu was soon beneath 
 our bulwarks, and the ' Great Orion ' lay so much 
 over on her side that the chief was able to get on 
 deck without the aid even of a line. The captain 
 greeted his visitor, and then told Mr. Merrick not 
 to allow anyone else to climb aboard. To do them 
 justice, the native crew showed no desire whatever 
 to follow the example of their chief They seemed 
 to think that he was rather foolhardy ; but he 
 showed himself to be quite at case on the deck. 
 He talked briskly to the captain, with whom he 
 had shaken hands, and was evidently inquiring 
 whence we had come, and how we had run ashore. 
 Though the captain replied to him in the best 
 Dutch he had at his command, there was still a 
 good deal of sign-making between them. It was 
 my impression that neither the captain nor the 
 
THE CAPTAIN'S CAUTION. 237 
 
 chief had more than a rudimentary acquaintance 
 with the Dutch language. The chief seemed, how- 
 ever, to be a master of the art of conversation by 
 signs. 
 
 This kind of chat went on for about five minutes, 
 the captain and his visitor standing against the 
 sloping bulwarks. Then the chief shook hands in 
 a most friendly way, and got into the high stern 
 of the prahu and was paddled ashore. 
 
 ' This island is called in the native tongue Sangua,' 
 said the captain, ' and that gentleman calls himself 
 the rajah. He is the largest pepper-grower in the 
 neighbourhood, he says ; but somehow he and the 
 Dutch don't get on well together. They won't buy 
 his pepper, because of the difficulty of shipping it 
 from here. He actually calls this a grievance. I 
 only wish we were clear of the place ; I wouldn't 
 return for all the pepper in his dominions. I ex- 
 plained to him that I wanted a line run out from 
 our stern to the rocks over there, to haul us off this 
 sand ; and he promised me the use of a dozen 
 prahus and a couple of hundi'ed men for the work. 
 Will there be any difficulty getting us afloat, Mr. 
 Merrick ? ' 
 
 The mate shook his head doubtfully. 
 ' We're pretty high on the strand, sir,' he said ; 
 'but when the sea goes down we might make the 
 attempt. In any case, we must have a crowd to 
 shore up the ship. She can't lie like this.' 
 
 ' No more she can,' said the captain. ' We must 
 keep friends with the rajah, whatever happens. 
 We are in his hands altogether, and I rather fancy 
 
238 THE 'GREAT ORION: 
 
 he knows it. He was particularly anxious for me 
 to tell him where the remainder of the crew were. 
 I told him that we expected them every hour 
 in the boats. He wants us all to go and take 
 breakfast with him. I suppose we'll have to 
 obey him so far. We'll examine the ship first, 
 however.' 
 
 The result of the examination was to show that 
 very little actual damage had been done to the 
 ' Great Orion ' through being stranded in this place. 
 The foretopmast and jibboom were gone, and the 
 timbers \\'ere doubtless so strained that the ship 
 would be leaking all over. Still, it seemed not too 
 much to hope that, if a cable were sent ashore to 
 the rocks and taken a turn round our winch, she 
 might be hauled off. 
 
 ' Mr. Merrick,' said the captain, ' we are in the 
 hands of the rajah, as he calls himself We can 
 do nothing unless he lends us a couple of hundred 
 men.' 
 
 ' That will be about the same as a couple of 
 dozen regular seamen,' said the mate. 
 
 ' About that, more or less ; so we must keep on 
 the best of terms with him. We will go and have 
 breakfast with him, and return his invitation when 
 the ship is straightened up a bit.' 
 
 In the course of another hour the rajah returned 
 to the beach, wearing a rich velvet tunic that had 
 doubtless been given to him with the title of rajah. 
 On his head he carried what I have every reason 
 to believe was a teapot-cosy, made of velvet and 
 worked over with flowers in embroidery. He was 
 
THE CAPTAIN'S CAUTION. 239 
 
 attended by about thirty men, armed with short 
 spears, and some of them with bows. An attempt 
 had evidently been made to provide this army with 
 uniform, for every man wore a pair of loose white 
 drawers, and a small straw cap, almost lost among 
 gorgeous feathers of all colours. The rajah was 
 certainly bent on doing us all the honour that was 
 in his power. 
 
 We might have distrusted him then, I have 
 often reflected ; but if we had given any sign of 
 distrust, what would have been the result .'' Why, 
 he would simply have ordered five hundred or so 
 of his subjects to take possession of the ship. He 
 knew our weakness, and that we could scarcely 
 resist him in our present condition. It was clearly 
 our best policy to make a pretence of trusting him 
 implicitly. 
 
 The rajah had brought round to him another 
 prahu — evidently the royal barge of the island. It 
 was an immense boat, and it required fully two 
 hundred men to bear it to where the rajah and his 
 army were standing. 
 
 It was decided by the captain that the break- 
 fast party ashore should consist of himself, the 
 second mate, and the passenger. The boatswain, 
 carpenter, steward, and the two hands before the 
 mast were to remain aboard the ship, their instruc- 
 tions being that no native was to be allowed up 
 the side. They were not told, however, how they 
 should keep off the natives if a few hundred of 
 them made up their minds to board. The captain 
 was under the impression that a show of firmness 
 
240 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 at first would prevent any liberties being taken with 
 the ship. 
 
 I prepared to go ashore, changing my garments, 
 that had got wet through during the night. It was 
 by no means an easy matter dressing in my cabin, 
 considering the angle at which the floor sloped ; 
 besides this, every article in the cabin had been 
 sent adrift by the shock of grounding. After some 
 trouble I succeeded in making myself presentable, 
 from a European standpoint at any rate, though it 
 would be impossible to say what was the rajah's 
 private impression on the subject. 
 
 When I returned to the deck I found the captain 
 waiting for me. 
 
 ' I have just a few words to say to you, Mr. 
 Mostyn,' said he. ' You must see how difficult our 
 present position is. We are altogether in the hands 
 of these people. Our safety and the rescue of the 
 crew who remain upon Maori Island depend upon 
 our getting the ship clear ; so that we arc bound 
 to keep friends with the rajah, whatever happens. 
 You'll not mind, I'm sure, if anything happens 
 ashore that is not quite according to your ideas of 
 good manners.' 
 
 ' I'll not mind anything that may happen,' I 
 replied. ' The rajah may go as far as he wishes 
 with me : I'll not retaliate.' 
 
 ' I knew I could trust in your own good sense,' 
 said the captain. ' We may have to put up with a 
 lot ; and we must pocket our pride for once. The 
 rajah is, I can see, greatly riled because the Dutch 
 merchants won't make it a point to buy his pepper 
 
THE CAPTAIN'S CAUTION. 
 
 241 
 
 and rice ; but I hope to be able to convince him 
 that we are not Dutch, and that our sympathies are 
 strongly with him.' 
 
 ' Isn't it a pity that you speak the language ?' 
 said I. 
 
 The captain laughed. 
 
 ' My dear boy,' he cried, ' if my way of speak- 
 ing the language doesn't convince him that I'm no 
 Dutchman, I don't know what would.' 
 
CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 A ROYAL LEV£E. 
 
 |Y this time the royal prahu had been 
 brought alongside ; but it certainly proved 
 a much less manageable craft than the 
 smaller one ; its high stern was allowed to give 
 a bump or two against the ship's side, that 
 threatened to upset the rajah and his men-at-arms. 
 His highness in consequence vented his wrath 
 upon the man who was at what may be called the 
 ' stroke ' paddle. He beat the unfortunate wretch 
 over the head with his own paddle, until I thought 
 the weapon would break — I had every confidence 
 in the endurance of the man's skull. 
 
 When the rajah heard that only three of us 
 were going ashore with him, he looked, as I thought, 
 very black and greatly disappointed. After some 
 words with Captain Harwood, ho\\'ever, his features 
 became more composed, and he gave the order to 
 paddle ashore. Though the prahu contained so 
 many men, it was again lifted high and dry as 
 soon as it grounded on the sand. The craft was 
 30 lightly built, it was a matter for surprise to 
 
A ROYAL LEVEE. 243 
 
 me that the bottom did not drop out with such 
 treatment. 
 
 On landing, we were conducted to the rajah's 
 palace, an immense crowd of his subjects follow- 
 ing us, and being by no means careful to keep at 
 such a distance as should show their respect for us. 
 They seemed to be exchanging remarks upon the 
 appearance of every member of our party, and more 
 than once I felt my sleeve plucked by some of the 
 more enterprising of the natives, in their anxiety to 
 test the material of which my coat was made. F 
 cannot say that I was impressed with the politeness 
 of the race. They had evidently come in con- 
 tact previously with so many Europeans, that they 
 had ceased to regard any with that awe which is sup- 
 posed to take possession of uncivilised races on the 
 first appearance of white men before them. The 
 rajah seemed to have largely developed commercial 
 instincts, for before giving us anything to eat, he 
 insisted on bringing us round his plantations. He 
 showed us his rice-fields, his tobacco-garden, and 
 chiefly his pepper-grove. He kept us among the 
 pepper trees for more than an hour, explaining, for 
 the fourth time, how badly he had been treated by 
 the Dutch in respect to this commodity. He ap- 
 peared to be under the impression that pepper was 
 the chief article of diet among Europeans, and that 
 it was eaten in spoonfuls off a plate at every meal. 
 He explained that the only cargo of pepper he had 
 ever disposed of was to the Dutch governor of one 
 of the neighbouring islands, who had given him in 
 exchange the title of rajah, and had promised to 
 
244 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 insist on all Dutch ships taking cargoes of the same 
 nature from him. It appeared, however, that the 
 governor had forgotten his promise, for the few ships 
 that had anchored off the coast since he had made 
 it, had declined to purchase pepper. The rajah's face 
 became livid with rage as he made this explana- 
 tion, which was afterwards translated for us by the 
 captain. It looked as if his partiality for pepper 
 had affected his nature, for a more peppery old 
 gentleman I never saw. 
 
 The palace was simply half-a-dozen wattled 
 cabins, the clay on which was painted a bright red. 
 It could not be said that the interior was in any way 
 remarkable : the need for a table or chairs had, ap- 
 parently, not been recognised by the royal house- 
 furnishers. A few dishes of unglazed earthenware 
 had been placed on the floor in the centre of one of 
 the rooms, and at one side of the dishes there was a 
 common roughly-cut platform about a foot high, 
 and covered with a few cocoanut-fibre mats. 
 
 Here the rajah squatted without ceremony, and 
 made signs for us to do the same. I cannot say that 
 I felt altogether comfortable in the position which 
 I was forced to adopt. However, I tucked my legs 
 under me as best I could, and prepared to eat as 
 hearty a breakfast as was consistent with etiquette. 
 W'e had a singular meal. Half- cooked rice was the 
 chief dish ; this, with fish broiled — and smoked in the 
 operation— could scarcely be called a dainty. Then 
 came sweet potatoes, served up with pepper pods ; 
 and peeled bananas, with half-ground pepper strewn 
 over them. After these courses large shell-fish 
 
A ROYAL LEVE£. 245 
 
 were brought in, and another dish of pepper. The 
 result of merely tasting these delicacies was to make 
 me feel like an animated pepper-box. I told the 
 second mate, who sat beside me, that I believed if he 
 were to slap me on the back a shower of pepper 
 would come out of my eyes and ears. 
 
 After these eatables had disappeared, a large 
 basin or bowl was brought in, and several cups, of 
 rough earthenware. The bowl contained an in- 
 toxicating liquor distilled from cocoanut milk. A 
 sip from one of the cups was enough for me. The 
 mate did not get beyond the same moderate allow- 
 ance, but the poor captain was compelled to drink 
 all that had been put into his cup. As for the 
 rajah himself, I regret to say that he did not show 
 that abstemiousness was among' his strong points. 
 He drank cup after cup of the horrid stuff", until he 
 was speedily in a condition of intoxication. 
 
 This was very embarrassing for his guests, es- 
 pecially as he became extremely talkative and very 
 demonstrative, taking up his sword and whirling 
 it wildly over our heads, shouting out in his own 
 language a number of phrases that we took to be 
 threats against the Dutch. 
 
 ' I don't like this situation,' I remarked to the 
 mate in an undertone. 
 
 ' No more do I,' he replied ; ' but if we keep our 
 eye on him we'll be all right. The captain will 
 bring him down the moment he goes too far.' 
 
 ' And I have my revolver,' I remarked. 
 
 'Don't use it until we find ourselves hobbled 
 completely,' said he. ' Who can tell what instruc- 
 
246 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 tions those guards of his outside may have re- 
 ceived?' 
 
 I recognised the wisdom of this advice, and re- 
 solved to act upon it. 
 
 At last our host, wearied with his exertions, fell 
 backwards upon his mat, and his heavy breathing 
 told us that he was asleep. We did not think it 
 necessary to bid him any formal farewell, but, get- 
 ting on our feet as quietly as possible, made for the 
 mats that hung before the entrance. 
 
