Mrs Fosters head lay on a soft pillow while the tempest raged around her humble dwelling. She little thought that one around whom her heart-strings were entwined was out on the wild sea that night, exposed to its utmost fury and in urgent need of the aid of that species of boat which had filled her thoughts that evening, and still continued to influence her dreams.
Chapter Five.
The GaleFalse Economy and its ResultsA Wreck on the Goodwin Sands
What seamen style a whole gale seemed to be brewing when the Nancy tripped her anchor and shook out her sails.
Sailors have a quiet, matter-of-fact, and professional way of talking about the weather. Landsmen would be surprised (perhaps something more!) if exposed to what Jack calls a stiff breeze, or a capful of wind. A whole gale may sound peculiar to some ears, but if the said gale were to sound in the same ears, the hearers would be apt to style it, in consternation, a most tremendous hurricane!
On board the Nancy, Bax and Bluenose had some suspicion that something was brewing, but whether a whole gale, or half a gale, or a stiff breeze, they could not be expected to divine, not being possessed of supernatural gifts.
Had they been possessed of a good barometer they would have been able to foretell what was coming without supernatural gifts; but Messrs Denham, Crumps, and Company were economical in their tendencies, and deemed barometers superfluous. Being, to some extent, ignorant of nautical affairs (as well as of scientific), and being to a large extent indifferent to the warning voices of those who knew better, they thought fit to intrust the Nancy to the unaided wisdom of the intelligent young seaman who commanded her.
Of course, being acute men of business, they took every needful precaution, and being men of experience, they were not blind to the fact that many vessels were annually lost; they therefore insured schooner and cargo to their full value. Having done so, Messrs Denham, Crumps, and Company felt at ease. If the Nancy should happen to go downno matter; it would perhaps be a more rapid and satisfactory way of terminating a doubtful venture! It was just possible that in the event of the Nancy going down lives might be lost, and other lives rendered desolate. What then? The Firm had nothing to do with that! The lives embarked in the Nancy did not belong to Denham, Crumps, and Company. If they should go to the bottom, there would be nothing to lose, and nothing to pay; perhaps a trifle to the widows and children, that was all! In regard to this also they felt quite at ease.
On the strength of such views and opinions the tackling of the Nancy was allowed to become rotten; the cables and the anchors of the Nancy were economically weak and insufficient; the charts of the Nancy were old and inaccurate, and the Nancy herself was in all respects utterly unseaworthy.
It could scarcely be expected, however, that the operations of Nature were to be suspended because of the unprepared condition of this vessel; not to mention hundreds of others in similar condition. The gale continued to brew. A stiff breeze carried the Nancy down the Thames towards the open sea; then a sudden calm left her to float without progressive motion on the water. As evening approached the breeze sprang up again and freshened. Then it chopped round to the east, and when night fell it began to blow hard right in the teeth of the little vessel.
Bax was a good and a bold seaman. He knew the coast well, and hoped, in due course, to double the North Foreland, and find shelter in the Downs. He knew the channels and buoys thoroughly, and had often run the same course in stormy weather. But the gale which now began to buffet the little schooner was of more than ordinary violence. It was one of those fierce hurricanes which, once in a year, or, it may be, once in three or four years, bursts upon our island, strews the coast with wrecks, fills many homes and hearts with desolation, and awakens the inhabitants of the inland counties to a slight sense of the terrible scenes that are of constant occurrence on the shores which form the bulwark of their peaceful homes.
We shall have rough weather to-night, I fear, observed Mr Burton, coming on deck some time after sunset, and addressing Bax; doubtless you know the channels well, young sir?
I do, replied the sailor, with a peculiar smile. Twelve years experience has not been altogether thrown away on me. I have sailed these waters in old Jephs lugger since I was a little boy.
Is that old Jeph the smuggler, sometimes called the mad philosopher, from the circumstance of his mind being much taken up with odd notions about lifeboats? inquired the missionary.
The same, replied Bax, though Ill go bound for it theres not an honester man in Deal than old Jeph is now, whatever he may have done in the smuggling way when he was young. I have known him only as a good old man; and in regard to these same notions he has about lifeboats, its my firm belief that well see his plans, or something like them, carried out before long. Hes not so mad as folk think, and certainly not half so mad as the people who give no thought whatever to these subjects.
Bax said this warmly, for there was a strong bond of sympathy between him and his old friend, whom he could not bear to hear mentioned in a slighting manner.
I meant not to say a word against old Jeph, replied Mr Burton, quickly. I merely spoke of him in the way in which seamen in these parts commonly refer to him. It pleases me much to hear so good a character of him from one who, I have no doubt, has had good opportunity of judging.
Here Guy Foster, who was standing near the binnacle, turned round and said earnestly:
I can testify to the fact that old Jeph is a good Christian man; at least if love to our Saviour, and anxiety for the salvation of souls, is to be accepted as evidence.
The missionary said that there was no better evidence than that, and was about to question Bax further in regard to the old man who bore such a peculiar character, when a loud peal of thunder drew the attention of all to the threatening aspect of the weather.
Heave the lead, Bill! cried Bax to one of the men.
Ha! thats wot Ive been lookin for, observed Bluenose, spitting his quid over the lee bulwarks, and replacing it with a fresh one. Ive never got no confidence in a skipper as dont keep his lead a-goin in shoal water. Specially in sich waters as them ere, wot shifts more or less with every gale.
The command to heave the lead was followed by an order to reduce sail, and as the gale freshened and the night closed in, this order was repeated more than once, until the schooner was beating to windward under the smallest possible amount of canvas.
An anxious expression rested on Baxs face as he stood by the steersman, glancing alternately at the sails and at the horizon where clouds of the blackest kind were gathering.
Does your barometer indicate very bad weather? inquired Mr Burton.
I have no barometer, replied Bax, bitterly.
The missionary looked surprised, and Guy Foster bit his lip, for he felt that this piece of false economy was a blot on the firm to which he belonged. In order to change the subject, he inquired for Lucy, who, since the time of her rescue, had remained in bed.
My daughter does well, thanks be to God! said Burton. I think that no evil will flow from her accident, for she was but a short time in the water; thanks to you, friend Bax.