Authors: James Fenimore Cooper
Smudge watched me with the eyes of a hawk. As I had obeyed his own
orders in making sail, he could not complain of that; but the result
evidently disappointed him. He saw we were still moving in the wrong
direction, and, as yet, not a canoe was visible. As for these last,
now the vessel had way on her, I was not without hopes of being able
to keep them exposed to the fire from the cabin-windows, and, finally,
of getting rid of them by drawing off the land to a distance they
would not be likely to follow. The Dipper, however, I was aware, was a
bold fellow—knew something of vessels—and I was determined to give a
hint to Marble to pick
him
off, should he come within range of
his muskets.
In the meantime the alarm and impatience of Smudge and his companions,
very sensibly increased. Five minutes were an age in the circumstances
in which they were placed, and I saw that it would soon be necessary
to adopt some new expedient, or I might expect to be sacrificed to the
resentment of these savages. Necessity sharpens the wits, and I hit
upon a scheme which was not entirely without the merit of
ingenuity. As it was, I suppose I owed my life to the consciousness of
the savages, that they could do nothing without me.
Smudge, with three or four of the fiercest of his companions, had
begun again to menace me with the knife, making signs, at the same
time, for me to turn the ship's head towards the land. I asked for a
little room, and then describing a long circle on the deck, pointing
to the four sails we had set, and this in a way to tell them that
under the canvass we carried, it would be necessary to go a great
distance in order to turn round. When I had succeeded in communicating
this idea, I forthwith set about giving them to understand that by
getting up the top-masts, and making more sail, we might return
immediately. The savages understood me, and the explanation appearing
reasonable to them, they went aside and consulted together. As time
pressed, it was not long before Smudge came to me with signs to show
him and his party how to get the remainder of the sails set. Of
course, I was not backward in giving the desired information.
In a few minutes, I had a string of the savages hold of the mast-rope,
forward, a luff-tackle being applied. As everything was ready aloft,
all we had to do was to pull, until, judging by the eye, I thought the
spar was high enough, when I ran up the rigging and clapped in the
fid. Having the top-mast out of the way, without touching any of its
rigging, I went down on the fore-yard, and loosened the sail. This
appeared so much like business, that the savages gave sundry
exclamations of delight; and, by the time I got on deck, they were all
ready to applaud me as a good fellow. Even Smudge was completely
mystified; and when I set the others at work at the jeer-fall to sway
up the fore-yard, he was as active as any of them. We soon had the
yard in its place, and I went aloft to secure it, touching the braces
first so as to fill the sail.
The reader may rest assured I did not hurry myself, now I had things
in so fair a way. I could perceive that my power and importance
increased with every foot we went from the land; and the ship steering
herself under such canvass, the wheel being a trifle up, there was no
occasion for extraordinary exertion on my part. I determined now to
stay aloft as long as possible. The yard was soon secured, and then I
went up into the top, where I began to set up the weather-rigging. Of
course, nothing was very thoroughly done, though sufficiently so for
the weather we had.
From the top I had a good view of the offing, and of the coast for
leagues. We were now quite a mile at sea, and, though the tide was no
longer of any use to us, we were drawing through the water quite at
the rate of two knots. I thought that the flood had made, and that it
took us a little on our lee-bow, hawsing us up to windward. Just as I
had got the last lanyard fastened, the canoes began to appear, coming
round the island by the farther passage, and promising to overtake us
in the course of the next twenty minutes. The crisis demanded
decision, and I determined to get the jib on the ship. Accordingly, I
was soon on deck.
Having so much the confidence of the savages, who now fancied their
return depended on me, I soon had them at work, and we had the stay
set up in two or three minutes. I then ran out and cast off the
gaskets, when my boys began to hoist at a signal from me. I have
seldom been so happy as when I saw that large sheet of canvass open to
the air. The sheet was hauled in and belayed as fast as possible, and
then it struck me I should not have time to do any more before the
canoes would overtake us. It was my wish to communicate with
Marble. While passing aft, to effect this object, I paused a moment to
examine the movement of the canoes; old Smudge, the whole time,
expressing his impatience that the ship did not turn round. I make no
doubt I should have been murdered a dozen times, had I lives enough,
were it not that the savages felt how dependent they were on me, for
the government of the vessel. I began to see my importance, and grew
bold in proportion. As for the canoes, I took a look at them through
a glass, They were about half-a-mile distant; had ceased paddling, and
were lying close together, seemingly in consultation. I fancied the
appearance of the ship, under canvass, had alarmed them, and that they
began to think we had regained the vessel, and were getting her in
sailing condition again, and that it might not be prudent to come too
near. Could I confirm this impression, a great point would be gained.
