The Boats of the Glen Carrig Read Online Free Page B

final try at
the teak covers across the windows; but the day came at last, and found
me sleeping. Indeed, we had slept beyond the noon, but that the bo'sun,
mindful of our needs, waked us, and we removed the chests. Yet, for
perhaps the space of a minute, none durst open the door, until the bo'sun
bid us stand to one side. We faced about at him then, and saw that he
held a great cutlass in his right hand.
    He called to us that there were four more of the weapons, and made a
backward motion with his left hand towards an open locker. At that, as
might be supposed, we made some haste to the place to which he pointed,
and found that, among some other gear, there were three more weapons such
as he held; but the fourth was a straight cut-and-thrust, and this I had
the good fortune to secure.
    Being now armed, we ran to join the bo'sun; for by this he had the door
open, and was scanning the main cabin. I would remark here how a good
weapon doth seem to put heart into a man; for I, who but a few, short
hours since had feared for my life, was now right full of lustiness and
fight; which, mayhap, was no matter for regret.
    From the main cabin, the bo'sun led up on to the deck, and I remember
some surprise at finding the lid of the scuttle even as we had left it
the previous night; but then I recollected that the skylight was broken,
and there was access to the big cabin that way. Yet, I questioned within
myself as to what manner of thing it could be which ignored the
convenience of the scuttle, and descended by way of the broken skylight.
    We made a search of the decks and fo'cas'le, but found nothing, and,
after that, the bo'sun stationed two of us on guard, whilst the rest went
about such duties as were needful. In a little, we came to breakfast,
and, after that, we prepared to test the story upon the sample wrappers
and see perchance whether there was indeed a spring of fresh water among
the trees.
    Now between the vessel and the trees, lay a slope of the thick mud,
against which the vessel rested. To have scrambled up this bank had been
next to impossible, by reason of its fat richness; for, indeed, it looked
fit to crawl; but that Josh called out to the bo'sun that he had come
upon a ladder, lashed across the fo'cas'le head. This was brought, also
several hatch covers. The latter were placed first upon the mud, and the
ladder laid upon them; by which means we were enabled to pass up to the
top of the bank without contact with the mud.
    Here, we entered at once among the trees; for they grew right up to the
edge; but we had no trouble in making a way; for they were nowhere
close together; but standing, rather, each one in a little open space
by itself.
    We had gone a little way among the trees, when, suddenly, one who was
with us cried out that he could see something away on our right, and we
clutched everyone his weapon the more determinedly, and went towards it.
Yet it proved to be but a seaman's chest, and a space further off, we
discovered another. And so, after a little walking, we found the camp;
but there was small semblance of a camp about it; for the sail of which
the tent had been formed, was all torn and stained, and lay muddy upon
the ground. Yet the spring was all we had wished, clear and sweet, and so
we knew we might dream of deliverance.
    Now, upon our discovery of the spring, it might be thought that we should
set up a shout to those upon the vessel; but this was not so; for there
was something in the air of the place which cast a gloom upon our
spirits, and we had no disinclination to return unto the vessel.
    Upon coming to the brig, the bo'sun called to four of the men to go down
into the boats, and pass up the breakers: also, he collected all the
buckets belonging to the brig, and forthwith each of us was set to our
work. Some, those with the weapons, entered into the wood, and gave down
the water to those stationed upon the bank, and these, in turn, passed it
to those in the vessel. To the man in the galley, the