The Boats of the Glen Carrig (18 page)

There was in the parcel, one other matter, a letter, most neatly
indited, as had been the former epistles, in a feminine handwriting, so
that I guessed they had one of the women to be their scribe. This
epistle answered some of my queries, and, in particular, I remember that
it informed me as to the probable cause of the strange crying which
preceded the attack by the weed men, saying that on each occasion when
they in the ship had suffered their attacks, there had been always this
same crying, being evidently a summoning call or signal to the attack,
though how given, the writer had not discovered; for the weed
devils
—this being how they in the ship spoke always of them—made
never a sound when attacking, not even when wounded to the death, and,
indeed, I may say here, that we never learnt the way in which that
lonesome sobbing was produced, nor, indeed, did they, or we, discover
more than the merest tithe of the mysteries which that great continent
of weed holds in its silence.

Another matter to which I had referred was the consistent blowing of the
wind from one quarter, and this the writer told me happened for as much
as six months in the year, keeping up a very steady strength. A further
thing there was which gave me much interest; it was that the ship had not
been always where we had discovered her; for at one time they had been so
far within the weed, that they could scarce discern the open sea upon the
far horizon; but that at times the weed opened in great gulfs that went
yawning through the continent for scores of miles, and in this way the
shape and coasts of the weed were being constantly altered; these
happenings being for the most part at the change of the wind.

And much more there was that they told us then and afterwards, how that
they dried weed for their fuel, and how the rains, which fell with great
heaviness at certain periods, supplied them with fresh water; though, at
times, running short, they had learnt to distil sufficient for their
needs until the next rains.

Now, near to the end of the epistle, there came some news of their
present actions, and thus we learnt that they in the ship were busy at
staying the stump of the mizzen-mast, this being the one to which they
proposed to attach the big rope, taking it through a great iron-bound
snatch-block, secured to the head of the stump, and then down to the
mizzen-capstan, by which, and a strong tackle, they would be able to
heave the line so taut as was needful.

Now, having finished our meal, the bo'sun took out the lint, bandages and
ointment, which they had sent us from the hulk, and proceeded to dress
our hurts, beginning with him who had lost his fingers, which, happily,
were making a very healthy heal. And afterwards we went all of us to the
edge of the cliff, and sent back the look-out to fill such crevices in
his stomach as remained yet empty; for we had passed him already some
sound hunks of the bread and ham and cheese, to eat whilst he kept watch,
and so he had suffered no great harm.

It may have been near an hour after this, that the bo'sun pointed out to
me that they in the ship had commenced to heave upon the great rope, and
so I perceived, and stood watching it; for I knew that the bo'sun had
some anxiety as to whether it would take-up sufficiently clear of the
weed to allow those in the ship to be hauled along it, free from
molestation by the great devil-fish.

Presently, as the evening began to draw on, the bo'sun bade us go and
build our fires about the hilltop, and this we did, after which we
returned to learn how the rope was lifting, and now we perceived that it
had come clear of the weed, at which we felt mightily rejoiced, and waved
encouragement, chance there might be any who watched us from the hulk.
Yet, though the rope was up clear of the weed, the bight of it had to
rise to a much greater height, or ever it would do for the purpose for
which we intended it, and already it suffered a vast strain, as I
discovered by placing my hand upon it; for, even to lift the slack of so
great a length of line meant the stress of some tons. And later I saw
that the bo'sun was growing anxious; for he went over to the rock around
which he had made fast the rope, and examined the knots, and those places
where he had parceled it, and after that he walked to the place where it
went over the edge of the cliff, and here he made a further scrutiny; but
came back presently, seeming not dissatisfied.

Then, in a while, the darkness came down upon us, and we lighted our
fires and prepared for the night, having the watches arranged as on the
preceding nights.