 We had scarcely reached the open air before 
 we found ourselves confronted by a dozen of the 
 guards. They made signs to us to return at once 
 to the palace ; but the captain pointed to the shore 
 and then to the palace, going through the panto- 
 mime of shaking hands effusively. 
 
 All this did not satisfy the rajah's men. They 
 shook their spears in a threatening way and again 
 pointed to the palace. 
 
 ' There's nothing for it but to return,' said the 
 captain. ' I don't ^\•ant to do anything that might 
 be thought discourteous.' 
 
 ' You don't think that we should show at once 
 that we can be firm ? ' said I. ' Remember that I 
 have my revolver.' 
 
 ' I don't forget it,' he replied ; ' but if we show 
 it to them afterwards, and let them know the mean- 
 ing of it, our yielding to them now will convince 
 them that our intentions ar-e pacific' 
 
 We returned to the palace, and once again 
 seated ourselves on the mats not far from the 
 slumbering rajah. 
 
A ROYAL LEVEE. ii,l 
 
 For fully three hours we remained here, until 
 the captain declared that he would stand this sort 
 of treatment no longer. He went to our host and 
 gave him a shake. The rajah sat up and stared 
 around him in a bewildered way. The captain said 
 a few words to him in Dutch, but he made no reply. 
 He fell back, and once again his snoring filled the 
 apartment. 
 
 ' He may not awake until night,' said the cap- 
 tain, 'and I have no intention of remaining here 
 till then.' 
 
 We boldly pushed aside the mat and went out. 
 We found the guards more obstructive than ever. 
 ' Just pass me that revolver, if you don't mind, 
 Mr. Mostyn,' said the captain. 
 
 I at once handed him the weapon, which he 
 cocked. Then he went quickly over to the native 
 who seemed to be in command of the army. The 
 man started back. He had, beyond doubt, seen a 
 revolver before, and knew something of its proper- 
 ties. The captain made signs to reassure him, and 
 then pointed out one by one the six chambers. He 
 laid his finger upon one chamber and pointed to 
 the man himself, then upon a second, pointing to 
 another man, as if assuring him that every bullet 
 in the revolver had its billet. He then pointed to 
 my pocket, and explained generally that there 
 were sufficient cartridges to be served out to the 
 entire of the army. 
 
 This explanation was apparently satisfactoiy, 
 for the spears were lowered at once, and we were 
 allowed to walk on. We had not gone more than 
 
248 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 a hundred yards on our way down to the coast 
 when the rajah's guard set up a great shout. We 
 looked back, and saw them waving their spears and 
 bows frantically. They made no attempt, however, 
 to follow us ; and the ordinary people of the village 
 seemed also to be under the impression that nothing 
 would be gained by making further advances to- 
 ward us. 
 
 We found a fisherman's sampan on the beach, 
 and in this we paddled off to our ship. 
 
 The boatswain told us that he had had great 
 difficulty in preventing the natives from climbing 
 up the sides. They had, however, made no attempt 
 to carry out their desires by force. 
 
p^^^^k^^^fe^ 
 
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 ^M 
 
 
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 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 WE ARE MADE PRISONERS. 
 
 |HE whole ship's company remained on 
 deck that night, keeping a careful watch 
 against a surprise by the natives ; for we 
 feared that when the rajah should awake he would 
 regard our leave-taking after breakfast in the light 
 of an insult. The guards had hinted as much to 
 us. We remained, however, quite undisturbed. 
 
 Early in the morning we were all astir. The 
 captain was afraid that Mr. Borrows and the others 
 who had been left on Maori Island might fancy 
 that we had deserted them, or that the ship had 
 come to grief. It was necessary that we should at 
 once take some steps to get away from this island 
 and its peppery rajah. The first action that we 
 should take was in respect to shoring up the vessel. 
 She must be set on an even keel before we could 
 make the attempt to haul her off. 
 
 The carpenter was just explaining his views on 
 the subject, when our friend the rajah appeared on 
 the shore, surrounded by his full court. 
 
 He hailed us as he had done on the previous 
 morning. The captain treated him coldly enough, 
 
THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 determined that if any question of etiquette should 
 arise the rajah should be given to understand that 
 he was the offender in having gone to sleep in our 
 presence. When the rajah, however, stated that 
 he wished to return our visit, we could not shout 
 back to him that we were not anxious for this show 
 of courtesy. The captain signalled him to come 
 aboard, and in a few minutes the state prahu was 
 alongside the ship. 
 
 The rajah shook hands with everyone aboard. 
 He asked the captain why he had left him so soon 
 on the previous day, and the captain replied, as he 
 told us afterwards, that we had left because it was 
 necessary to try and float the ship without delay. 
 He expressed the hope that the rajah would allow 
 us immediately to hire a hundred men for the work. 
 The rajah replied that on the next day we should 
 have two hundred if we needed them, but that to- 
 day he wanted us to go ashore with him and visit 
 a second pepper-plantation that he had at some dis- 
 tance from the palace. He was anxious, he said, 
 that the announcement should be made in every port 
 that he was being badly treated by the Dutch, who 
 declined to buy his pepper, though he had a finer 
 growth of it than could be found at any of the other 
 islands. 
 
 I quite expected that the captain would refuse 
 to go ashore, and probably his first impulse was to 
 refuse ; but a moment's reflection showed him that 
 the rajah should be humoured. Consequently he 
 agreed to go ashore, provided that a promise was 
 given that a hundred of the best men would be 
 
WE ARE MADE PRISONERS. 251 
 
 placed at his disposal early the next day. The 
 rajah gave the promise at once, and again we found 
 ourselves in the prahu being paddled ashore. 
 
 ' I'll take very good care that I eat no more of 
 his pepper,' said the second mate. ' I have felt ever 
 since yesterday's breakfast as if I had swallowed a 
 torchlight procession. No : his pepper may be the 
 best in the universe, but I'll not sample it again. 
 I'll take its merits for granted. But he evidently 
 thinks that such a breakfast is not to be sneezed 
 at' 
 
 ' He's wrong there,' said I. ' If a meal with 
 about a ton of pepper flying about is not to be 
 sneezed at, I'd like to knov/ what is.' 
 
 The same programme as that of the previous 
 day was gone through, only the captain told us 
 our host said that as the other plantation was so 
 far away, it would be better if we were to eat some- 
 thing before setting out. 
 
 ' I knew what was coming,' said the mate. 
 ' We'll be forced to eat another stone of that stuff' 
 
 ' Come along,' said the captain ; ' this is the last 
 time we'll be forced to do it. We can live for the 
 rest. of our lives in a pepperless condition.' 
 
 We entered the palace, and once more our host 
 squatted down before the earthen dishes of rice. 
 We followed his example. I was sitting with my 
 back turned to the entrance, and was about to make 
 a remark to the mate, when I heard a shout from 
 the captain. Before I could turn round or spring 
 to my feet, I felt nearly smothered beneath the 
 weight of half-a-dozen men, I know that I struck 
 
2 52 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 out pretty freely for a few seconds, and I experienced 
 a sense of relief as my fist came in contact with some 
 of the black faces that were above mine. The relief, 
 however, was only momentary ; my hands were 
 forced behind my back and tied with coarse strips 
 of matting, and then the men who had been hold- 
 ing me down and sitting upon me, leapt up. I was 
 able to breathe once more, and after some violent 
 efforts I got into a sitting posture, and looked around 
 the apartment. 
 
 The captain and the mate were, I saw, in the 
 same position as myself Their hands were tied 
 behind them, and their bodies were completely 
 enwound with rope made of fibrous matting. The 
 way we had all been surprised reflected credit upon 
 the smartness of the traitorous rajah and his army. 
 The whole affair, from the instant the captain had 
 shouted, seeing the men about to rush into the room, 
 until we were secured, occupied less than three 
 minutes. Six or seven men had flung themselves 
 upon each of us ; and yet it seemed to me as I 
 looked around, that as many as twenty of these 
 ruffians had received substantial tokens of our resist- 
 ance. Noses were bleeding in every direction, and 
 several of the strongest men were limping from the 
 effects of the kicks we had dealt them in the course 
 of the struggle. It was some consolation for us to 
 know that if we were overcome we had had a fight 
 for our liberty. Still the painful fact remained that 
 we were in the power of these barbarians. 
 
 ' What is the meaning of this ? ' I shouted to 
 Merrick. The din in the place was so frightful that 
 
JVE ARE MADE PRISONERS. 253 
 
 I could not catch his reply ; but, from the expression 
 on his face, I judged it to be pretty strong. 
 
 The captain was evidently making the same 
 inquiry as mine from our ungracious host, who 
 replied with considerable vehemence in his broken 
 Dutch. As the room was now crowded to a point of 
 suffocation by natives, both men and women, who 
 kept up a chorus of yells at our appearance, and of 
 sympathy for the guards whose noses we had broken, 
 the captain could not possibly hear a word that the 
 rajah said. The rajah at length seemed to perceive 
 that his speech was being thrown away. With a 
 yell he leaped to his feet, grasped his sword, and 
 rushed at his faithful subjects. I never saw a room 
 cleared in so short a space of time. The people 
 seemed to go out in one solid mass, falling in a 
 heap outside the entrance. They must have formed 
 a pyramid outside "considerably higher than the 
 palace roof 
 
 The rajah then resumed his speech to the cap- 
 tain, the drift of which I afterwards learned. 
 
CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 OUR captor's proposals. 
 
 I HE rajah declared that we had insulted 
 him on the previous day by leaving him 
 without a formal farewell ; that his sub- 
 jects had complained loudly of being threatened 
 with the revolver, and declared that we should all 
 be killed. For his own part, the rajah said, he did 
 not wish to kill us ; but we must consider ourselves 
 his prisoners. 
 
 To this the captain replied that if we had com- 
 mitted any offence against the customs of the 
 island we were very sorry ; we had erred altogether 
 through ignorance, he declared, and we were ready 
 to make any reasonable amends for our mis- 
 take. 
 
 To this the rajah responded that he was willing 
 to take this view of the matter, and he thought that 
 the payment of a ransom of a thousand dollars a 
 head for us would be reasonable, all things con- 
 sidered. He would accept this sum, provided that 
 we also obtained for him an agreement from the 
 Dutch governor of Sumbawa to take all the pepper 
 
OUR CAPTOR'S PROPOSALS. 255 
 
 that would be grown on the island during the next 
 five years. 
 
 The captain said that we were Englishmen, not 
 Dutchmen, and had therefore no power to make 
 any representations to a Dutch governor ; but if 
 our ship were floated safely we would have no 
 objection to pay a thousand dollars ransom for 
 each of us, in whatever goods his highness might 
 select from our cargo. 
 
 His highness begged to assure the captain 
 that, according to the custom of the island, he 
 claimed every ship that was cast ashore, so that if 
 we wanted our ship, we must pay three thousand 
 dollars ransom for her also. As for the excuse 
 that we were not Dutchmen, and so could not pro- 
 mise anything on behalf of the Dutch governor, 
 the rajah thought that this was nonsense. If the 
 Dutch governor knew that we were prisoners and 
 likely to remain so, he would certainly make the 
 required agreement and pay the ransom. 
 
 ' No,' said the captain ; ' he would do nothing of 
 the sort. Besides, how could we reach the governor 
 unless we were set free ? ' 
 
 The rajah then said that he proposed to send 
 one of us in a prahu, fully manned, to Sumbawa. 
 Our condition and the terms for our release were 
 to be stated to the governor, and he would then 
 pay the ransom and send the agreement respecting 
 the pepper back to the island. 
 
 At this proposal the captain was greatly in- 
 clined to jump : the Dutch had, he knew, at least 
 three frigates in these waters, and on hearing that 
 
2 56 THE 'GREAT ORION: 
 
 we were prisoners at this island the governor of 
 Sumbawa would certainly despatch a gunboat to 
 rescue us. The rajah, however, went on to say 
 that unless the governor sent the money and the 
 agreement back directly in the prahu, we should be 
 carried to the interior of the island and left in the 
 forests where no white men could follow us. If 
 any other boat except the prahu were to appear in 
 the anchorage, the same course would be adopted : 
 we should be carried off to the forests in the 
 interior. 
 
 This was the substance of the perfidious rajah's 
 proposal ; and on hearing it, the captain begged 
 permission to consult with us on the subject. His 
 request being granted, he told us all that had 
 passed between him and the rajah, and asked us 
 what was our opinion of the situation. 
 
 I scarcely knew what to say on the matter. 
 I felt that the suggestion that the governor of 
 Sumbawa should be appealed to was ridiculous ; 
 it would only have been made by some one as 
 ignorant as this precious rajah. Even if we suc- 
 ceeded in obtaining the ransom, how could we 
 hope to obtain the agreement that he wanted 
 respecting his wretched pepper ? 
 
 ' I only wish we had our crew here with the 
 rifles,' said the mate. ' We'd teach these fellows a 
 lesson of hospitality that they'd not be likely to 
 forget.' 
 
 ' No doubt,' said the captain ; ' but, you see, our 
 men are not here and not likely to be anywhere 
 except on Maori Island, poor fellows The ques- 
 
OUR CAPTOR'S PROPOSALS. 257 
 
 tion to be decided is what we should do under the 
 present circumstances.' 
 
