The last did not appear to have quite room enough
for a steady footing; but as she remarked, it did not matter very
much, as the footing, broad or narrow, would not be there very
long
I am used to swimming, and have never hesitated to take
a plunge into river or ocean; but I must admit that it was
very trying to my nerves to stand up this way and wait for a
boat to sink beneath me.
for a steady footing; but as she remarked, it did not matter very
much, as the footing, broad or narrow, would not be there very
long
I am used to swimming, and have never hesitated to take
a plunge into river or ocean; but I must admit that it was
very trying to my nerves to stand up this way and wait for a
boat to sink beneath me.
Warner - World's Best Literature - v24 - Sta to Tal
I did not know at what
moment there might be a rush for this boat, nor when indeed
the steamer might go down. The boat amidships on our side
had rowed away some minutes before, and through the darkness
I could distinguish another boat, near the bows, pushing off. It
would be too late now for us to try to get into any other boat,
and I did not feel that there was time enough for me to take
this one to a place where the two women could more easily
descend to her. Standing upright, I urged them not to delay.
«You see,” said I, “I can reach you as soon as you swing
yourself off the ropes, and I'll help you down. ”
“If you're sure you can keep us from comin' down too sud-
den, we'll try it,” said Mrs. Lecks, “but I'd as soon be drowned
as to get to an island with a broken leg. And as to Mrs. Ale-
shine, if she was to slip she'd go slam through that boat to the
bottom of the sea. Now then, be ready! I'm comin' down ! »
So saying, she swung herself off, and she was then so near
me that I was able to seize her and make the rest of her descent
comparatively easy. Mrs. Aleshine proved to be a more difficult
subject. Even after I had a firm grasp of her capacious waist
she refused to let go the ropes, for fear that she might drop into
the ocean instead of the boat. But the reproaches of Mrs. Lecks
and the downward weight of myself made her loosen her nervous
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FRANK R. STOCKTON
grip; and although we came very near going overboard together,
I safely placed her on one of the thwarts.
I now unhooked the tackle from the stern; but before casting
off at the bow, I hesitated, for I did not wish to desert any of
those who might be expecting to embark in this boat. But I
could hear no approaching footsteps; and from my position, close
to the side of the steamer, I could see nothing. Therefore I cast
off, and taking the oars, I pushed away and rowed to a little dis-
tance, where I could get whatever view was possible of the deck
of the steamer. Seeing no forms moving about, I called out, and
receiving no answer, I shouted again at the top of my voice. I
waited for nearly a minute; and hearing nothing and seeing
nothing, I became convinced that no one was left on the vessel.
“ They are all gone,” said I, “and we will pull after them as
fast as we can. ”
And I began to row toward the bow of the steamer, in the
direction which the other boats had taken.
“It's a good thing you can row,” said Mrs. Lecks, settling
herself comfortably in the stern-sheets, for what Mrs. Aleshine
and me would ha' done with them oars, I am sure I don't know. ”
I'd never have got into this boat," said Mrs. Aleshine, if
Mr. Craig hadn't been here. ”
“ "No, indeed,” replied her friend. "You'd ha' gone to the
bottom, hangin' for dear life to them ropes. ”
When I had rounded the bow of the steamer, which appeared
to me to be rapidly settling in the water, I perceived at no great
distance several lights which of course belonged to the other
boats; and I rowed as hard as I could, hoping to catch up with
them, or at least to keep sufficiently near. It might be my duty
to take off some of the people who had crowded into the other
boats, probably supposing that this one had been loaded and
gone. How such a mistake could have taken place I could not
divine, and it was not my business to do so. Quite certain that
one was left on the sinking steamer, all I had to do was
to row after the other boats, and to overtake them as soon as
possible. I thought it would not take me very long to do this;
but after rowing for half an hour, Mrs. Aleshine remarked that
the lights seemed as far off as, if not farther than, when we first
started after them. Turning, I saw that this was the case, and
was greatly surprised. With only two passengers I ought soon
to have come up with those heavily laden boats; but after I had
no
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FRANK R. STOCKTON
13999
thought over it a little, I considered that as each of them was
probably pulled by half a dozen stout sailors, it was not so very
strange that they should make as good or better headway than I
did.