Under the pretence of making more sail, in order to get the ship's
head round, a difficulty I had to explain to Smudge by means of signs
some six or eight times, I placed the savages at the
main
-top-mast
mast-rope, and told them to drag. This was a task likely to keep them
occupied, and what was more, it kept them all looking forward, leaving
me affecting to be busied aft. I had given Smudge a segar too, to put
him in good humour, and I had also taken the liberty to light one for
myself.
Our guns had all been primed, levelled, and had their tompions taken
out the night before, in readiness to repel any assault that might be
made. I had only to remove the apron from the after-gun, and it was
ready to be discharged. Going to the wheel, I put the helm hard up,
until our broadside bore on the canoes. Then glancing along my gun,
until I saw it had a tolerable range, I clapped the segar to the
priming, springing back to the wheel, and putting the helm down. The
explosion produced a general yell among the savages, several of whom
actually leaped into the chains ready to go overboard, while Smudge
rushed towards me, fiercely brandishing his knife. I thought my time
had come! but, perceiving that the ship was luffing fast, I motioned
eagerly forward, to draw the attention of my assailant in that
quarter. The vessel was coming-to, and Smudge was easily induced to
believe it was the commencement of turning round. The breathing time
allowed me to mystify him with a few more signs; after which, he
rejoined his people, showed them exultingly the ship still luffing,
and I make no doubt, he thought himself, and induced the rest to
think, that the gun had a material agency in producing all these
apparent changes. As for the canoes, the grape had whistled so near
them, that they began to paddle back, doubtless under the impression,
that we were again masters of the ship, and had sent them this hint to
keep aloof.
Thus far I had succeeded beyond my most sanguine expectations; and I
began to entertain lively hopes of not only saving my life, but of
recovering the command of the vessel. Could I manage to get her out
of sight of land, my services would be so indispensable, as almost to
insure success. The coast was very low, and a run of six or eight
hours would do this, provided the vessel's head could be kept in the
right direction. The wind, moreover, was freshening, and I judged that
the Crisis had already four knots way on her. Less than twenty miles
would put all the visible coast under water. But, it was time to say
something to Marble. With a view to lull distrust, I called Smudge to
the companion-way, in order that he might hear what passed, though I
felt satisfied, now that the Dipper was out of the ship, not a soul
remained among the savages, who could understand a syllable of
English, or knew anything of vessels. The first call brought the mate
to the door. "Well, Miles; what is it?"—he asked—"what meant the
gun, and who fired it?"
"All right, Mr. Marble. I fired the gun to keep off the canoes, and it
has had the effect I wished."
"Yes; my head was out of the cabin-window at the time, for I believed
the ship was waring, and thought you had given up, and were going back
into port. I saw the roundshot strike within twenty fathoms of the
canoes, and as for the grape, some of it flew beyond them. Why, we are
more than half a league from the land, boy!—Will Smudge stand that
much longer?"
I then told Marble precisely how we were situated on deck, the sail we
were under, the number of savages we had on board, and the notion the
savages entertained on the subject of turning the ship round. It is
not easy to say which listened with the most attention, Marble, or
Smudge. The latter made frequent gestures for me to turn the ship
towards the coast, for by this time she had the wind abeam again, and
was once more running in a straight line. It was necessary, on more
accounts than one, to adopt some immediate remedy for the danger that
began to press on me anew. Not only must Smudge and his associates be
pacified, but, as the ship got into the offing, she began to feel the
ground-swell, and her spars, aloft, were anything but secure. The
main-top-mast was about half-up, and it was beginning to surge and
move in the cap, in a way I did not like. It is true, there was not
much danger yet; but the wind was rising, and what was to be done,
ought to be done at once. I was not sorry, however, to perceive that
five or six of the savages, Smudge among the number, began to betray
signs of sea-sickness. I would have given Clawbonny, at the moment, to
have had all the rascals in rough water!