Now when it came to my watch, the which I took in company with the big
seaman, the moon had not yet risen, and all the island was vastly dark,
save the hill-top, from which the fires blazed in a score of places, and
very busy they kept us, supplying them with fuel. Then, when maybe the
half of our watch had passed, the big seaman, who had been to feed the
fires upon the weed side of the hill-top, came across to me, and bade me
come and put my hand upon the lesser rope; for that he thought they in
the ship were anxious to haul it in so that they might send some message
across to us. At his words, I asked him very anxiously whether he had
perceived them waving a light, the which we had arranged to be our method
of signaling in the night, in the event of such being needful; but, to
this, he said that he had seen naught; and, by now, having come near the
edge of the cliff, I could see for myself, and so perceived that there
was none signaling to us from the hulk. Yet, to please the fellow, I put
my hand upon the line, which we had made fast in the evening to a large
piece of rock, and so, immediately, I discovered that something was
pulling upon it, hauling and then slackening, so that it occurred to me
that the people in the vessel might be indeed wishful to send us some
message, and at that, to make sure, I ran to the nearest fire, and,
lighting a tuft of weed, waved it thrice; but there came not any
answering signal from those in the ship, and at that I went back to feel
at the rope, to assure myself that it had not been the pluck of the wind
upon it; but I found that it was something very different from the wind,
something that plucked with all the sharpness of a hooked fish, only that
it had been a mighty great fish to have given such tugs, and so I knew
that some vile thing out in the darkness of the weed was fast to the
rope, and at this there came the fear that it might break it, and then a
second thought that something might be climbing up to us along the rope,
and so I bade the big seaman stand ready with his great cutlass, whilst I
ran and waked the bo'sun. And this I did, and explained to him how that
something meddled with the lesser rope, so that he came immediately to
see for himself how this might be, and when he had put his hand upon it,
he bade me go and call the rest of the men, and let them stand round by
the fires; for that there was something abroad in the night, and we might
be in danger of attack; but he and the big seaman stayed by the end of
the rope, watching, so far as the darkness would allow, and ever and anon
feeling the tension upon it.

Then, suddenly, it came to the bo'sun to look to the second line, and he
ran, cursing himself for his thoughtlessness; but because of its greater
weight and tension, he could not discover for certain whether anything
meddled with it or not; yet he stayed by it, arguing that if aught
touched the smaller rope then might something do likewise with the
greater, only that the small line lay along the weed, whilst the greater
one had been some feet above it when the darkness had fallen over us, and
so might be free from any prowling creatures.

And thus, maybe, an hour passed, and we kept watch and tended the fires,
going from one to another, and, presently, coming to that one which was
nearest to the bo'sun, I went over to him, intending to pass a few
minutes in talk; but as I drew nigh to him, I chanced to place my hand
upon the big rope, and at that I exclaimed in surprise; for it had become
much slacker than when last I had felt it in the evening, and I asked the
bo'sun whether he had noticed it, whereat he felt the rope, and was
almost more amazed than I had been; for when last he had touched it, it
had been taut, and humming in the wind. Now, upon this discovery, he was
in much fear that something had bitten through it, and called to the men
to come all of them and pull upon the rope, so that he might discover
whether it was indeed parted; but when they came and hauled upon it, they
were unable to gather in any of it, whereat we felt all of us mightily
relieved in our minds; though still unable to come at the cause of its
sudden slackness.

And so, a while later, there rose the moon, and we were able to examine
the island and the water between it and the weed-continent, to see
whether there was anything stirring; yet neither in the valley, nor on
the faces of the cliffs, nor in the open water could we perceive aught
living, and as for anything among the weed, it was small use trying to
discover it among all that shaggy blackness. And now, being assured that
nothing was coming at us, and that, so far as our eyes could pierce,
there climbed nothing upon the ropes, the bo'sun bade us get turned-in,
all except those whose time it was to watch. Yet, before I went into the
tent, I made a careful examination of the big rope, the which did also
the bo'sun, but could perceive no cause for its slackness; though this
was quite apparent in the moonlight, the rope going down with greater
abruptness than it had done in the evening. And so we could but conceive
that they in the hulk had slacked it for some reason; and after that we
went to the tent and a further spell of sleep.