It was not very long after this that Mrs. Lecks said that
she thought that the lights on the other boats must be going
out; and that this, most probably, was due to the fact that the
sailors had forgotten to fill their lanterns before they started.
« That sort of thing often happens,” she said, “when people leave
a place in a hurry. ”
But when I turned around, and peered over the dark waters,
it was quite plain to me that it was not want of oil, but increased
distance, which made those lights so dim. I could now perceive
but three of them; and as the surface was agitated only by a
gentle swell, I could not suppose that any of them were hidden
from our view by waves. We were being left behind, that was
certain; and all I could do was to row on as long and as well
as I could in the direction which the other boats had taken. I
had been used to rowing, and thought I pulled a good oar, and I
certainly did not expect to be left behind in this way.
"I don't believe this boat has been emptied out since the
last rain,” said Mrs. Aleshine; «for my feet are wet, though I
didn't notice it before. ”
At this I shipped my cars, and began to examine the boat.
The bottom was covered with a movable floor of slats, and as
I put my hand down I could feel the water welling up between
the slats. The flooring was in sections; and lifting the one
beneath me, I felt under it, and put my hand into six or eight
inches of water.
The exact state of the case was now as plain to me as if it
had been posted up on a bulletin board.
-
This boat had been
found to be unseaworthy, and its use had been forbidden, all the
people having been crowded into the others. This had caused
confusion at the last moment, and of course we were supposed
to be on some one of the other boats.
And now, here was I, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean,
in a leaky boat with two middle-aged women!
“Anythin' the matter with the floor? ) asked Mrs. Lecks.
I let the section fall back into its place and looked aft. By
the starlight I could see that my two companions had each fixed
upon me a steadfast gaze. They evidently felt that something
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FRANK R. STOCKTON
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was the matter, and wanted to know what it was. I did not
hesitate for a moment to inform them. They appeared to me to
be women whom it would be neither advisable nor possible to
deceive in a case like this.
« This boat has a leak in it,” I said. « There is a lot of
water in her already, and that is the reason we have got along
so slowly. ”
“And that is why,” said Mrs. Aleshine, “it was left empty.
We ought to have known better than to expect to have a whole
boat just for three of us. It would have been much
more sensi.
ble, I think, if we had tried to squeeze into one of the others. ”
Now, Barb'ry Aleshine," said Mrs. Lecks, “don't you begin
findin' fault with good fortune when it comes to you.
Here
we've got a comfortable boat, with room enough to set easy and
stretch out if we want to. If the water is comin' in, what we've
got to do is to get it out again just as fast as we can. What's
the best way to do that, Mr. Craig ? ”
We must bail her out, and lose no time about it,” said I.
« If I can find the leak I may be able to stop it. ”
I now looked about for something to bail with, and the two
women aided actively in the search. I found one leather scoop
in the bow; but as it was well that we should all go to work, I
took two tin cans that had been put in by some one who had
begun to provision the boat, and proceeded to cut the tops from
them with my jack-knife.
“Don't lose what's in 'em,” said Mrs. Lecks; that is, if it's
anythin' we'd be likely to want to eat. If it's tomatoes, pour it
into the sea, for nobody ought to eat tomatoes put up in tins. ”
I hastily passed the cans to Mrs. Lecks, and I saw her empty
the contents of one into the sea, and those of the other on a
newspaper which she took from her pocket and placed in the
stern.
I pulled up the movable floor and threw it overboard, and
then began to bail.
“I thought,” said Mrs. Aleshine, “that they always had pumps
for leaks. ”
“Now, Barb'ry Aleshine,” said Mrs. Lecks, "just gether your-
self up on one of them seats and go to work. The less talkin'
we do and the more scoopin', the better it'll be for us. ”
soon perceived that it would have been difficult to find two
more valuable assistants in the bailing of a boat than Mrs. Lecks
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FRANK R. STOCKTON
14001
and Mrs. Aleshine. They were evidently used to work, and were
able to accommodate themselves to the unusual circumstances in
which they were placed. We threw out the water very rapidly,
and every little while I stopped bailing and felt about to see if
I could discover where it came in. As these attempts met with
no success, I gave them up after a time, and set about bailing
with new vigor, believing that if we could get the boat nearly
dry, I should surely be able to find the leak.