 ' What about the ship and the five men aboard ? ' 
 I asked. 'Don't you fancy that they will take 
 some steps to release us } ' 
 
 ' I hope they are too wise to think of facing the 
 natives,' said the captain. 'Yes, I'm sure they 
 will confine themselves to keeping the ship. I 
 believe they will succeed too. They have your 
 gun and plenty of cartridges ; and then you must 
 remember that there are two brass cannon aboard 
 the ship. Yes, if they are wise they will leave us 
 to look after ourselves. But what are we to do ? ' 
 
 ' I'll agree to anything, but I can suggest 
 nothing,' said I. 
 
 ' I don't see what we can do to help ourselves,' 
 said the mate. 
 
 ' Nor I,' said the captain. ' We've missed our 
 stays and our ship's in irons. We'll have to agree 
 to anything that's proposed. But don't you let it 
 cross your mind that we won't get the better of 
 this scoundrel in the long run.' 
 
CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 
 WE ACCEPT THE TERMS. 
 
 HE rajah, on being made acquainted with 
 our acceptance of the terms he offered, 
 did not show himself to be either satisfied 
 or the reverse. He simply nodded, and asked the 
 captain which of us would go in the prahu on the 
 mission to the governor of Sumbawa. The captain 
 at once nodded in the direction of Mr. Merrick, 
 telling the mate what was the meaning of this 
 sign. 
 
 ' All right,' said Merrick. ' I'm ready for any- 
 thing. If their rickety old craft comes to grief 
 and I don't return, I hope you won't blame me. 
 If anything short of a capsize happens, you may 
 swear that I'll return. But it does go to my heart 
 to pay these fellows a single dollar.' 
 
 ' Make up your mind that the money must be 
 paid,' said the captain ; ' and, above all, do not try 
 any plan to rescue us. Wait until wc are afloat in 
 the ' Orion,' and have got our own crew off Maori 
 Island before you carry out any scheme against 
 
W£ ACCEPT THE TERMS. 259 
 
 these fellows. If you bring a man-of-war here, 
 you'll never see us again. In a drunken fit this 
 scoundrel might order us to be stuck over with 
 poisoned arrows.' 
 
 ' I'll be cautious enough, never fear,' said the 
 mate. ' I'll take good care to do nothing that 
 would spoil your chances. Only I do hope that 
 the boatswain will be able to hold the ship.' 
 
 ' He'll do his best, you may be sure,' said the 
 captain. 
 
 ' Perhaps,' said I, ' you might hint that the 
 position we are in just now, with our hands behind 
 us, is not the pleasantest that could be imagined. 
 We might surely be released now.' 
 
 The captain represented this to the rajah, but 
 the latter declared that he would not release us until 
 the prahu was ready to sail for the Dutch island. 
 He made another allusion to the revolver that had 
 been displayed on the previous day, and left the 
 apartment at once, saying that he would return with 
 a letter to the Dutch official. 
 
 All we could now do was to sit in the con- 
 strained position that we were in, and look at one 
 another, perhaps for the last time. 
 
 In about an hour the rajah returned, bringing 
 with him a letter written in Dutch^ — much to our 
 amazement, for we believed him to be as illiterate 
 as he was ignorant. We learned afterwards that 
 our estimate of his powers was not too low. The 
 letter was written by one of his subjects — an old 
 man, who had lived for some years at Batavia, and 
 had made some progress in reading and writing. 
 
260 THE 'GREAT ORION! 
 
 We did not, however, become aware of this for 
 some time ; so that when he handed the captain the 
 missive, we believed that we were not in the pre- 
 sence of an utter barbarian. 
 
 He explained to the captain that the letter 
 stated the quantity of pepper which was annually 
 grown at the island, and showed the Dutch governor 
 that the loss sustained through no ship having 
 called to take a cargo of the commodity amounted 
 to the three thousand dollars which was now 
 demanded as our ransom. 
 
 The rajah then left us once more, returning 
 after some time to say that the prahu was now 
 ready to sail for the island. 
 
 We were all greatly surprised at this news. 
 We were under the impression that some days 
 would be allowed to pass before the attempt would 
 be made to sail in the prahu for the island of 
 Sumbawa, which we knew must lie nearly two 
 hundred miles to the south. Such haste was not 
 in keeping with the ideas we had formed of the 
 native system. 
 
 ' I'm quite ready,' said Merrick. ' If the boat 
 has been advertised to start at a particular hour, 
 I won't let it be said that it was kept back on my 
 account.' 
 
 ' Good-bye, old fellow,' said the captain. ' You'll 
 do your best for us, I'm sure. Above all things, 
 you'll keep your temper with these fellows until we 
 can see our way out of this scrape.' 
 
 ' Don't fear for me, sir,' replied the mate, ' I'll 
 not say " Good-bye," but only " So long." ' 
 
TVi: ACCEPT THE TERMS. 261 
 
 By this time the room was filled with the 
 rajah's guards, carrying spears and bows. At a 
 signal from the rajah one of the men stepped 
 up to me and removed my revolver from my 
 breast-pocket, taking it out of the room alto- 
 gether. Then the bindings of our arms were cut, 
 but not those of our legs, and food was brought to 
 us in the usual earthen vessels. The rajah begged 
 us to eat, and I had no rooted prejudice against 
 doing so, for I had scarcely tasted a morsel in the 
 morning ; but my hands and arms were so stiff 
 it was some time before I could help myself to 
 the rice and fish — the stewed pepper I carefully 
 avoided. I saw no reason why I should add to 
 the horror of my situation by devouring pepper- 
 pods. 
 
 As I looked at my swollen wrists and felt that 
 somehow my arms had become dislodged in their 
 sockets, I had an almost uncontrollable desire to 
 make the attempt to exercise my muscles upon 
 the treacherous rajah. I looked toward him and 
 my fingers unconsciously closed. 
 
 The captain must have seen this, and had his 
 suspicions that I was not to be trusted. 
 
 ' Mr. Mostyn, Mr. Mostyn, I don't like to see 
 your hands doubled up like that,' he said in a low 
 voice. ' Remember that all depends upon your 
 keeping cool.' 
 
 ' Cool — cool ! ' said I. ' Yes, I'll keep cool now ; 
 but I'll make that pepper-growing scoundrel sorry 
 some day that his scheme against us succeeded as 
 it has done.' 
 
262 THE 'GREAT ORION: 
 
 ' Right you are,' said Merrick. ' I only wish 
 I had an interview with him alone for about 
 ten minutes. I'd pulverise him — I'd grind him 
 into finer dust than his finest pepper. Never 
 mind ! our day will come. It's not in the nature 
 of things that the Union Jack should be danced 
 upon by savages in this fashion.' 
 
 After our meal we were all bound once more ; 
 but Merrick's legs were freed. He was helped 
 upon his feet, a couple of spearmen standing on 
 either side of him, and two others with lowered 
 weapons in the entrance ; these precautions being 
 taken lest he should make any attempt to 
 escape. 
 
 I must confess that I fully expected to be 
 released with the mate. I remarked as much to the 
 captain ; but he shook his head and said that the 
 rajah was paying us a very high compliment in 
 keeping us bound. We had shown him a few 
 hours before that we were dangerous, even when 
 attacked by twenty or thirty men, and he could 
 not be blamed for keeping us secure when he 
 had the chance. 
 
 ' Well,' said Merrick, with an affectation of 
 carelessness, ' well, I'm off. I hope I'll find you 
 all right when I'm moored here again. If — if any- 
 thing should happen, captain — any accident, you 
 know — just drop a line to the old people : you have 
 the address.' 
 
 The captain nodded. 
 
 ' We'll meet again, never fear,' said he. 
 
 ' We shall, captain ; and won't we just have a 
 
JVE ACCEPT THE TERMS. 263 
 
 shy at these rascals ! They'll not put a freeborn 
 Englishman in irons in a hurry again.' 
 
 He marched out between the guards with his 
 teeth set. I could not but acknowledge that 
 they were quite prudent in keeping his hands 
 bound. 
 
 The captain begged permission to see the 
 prahu in which our friend was about to embark, 
 but the rajah refused, on the ground that the 
 guards distrusted us, and that some of them might 
 run a spear into us in the excitement of the 
 moment. 
 
 There was nothing left for us to do but to lie 
 looking into one another's faces, while the rajah sat 
 at some distance smoking some tobacco-leaves 
 rolled up in the shape of a cheroot, and pondering, 
 no doubt, upon some new scheme for getting rid 
 of his pepper. 
 
 ' All that I hope,' said the captain to me in a 
 whisper, ' is that those aboard the ship will make 
 themselves snug, and not think of rescuing us. I 
 believe that they can hold the ship, but if they 
 come ashore they must be killed to a man.' 
 
 ' Are we to remain bound for the next fort- 
 night or so, until the money comes from that 
 Dutchman ? ' I inquired. Though the strips of 
 matting did not bite into my flesh, still I felt 
 that behind my back was not the natural place 
 for my hands, and I felt awkward about the 
 elbows. 
 
 The captain asked our host, who should now 
 be called our gaoler, when it would please him to 
 
264 
 
 THE 'GREAT ORION! 
 
 loose us, but the only reply he got was a solemn 
 shake of the head. 
 
 I could not bring myself to think such treat- 
 ment satisfactory. 
 
CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 
 WE ARE LEFT TO OUR OWN DEVICES. 
 
 |FTER about an hour's waiting in silence 
 in the presence of the rajah, a number of 
 the guards returned, evidently in a state 
 of consternation — indeed it might almost be said 
 that they burst into the royal apartment. They 
 made no obeisance to the rajah, and, of course, 
 none to us ; but as we did not look for any such 
 token of respect, we were not disappointed when it 
 was not forthcoming. One of them addressed a 
 few words to the rajah, and in an instant the latter 
 started to his feet, dropping the end of his imita- 
 tion cheroot, which continued burning away on 
 the edge of the platform. He put some questions 
 eagerly to the chief of the guards, who had just 
 entered — the one who had acted as spokesman for 
 the others — and on receiving a reply, he looked 
 towards the captain and myself in anything but 
 an amiable way. He stamped about fiercely for 
 awhile, then, as if a sudden and particularly happy 
 thought had struck him, he made a rush for his 
 sword of state, which he had left in a corner on 
 
266 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 squatting down for breakfast, or whatever the 
 unsavoury meal should be called. He caught up 
 the sword. The chief of the guards thought it 
 advisable to make a move toward the entrance 
 to the apartment ; he evidently thought that it 
 would be well to be prepared for any accident that 
 might happen. It was clear to us that he had not 
 unlimited confidence in the self-control of the 
 raging rajah. 
 
 No doubt the guard had good reasons for his 
 mistrust of his royal master, and his move to the 
 entrance was suggested by prudence. But what 
 should the captain and I do under the circum- 
 stances ? If the guard had great reasons for 
 avoiding the wrath of the rajah, how much greater 
 reasons had we for fearing his violence? We 
 could not follow the example that had been 
 shown us, and get conveniently close to the en- 
 trance in case of an outburst on the part of our 
 gaoler. 
 
 When he snatched up his sword I thought our 
 last hour had come. It appeared, however, that 
 his cupidity got the better of his temper. He 
 made a rush at us with the bare weapon, but did 
 not bring it down upon us. He only flourished 
 it fiercely before our faces, shouting something 
 that was probably an insult ; but not understand- 
 ing its import, we did not feel particularly hurt 
 by it ; even if we had understood it, I am sure 
 that we would have preferred it to the sabre 
 stroke that threatened us. We did not give the 
 
'THE RAJ\H WENT STAMPING UP AND DOWN THE FLOOR OF THE PALACE, 
 
 WAVING HIS SWORD MORE WILDLY THAN HE HAD ^ ET DONE." Page '^66. 
 
WE ARE LEFT TO OUR OWN DEVICES. 267 
 
 artful rajah credit for his clemency. It was our 
 opinion that he only refrained from murdering 
 us because of the impossibility of his obtaining 
 the ransom, should he adopt such a course. He 
 perceived, however, that he might insult us now 
 without the success of the negotiations for our 
 release and for the disposal of his pepper being 
 jeopardised. 
 
 After his demonstration with the sword of 
 state in front of us, he made a rush at the chief of 
 the guards. That officer was, however, not unpre- 
 pared for his royal master's movement ; he adroitly 
 sprang through the doorway, leaving the mats 
 waving behind him. 
 
 The rajah did not follow immediately, but 
 quickly buckled his sword-belt under his arm- 
 pits, and looked about for the embroidered teapot- 
 cosy which he was accustomed to wear as a 
 substitute for the cocked hat of a general. Having 
 found this indispensable article of headgear, he 
 gave a glance towards us, and left the palace, 
 savagely kicking aside the hanging mats. 
 
 ' What can be the meaning of all this ? ' said 
 the captain. 
 