I now endeavoured to make Smudge understand the necessity of my having
assistance from below, both to assist in turning the vessel, and in
getting the yards and masts into their places. The old fellow shook
his head, and looked grave at this. I saw he was not sick enough yet,
to be indifferent about his life. After a time, however, he pronounced
the names of Neb and Yo, the blacks having attracted the attention of
the savages, the last being the cook. I understood him, he would
suffer these two to come to my assistance, provided it could be done
without endangering his own ascendency. Three unarmed men could hardly
be dangerous to twenty-five who were armed; and then I suspected that
he fancied the negroes would prove allies to himself, in the event of
a struggle, rather than foes. As for Neb, he made a fatal mistake; nor
was he much nearer the truth in regard to Joe-or Yo, as he called
him—the cook feeling quite as much for the honour of the American
flag, as the fairest-skinned seaman in the country. It is generally
found, that the loyalty of the negroes is of proof.
I found means to make Smudge understand the manner in which these two
blacks could be got on deck, without letting up the rest. As soon as
he fairly comprehended the means to be used, he cheerfully acquiesced,
and I made the necessary communication to Marble. A rope was sent
down, over the stern-boat, to the cabin-windows, and Neb took a turn
round his body; when he was hauled up to the gunwale of the boat, into
which he was dragged by the assistance of the savages. The same
process was used with Joe. Before the negroes were permitted to go
aloft, however, Smudge made them a brief oration, in which oracular
sentences were blended with significant gestures, and indications of
what they were to expect, in the event of bad behaviour. After this, I
sent the blacks into the main-top, and glad enough I thought they were
both to get there.
Thus reinforced, we had the main-top-mast fidded in a very few
minutes. Neb was then directed to set up the rigging, and to clear
away the yard, so it might be got into its place. In a word, an hour
passed in active exertions, at the end of which, we had everything
rove, bent, and in its place, on the main-mast, from the top-mast-head
to the deck. The top-gallant-mast was lying fore and aft in the waist,
and could not then be touched; nor was it necessary. I ordered the
men to loosen both sails, and to overhaul down their rigging. In the
eyes of Smudge, this looked highly promising; and the savages gave a
yell of delight when they saw the top-sail fairly filled and drawing.
I added the main-sail to the pressure, and then the ship began to walk
off the coast, at a rate that promised all I hoped for. It was now
necessary for me to stick by the wheel, of the uses of which Smudge
began to obtain some notions. At this time, the vessel was more than
two leagues from the island, and objects began to look dim along the
coast. As for the canoes, they could no longer be seen, and chasing us
any farther was quite out of the question. I felt that the crisis was
approaching.
Smudge and his companions now became more and more earnest on the
subject of turning the ship round. The indistinctness of the land
began seriously to alarm them, and sea-sickness had actually placed
four of their number flat on the deck. I could see that the old fellow
himself was a good deal affected, though his spirit, and the risks he
ran, kept him in motion, and vigilantly on the watch. It was necessary
to seem to do something; and I sent the negroes up into the fore-top,
to get the top sail-yard in its place, and the sail set. This occupied
another hour, before we were entirely through, when the land was
getting nearly
awash
. As soon as the mizen-top-sail was set, I
braced sharp up, and brought the ship close upon the wind. This caused
the Indians to wilt down like flowers under a burning sun, just as I
expected; there being, by this time, a seven-knot breeze, and a smart
head-sea on. Old Smudge felt that his forces were fast deserting him,
and he now came to me, in a manner that would not be denied, and I
felt the necessity of doing something to appease him. I got the
savages stationed as well as I could, hauled up the main-sail, and put
the ship in stays. We tacked better than I could have believed
possible, and when my wild captors saw that we were actually moving in
the direction of the land, again, their delight was infinite. Their
leader was ready to hug me; but I avoided this pleasure in the best
manner I could. As for the consequences, I had no apprehensions,
knowing we were too far off to have any reason to dread the canoes,
and being certain it was easy enough to avoid them in such a breeze.