But after working half an hour more, I found that the job
would be a long one; and if we all worked at once, we should all
be tired out at once, and that might be disastrous. Therefore I
proposed that we should take turns in resting, and Mrs. Aleshine
was ordered to stop work for a time. After this Mrs. Lecks took
a rest, and when she went to work I stopped bailing and began
again to search for the leak.
For about two hours we worked in this way, and then I con-
cluded it was useless to continue any longer this vain exertion.
With three of us bailing we were able to keep the water at the
level we first found it; but with only two at work it slightly gained
upon us, so that now there was more water in the boat than when
we first discovered it. The boat was an iron one, and the leak in
it I could neither find nor remedy. It had probably been caused
by the warping of the metal under a hot sun; an accident which,
I am told, frequently occurs to iron boats. The little craft, which
would have been a life-boat had its air-boxes remained intact,
was now probably leaking from stem to stern; and in searching
for the leak without the protection of the flooring, my weight
had doubtless assisted in opening the seams, for it was quite
plain that the water was now coming in more rapidly than it did
at first. We were very tired; and even Mrs. Lecks, who had all
along counseled us to keep at work and not to waste one breath
in talking, now admitted that it was of no use to try to get the
water out of that boat.
It had been some hours since I had used the oars, but whether
we had drifted or remained where we were when I stopped row-
ing, of course I could not know; but this mattered very little,
- our boat was slowly sinking beneath us, and it could make
no difference whether we went down in one spot or another. I
sat and racked my brain to think what could be done in this
fearful emergency. To bail any longer was useless labor, and
what else was there that we could do ?
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## p. 14002 (#188) ##########################################
14002
FRANK R. STOCKTON
«When will it be time,asked Mrs. Lecks, “for us to put on
the life-preservers ? When the water gets nearly to the seats ? »
I answered that we should not wait any longer than that, but
in my own mind I could not see any advantage in putting them
on at all. Why should we wish to lengthen our lives by a few
hours of helpless floating upon the ocean?
“Very good,” said Mrs. Lecks: “I'll keep a watch on the
water. One of them cans was filled with lobster, which would
be more than likely to disagree with us, and I've throwed it out;
but the other had baked beans in it, and the best thing we can
do is to eat some of these right away. They are mighty nour-
ishin', and will keep up strength as well as anythin’; and then,
as you said there's a keg of water in the boat, we can all take a
drink of that, and it'll make us feel like new creatur's. You'll
have to take the beans in your hands, for we've got no spoons
nor forks. ”
Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine were each curled up out of
reach of the water, the first in the stern, and the other on the
aft thwart. The day was now beginning to break, and we could
see about us very distinctly. Before reaching out her hands
to receive her beans, Mrs. Aleshine washed them in the water in
the boat, remarking at the same time that she might as well
make use of it since it was there. Having then wiped her hands
some part of her apparel, they were filled with beans from
the newspaper held by Mrs. Lecks, and these were passed over
to me. I was very hungry; and when I had finished my beans,
I agreed with my companions that although they would have
been a great deal better if heated up with butter, pepper, and
salt, they were very comforting as they were. One of the empty
cans was now passed to me; and after having been asked by
Mrs. Lecks to rinse it out very carefully, we all satisfied our taste
from the water in the keg.
« Cold baked beans and lukewarm water ain't exactly com-
pany victuals,” said Mrs. Aleshine, “but there's many a poor
wretch would be glad to get 'em. ”
I could not imagine any poor wretch who would be glad of
the food together with the attending circumstances; but I did
not say so.
« The water is just one finger from the bottom of the seat,"
said Mrs. Lecks, who had been stooping over to measure,
and
it's time to put on the life-preservers. ”
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FRANK R. STOCKTON
14003
"Very good,” said Mrs. Aleshine: hand me mine. ”
Each of us now buckled on a life-preserver; and as I did so,
I stood up upon a thwart and looked about me. It was quite
light now, and I could see for a long distance over the surface of
the ocean, which was gently rolling in wide, smooth swells. As
we rose upon the summit of one of these I saw
a dark spot
upon the water, just on the edge of our near horizon. “Is that
the steamer? ” I thought; "and has she not yet sunk ? "
»
At this there came to me a glimmering of courageous hope.