 ' The guards evidently brought him some piece 
 of news that he did not regard as altogether agree- 
 able,' I replied. ' It struck him at first that he could 
 not do better than express his feelings in the most 
 forcible way to us ; but when he was about to carry 
 out his idea, it occurred to him that he could not 
 well claim the ransom if Merrick was to return 
 
268 THE 'GREAT ORION: 
 
 with the three thousand dollars only to find our 
 dead bodies.' 
 
 ' I agree with you so far,' said the captain ; 
 ' but what I should like to know is what was the 
 news that was brought to him by the guard, and 
 that called for his outbreak of temper ? ' 
 
 ' Can it be that Merrick has escaped ? ' I 
 suggested. 
 
 ' Not likely,' he replied. ' In the first place, he 
 could have had no chance of escape ; and in the 
 second place, he would have nothing to gain, and 
 a great deal to lose, by such an attempt. Even if 
 he were to get free, we should not be benefited by 
 the act ; on the contrary, our position here would 
 be more dangerous, and we should be kept in even 
 stricter confinement than that we are in at present, 
 if indeed the rajah did not immediately carry 
 out his threat of sending us to the forests of the 
 interior of the island, where we should have to 
 remain for an indefinite period. All this Merrick 
 knows perfectly well, and would, consequently, 
 not be so foolish as to try and escape merely for 
 the sake of saving himself in the simplest way 
 possible.' 
 
 ' I don't suppose that his position aboard the 
 stranded ship would be any better than ours in this 
 place,' I remarked. 
 
 The captain shook his head. 
 
 ' If Merrick were only aboard I believe he 
 could hold the ship against all comers,' he said. 
 'What they need aboard is an officer to take 
 
tVE ARE LEFT TO OUR OWN DEVICES. 269 
 
 charge of them. The boatswain is a good fellow 
 and a first-class seaman ; though I'm not so con- 
 fident in his capacity to take command of the deck 
 in case of the ship being boarded by the natives. 
 But what I fear most is that he will not be discreet 
 enough to remain aboard at all hazards. If, when 
 we do not return to the ship, he becomes anxious, 
 and ventures ashore in search of us, I'm afraid 
 his chances of escape, and ours too, will be but 
 small.' 
 
 ' I don't think we need doubt his discretion,' 
 said I. ' The boatswain will see how matters 
 stand when we do not turn up in good time 
 aboard the ship. But you must not forget that 
 we have not yet accounted for the rajah's out- 
 burst' 
 
 'After all, it may not have had reference to 
 ourselves,' said the captain. ' It may have been 
 the result of some disagreeable news of a purely 
 personal character.' 
 
 ' But why, then, should he have taken the 
 trouble to menace us, after hearing the news, 
 whatever it was ? ' 
 
 ' That I can't tell,' replied the captain. ' Only, 
 I have noticed — and I dare say you have done the 
 same^that, when a man is accustomed to give way 
 to his temper, he generally vents his wrath upon the 
 people or the things that are nearest to him at the 
 moment. Now, we were quite handy to the rajah, 
 and we are not, I think you will admit, in a posi- 
 tion to retaliate. His practised eye at once saw 
 
270 
 
 THE 'GREAT ORION: 
 
 the advantage of making us the objects of his 
 
 wrath, and so ' 
 
 His sentence was broken off abruptly, for there 
 came to our ears the sound of a shot at apparently 
 no great distance from the palace. 
 
CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
 
 THE ONLY DEVICE LEFT TO US. 
 
 |HE captain looked silently into my face. 
 I returned his glance inquiringly. 
 
 'What I feared all along has hap- 
 pened,' he said in a low voice. ' The men have 
 left the ship and have come in search of us — this 
 is the news that upset the rajah.' 
 
 ' And they have come in contact with the 
 natives ? ' 
 
 ' Quite so ; and the boatswain with his men will 
 be cut off before they can get aboard again.' 
 
 ' That shot came from him. You may be sure 
 that the ship will not be captured without a 
 struggle.' 
 
 The captain shook his head once more. 
 
 ' I should be sure of that, provided I knew that 
 there would be anyone aboard the ship to defend 
 it. But supposing the crew are cut off in their 
 retreat to the ship ? ' 
 
 ' We must hope for the best,' said I. 
 
 ' Mr. Mostyn,' cried he, after a short pause, 
 that was filled up by the faint sounds of shouting, 
 
272 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 coming apparently from a considerable distance. 
 ' Mr. Mostyn, we must free ourselves somehow — ■ 
 we really must.' 
 
 ' Somehow ? ' said I. ' Yes, I quite agree with 
 you that we should free ourselves at the earliest 
 possible moment, but to say " somehow " is rather 
 vague. I would ask you how we are to free 
 ourselves ? ' 
 
 His eyes wandered restlessly over every object 
 in the apai'tment. It was not a great strain upon 
 the sight to take in everything that was in view. 
 The walls were completely bare, so was the floor, 
 and so were the slightly raised boards upon which 
 our captor had been seated. No single object was 
 lying about that could aid us in severing our 
 bonds, only — why should the captain keep his 
 eyes fixed upon the end of the cheroot that the 
 rajah had thrown away } I saw the captain gazing 
 at this intently, and, following his example, I 
 noticed that the tobacco was still alight. Though 
 fully five minutes had elapsed since it had left the 
 rajah's lips, the cheroot had not yet become extin- 
 guished. A delicate curl of light grey smoke arose 
 from the smouldering end at one side of where we 
 were sitting. 
 
 ' \^'^e have a chance,' said the captain in a low 
 voice. ' It is only a small chance, but still it is 
 worth taking into account in our desperate condi- 
 tion. The cheroot is still alight.' 
 
 ' I notice that. Your idea is to bring the 
 lighted end in contact with the dry strips of matting 
 that bind us ? ' 
 
THE ONLY DEVICE LEFT TO US, 172, 
 
 'A chance— it is only a chance. Don't let your 
 hopes rise over much.' 
 
 ' You needn't fear for me.' 
 
 In a moment the captain took in our situation 
 in respect to the burning cheroot-enrl. He diH 
 not think it necessary to make any explanation to 
 me of what he intended doing ; indeed, none was 
 necessary. I saw that there was no possibility of 
 the cheroot being brought to either of us, so that 
 there was nothing left but for one of us to go to 
 the cheroot — somehow. 
 
 Our bodies were enwound about a dozen times 
 with the tough strips of fibre, that seemed like the 
 broadest leathern bands. But I knew that the 
 strength of our bondage was not increased by the 
 number of times it encircled our bodies and our 
 wrists. The strength of a cable is simply the 
 strength of its weakest link ; the security of our 
 bondage depended on the strength of every band 
 that went about us. If we only succeeded in 
 cutting or burning through the fibre at one place, 
 we should be free. 
 
 The captain, with some difficulty, but really 
 not so much as might be imagined, consider- 
 ing the way in which he was tied, managed to 
 work along the floor toward the cheroot in a 
 wriggling fashion, which, I have no doubt, would 
 have seemed verj' comical to a disinterested spec- 
 tator, but which certainly did not seem so to me 
 at the time. He worked his way along the rough 
 boards by quick jerks, until he was opposite the 
 raised platform upon which the smouldering object 
 
 S 
 
274 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 was lying. It had fallen with the lighted end 
 partly over the edge of the platform — a fact that 
 helped to account for the length of time it remained 
 unextinguished. I saw, however, and I am sure 
 that the captain did so too, that the accidental 
 position of the cheroot, though favourable to our 
 project in one respect, made it doubly hazardous 
 in another. If the captain could but turn his 
 body so as to bring one of the woven bands in 
 contact with the burning tobacco leaf, it was quite 
 likely that his enterprise would be successful ; but 
 then, the slightest additional pressure upon the 
 end would cause the cheroot to overbalance itself, 
 and, as it would assuredly fall quite close to the 
 base of the little platform, there would be no 
 chance of its becoming available for a second 
 attempt. 
 
 Under these circumstances it is scarcely neces- 
 sary to say that I ^x-atchcd with a good deal of 
 eagerness, the captain's operations. 
 
 Before he had reached the position which 
 was necessary for him to take up, I perceived 
 that I might be able to assist the carrying out 
 of his purpose. Adopting his mode of progres- 
 sion, I jerked myself forward until I was beside 
 him. 
 
 ' If the thing is to operate properly we must 
 give it every chance,' said I. 
 
 ' What do you mean to do ? ' he asked. 
 
 ' I can't do very much, I am sorry to say,' 
 I replied ; ' but the thought has struck me that if 
 I were to breathe upon the smouldering end when 
 
THE ONLY DEVICE LEFT TO US. 275 
 
 you have brought the fibre in contact with it, its 
 effect would be greatly increased.' 
 
 ' Quite right. Stand by.' 
 
 I could not, unfortunately, carry out this order 
 literally, but I ' stood by ' in the sense in which he 
 used the words. I leant over the platform and 
 began to ' coax ' the little spark of smouldering 
 flame as one ' coaxes ' a little fire in an ordinary 
 grate when it does not show a tendency to be- 
 come a blaze. I was delighted to find that this 
 trifling operation was so successful. By the aid of 
 sundry delicate puffs the spark of light began to 
 glow, and soon overspread the entire surface at 
 the end of the cheroot when the ash was blown 
 away. 
 
 ' Now,' said I, when the glow was brightest — 
 ' Now is your time. Lean back gently against my 
 shoulder, and I shall prevent your coming in con- 
 tact too violently with the thing.' 
 
 The operation, for the reasons already stated, 
 was a somewhat delicate one. But just as we 
 were at the point of commencing it, there came the 
 sound of another shot ; not the discharge of my 
 gun, however, but of a cannon. 
 
 ' I guessed as much,' said the captain. ' The 
 natives are making an attempt to board the ship, 
 and the boatswain is keeping them off by the brass 
 cannon. We'll hear another shot presently, you'll 
 find.' 
 
 He was not astray in his prediction. We 
 paused, breathless, for a minute, and then once 
 more there came to our ears the same loud report, 
 
 s 2 
 
276 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 and this time it was followed by the yells of 
 the natives. It was plain that the second of 
 the two brass cannon had just been discharged, 
 and with, as it appeared, more disastrous effects, 
 so far as the natives were concerned, than the first 
 shot. 
 
 ' Come, Mr. Mostyn, look alive ! ' cried the 
 captain suddenly, after the sound of the distant 
 yells had died away. ' If we don't manage 
 this business at once we'll have a bad chance 
 of getting clear another time. Ease me away so 
 that the narrowest bit of the band between my 
 elbow and my ribs comes against the point of the 
 fire.' 
 
 I did ' ease him away ' as, in sailor language, 
 he had asked me. The portion of the band of 
 fibre to which he alluded was very taut, so 
 that it should part easily when touched with 
 the fire ; but it was not exactly in the right 
 position for our experiment. A single jerk, how- 
 ever, and it was, I could see, in the right place. 
 I lowered my shoulder, which served as a prop 
 for the captain's back, and the taut fibre was 
 brought in contact with the end of the burning 
 cheroot. It gave no indication of parting, how- 
 ever, though I kept it touching the burning end, 
 holding my breath for fear of shaking down the 
 cheroot. 
 
 I was wrong to hold my breath, for what the 
 fire needed was more coaxing. 
 
 I ventured to blow gently upon the end of the 
 tobacco leaf The effect was immediate. The 
 
THE ONLY DEVICE LEFT TO US. 277 
 
 dry fibre was like paper in contact with the spark. 
 It began to smoke in an instant, and then gradu- 
 ally to part, as the fire made its way through 
 the broad band. Before it had been burnt more 
 than half-way across the band snapped asunder. 
 I prised, so to speak, the captain into a sitting 
 posture once more, and with my teeth quickly 
 unwound the band, dragging it from beneath 
 his arms. In a few minutes his hands were 
 free. 
 
 He made good use of them, though they must 
 . have been very stiff. He stripped the lashings off 
 his legs, and once more all his limbs were unbound. 
 He got upon his feet, though not without difficulty, 
 and looked around for the means of freeing me. No 
 blade of any sort was in the apartment. There 
 was nothing for it but to loose the knots. He 
 perceived this fact, and was about to kneel behind 
 me to make an attack upon the knots, when there 
 came to our ears the sound of native shouting ; and 
 it became clearer every moment, telling us that a 
 party was approaching the palace. 
 
 ' Make a bolt for it,' I cried. ' They need you 
 aboard the ship ; I'll be all right here : they will 
 be afraid to harm me. The rajah is too anxious 
 to get the ransom.' 
 
 The captain rushed to the entrance and looked 
 out between the swinging mats. 
 
 ' I'd have no chance even if I were to be such 
 a coward as to desert you,' he replied, letting the 
 end of the mat drop from his hand. ' I should 
 have a dozen spears through me before I could 
 
2-/8 
 
 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 take as many steps. No, my boy ; we've failed 
 this time, and we'll take our failure like men.' 
 
 He returned to the centre of the apartment 
 and seated himself beside me. 
 
 In another instant the rajah and his guards 
 burst into the place. 
 
CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 
 THE ARTFUL RAJAH. 
 
