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The Voyages of the Ranger and Crusader, and what befell their Passengers & Crews, a fiction by William H. G. Kingston |
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Chapter 18. Shipbuilding |
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_ CHAPTER EIGHTEEN. SHIPBUILDING. PREPARATIONS FOR MOVING TO VILLAGE--LITTERS FORMED FOR LADIES--HOLT LEADS THE PARTY--WILLY AND PETER CARRY MAY--THE JOURNEY COMMENCED-- STORES AND BOAT RECOVERED FROM WRECK--MUTINEERS DISAPPEAR--KEEL OF "YOUNG CRUSADER" LAID. The morning was too tempestuous to allow the boat to make the passage to the settlement. Harry, therefore, set all the men to work to construct litters on which the ladies and the weaker women and children might be carried, Ensign Holt having undertaken to show the way, which he declared practicable, though in places somewhat rough and marshy. The women meantime were busily employed in preparing breakfast. Paul Lizard had, fortunately, some hooks and lines in his pocket, and he set the boys to work to catch fish. The mutineers did not appear; but Willy and Peter were sent to see what had become of them, and they reported that they were lying asleep round the ashes of their fire, with a spirit cask near them, a small portion of the liquor only remaining in it. Harry felt that it was important for him to return to the settlement, in order to make preparations for the support of so many people, or he would gladly have remained with Captain Westerway, to assist him in getting stores from the wreck, and seeing what could be done to build another vessel, as had been proposed. He left, however, Bollard and Lizard with him; while he, taking young Broke as his guide, and four of the emigrants, set off towards the settlement, it being arranged that Ensign Holt, aided by Mr Paget, Charles, and the other gentlemen, should conduct the main body. Captain Westerway undertook, should he be able to obtain the provisions, to send them up in the cutter, under charge of Mr Bollard, One of the ship's boats, though stove in so as then to be useless, remained on deck; and the captain hoped, should she not be washed away, to repair her sufficiently to be of use in visiting the wreck. Some time passed before the young ensign's party were ready to start, and had been supplied with food. Several of the women had found biscuits in their pockets, which afforded support to the younger children. The young ladies had begged to be allowed to walk, but were assured that their shoes were unfit for the rough ground which they would have to traverse. Willy and Peter, with two other boys, insisted on carrying May, while Emily's litter was borne by her elder brother, Mr Paget, Tom Loftus, and Jack Ivyleaf. Mrs Clagget declined taking her seat on the litter prepared for her. "No, no; you men will be letting me down in the middle of a bog," she exclaimed. "If some one would lend me a pair of boots, I would show you that I could trudge as well as any body." As may be supposed, no boots were to be procured; but Jack Ivyleaf, ever fertile in resources, undertook to fit the old lady with a pair of seal-skin moccasins, which would protect her feet from the rocks. The party formed a long line, not unlike a caravan prepared to cross the desert. They were in tolerable spirits, but the more thoughtful ones could not help feeling anxious about the means of supplying so many mouths with food. As soon as they had started, Captain Westerway launched the boat, to be ready to visit the wreck directly the weather moderated sufficiently. Meantime, while some of the people were collecting the pieces of timber and planking which were washed on shore, others were engaged in cutting wood for building the huts they required to shelter them from the cold and rain at night. Towards evening the sea had gone down sufficiently to enable the captain and his first mate, with Mr Bollard, to get alongside the ship. A short inspection soon convinced them that she was a hopeless wreck. "It cannot be helped, Windy," said Captain Westerway, with a sigh. "We must now try to make the best of what remains of her." "Cheer up, captain," answered the mate; "though the old 'Crusader' will carry us no longer over the ocean, we will have a 'Young Crusader' built before long, and she will do good service if, by her means, we can get away to some Christian land. We might have been much worse off than we are, and, to my mind, we have no cause to grumble. Here's our boat still safe, and, with some tinkering, she may be made to swim and serve us well. We will tow her on shore; but first we will see what provisions we can come at to carry with us." Bill and his companions at once set to work. A cask of beef, another of pork, and three of flour were found, besides several articles--among the most valuable was the carpenter's tool chest, and a quantity of iron. These were at once lowered into the boat. A number of sails were also got up, and thus laden they returned in her to the shore. Another trip only could be made that night, when more hands were taken off to assist in the work. The various articles brought from the wreck greatly raised the spirits of the party. The sails, stretched on poles they had cut, made comfortable tents, and they had now food in abundance. "I wish those mutinous chaps had not been such fools," observed Windy. "I wonder what has become of them." On inquiries being made, it was found that the mutineers, headed by Job Mawson, had been seen making their way across the country in the direction of the settlement. "I hope they will not have gone to annoy the people there," observed the boatswain. "The men are often away hunting or fishing, and only the ladies and a few other women and children are left at the huts." "They are not likely to get there before Mr Shafto, at all events," said the captain. "We need not trouble ourselves about them." Still Bill Windy was not quite comfortable in his mind. Three or four of the crew were great scoundrels, and several of the emigrants were ruffianly fellows, ready to engage in any sort of mischief. The captain and his mates, with Mr Bollard, sat up for several hours arranging the plan of the vessel, which they proposed commencing as soon as the timber could be got from the wreck. By daybreak they commenced repairing the boat, and she being put to rights, they were able to proceed more rapidly in getting the stores and provisions on shore. A raft was also formed to facilitate the operation. So hard did they work--the weather still continuing favourable--that before many days had passed the keel of the "Young Crusader" was laid, the old ship disappearing by the efforts of those who a short time before were so anxious for her preservation. Nothing had been seen of the mutineers. "They must take the consequences of their foolishness," observed Bill Windy, "and, the chances are, will have to spend the best part of their days on this island." Meantime, Captain Westerway had not forgotten the party at the settlement, and sent up Mr Bollard in the cutter, laden with some of the provisions which had been saved. _ |
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