If the steamer had remained afloat so long, it was probable
that on account of water-tight compartments, or for some other
reason, her sinking had reached its limit, and that if we could
get back to her we might be saved. But alas, how were we to
get back to her ? This boat would sink long, long before I could
row that distance.
However, I soon proclaimed the news to my companions,
whereupon Mrs. Aleshine prepared to stand upon a thwart and
see for herself. But Mrs. Lecks restrained her.
“Don't make things worse, Barb'ry Aleshine,” said she, "by
tumblin' overboard. If we've got to go into the water, let us do
it decently and in order. If that's the ship, Mr. Craig, don't you
suppose we can float ourselves to it in some way ? ”
I replied that by the help of a life-preserver a person who
could swim might reach the ship.
« But neither of us can swim,” said Mrs. Lecks; "for we've
lived where the water was never more'n a foot deep,- except
in time of freshets, when there's no swimmin' for man or beast.
But if we see you swim perhaps we can follow, after a fashion.
At any rate, we must do the best we can, and that's all there is
to be done. ”
“The water now,” remarked Mrs. Aleshine, “is so near to the
bottom of my seat that I've got to stand up, tumble overboard
or no. ”
"All right,” remarked Mrs. Lecks: "we'd better all stand up,
and let the boat sink under us. That will save our jumpin' over-
board, or rollin' out any which way, which might be awkward. ”
"Goodness gracious me! ” exclaimed Mrs. Aleshine. “You set
the oysters creepin' over me again! First you talk of the ship
sinkin' under us, and now it's the boat goin' to the bottom under
our feet.
Before any sinkin' 's to be done I'd ruther get out. ”
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FRANK R. STOCKTON
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Now, Barb'ry Aleshine,” said Mrs. Lecks, “stand up straight
and don't talk so much. It'll be a great deal better to be let
down gradual than to flop into the water all of a bunch. ”
“Very well,” said Mrs. Aleshine. < It
may
be best to get
used to it by degrees, but I must say I wish I was home. ”
As for me, I would have much preferred to jump overboard
at once, instead of waiting in this cold-blooded manner; but as
my companions had so far preserved their presence of mind, I
did not wish to do anything which might throw them into a
panic. I believed there would be no danger from the suction
caused by the sinking of a small boat like this; and if we took
care not to entangle ourselves with it in any way, we might as
well follow Mrs. Lecks's advice as not. So we all stood up, Mrs.
Lecks in the stern, I in the bow, and Mrs. Aleshine on a thwart
between us.
The last did not appear to have quite room enough
for a steady footing; but as she remarked, it did not matter very
much, as the footing, broad or narrow, would not be there very
long
I am used to swimming, and have never hesitated to take
a plunge into river or ocean; but I must admit that it was
very trying to my nerves to stand up this way and wait for a
boat to sink beneath me. How the two women were affected I
do not know. They said nothing; but their faces indicated that
something disagreeable was about to happen, and that the less
that was said about it the better.
The boat had now sunk so much that the water was around
Mrs. Aleshine's feet, her standing-place being rather lower than
ours. I made myself certain that there were no ropes nor any
other means of entanglement near my companions or myself, and
then I waited. There seemed to be a good deal of buoyancy in
the bow and stern of the boat, and it was a frightfully long time
in sinking. The suspense became so utterly unendurable that I
was tempted to put one foot on the edge of the boat, and by
tipping it, put an end to this nerve-rack; but I refrained, for I
probably should throw the women off their balance, when they
might fall against some part of the boat and do themselves
a hurt. I had just relinquished this intention, when two little
waves seemed to rise one on each side of Mrs. Aleshine; and
gently flowing over the side of the boat, they flooded her feet
with water.
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FRANK R. STOCKTON
14005
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ward me,
"Hold your breaths! ” I shouted. And now I experienced a
sensation which must have been very like that which comes to a
condemned criminal at the first indication of the pulling of the
drop. Then there was a horrible sinking, a gurgle, and a swash;
and the ocean, over which I had been gazing, appeared to rise
up and envelop me.