 OT for some minutes did the rajah become 
 aware that the captain was no longer 
 bound. He shouted out some command 
 to the chief of the guards, keeping as close as 
 possible to the entrance to the palace all the time. 
 He had apparently no desire to face the captain 
 when the latter was free. A dozen of the men 
 pointed their spears at the captain, and as many 
 more stood by with their arrow tubes, while fresh 
 coils of stouter fibre were brought and bound 
 about the captain, who offered no resistance to the 
 carrying out of the operation. 
 
 The rajah seemed once more to breathe easily. 
 He was, beyond doubt, greatly amazed to find the 
 captain freed from his previous bonds. He ad- 
 dressed a long speech to the captain in his broken 
 Dutch, and as he spoke he appeared to become 
 more excited. Suddenly, however, he called out 
 something to the chief of the guards, and stalked 
 out through the mats at the entrance. The guards 
 held their spears in readiness to meet us, should 
 
28o THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 we make the attempt to break through their ranks. 
 They paid quite an unnecessary compliment to 
 our courage and capacity. 
 
 ' What had the fellow to say ? ' I inquired of 
 the captain. 
 
 ' He told me all that has just occurred outside,' 
 replied the captain. ' It appears that the boat- 
 swain and another man from the ship came ashore 
 in search of us. They made signs to the natives, 
 asking where wc were, and they fired a shot — to let 
 us know they were near us, I suppose. When the 
 rajah went out to them they were prudent enough 
 to keep him at a distance while they retreated to 
 the ship. The rajah must then, I fancy, have 
 ordered an attack to be made upon the ship ; but, 
 in any case, it was not a success. The rajah could 
 only say that the state prahu was sunk and several 
 men killed.' 
 
 ' Bravo ! ' cried I. ' That is good news indeed.' 
 
 ' He \\'as very anxious to know how I freed 
 myself, but I did not think it necessary to inform 
 him,' continued the captain. 
 
 ' But what does he mean to do with us now ? ' 
 
 ' I can't tell. He left the palace to carry out 
 some plan which he says will keep us safely until 
 Merrick's return.' 
 
 ' I'll welcome any plan that will take us out of 
 this place,' said I. ' It's a perfect pandemonium.' 
 
 The atmosphere of the palace was by this time 
 reeking, for this seemed to be regarded as the 
 assembly-room of the village. Men, women, and 
 children congregated here without obstruction ; 
 
THE ARTFUL RAJAH. 281 
 
 the result being an atmosphere compared ' with 
 which the black-hole of Calcutta would have seemed 
 fragrant. I cannot even now think how I got 
 through the evening in that den ; nor can I ex- 
 plain how it was I succeeded in falling asleep 
 as I did, in spite of the din of chattering and 
 yelling that went on around us. 
 
 Still the fact remains that I fell asleep, and did 
 not awake until I was at the point of being choked. 
 The room was no longer crowded, for the night 
 had come. On either side of the entrance stood a 
 native, bearing aloft a lighted torch made of sandal- 
 wood dipped in some resinous matter, the fumes 
 of which were almost insupportable. The smoke 
 had got into my throat and threatened to suffocate 
 me. The captain was similarly inconvenienced, I 
 could see. He was coughing and spluttering in 
 the same way, making frantic signs to the torch- 
 bearers to take themselves away. They paid no 
 attention whatever to him, but stood there like 
 black marble statues, with the light gleaming fit- 
 fully upon the oiled and polished skin of their 
 bodies. 
 
 Just when I fancied that I could stand the 
 suffocating smoke no longer, there was a commo- 
 tion outside. The rajah entered, and spoke some 
 words to the captain, at which the latter seemed 
 greatly surprised. 
 
 ' He says that we are to leave this place alto- 
 gether,' said the captain to me. 
 
 ' I'll not object,' I answered. ' I'm at the point 
 of suffocation.' 
 
rilE 'GREAT ORION : 
 
 ' Yes ; but he says we're to leave the island in 
 one of his prahus without a moment's delay, as the 
 men aboard the " Great Orion " won't let him take 
 possession of the ship.' 
 
 ' Bravo ! ' cried I ; ' they are good fellows ! ' 
 
 'The rajah declares that he is afraid that the 
 crew will try to rescue us, and we must therefore 
 allow ourselves to be brought to a safe place.' 
 
 The rajah at this point broke out in another 
 rage, and went stamping up and down the floor of 
 the palace, waving his sword more wildly than he 
 had yet done. I felt certain that this time he 
 meant mischief, and that he would wind up his 
 series of promenades by slashing us to death with 
 his sword. 
 
 Fortunately he stopped short at this point. 
 He faced the captain, saying something else in his 
 broken Dutch. 
 
 ' What does he mean ? ' I inquired anxiously. 
 
 ' He's an artful scoundrel,' said the captain. 
 ' He says he is about to ship us off to another 
 island where no boat but his own prahu can land, 
 and we are to be kept there until he receives the 
 amount of the ransom. If Merrick returns here 
 with an army to try and rescue us without paying 
 the ransom, we shall be left alone on this place that 
 he talks of, all our lives. He wants us to write a 
 letter telling Merrick this, so that if he comes here 
 hoping to rescue us by force, he may learn how 
 matters stand.' 
 
 ' The cunning ruffian ! ' cried I. ' We'll not 
 
THE ARTFUL RAJAH. 283 
 
 leave such a letter for Merrick. We'll let him 
 demolish the whole place, and we'll trust to luck 
 to get clear of wherever the rajah is going to 
 send us.' 
 
 ' If you are willing to agree to that, I'll do it 
 without hesitation. Do you agree ? ' 
 
 ' I agree with all my heart,' I shouted. 
 
 The captain then told the rajah that we were 
 prepared to write the letter for Merrick to get on 
 his return to the island. In a few minutes a man 
 entered whom we had not seen before. He was 
 evidently a Malay. He wore trousers and a long 
 frock coat, of perhaps the same age as himself 
 His hair and beard were white as snow. He 
 carried a sheet of soiled paper in one hand, a tall 
 stone ink-jar in the other, and behind his ear was 
 a pen, made out of the quill of some large bird. 
 He bowed to us on entering, and addressed the 
 captain in Dutch, handing him the paper and 
 laying down the ink-jar 
 
 ' This is the secret of the rajah's cleverness,' 
 said the captain : ' this fellow is his Prime Minister, 
 and Chancellor of the Exchequer too, I've no doubt. 
 He says he has lived among the Dutch at Sumatra 
 nearly all his life.' 
 
 'We'll not forget him when our day comes,' 
 said I. 
 
 The captain's bondage was then cut, and he 
 wrote the following letter on the soiled paper : — 
 
 ' Dear Merrick, — The old hound thinks you 
 mean to try and rescue us without paying the 
 
284 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 ransom. Don't disappoint him in this. If you 
 have a boat's crew with you, you'll know what to 
 do. Please yourself — I need make no suggestion. 
 Get the ship afloat if you can, by passing a hawser 
 to the opposite rocks. Then make for Maori 
 Island — you know the bearings. Take Borrows 
 and the crew aboard — all except Sliddell ; you'll 
 have to find him out. Don't mind about us. 
 We'll shift for ourselves, don't you be afraid. God 
 bless you ! 
 
 'Jonas Harwood. 
 
 ' P.S. — Don't forget that the rajah is fond of 
 pepper. Give him plenty of it' 
 
 The captain passed the letter to me to read. 
 ' Nothing could be better,' said I. ' I'm glad you 
 added that line about the pepper.' 
 
 ' It will do for the rajah,' said the captain, as he 
 returned the paper to the old Malay, who bowed 
 politely as before, and, holding the letter under one 
 of the torches, pretended to read it carefully, after 
 first putting on an immense pair of spectacles 
 with round glasses. It seemed perfectly satisfac- 
 tory to him. 
 
 The rajah then gave the signal to his guards ; 
 they brought a long roll of the matting strips joined 
 together, and once more bound down the captain's 
 arms to his sides. Then they cut the bonds from our 
 legs and assisted us to our feet. They need not have 
 been afraid lest we should run away : our limbs were 
 
THE ARTFUL RAJAH. 
 
 285 
 
 so stiff that we could walk only with difficulty — run- 
 ning was out of the question altogether. 
 
 With a dozen spearmen on either side, their 
 weapons uncomfortably close to our faces, we were 
 marched out 
 
CHAPTER XL. 
 
 A GREAT SURPRISE. 
 
 T was delightful to me, coming out of that 
 stifling den, to feel the cool night air upon 
 my face. The night was moonless, but 
 the tropical stars were burning overhead, making 
 every object within view as clear as by day. A light 
 breeze was blowing upon our faces, bearing the 
 perfume of the spice forests about us. And then 
 from the distance floated the sound of the waves 
 breaking upon the coast. 
 
 We were marched down to a part of the beach 
 we had not seen before. It was evidently a long 
 way from where the ' Great Orion ' had been 
 stranded. By the light of the stars we saw a very 
 large prahu, built after the pattern of a Chinese 
 junk, riding close to the shore. 
 
 The rajah had led the procession down to the 
 beach, and he now busied himself arranging for the 
 embarkation of our party, every now and again 
 stopping to give directions to the nati\-e who, we 
 could see, was placed in command of the expedi- 
 tion. He was the best-made man we had yet seen 
 on the island ; but the way he beat, with the stout 
 
A GREAT SURPRISE. 287 
 
 bamboo he carried, the smaller men who were 
 wading out with paddles and supplies of rice and 
 dried fish, made us believe that he was as cruel as 
 the worst of the savages in the place. 
 
 The prahu drew so little water, it could be 
 brought quite close to the steep beach. The crew, 
 being altogether without clothing, waded out, and 
 climbed up the sides like monkeys. We declined 
 to wade, so, by the rajah's instructions, we were 
 hoisted upon the shoulders of half-a-dozen natives, 
 and in this way borne out to the prahu. We were 
 lifted over the side by a number of the crew, for 
 our arms were not yet freed ; and the head-man of 
 the prahu pointed to the poop, which rose, like 
 one of the old ship-castles, high into the air. This 
 poop was divided into three decks. To the middle 
 one of these we were consigned without a word ; 
 and as soon as we had entered, a number of bam- 
 boos were placed close together between the lower 
 deck and the upper, thus enclosing us in a sort of 
 cage. Outside, the guards stood in a double row ; 
 so that we did not get much air. Before long we 
 heard the sounds of the paddles, and then the hoist- 
 ing of a boom. We were under weigh, and running 
 before the wind, and so crank was the craft, that, 
 though about forty men were aboard, she seemed 
 to skim the water. 
 
 ' I hope the place they are taking us to is not 
 far off,' said the captain. ' I should not care to be 
 cooped up in this hole for many days.' 
 
 ' They can't mean us to remain with our arms 
 bound to our sides like this,' said I. ' Why, it would 
 
288 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 be better for us to kick out one of the timbers and 
 go to the bottom at once than suffer this sort of 
 thing for any length of time.' 
 
 ' My dear friend,' said the captain gravely, ' we 
 are brave enough to suffer anything before those 
 wretches. It would be cowardly to make any at- 
 tempt to put an end to our sufferings. Don't you 
 fear but that our time will come. There's a pro- 
 vidence in everything that happens. This T have 
 always believed, and, please God, I shall always 
 believe so.' 
 
 When about an hour had passed, and we must 
 have sailed five or six miles from shore, the bam- 
 boos at the entrance to our cabin — I call it a cabin 
 because I don't like to call it a cage — were removed. 
 The stout head man of the prahu crept in with a 
 knife in his hand. He shouted out some order to 
 us in his own language, which of course we did 
 not understand. Finding that we did not obey him, 
 he caught me by the shoulder roughly and twisted 
 me round as I lay on the boards. He raised the 
 knife — I thought my last moment had come ; but 
 he only severed the bonds of my arms. He performed 
 the same operation upon the captain. Then, making 
 a menace with his knife, pointing to the entrance, he 
 gave us clearly to understand that any attempt we 
 might make to escape would be attended by disagree- 
 able consequences. He then shouted to one of the 
 men outside, and a large dish of half-baked rice 
 was brought to him. The brutal fellow emptied 
 the contents of the dish upon the deck, and then 
 left us, taking v/ith him the earthen dish. In 
 
A GREAT SURPRISE. 289 
 
 another minute we heard the guards once more 
 lashing the bamboos across the entrance. 
 
 ' That's an additional mark against the name 
 of our friend outside,' said the captain. ' It's bad 
 enough to be treated as felons, but to be gratui- 
 tously insulted — to be treated like a wild animal is 
 — is — well, I'll explain to him what it is some of 
 these days.' 
 
 ' I wish that the time for this explanation was 
 come,' I remarked. 
 
 We succeeded in getting some sleep that night, 
 and consequently felt refreshed when the morning 
 came and the sea air was forced through the 
 bamboos. Our guards were squatted on the deck, 
 just in front of the bars of our cage, devouring 
 their breakfast of rice and sweet potatoes, chatter- 
 ing all the while between the mouthfuls. We could 
 see them through a chink between the bamboos, 
 and we could also see that the large sail was set. 
 
