The Boats of the Glen Carrig (2 page)

Now, it being day, the bo'sun bade us make such sparse breakfast as our
provender allowed; after which, having first scanned the banks to
discern if any fearful thing were visible, we took again to our oars,
and proceeded on our upward journey; for we hoped presently to come upon
a country where life had not become extinct, and where we could put foot
to honest earth. Yet, as I have made mention earlier, the vegetation,
where it grew, did flourish most luxuriantly; so that I am scarce
correct when I speak of life as being extinct in that land. For, indeed,
now I think of it, I can remember that the very mud from which it sprang
seemed veritably to have a fat, sluggish life of its own, so rich and
viscid was it.

Presently it was midday; yet was there but little change in the nature of
the surrounding wastes; though it may be that the vegetation was
something thicker, and more continuous along the banks. But the banks
were still of the same thick, clinging mud; so that nowhere could we
effect a landing; though, had we, the rest of the country beyond the
banks seemed no better.

And all the while, as we pulled, we glanced continuously from bank to
bank; and those who worked not at the oars were fain to rest a hand by
their sheath-knives; for the happenings of the past night were
continually in our minds, and we were in great fear; so that we had
turned back to the sea but that we had come so nigh to the end of our
provisions.

Then, it was nigh on to evening, we came upon a creek opening into the
greater one through the bank upon our left. We had been like to pass
it—as, indeed, we had passed many throughout the day—but that the
bo'sun, whose boat had the lead, cried out that there was some craft
lying-up, a little beyond the first bend. And, indeed, so it seemed; for
one of the masts of her—all jagged, where it had carried away—stuck up
plain to our view.

Now, having grown sick with so much lonesomeness, and being in fear of
the approaching night, we gave out something near to a cheer, which,
however, the bo'sun silenced, having no knowledge of those who might
occupy the stranger. And so, in silence, the bo'sun turned his craft
toward the creek, whereat we followed, taking heed to keep quietness, and
working the oars warily. So, in a little, we came to the shoulder of the
bend, and had plain sight of the vessel some little way beyond us. From
the distance she had no appearance of being inhabited; so that after some
small hesitation, we pulled towards her, though still being at pains to
keep silence.

The strange vessel lay against that bank of the creek which was upon our
right, and over above her was a thick clump of the stunted trees. For the
rest, she appeared to be firmly imbedded in the heavy mud, and there was
a certain look of age about her which carried to me a doleful suggestion
that we should find naught aboard of her fit for an honest stomach.

We had come to a distance of maybe some ten fathoms from her starboard
bow—for she lay with her head down towards the mouth of the little
creek—when the bo'sun bade his men to back water, the which Josh did
regarding our own boat. Then, being ready to fly if we had been in
danger, the bo'sun hailed the stranger; but got no reply, save that some
echo of his shout seemed to come back at us. And so he sung out again to
her, chance there might be some below decks who had not caught his first
hail; but, for the second time, no answer came to us, save the low
echo—naught, but that the silent trees took on a little quivering, as
though his voice had shaken them.

At that, being confident now within our minds, we laid alongside, and, in
a minute had shinned up the oars and so gained her decks. Here, save that
the glass of the skylight of the main cabin had been broken, and some
portion of the framework shattered, there was no extraordinary litter; so
that it appeared to us as though she had been no great while abandoned.

So soon as the bo'sun had made his way up from the boat, he turned aft
toward the scuttle, the rest of us following. We found the leaf of the
scuttle pulled forward to within an inch of closing, and so much effort
did it require of us to push it back, that we had immediate evidence of a
considerable time since any had gone down that way.

However, it was no great while before we were below, and here we found
the main cabin to be empty, save for the bare furnishings. From it there
opened off two state-rooms at the forrard end, and the captain's cabin in
the after part, and in all of these we found matters of clothing and
sundries such as proved that the vessel had been deserted apparently in
haste. In further proof of this we found, in a drawer in the captain's
room, a considerable quantity of loose gold, the which it was not to be
supposed would have been left by the free-will of the owner.