In a moment, however, my head was out of the water; and
looking hastily about me, I saw close by the heads and shoulders
of Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine. The latter was vigorously
winking her eyes and blowing from her mouth some sea-water
that had got into it; but as soon as her eyes fell upon me she
exclaimed, “That was ever so much more suddint than I thought
it was goin' to be! ”
"Are you both all right? ”
"I suppose I am," said Mrs. Aleshine; “but I never thought
that a person with a life-preserver on would go clean under the
water. ”
"But since you've come up again, you ought to be satisfied,”
said Mrs. Lecks. "And now,” she added, turning her face to-
which way ought we to try to swim ? and have we
got everythin' we want to take with us ? »
“What we haven't got we can't get,” remarked Mrs. Aleshine;
"and as for swimmin', I expect I'm goin' to make a poor hand
at it. ”
I had a hope, which was not quite strong enough to be a
belief, that, supported by their life-preservers, the two women
might paddle themselves along; and that by giving them in turn
a helping hand, I might eventually get them to the steamer.
There was a strong probability that I should not succeed, but I
did not care to think of that.
I now swam in front of my companions, and endeavored to
instruct them in the best method of propelling themselves with
their arms and their hands. If they succeeded in this, I thought
I would give them some further lessons in striking out with their
feet. After watching me attentively, Mrs. Lecks did manage to
move herself slowly through the smooth water; but poor Mrs.
Aleshine could do nothing but splash.
“If there was anythin' to take hold of,” she said to me, “I
might get along; but I can't get any grip on the water, though
you seem to do it well enough. Look there! ” she added in a
higher voice. “Isn't that an oar floatin' over there? If you can
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14006
FRANK R. STOCKTON
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get that for ine, I believe I can row myself much better than I
can swim. ”
This seemed an odd idea; but I swam over to the floating oar,
and brought it her. I was about to show her how she could
best use it, but she declined my advice.
« If I do it at all,” she said, “I must do it in my own way. ”
And taking the oar in her strong hands, she began to ply it on
the water, very much in the way in which she would handle a
broom. At first she dipped the blade too deeply, but correcting
this error, she soon began to paddle herself along at a slow but
steady rate.
"Capital! I cried. « You do that admirably! ”
"Anybody who's swept as many rooms as I have,” she said,
“ought to be able to handle anythin' that can be used like a
broom.
Isn't there another oar ? ” cried Mrs. Lecks, who had now
been left a little distance behind us. “If there is, I want one. ”
Looking about me, I soon discovered another floating oar, and
brought it to Mrs. Lecks; who, after holding it in various posi-
tions, so as to get "the hang of it,” as she said, soon began to
use it with as much skill as that shown by her friend. If either
of them had been obliged to use an oar in the ordinary way, I
fear they would have had a bad time of it; but considering the
implement in the light of a broom, its use immediately became
familiar to them, and they got on remarkably well.
I now took a position a little in advance of my companions,
and as I swam slowly they were easily able to keep up with
me. Mrs. Aleshine, being so stout, floated much higher out of the
water than either Mrs. Lecks or I, and this permitted her to use
her oar with a great deal of freedom. Sometimes she would give
such a vigorous brush to the water that she would turn herself
almost entirely around; but after a little practice she learned to
avoid undue efforts of this kind.
I was not positively sure that we were going in the right
direction, for my position did not allow me to see very far over
the water; but I remembered that when I was standing up in
the boat and made my discovery, the sun was just about to rise
in front of me, while the dark spot on the ocean lay to my left.
Judging, therefore, from the present position of the sun, which
was not very high, I concluded that we were moving toward
the north, and therefore in the right direction. How far off the
## p. 14007 (#193) ##########################################
FRANK R. STOCKTON
14007
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steamer might be, I had no idea, for I was not accustomed to
judging distances at sea; but I believed that if we were careful
of our strength, and if the ocean continued as smooth as it now
was, we might eventually reach the vessel, provided she were yet
afloat.
"After you are fairly in the water,” said Mrs. Aleshine, as
she swept along, although without the velocity which that phrase
usually implies, “it isn't half so bad as I thought it would be.
For one thing, it don't feel a bit salt, although I must say it
tasted horribly that way when I first went into it. ”
“You didn't expect to find pickle-brine, did you ? ” said Mrs.
Lecks. “Though if it was, I suppose we could float on it set-
tin”. »
"And as to bein' cold,” said Mrs. Aleshine, “the part of me
that's in is actually more comfortable than that which is out. ”
« There's one thing I would have been afraid of,” said Mrs.