 The captain urged me to join him in eating 
 some of the rice that lay in a heap upon the deck. 
 I did not feel hungry, but in order to gratify him 
 I forced myself to swallow a few handfuls. In a 
 corner far astern we found a calabash containing 
 water — horrid stuff that had remained in the vessel 
 for perhaps weeks, but very grateful to our lips, that 
 had become parched by our sufferings. 
 
 After this frugal breakfast we talked together 
 for a long time, discussing the probabilities of the 
 second mate returning to the rajah's island with the 
 ransom. The captain was strongly of the belief 
 that the Dutch official would not take any trouble 
 
 'I 
 
290 THE GREAT ORION.' 
 
 in the matter. Only, if a gunboat were available, 
 it might be dispatched to the island to shell the 
 village, for the sake of giving the gunners some 
 practice. Pei'haps, too, the gunboat would help to 
 tow the ship off the beach, the captain thought. 
 All his thoughts ran in the same channel — how 
 would the ship be got afloat again ? If the boat- 
 swain only succeeded in holding the ship against 
 the natives, and if she were eventually got off, the 
 crew at Maori Island would certainly be picked 
 up, if 
 
 ' There are too many ifs about the whole affair,' 
 said I with a laugh, as the captain gave me his 
 ideas of the situation. ' It strikes me that the less 
 we think of the probabilities of the ship ever being 
 floated, and of our ever seeing her afloat, the less 
 disappointed we shall be in the long-run.' 
 
 ' Perhaps so,' said the captain ; ' but I have 
 known stranger things happen in the course of my 
 twenty years at sea.' 
 
 ' Tell me some of them,' said I ; ' it will help to 
 make the time pass.' 
 
 For the next three hours I was entertained 
 with stories of adventure in every quarter of the 
 globe. My companion in trouble had been on 
 more than one Arctic voyage, and as he described 
 the terrors of the frost I felt refreshed, and the 
 cage we were in seemed less stuffy. 
 
 The effect of his series of stories was to make 
 me feel that as he had come through so many 
 dangers, he would also survive the present disaster, 
 in which I was his partner. 
 
A GREAT SURPRISE. 291 
 
 In spite of the captain's entertainment, however, 
 this day seemed to me the longest I had ever spent. 
 When evening came, it appeared to me as if we 
 had passed weeks in our caged cabin. It was 
 some consolation to be able to sleep, and I certainly- 
 slept well. 
 
 In the morning I found the captain awake. He 
 said he had slept indifferently. The atmosphere 
 of the place where we lay was terrible. The recol- 
 lection of it even now is insupportable. Fortu- 
 nately, a little after sunrise, the bamboos were 
 once again removed, and the head-man entered 
 with another basin of cooked rice, which he emptied 
 as before on the deck. 
 
 The captain showed him the calabash and 
 made signs that we needed some more water. The 
 fellow took the calabash, emptied it of the few 
 spoonfuls that remained, then, with a grin, flung 
 the calabash across the deck outside. A yell of 
 laughter arose ; then saying a few words to us in 
 the native tongue, the man left us alone. The 
 bamboos were lashed down securely as before, 
 only I noticed that a much larger space was left 
 between some of the rods. How thankful we were 
 for this means of breathing comparatively fresh 
 air it would be impossible to tell. We actually 
 laughed with joy as we put our faces to this 
 opening of about two inches in width ; but we 
 took care that our laughter was not overheard by 
 the crew. 
 
 This day neither the captain nor I could 
 touch the rice that had been flung to us. The 
 
293 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 captain, however, insisted on my telling him all the 
 college stories I could think of, in exchange for his 
 adventures that he had narrated to me the day 
 before. I had no idea that I had such a store of 
 stories. I had enough to keep my companion 
 amused for several hours. 
 
 When we calculated that the sun should be 
 pretty far down in the west, a great commotion 
 took place among the crew on deck. We heard 
 them yelling, and clapping their paddles together. 
 We were, of course, very anxious to know what 
 was meant by this demonstration, but the guards 
 were standing with their backs to every division 
 between the bamboos, and we consequently could 
 not see out. The backs of the black guards — 
 perhaps I should write the two words as one- 
 were not expressive. We were forced to remain in 
 ignorance on the matter. 
 
 The commotion soon subsided, and nothing was 
 heard but the uneven strokes of the thirty paddles. 
 Not until more than two hours had passed did the 
 guards squat themselves on the deck, giving us 
 a chance of looking out. The captain called my 
 attention to the fact that we might now see what 
 had caused the commotion. 
 
 ' What's the good of looking out now .' ' said I. 
 Whatever it was caused the row, it's now past.' 
 
 ' Well, I'll just take an observation on the si)',' 
 said he, getting to his feet, but stooping, so that his 
 head did not come in contact with the roof He 
 went cautiously forward to the space between the 
 bamboos, and looked out. The instant he did so he 
 
A GREAT SURPRISE. 293 
 
 gave a start, and a whispered exclamation. He put 
 his face forward again, then turned slowly away. 
 
 I had raised myself on my hand when I noticed 
 him give that start. 
 
 ' What on earth have you seen ? ' I cried. 
 
 ' Hush,' he whispered ; ' don't let your voice be 
 heard— don't shout out with surprise when I tell 
 you what I have seen.' 
 
 ' What have you seen ? Don't fear for me — I'll 
 not reveal the mystery to any human being.' 
 
 ' What I have seen, my boy, is this : land is in 
 sight — not more than two sea miles ahead — and 
 that land is neither more nor less than Maori 
 Island. Now didn't you promise me not to turn a 
 hair when I would tell you? and there you go, 
 jumping up like mad. Sit down quietly again ; we're 
 not safe yet' 
 
CHAPTER XLI. 
 
 OUR TURN COMES AT LAST. 
 
 fHERE could be no doubt about the matter. 
 The prahu was being steered straight for 
 Maori Island. I crawled to our loophole 
 of observation, and, looking out, recognised in an 
 instant all the old landmarks — the headland, the 
 reef, the long barren shore. We were on our way 
 to the island where eleven men of our o\\'n crew, 
 armed with heavy rifles, were living. The rajah's 
 cunning had overreached itself He was evidentl}' 
 acquainted with Maori Island, and having, of course, 
 no idea that we had just left it under remarkable 
 circumstances, to land upon his inhospitable coast, 
 he fancied that we could not be sent to a more 
 secure prison. 
 
 ' If Borrows hasn't taken it into his head to 
 come off in one of the boats in search of us, we'll 
 be by the side of the crew in a couple of hours,' 
 said the captain. 
 
 ' Borrows is not such a fool as to go in search 
 of any ship,' said I, ' Ships don't stay in one 
 place, so they are hard to find ; islands do, how- 
 
OUR TURN COMES AT LAST. 295 
 
 ever — unless perhaps in the Straits of Sunda — so 
 they are easily found. Borrows is waiting for us.' 
 
 ' Caution, my boy ; caution is the word now,' 
 said the captain. ' A single suspicion — a single 
 false step — and we lose all. If we show the least 
 eagerness to land, that head-man will suspect some- 
 thing. If we show any sign of running away, he'll 
 send a spear through us. Caution is the word.' 
 
 ' I'll do my best,' I rephed. ' We'll not be 
 ashore for a couple of hours, and I'll be quite cool 
 till then.' 
 
 ' Don't do anything until we see how matters turn 
 out. We needn't think of any plan of action now. 
 We'll be guided altogether by circumstances.' 
 
 ' I'll wait till you give me the sign. I'll keep 
 well in the background, and invent no plan ot 
 escape.' 
 
 ' If they catch sight of any of our crew they'll 
 probably sheer off. In that case don't stir, if aboard 
 this craft. If ashore, and with our arms and legs 
 free, we'll have to make a dash for it. Grab the 
 nearest spear and run it through the nearest man ; 
 then rush for the woods, hallooing to our men. In 
 any case I'll give the sign.' 
 
 We said nothing more ; but every now and 
 again we looked out between the bamboos to note 
 the progress of the prahu. It was clear that the 
 passage between the reef and the headland was 
 known to the man who was at the steering oar, 
 for the bows were directed toward the channel. 
 
 In a short time the prahu was dancing over 
 the eddy from the breakers, and then gliding 
 
296 THE 'CREAT ORION.' 
 
 gently along through the smooth waters within the 
 reef. There were no rollers on this evening ; the 
 water was smoother than I had ever seen it. 
 
 Before we had sailed more than about a mile 
 along the coast, darkness had come on. Still the 
 paddles continued hard at work ; and in less than 
 half an hour I knew by the tone of the echoes that 
 the entrance to Orion Bay was reached. The only 
 question that now remained was this : Would the 
 prahu be sailed on so far as our recent anchorage, 
 where the two boats would probably now be found 
 drawn up, or would it be run upon the sand nearer 
 the entrance ? 
 
 The answer soon came. We felt the bows of 
 the prahu grate upon the sand, and heard the head- 
 man giving his orders and backing them up with 
 blows from his bamboo on the heads of his unfortu- 
 nate crew. They did not seem to mind, however, 
 but tumbled ashore laughing and yelling. The light 
 prahu was then, in spite of its great size, dragged 
 several yards out of the water, this operation being 
 performed without any consideration for the feel- 
 ings of the two prisoners who were cooped up in the 
 cabin. 
 
 We were allowed to lie in our cage for at least 
 another hour in total darkness ; for the crew of the 
 prahu were too busy feasting ashore to have time 
 to think of us. We hoped they would long remain 
 so. We did not feel in the least hurt by their 
 neglect. 
 
 We had no idea what they intended doing with 
 us. Were their instructions simply to keep us in 
 
OUR TURN COMES AT LAST. 297 
 
 bondage until news reached them that the ransom 
 was paid ? We could not tell. 
 
 At the end of about an hour the din on shore 
 seemed to become less. The paddle men, who had 
 been working without cessation for nearly forty- 
 eight hours, were probably indulging in a few hours' 
 sleep. Not so the head-man, however ; he was much 
 too good an officer to allow himself this luxury. 
 We heard him shouting to the guards once more, 
 and then clambering over the bows of the prahu. 
 
 ' They'll not bind us again,' I muttered through 
 my set teeth. 
 
 'Yes, yes, let them do it,' said the captain. 
 ' Let them bind you — both of us. I have a plan — 
 trust to me.' 
 
 The head-man and four guards came aft. They 
 carried their spears as usual, and when they came 
 closer we saw that the head-man had several lengths 
 of matting over his arm. He removed the bam- 
 boos and shouted to us. Of course we did not 
 know what he meant. With an exclamation of 
 impatience he caught me by the collar and pulled 
 me out upon the deck. 
 
 ' Keep your temper, my lad,' said the captain. 
 ' Give him plenty of rope — he's winding it round 
 his own neck.' 
 
 ' He's winding it round my arms just now,' I 
 replied, forcing a laugh, to try and show the captain 
 that I was not boiling over with rage. 
 
 ' Good man ! ' was the encouraging reply. ' Keep 
 your head on that course.' 
 
 I allowed my arms to be bound as before by 
 
298 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 the head-man. The captain's turn came next. I 
 watched the thick bands being twisted round him 
 and tied in a knot ; the head-man cutting off the 
 ends and returning the knife to his girdle. Signs 
 were made for us to walk to the bows. We obeyed, 
 and jumped after our guards from the slope of the 
 bows to the sand — no easy task, considering how 
 cramped our legs were. 
 
 A short consultation took place between the 
 head-man and the guards, the former pointing to 
 the nearest clump of trees, which was about a 
 quarter of a mile away, and up the slope of the 
 hill. Three of the guards threw themselves on the 
 ground where their friends were sleeping. The 
 head-man stamped on the ground in a fury, but 
 they only settled themselves to sleep. With 
 what sounded very like the native equivalent to 
 an oath, he then shouted to the remaining man of 
 the guard, who, being very young, was apparently 
 more tractable. Then, giving us a push, he pointed 
 to the clump of palms. 
 
 We now saw what he meant to do with us. 
 Hanging from his arm were several coils of manilla 
 rope. We were to be kept securely by being tied 
 to the trees. 
 
 We trudged on up the uneven way toward the 
 trees, like two convicts with a warder on either side. 
 
 ' Keep your eye on me, my lad,' whispered 
 the captain. ' You'll have to act in a minute.' 
 
 ' All right,' I replied ; ' the sooner the better.' 
 
 Wc reached the clump. The trees were cocoa- 
 nut palms. 
 
OUR TURN COMES AT LAST. 299 
 
 The head-man selected one and forced me 
 backward against it. He uncoiled his rope and 
 passed it round my body and the thick stem of 
 the palm. I kept my eyes upon the captain. 
 
 ' Now, then ! ' he said in a whisper. He had 
 taken a step behind the guard, who was watching 
 the operations of the head-man. 
 
 ' Now, then ! ' 
 
 The captain gave a twitch to his arms, freeing 
 them in an instant. The next instant he had 
 snatched the spear from the guard and had run 
 him through the body. Then, before the head-man 
 had time even to look up from his task, the cap- 
 tain's fingers were about his throat. 
 