In the early morning we were waked by one of the watchmen, coming into
the tent to call the bo'sun; for it appeared that the hulk had moved in
the night, so that its stern was now pointed somewhat towards the island.
At this news, we ran all of us from the tent to the edge of the hill, and
found it to be indeed as the man had said, and now I understood the
reason of that sudden slackening of the rope; for, after withstanding the
stress upon it for some hours, the vessel had at last yielded, and slewed
its stern towards us, moving also to some extent bodily in our direction.

And now we discovered that a man in the look-out place in the top of the
structure was waving a welcome to us, at which we waved back, and then
the bo'sun bade me haste and write a note to know whether it seemed to
them likely that they might be able to heave the ship clear of the weed,
and this I did, greatly excited within myself at this new thought, as,
indeed, was the bo'sun himself and the rest of the men. For could they do
this, then how easily solved were every problem of coming to our own
country. But it seemed too good a thing to have come true, and yet I
could but hope. And so, when my letter was completed, we put it up in the
little oilskin bag, and signaled to those in the ship to haul in upon the
line. Yet, when they went to haul, there came a mighty splather amid the
weed, and they seemed unable to gather in any of the slack, and then,
after a certain pause, I saw the man in the look-out point something, and
immediately afterwards there belched out in front of him a little puff of
smoke, and, presently, I caught the report of a musket, so that I knew
that he was firing at something in the weed. He fired again, and yet once
more, and after that they were able to haul in upon the line, and so I
perceived that his fire had proved effectual; yet we had no knowledge of
the thing at which he had discharged his weapon.

Now, presently, they signaled to us to draw back the line, the which we
could do only with great difficulty, and then the man in the top of the
super-structure signed to us to vast hauling, which we did, whereupon he
began to fire again into the weed; though with what effect we could not
perceive. Then, in a while he signaled to us to haul again, and now the
rope came more easily; yet still with much labor, and a commotion in the
weed over which it lay and, in places, sank. And so, at last, as it
cleared the weed because of the lift of the cliff, we saw that a great
crab had clutched it, and that we hauled it towards us; for the creature
had too much obstinacy to let go.

Perceiving this, and fearing that the great claws of the crab might
divide the rope, the bo'sun caught up one of the men's lances, and ran to
the cliff edge, calling to us to pull in gently, and put no more strain
upon the line than need be. And so, hauling with great steadiness, we
brought the monster near to the edge of the hill, and there, at a wave
from the bo'sun, stayed our pulling. Then he raised the spear, and smote
at the creature's eyes, as he had done on a previous occasion, and
immediately it loosed its hold, and fell with a mighty splash into the
water at the foot of the cliff. Then the bo'sun bade us haul in the rest
of the rope, until we should come to the packet, and, in the meantime, he
examined the line to see whether it had suffered harm through the
mandibles of the crab; yet, beyond a little chafe, it was quite sound.

And so we came to the letter, which I opened and read, finding it to be
written in the same feminine hand which had indited the others. From it
we gathered that the ship had burst through a very thick mass of the weed
which had compacted itself about her, and that the second mate, who was
the only officer remaining to them, thought there might be good chance
to heave the vessel out; though it would have to be done with great
slowness, so as to allow the weed to part gradually, otherwise the ship
would but act as a gigantic rake to gather up weed before it, and so form
its own barrier to clear water. And after this there were kind wishes and
hopes that we had spent a good night, the which I took to be prompted by
the feminine heart of the writer, and after that I fell to wondering
whether it was the captain's wife who acted as scribe. Then I was waked
from my pondering, by one of the men crying out that they in the ship had
commenced to heave again upon the big rope, and, for a time, I stood and
watched it rise slowly, as it came to tautness.