Lecks, “if we hadn't made preparations for it, and that's sharks. ”
« Preparations! I exclaimed. «How in the world did you
prepare for sharks ? »
Easy enough,” said Mrs. Lecks. “When we went down into
our room to get ready to go away in the boats, we both put on
black stockin's. I've read that sharks never bite colored people,
although if they see a white man in the water they'll snap him
up as quick as lightnin'; and black stockin's was the nearest we
could come to it. You see, I thought as like as not we'd have
some sort of an upset before we got through. ”
“It's a great comfort,” remarked Mrs. Aleshine; "and I'm
(
very glad you thought of it, Mrs. Lecks. After this I shall make
it a rule: Black stockin's for sharks. ”
“I suppose in your case,” said Mrs. Lecks, addressing me,
« dark trousers will do as well. ”
To which I answered that I sincerely hoped they would.
"Another thing I'm thankful for,” said Mrs. Aleshine, “is that
I thought to put on a flannel skeert. ”
"And what's the good of it,” said Mrs. Lecks, “when it's sop-
pin' wet ? »
“Flannel's flannel,” replied her friend, “whether it's wet or
dry; and if you'd had the rheumatism as much as I have, you'd
know it. ”
To this Mrs. Lecks replied with a sniff, and asked me how
soon I thought we would get sight of the ship; for if we were
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14008
FRANK R. STOCKTON
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that way.
Do you
going the wrong way, and had to turn round and go back, it
would certainly be very provoking.
I should have been happy indeed to be able to give a satis-
factory answer to this question. Every time that we rose upon
a swell I threw a rapid glance around the whole circle of the
horizon; and at last, not a quarter of an hour after Mrs. Lecks's
question, I was rejoiced to see, almost in the direction in which
I supposed it ought to be, the dark spot which I had before
discovered. I shouted the glad news, and as rose again
my companions strained their eyes in the direction to which I
pointed. They both saw it, and were greatly satisfied.
“Now then,” said Mrs. Aleshine, “it seems as if there was
somethin' to work for ”; and she began to sweep her oar with
great vigor.
"If you want to tire yourself out before you get there,
Barb'ry Aleshine," said Mrs. Lecks, "you'd better go on in
Now what I advise is, that we stop rowin' altogether
and have somethin' to eat; for I'm sure we need it to keep up
our strength. ”
“Eat! » I cried. “What are you going to eat ?
expect to catch fish ? »
"And eat 'em raw? ” said Mrs. Lecks. “I should think not.
But do you suppose, Mr. Craig, that Mrs. Aleshine and me would
go off and leave that ship without takin' somethin' to eat by the
Let's all gether here in a bunch, and see what sort of a
meal we can make. And now, Barb'ry Aleshine, if you lay your
oar down there on the water, I recommend you to tie it to one
of your bonnet-strings, or it'll be floatin' away, and you won't get
it again. "
As she said this, Mrs. Lecks put her right hand down into
the water and fumbled about, apparently in search of a pocket.
I could not but smile, as I thought of the condition of food
when for an hour or more it had been a couple of feet under
the surface of the ocean; but my ideas on the subject were
entirely changed when I saw Mrs. Lecks hold up in the air two
German sausages, and shake the briny drops from their smooth
and glittering surfaces.
“There's nothin',” she said, "like sausages for shipwreck and
that kind o' thing. They're very sustainin'; and bein' covered
with a tight skin, water can't get at 'em, no matter how you
carry 'em. I wouldn't bring these out in the boat, because havin'
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## p. 14009 (#195) ##########################################
FRANK R. STOCKTON
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the beans we might as well eat them. Have you a knife about
you, Mr. Craig ? ”
I produced a dripping jack-knife; and after the open blade
had been waved in the air to dry it a little, Mrs. Lecks pro-
ceeded to divide one of the sausages, handing the other to me to
hold meanwhile.
“Now don't go eatin' sausages without bread, if you don't
want 'em to give you dyspepsy,” said Mrs. Aleshine, who was
tugging at a submarine pocket.
« I'm very much afraid your bread is all soaked,” said Mrs.
Lecks.
To which her friend replied that that remained to be seen,
and forth with produced with a splash a glass preserve-jar with a
metal top.