 ' Now, you ruffian, it's our turn,' muttered the 
 captain through his set teeth. I saw that the 
 native was being choked. His eyes were starting 
 from his head. He struggled, but only as a mouse 
 struggles in the grasp of a cat. The captain 
 forced him backward about a dozen steps, and 
 then, gathering up strength, dashed him against 
 one of the thickest trees. The back of the man's 
 head struck the stem near the roots ; he rolled 
 over like a log. The captain stooped over him, 
 drew the knife he carried in his girdle, and — I 
 turned away my head. 
 
 ' No,' said the captain, ' I'm not going to do 
 that with the knife — he's not worth it.' 
 
 He quickly severed the rope and the strips of 
 matting that bound me. 
 
 ' Now, then,' he whispered, ' we've done every- 
 thing quietly so far ; let us see if we can't finish the 
 
THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 affair without a noise. I won't consider that we're 
 safe until we're in sight of our own plantation.' 
 
 I paused over the body of the man who had 
 treated us so cruelly. 
 
 ' Come on,' said the captain. ' He's no more 
 dead than you are. These fellows' heads would 
 break a millstone. He'll come to in half an hour.' 
 
 ' Captain Harwood,' said I, ' I'm not blood- 
 thirsty, but I'd give a five-pound note for that man, 
 alive and hearty, to be placed opposite to me for a 
 quarter of an hour, with no weapon handy, but 
 only our fists to ' 
 
 'Well, wait then till he recovers,' cried the 
 captain, striding on. 
 
 I laughed as I caught up with him. 
 
 'We're not clear yet,' said my companion, 
 ' Listen below there.' 
 
 Only for a second we paused. From the camp 
 on the beach came a series of shrill cries. The 
 head-man and the guard were evidently missed by 
 those of the natives who had not gone to sleep. 
 
 ' This way,' I whispered. ' I know a short cut 
 to our plantation.' 
 
CHAPTER XLII. 
 
 AT THE HEAD OF OUR MEN. 
 
 |T the other side of the slope, just beyond the 
 line of cocoa-nut palms, there was a slight 
 declivity ; this we passed in hot haste ; 
 and then, instead of going round the dense planta- 
 tion that stretched from half-way up the opposite 
 slope to where the ridge fell away above a rocky 
 gorge, nearly a mile off, I led the captain directly 
 into the plantation. 
 
 ' We cannot force our way through here,' he 
 cried. 
 
 ' Come on,' I answered, leading the way. 
 
 We had only to push ourselves through a net- 
 work of trailers to come upon a track that I had 
 discovered in the course of my many wanderings 
 over the island. The track led almost in a direct 
 line to the log house which the crew of the ' Maori ' 
 had raised on the confines of the potato patch. 
 But though the house was only a mile away, we 
 were forced to rest for some minutes on the track 
 — our limbs were stiff with the long confinement 
 aboard the prahu. 
 
 At last we came to the clearing, and saw, not a 
 
THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 hundred yards away, the log house with its flag- 
 pole. By the light of the stars I saw that the pole 
 was no longer bare : a flag fluttered from it with 
 every light breeze that came over the tops of the 
 palms. 
 
 The next few minutes would decide whether 
 we should be joined to our old shipmates. As 
 yet there was no sign of them. Suddenly, just as 
 we had reached a small cluster of young palms, the 
 captain paused, laying his hand upon my arm. 
 
 ' What is that sound ? ' he asked. ' Listen ; 
 can it be that the savages are behind us .' ' 
 
 I listened attentively, and became aware for 
 the first time of the sounds that the captain had 
 heard ; strange hollow sounds, like — well, uncom- 
 monly like the snoring of a man who had made up 
 his mind to prove that a fog horn of the loudest 
 type manufactured was in every way inferior to 
 nature's own contrivances. 
 
 We burst out laughing simultaneously, and 
 half a dozen steps to one side showed us that the 
 sounds came from the occupant of a hammock 
 made of woven trailers, and lined with leaves and 
 thick grass, which was suspended between two 
 small palms, about four feet above the ground. 
 The man's snoring made the topmost leaves of the 
 palms quiver. 
 
 We were soon standing over the sleeper, who 
 I at once saw was my friend Micky O'Hara. 
 
 ' Royals, my lads ; stow the royals ! ' shouted 
 the captain in the man's ear. 
 
 The effect was magical. The seaman tumbled 
 
AT THE HEAD OF OUR MEN. 303 
 
 out of his hammock in a second with an, ' Ay ay, 
 sir ! ' He took half a dozen steps toward one of 
 the trees, and then looked round in a puzzled way, 
 as if wondering where the shrouds were. Then he 
 rubbed his eyes, and burst into a laugh. 
 
 ' Whoy, what a fool oi am, to be sure ! ' he mut- 
 tered. ' If oi didn't belave that oi heard the skipper, 
 bliss him, singin' out to take in the royals.' 
 
 He gave a tremendous yawn, and was about 
 returning to his hammock, when I took a step 
 forward and stood before him. 
 
 He started, and then became transfixed to the 
 ground, as it were, staring at me. 
 
 'It's thrue, thin,' he murmured after a pause. 
 ' What Mr. Borrows says is thrue ; the ould ship is 
 gone, an' all aboard is lost. This is the young gin- 
 tlemin's ghost come to till us all about it.' 
 
 ' I'm worth a hundred ghosts yet, Micky, my 
 boy,' I cried ; ' but if you fancy I'm a ghost, what 
 do you make of the captain there ? ' 
 
 ' It's no use,' said the man, shaking his head 
 solemnly. ' Oi know yer both sperits come to till 
 us here of yer own diths. Ah, go back to yer rist 
 in quoiet, poor craythurs. Rist in pace ! Rist 
 in pace ! ' 
 
 ' Come,' said the captain with a laugh, ' this 
 is no time for skylarking. Make your report, my 
 man.' 
 
 ' Mother o' Brian Boru, it's the ould man him- 
 silf ! ' cried the Irishman. * Hooroo ! the ship's safe 
 — we'll say our native counthry wanst agin. An' did 
 ye bring the ould ship back to the anchorage, sur ? ' 
 
304 THE 'GREAT ORION: 
 
 ' There's a lot to be told,' said the captain, ' but 
 we have our hands full just now, and there's no time 
 for talk. Muster the ship's company. Is every- 
 body safe ? Where is Mr. Borrows ? ' 
 
 ' Every sowl is safe and sound,' said Micky. 
 ' Come, boys, come ! All hands on dick ! ' he 
 shouted, running toward the log house. ' All hands 
 on dick ! sure it's the captain himsilf orthers ye.' 
 
 In a few moments Mr. Borrows appeared, and 
 the rest of the ship's company. Most of them had 
 been sleeping inside the log house ; others, like 
 Micky, in hammocks of their own construction 
 among the trees. 
 
 ' It's the cap'n, the cap'n himsilf, boys,' shouted 
 the Irishman, while Mr. Borrows was shaking hands 
 warmly with his commander. Then there arose 
 in that strange place three hearty cheers and one 
 cheer more. 
 
 Mr. Borrows then said, — 
 
 ' I have to report, sir, that the men who deserted 
 have submitted, and are ready to rejoin the ship. 
 Those who ' 
 
 ' All right, Mr. Borrows,' said the captain ; ' I'll 
 hear the full report later on. There's other work 
 for us to do to-night, and without delay, too. We 
 have been in the hands of natives, and only just 
 escaped from one of their junks ; the fellows may 
 even be in pursuit of us now.' 
 
 In an instant every man of the crew had rushed 
 into the log house. Such a show of cowardice I 
 could scarcely believe possible. Before I could 
 express my surprise the men had returned, each 
 
AT THE HEAD OF OUR MEN. 305 
 
 bearing a gun, into the breech of which he was push- 
 ing a cartridge. The captain and I were the only- 
 unarmed ones in the company. I felt rather glad 
 of this. I did not believe that I was equal to the 
 carrying of a heavy rifle, my poor arms ached so 
 terribly. 
 
 ' That looks like business, my lads,' said the 
 captain. 'We'll march to the shore and scuttle 
 the junk to begin with ; then drive the savages 
 inland, and clear off in our own boats. You will 
 know where they are. We have a two days' 
 voyage before us.' 
 
 ' We're ready, sir,' said one of the men. 
 
 ' And not a minute too soon,' said I. ' Listen, 
 and you will hear how close those fellows are 
 behind us.' 
 
 The yells that sounded through the still air told 
 us that the natives were close at hand. 
 
 ' Now, my men,' said the captain, ' follow me ; 
 but there must be no massacre. Give them one 
 volley to show them our strength, and let every 
 man aim high. If they try to stop us on our way 
 to the shore, down with them.' 
 
 The men formed in Indian file, and marched in 
 the direction whence the sounds were coming. The 
 natives had evidently tracked us through the wood. 
 They could not be far away now, we judged, by 
 the sound of their shrill voices. 
 
 ' Keep well in cover, my men,' said the captain 
 in a low tone. ' Get behind that clump of trees 
 until they show themselves in the open, then let 
 them have a grain or two of powder.' 
 
 U 
 
3o6 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 We got among the trees that he pointed out. 
 The clump was growing midway between the log 
 house and the slope of the wood. We had scarcely 
 made this movement when about twenty dusky 
 forms showed themselves, emerging from the first 
 line of trees. They paused for a moment, apparently 
 surprised to see so remarkable an object as the log 
 house. Then with a series of yells they rushed into 
 the open. 
 
 ' Steady,' whispered the captain. Cock your 
 rifles, and wait till they are within fifty yards.' 
 
 The men showed themselves to be very patient. 
 The savages ran on. Half a dozen of them had 
 come to within about sixty yards of where we were 
 hiding. 
 
 ' Now, then ! ' shouted the captain, ' give it to 
 them, my lads ! ' 
 
 The seamen rushed out with a cheer. They 
 poured a fire that nothing could resist against the 
 advancing natives. To my amazement a shower of 
 spears and arrows came amongst us. None seemed 
 to take effect but one — an arrow that struck a man 
 directly in front of me. I stooped over the man, 
 who had fallen back. His face was turned up to the 
 stars, and his eyes were closed. I drew out the 
 arrow, and from the wound came a great spirt of 
 blood. The man grasped my arm spasmodically 
 for a moment — only a moment — then his fingers 
 relaxed their hold, his arm fell down by my knee 
 where I had raised his head. He was dead. The 
 arrow had gone between his ribs, and had reached 
 his heart. 
 
AT THE HEAD OF OUR MEN. ,307 
 
 Micky O'Hara, who was nearest me, lent a hand 
 to carry the body among the trees. 
 
 ' Poor boy ! ' said he. ' Poor Steve ! Is this 
 the last o' ye ? ' 
 
 Then I knew for the first time who was Stephen 
 Sliddell — the man who had brought all the trouble 
 upon us. Surely he had paid the penalty of his 
 own misdeeds. 
 
 I picked up the rifle that the dead man had 
 carried, and Micky gave me some cartridges. We 
 ran in the direction of the firing and the shout- 
 ing among the trees, but we found that the men 
 were only shooting away their powder. The natives 
 had rushed into the thickest part of the woods, 
 where they could not be followed. The volley 
 that our men had fired had, however, been effec- 
 tive. We knew that some at least could not 
 escape. 
 
 We hastened down to the shore by the track I 
 had found through the forest. We were just in 
 time. A number of the natives were making 
 frantic efforts to launch the prahu. We ran down 
 the slope and gave them a volley. They did not 
 wait for a second, but turned and rushed frantically 
 along the shore, disregarding the reproaches of one 
 of their number whose figure I recognised as that 
 of the head-man of the prahu. 
 
 I resisted the temptation of having a shot at 
 him, though some of my companions were not so 
 particular. They all missed him, however, and, 
 with a defiant wave of the spear he held, he rushed 
 into the water, and we could hear him swimming 
 
3o8 THE 'GREAT ORION.' 
 
 across the bay. This was the last I heard of the 
 wretch who had treated us so cruelly. 
 
 Our men then stove in the timbers of the prahu, 
 and, throwing a quantity of dry grass and branches 
 aboard, set the whole on fire. I lay on the bank 
 eating some delicious bananas which I had plucked, 
 for I felt in a condition of starvation. I shall never 
 forget the scene that was before me at that time 
 — the dark slope at the opposite side of the bay, 
 crowned with the millions of bright stars — the still 
 surface of the water reflecting the lurid flames of 
 the blazing boat. 
 
CHAPTER XLIII. 
 ONCE MORE ON OUR OWN DECK. 
 
 Y the captain's orders we now set out for 
 that part of the bay where the two boats 
 of the ' Great Orion ' were lying hauled up. 
 On our way thither the captain and I learned 
 from the mate what had occurred since the ship 
 had left the island. 
 
 The deserters had all submitted themselves to 
 Mr. Borrows as soon as the ship had left the 
 anchorage. They seemed to understand that if 
 they were doomed to spend some time together on 
 the island they should live as shipmates. They 
 had lived comfortably, of course, on fresh pork and 
 vegetables, and were daily expecting the return of 
 the ship. 
 