Of the staterooms, the one upon the starboard side gave evidence that it
had been occupied by a woman—no doubt a passenger. The other, in which
there were two bunks, had been shared, so far as we could have any
certainty, by a couple of young men; and this we gathered by observation
of various garments which were scattered carelessly about.

Yet it must not be supposed that we spent any great time in the cabins;
for we were pressed for food, and made haste—under the directing of
the bo'sun—to discover if the hulk held victuals whereby we might be
kept alive.

To this end, we removed the hatch which led down to the lazarette, and,
lighting two lamps which we had with us in the boats, went down to make a
search. And so, in a little while, we came upon two casks which the
bo'sun broke open with a hatchet. These casks were sound and tight, and
in them was ship's biscuit, very good and fit for food. At this, as may
be imagined, we felt eased in our minds, knowing that there was no
immediate fear of starvation. Following this, we found a barrel of
molasses; a cask of rum; some cases of dried fruit—these were mouldy and
scarce fit to be eaten; a cask of salt beef, another of pork; a small
barrel of vinegar; a case of brandy; two barrels of flour—one of which
proved to be damp-struck; and a bunch of tallow dips.

In a little while we had all these things up in the big cabin, so that
we might come at them the better to make choice of that which was fit for
our stomachs, and that which was otherwise. Meantime, whilst the bo'sun
overhauled these matters, Josh called a couple of the men, and went on
deck to bring up the gear from the boats, for it had been decided that we
should pass the night aboard the hulk.

When this was accomplished, Josh took a walk forward to the fo'cas'le;
but found nothing beyond two seamen's chests; a sea-bag, and some odd
gear. There were, indeed, no more than ten bunks in the place; for she
was but a small brig, and had no call for a great crowd. Yet Josh was
more than a little puzzled to know what had come to the odd chests; for
it was not to be supposed that there had been no more than two—and a
sea-bag—among ten men. But to this, at that time, he had no answer, and
so, being sharp for supper, made a return to the deck, and thence to the
main cabin.

Now while he had been gone, the bo'sun had set the men to clearing out
the main cabin; after which, he had served out two biscuits apiece all
round, and a tot of rum. To Josh, when he appeared, he gave the same,
and, in a little, we called a sort of council; being sufficiently stayed
by the food to talk.

Yet, before we came to speech, we made shift to light our pipes; for the
bo'sun had discovered a case of tobacco in the captain's cabin, and after
this we came to the consideration of our position.

We had provender, so the bo'sun calculated, to last us for the better
part of two months, and this without any great stint; but we had yet to
prove if the brig held water in her casks, for that in the creek was
brackish, even so far as we had penetrated from the sea; else we had not
been in need. To the charge of this, the bo'sun set Josh, along with two
of the men. Another, he told to take charge of the galley, so long as we
were in the hulk. But for that night, he said we had no need to do
aught; for we had sufficient of water in the boats' breakers to last us
till the morrow. And so, in a little, the dusk began to fill the cabin;
but we talked on, being greatly content with our present ease and the
good tobacco which we enjoyed.

In a little while, one of the men cried out suddenly to us to be silent,
and, in that minute, all heard it—a far, drawn-out wailing; the same
which had come to us in the evening of the first day. At that we looked
at one another through the smoke and the growing dark, and, even as we
looked, it became plainer heard, until, in a while, it was all about
us—aye! it seemed to come floating down through the broken framework of
the skylight as though some weariful, unseen thing stood and cried upon
the decks above our heads.

Now through all that crying, none moved; none, that is, save Josh and the
bo'sun, and they went up into the scuttle to see whether anything was in
sight; but they found nothing, and so came down to us; for there was no
wisdom in exposing ourselves, unarmed as we were, save for our
sheath-knives.

And so, in a little, the night crept down upon the world, and still we
sat within the dark cabin, none speaking, and knowing of the rest only by
the glows of their pipes.