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"I saw this nearly empty as I looked into the ship's pantry,
and I stuffed into it all the soft biscuits it would hold. There
was some sort of jam left at the bottom, so that the one who
gets the last biscuit will have somethin' of a little spread on
it. And now, Mrs. Lecks,” she continued triumphantly, as she
unscrewed the top, “that rubber ring has kept 'em as dry as
chips. I'm mighty glad of it, for I had trouble enough gettin
this jar into my pocket, - and gettin' it out, too, for that matter. ”
Floating thus, with our hands and shoulders above the water,
we made a very good meal from the sausages and soft biscuit.
« Barb'ry Aleshine,” said Mrs. Lecks, as her friend proceeded
to cut the second sausage, “don't you lay that knife down when
you've done with it, as if 't was an oar; for if you do it'll sink,
as like as not, about six miles. I've read that the ocean is as
deep as that in some places. ”
“Goodness gracious me! ” exclaimed Mrs. Aleshine, “I hope
we are not over one of them deep spots. ”
“There's no knowin',” said Mrs. Lecks; “but if it's more com-
fortin' to think it's shallerer, we'll make up our minds that way.
Now then,” she continued, "we'll finish off this meal with a little
somethin' to drink. I'm not given to takin' spirits; but I never
travel without a little whisky, ready mixed with water, to take if
it should be needed. ”
So saying, she produced from one of her pockets a whisky
flask tightly corked, and of its contents we each took a sip; Mrs.
Aleshine remarking that leaving out being chilled or colicky, we
were never likely to need it more than now.
## p. 14010 (#196) ##########################################
14010
FRANK R. STOCKTON
Thus refreshed and strengthened, Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Ale-
shine took up their oars, while I swam slightly in advance, as
before. When, with occasional intermissions of rest, and a good
deal of desultory conversation, we had swept and swam for about
an hour, Mrs. Lecks suddenly exclaimed, “I can see that thing
ever so much plainer now, and I don't believe it's a ship at all.
To me it looks like bushes. ”
“You're mighty long-sighted without your specs,” said Mrs.
Aleshine, “and I'm not sure but what you're right. ”
For ten minutes or more I had been puzzling over the shape
of the dark spot, which was now nearly all the time in sight. Its
peculiar form had filled me with a dreadful fear that it was the
steamer, bottom upward; although I knew enough about nautical
matters to have no good reason to suppose that this could be
the case.
I am not far-sighted; but when Mrs. Lecks suggested
bushes, I gazed at the distant object with totally different ideas,
and soon began to believe that it was not a ship, either right
side up or wrong side up, but that it might be an island. This
belief I proclaimed to my companions; and for some time we all
worked with increased energy, in the desire to get near enough
to make ourselves certain in regard to this point.
"As true as I'm standin' here,” said Mrs. Lecks, who, although
she could not read without spectacles, had remarkably good sight
at long range, “them is trees and bushes that I see before me,
though they do seem to be growin' right out of the water. ”
« There's an island under them; you may be sure of that! ”
I cried. “And isn't this ever so much better than a sinking
ship? ”
“I'm not so sure about that,” said Mrs. Aleshine. « I'm used
to the ship, and as long as it didn't sink I'd prefer it. There's
plenty to eat on board of it, and good beds to sleep on, which
is more than can be expected on a little bushy place like that
ahead of us. But then the ship might sink all of a suddint, -
beds, victuals, and all. ”
"Do you suppose that is the island the other boats went to ? »
asked Mrs. Lecks.
This question I had already asked of myself. I had been told
that the island to which the captain intended to take his boats
lay about thirty miles south of the point where we left the
steamer. Now, I knew very well that we had not come thirty
miles; and had reasons to believe, moreover, that the greater part
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FRANK R. STOCKTON
14011
of the progress we had made had been toward the north. It was
not at all probable that the position of this island was unknown
to our captain; and it must therefore have been considered by
him as an unsuitable place for the landing of his passengers.
There might be many reasons for this unsuitableness: the island
might be totally barren and desolate; it might be the abode of
unpleasant natives; and more important than anything else, it
was in all probability a spot where steamers never touched.