 In exchange for this story we told all that had 
 happened to ourselves, and the fortunate circum- 
 stance of the rajah's over-caution, which had 
 brought us once more to Maori Island. For the 
 first time then I learned that the captain's arms 
 had not really been secured before we were taken 
 ashore. He had tricked the head-man, and allowed 
 
THE 'GREAT ORION! 
 
 him to tie a ' tomfool's ' knot around his arms, 
 which a single twitch unloosed. 
 
 Mr. Borrows, in reply to the captain's inquiry, 
 said that he fully believed that the boatswain would 
 be able to keep the ship, with the aid of the two 
 brass cannon, until we should arrive in the boats to 
 relieve him. 
 
 We soon reached the place where the boats 
 were hauled up. Both were launched and brought 
 round to a part of the bank where the trailers 
 drooped into the water. Here they were hidden 
 while the men set out for our plantation to get 
 supplies for the voyage that was before us, and also 
 to bury the man who had been killed by the 
 arrow ; his identity I had revealed to the captain. 
 
 I did not leave the boat I was in ; but lying 
 down in the stern-sheets, with the trailing branches 
 over my head, I indulged in the soundest sleep I ever 
 remember having. 
 
 It was early morning when the men returned 
 from their expedition. They had, they said, seen 
 no further trace of the natives. The boats were 
 soon manned, a rough mast being stepped in each 
 — the deserters under the command of Sliddell had 
 showed their wisdom by providing their boat with 
 plenty of sail-cloth, and their forethought was 
 lucky for us all now. 
 
 We were soon steering out of the bay ; but we 
 were not allowed to leave it without notice ; for 
 just as we were passing close to a wooded point, a 
 dozen figures started up, and before we could bring 
 a gun to bear upon them, a flight of arrows was 
 
ONCE MORE ON OUR OWN DECK. 311 
 
 sent against us. All fell short, and we did not 
 think it worth our while wasting a cartridge for the 
 sake of retaliation. 
 
 I am not prepared to tell anything of our 
 voyage to the rajah's island. It was undoubtedly 
 a perilous thing to attempt a voyage such as this in 
 two open boats ; but the thing had to be done, peri- 
 lous or otherwise. I did not think upon its probable 
 dangers, I only thought of sleep. The sufferings 
 which I had undergone had completely broken me 
 down. It is my belief that I slept without interrup- 
 tion during the two days that, as I afterwards learned, 
 elapsed before I heard the cry of ' Land ahead ! ' 
 
 There lay before us the island we had left less 
 than a week ago. With a fine breeze off their 
 beams the two boats, not a quarter of a mile apart, 
 bore up for the coast. We soon got close enough 
 to recognise the headland, in the rear of which 
 was the sandy beach where we hoped to find the 
 ' Great Orion ' safe and sound. 
 
 The anxiety we felt respecting the safety of 
 the ship was increased by the sounds of firing 
 which we heard. It seemed that the ship was 
 firing minute guns. It appeared ages before the 
 boats had run along far enough for the ship to 
 come in view. Every man was straining forward 
 in anxiety to catch the first glimpse of the vessel. 
 
 The first glimpse was sufficient to tell us what 
 was taking place. Two large prahus were to sea- 
 ward of the ship, and the mast of another was 
 appearing above the surface of the water. One of 
 the native vessels was alongside the ' Great Orion,' 
 
313 THE 'GREAT ORION! 
 
 and the other was paddling round her quarter. 
 Hundreds of the natives we could see swarming 
 over the bulwarks. The firing of the guns had 
 ceased. 
 
 'Out with the oars and pull, my men,' cried 
 the captain. ' The natives have taken the ship.' 
 
 ' They have,' I replied quickly ; ' but they have 
 not taken the crew. I can hear the sound of my 
 gun. There it goes again. Bravo ! They'll gi\'e 
 a good account of themselves, never fear ! ' 
 
 ' Pull away, my men, if you wish to save them,' 
 shouted the captain, and both boats flew through 
 the water. ' I see it all now : after working the 
 brass cannon until the natives boarded, our men 
 retired to the cabins, and are now making practice 
 with the gun through the window. Good men ! 
 keep at it, my lads ; keep at it ! ' 
 
 The boats had come on unperceived until they 
 were within a cable's length of the nearest prahu. 
 Then with a shout the sailors dropped their oars, 
 seized the rifles, and sent a volley of bullets against 
 the prahu. The consternation of the natives aboard 
 amounted to a panic. With a chorus of wild 
 shrieks they threw themselves from the bulwarks 
 into the water. The others, who were already 
 aboard our ship, on running to the side to see what 
 was the matter, were neatly picked off by our men, 
 and joined their friends in the water. The captain's 
 blood was up. He sailed the boat to the leeward 
 of the ship, and so cut off the prahus from the 
 shore. Those of the crews who remained at the 
 paddles took a course out to sea, but the greater 
 
ONCE MORE ON OUR OWN DECK. 313 
 
 number of the natives preferred running the chance 
 of reaching the headland at the other side of the 
 cove by diving. We could have picked them off 
 like ducks, but we thought it well to confine our 
 attention to those who had not yet left the deck of 
 the ship. We were soon relieved from the duty of 
 clearing the decks, however ; for the boatswain and 
 the four men who had held the ship now appeared. 
 Giving us a cheer they rushed at the remaining 
 natives with handspikes and other weapons, and 
 before them every native went overboard with a 
 howl. 
 
 We cheered our gallant shipmates from the 
 boats, and, quickly running alongside the ship, 
 climbed once more on deck. When the captain was 
 again master of his own ship another cheer arose. 
 
 ' Thank you, my lads,' said he ; ' but she's not 
 afloat yet, and not likely to be either.' 
 
 ' Yes, she will, sir,' said Mr. Borrows. ' If we 
 have to send to Singapore for a tug we'll have her 
 afloat.' 
 
 We soon learned all that the boatswain had to 
 report. 
 
 When we failed to return to the ship on that 
 day when we had gone ashore with the rajah, the 
 boatswain believed that we had been massacred, 
 and his impression was naturally confirmed by the 
 attack which, as the rajah had told us, was made 
 upon the ship the same evening. The carpenter 
 had then fortified the ship as well as he could, and 
 the two brass cannon were lashed down in the 
 bows with their muzzles directed aft so as to be 
 
314 THE 'GREAT ORION: 
 
 able to sweep the decks in case of the ship being 
 boarded. No other attempt was made by the 
 natives until this day, when three great prahus 
 were brought into action, and a boarding success- 
 fully accomplished, though the guns had done 
 good work before the crew were forced to retire 
 to the cabins. 
 
 ' You relieved us just at the right moment, sir,' 
 said the boatswain. 
 
 ' You did the whole work yourselves, my men,' 
 said the captain ; ' and I'll enter the names of every 
 man of you in my log-book.' 
 
CHAPTER XLIV. 
 
 THE rajah's punishment. 
 
 T was pleasant to be able to tuck oneself 
 in among the blankets that night for the 
 first time for more than a week. But it 
 seemed that I had scarcely done so and closed my 
 eyes, before there was a great commotion on deck. 
 
 ' Another attack — more fighting — I'm sick of 
 fighting ! ' I murmured. But in another instant I 
 was sitting up in my uncomfortably sloping bunk, 
 for a remarkable sound came to my ears — the 
 sound was neither more nor less than the blowing 
 off steam of a steamship. 
 
 Before I had got my legs into my trousers I 
 heard the even stroke of a well-drilled boat's crew. 
 The boat was evidently just under our quarter when 
 I heard the order given. 
 
 ' Bow ! oars in ! ' 
 
 The quick splash made by shipping eight oars 
 was followed by the hail from our deck. 
 
 ' Boat ahoy ! ' 
 
 ' Ship ahoy ! ' came the response. ' Is that ship 
 the "Great Orion"?' 
 
3i6 THE 'GREAT ORION: 
 
 ' " Great Orion " she is, sir. What boat is 
 that ? ' 
 
 ' Jolly-boat of Her Majesty's frigate " Bullfinch," 
 having on board the second officer of the " Great 
 Orion." ' 
 
 I ran on deck in time to meet Merrick, as 
 he climbed up the side, followed by the second 
 lieutenant of the frigate. 
 
 ' What ! ' shouted Merrick, seeing both the cap- 
 tain and myself, ' you have managed to slip your 
 cable from that old pepper-growing scoundrel .'' ' 
 
 ' Yes, we managed it somehow,' replied the 
 captain. 
 
 ' But who's this .■' ' cried the second mate, as 
 Mr. Borrows came up. ' How did you come here?' 
 
 ' It's a long story,' said the captain. ' It is 
 enough for the present to know that we are all safe 
 and sound, thank God ! ' 
 
 ' Then our mission is for nothing, sir,' said he, 
 turning to the naval officer. 
 
 ' I'm sorry for that,' said the lieutenant. ' The 
 fact is, sir,' he continued, turning to Captain 
 Harwood, ' our frigate was lucky enough to pick 
 up your officer in one of the native junks two days 
 ago.' 
 
 ' Or rather the frigate picked me up out of the 
 water when I had jumped overboard from the 
 junk, and managed to escape the arrows that were 
 sent after me.' 
 
 ' Quite so ; and hearing his story, and the course 
 to steer for the island, our commander thought it 
 would be well to steam here without delay, to see 
 
THE RAJAH'S PUNISHMENT. 317 
 
 if we could not manage to effect your ransom on 
 easier terms than the native chief thought fit to ask. 
 Nothing, however, remains to be done but to con- 
 gratulate you on your escape ; and perhaps we may 
 have a word or two to say to the chief before morn- 
 ing. Good-night, sir ; I'll report all well to my 
 commander.' 
 
 ' Good-night, sir,' said the captain. ' You'll 
 give him my compliments, and say that I hope to 
 have the honour of paying my respects to him in 
 the morning.' 
 
 The officer touched his cap and returned to his 
 boat. We saw it reach the frigate that lay at 
 anchor about half a mile from the shore — blowing 
 off steam. 
 
 About a quarter of an hour afterwards, when 
 Merrick was telling us of his voyage in the prahu, 
 and how when the British frigate was passing, he 
 had succeeded in jumping overboard to be picked 
 up by the commander, we were startled by the ter- 
 rific report of a heavy gun. The whole island was 
 illuminated by a rocket which hung in the air just 
 above the village of the natives. Five minutes after 
 there came another report, and we distinctly heard 
 the ' singing ' of a shell through the air. Then we 
 knew that the commander of the frigate was about 
 to shell the village, with a view to teach the rajah 
 a lesson. 
 
 For about half an hour shell after shell was 
 thrown, and the air was made sulphurous with the 
 smoke that floated to leeward over us. It was some 
 hours before I could go to sleep. 
 
3i8 THE 'GREAT ORION: 
 
 All that now remains to be told of the voyage 
 of the ' Great Orion ' is not much. 
 
 With the commander of the frigate and a body- 
 guard of a dozen men we visited the ruins of the 
 village and the pepper plantation the next morn- 
 ing. The destruction of all was complete ; but as 
 no dead bodies were found we concluded that the 
 population had fled to the forest when the rocket 
 had been thrown. 
 
 ' He'll not want to sell any pepper for another 
 year at any rate,' remarked the commander. 
 
 ' No,' said Captain Harwood ; ' your peppering 
 will probably turn his thoughts toward a less fiery 
 crop.' 
 
 Before evening a wire hawser was payed out 
 from the stern of the ' Bullfinch ' to the ' Great 
 Orion,' the frigate's crew having shored the ship 
 up, and lightened her. After working for some 
 hours, the good ship began to move and was safely 
 towed into deep water. A spare anchor was lent 
 by the frigate, and riggers, as well as calkers, 
 were sent aboard, so that in less than a week we 
 were once more, as the second lieutenant said, ' a 
 going concern.' 
 
 Our voyage to Sydney was accomplished in 
 good time, and from that port I telegraphed home 
 announcing my safety. As the ' Great Orion ' was 
 to refit at Port Jackson, I thought it better to return 
 home by steamer. I reached England in forty-five 
 days, and soon found myself in the somewhat 
 embarrassing position of a hero ; for the news- 
 papers had somehow got hold of an account of the 
 
THE RAJAH'S PUNISHMENT. 319 
 
 adventures of the ' Great Orion,' and I was the only- 
 representative of the ship's company who could 
 corroborate the narrative that had been published 
 in Australia. 
 
 A month after my return I got married, and I 
 trust, like the heroes and the heroines in the fairy 
 tales, that I shall ' live happy ever after.' 
 
 I have just now heard that the underwriters of 
 the ' Great Orion ' have determinedto present the 
 captain of the ship with a gold chronometer and 
 each of the officers with a watch, while every 
 member of the crew is to receive the sum of twenty 
 pounds. Toward myself they have been equally- 
 kind ; the brooch that my wife now wears is their 
 gift. The design consists of diamonds arranged in 
 the position of the stars in the constellation of 
 Orion. 
 
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