All at once there came a low, muttered growl, stealing across the land;
and immediately the crying was quenched in its sullen thunder. It died
away, and there was a full minute of silence; then, once more it came,
and it was nearer and more plain to the ear. I took my pipe from my
mouth; for I had come again upon the great fear and uneasiness which the
happenings of the first night had bred in me, and the taste of the smoke
brought me no more pleasure. The muttered growl swept over our heads and
died away into the distance, and there was a sudden silence.

Then, in that quietness, came the bo'sun's voice. He was bidding us
haste every one into the captain's cabin. As we moved to obey him, he ran
to draw over the lid of the scuttle; and Josh went with him, and,
together, they had it across; though with difficulty. When we had come
into the captain's cabin, we closed and barred the door, piling two great
sea chests up against it; and so we felt near safe; for we knew that no
thing, man nor beast, could come at us there. Yet, as may be supposed, we
felt not altogether secure; for there was that in the growling which now
filled the darkness, that seemed demoniac, and we knew not what horrid
Powers were abroad.

And so through the night the growling continued, seeming to be mighty
near unto us—aye! almost over our heads, and of a loudness far
surpassing all that had come to us on the previous night; so that I
thanked the Almighty that we had come into shelter in the midst of so
much fear.

Now at times, I fell upon sleep, as did most of the others; but, for the
most part, I lay half sleeping and half waking—being unable to attain to
true sleep by reason of the everlasting growling above us in the night,
and the fear which it bred in me. Thus, it chanced that just after
midnight, I caught a sound in the main cabin beyond the door, and
immediately I was fully waked. I sat me up and listened, and so became
aware that something was fumbling about the deck of the main cabin. At
that, I got to my feet and made my way to where the bo'sun lay, meaning
to waken him, if he slept; but he caught me by the ankle, as I stooped to
shake him, and whispered to me to keep silence; for he too had been aware
of that strange noise of something fumbling beyond in the big cabin.

In a little, we crept both of us so close to the door as the chests
would allow, and there we crouched, listening; but could not tell what
manner of thing it might be which produced so strange a noise. For it
was neither shuffling, nor treading of any kind, nor yet was it the
whirr of a bat's wings, the which had first occurred to me, knowing how
vampires are said to inhabit the nights in dismal places. Nor yet was it
the slurr of a snake; but rather it seemed to us to be as though a great
wet cloth were being rubbed everywhere across the floor and bulkheads.
We were the better able to be certain of the truth of this likeness,
when, suddenly, it passed across the further side of the door behind
which we listened: at which, you may be sure, we drew backwards both of
us in fright; though the door, and the chests, stood between us and that
which rubbed against it.

Presently, the sound ceased, and, listen as we might, we could no longer
distinguish it. Yet, until the morning, we dozed no more; being troubled
in mind as to what manner of thing it was which had made search in the
big cabin.

Then in time the day came, and the growling ceased. For a mournful while
the sad crying filled our ears, and then at last the eternal silence that
fills the day hours of that dismal land fell upon us.

So, being at last in quietness, we slept, being greatly awearied. About
seven in the morning, the bo'sun waked me, and I found that they had
opened the door into the big cabin; but though the bo'sun and I made
careful search, we could nowhere come upon anything to tell us aught
concerning the thing which had put us so in fright. Yet, I know not if I
am right in saying that we came upon nothing; for, in several places, the
bulkheads had a
chafed
look; but whether this had been there before
that night, we had no means of telling.

Of that which we had heard, the bo'sun bade me make no mention, for he
would not have the men put more in fear than need be. This I conceived to
be wisdom, and so held my peace. Yet I was much troubled in my mind to
know what manner of thing it was which we had need to fear, and more—I
desired greatly to know whether we should be free of it in the daylight
hours; for there was always with me, as I went hither and thither, the
thought that IT—for that is how I designated it in my mind—might come
upon us to our destruction.