But whatever its disadvantages, I was most wildly desirous to
reach it; more so, I believe, than either of my companions. I do
not mean that they were not sensible of their danger, and desir-
ous to be freed from it; but they were women who had probably
had a rough time of it during a great part of their lives, and on
emerging from their little circle of rural experiences accepted
with equanimity, and almost as a matter of course, the rough
times which come to people in the great outside world.
"I do not believe," I said, in answer to Mrs.
moment there might be a rush for this boat, nor when indeed
the steamer might go down. The boat amidships on our side
had rowed away some minutes before, and through the darkness
I could distinguish another boat, near the bows, pushing off. It
would be too late now for us to try to get into any other boat,
and I did not feel that there was time enough for me to take
this one to a place where the two women could more easily
descend to her. Standing upright, I urged them not to delay.
«You see,” said I, “I can reach you as soon as you swing
yourself off the ropes, and I'll help you down. ”
“If you're sure you can keep us from comin' down too sud-
den, we'll try it,” said Mrs. Lecks, “but I'd as soon be drowned
as to get to an island with a broken leg. And as to Mrs. Ale-
shine, if she was to slip she'd go slam through that boat to the
bottom of the sea. Now then, be ready! I'm comin' down ! »
So saying, she swung herself off, and she was then so near
me that I was able to seize her and make the rest of her descent
comparatively easy. Mrs. Aleshine proved to be a more difficult
subject. Even after I had a firm grasp of her capacious waist
she refused to let go the ropes, for fear that she might drop into
the ocean instead of the boat. But the reproaches of Mrs. Lecks
and the downward weight of myself made her loosen her nervous
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FRANK R. STOCKTON
grip; and although we came very near going overboard together,
I safely placed her on one of the thwarts.
I now unhooked the tackle from the stern; but before casting
off at the bow, I hesitated, for I did not wish to desert any of
those who might be expecting to embark in this boat. But I
could hear no approaching footsteps; and from my position, close
to the side of the steamer, I could see nothing. Therefore I cast
off, and taking the oars, I pushed away and rowed to a little dis-
tance, where I could get whatever view was possible of the deck
of the steamer. Seeing no forms moving about, I called out, and
receiving no answer, I shouted again at the top of my voice. I
waited for nearly a minute; and hearing nothing and seeing
nothing, I became convinced that no one was left on the vessel.
“ They are all gone,” said I, “and we will pull after them as
fast as we can. ”
And I began to row toward the bow of the steamer, in the
direction which the other boats had taken.
“It's a good thing you can row,” said Mrs. Lecks, settling
herself comfortably in the stern-sheets, for what Mrs. Aleshine
and me would ha' done with them oars, I am sure I don't know. ”
I'd never have got into this boat," said Mrs. Aleshine, if
Mr. Craig hadn't been here. ”
“ "No, indeed,” replied her friend. "You'd ha' gone to the
bottom, hangin' for dear life to them ropes. ”
When I had rounded the bow of the steamer, which appeared
to me to be rapidly settling in the water, I perceived at no great
distance several lights which of course belonged to the other
boats; and I rowed as hard as I could, hoping to catch up with
them, or at least to keep sufficiently near. It might be my duty
to take off some of the people who had crowded into the other
boats, probably supposing that this one had been loaded and
gone. How such a mistake could have taken place I could not
divine, and it was not my business to do so. Quite certain that
one was left on the sinking steamer, all I had to do was
to row after the other boats, and to overtake them as soon as
possible. I thought it would not take me very long to do this;
but after rowing for half an hour, Mrs. Aleshine remarked that
the lights seemed as far off as, if not farther than, when we first
started after them. Turning, I saw that this was the case, and
was greatly surprised. With only two passengers I ought soon
to have come up with those heavily laden boats; but after I had
no
## p. 13999 (#185) ##########################################
FRANK R. STOCKTON
13999
thought over it a little, I considered that as each of them was
probably pulled by half a dozen stout sailors, it was not so very
strange that they should make as good or better headway than I
did.
It was not very long after this that Mrs. Lecks said that
she thought that the lights on the other boats must be going
out; and that this, most probably, was due to the fact that the
sailors had forgotten to fill their lanterns before they started.
« That sort of thing often happens,” she said, “when people leave
a place in a hurry. ”
But when I turned around, and peered over the dark waters,
it was quite plain to me that it was not want of oil, but increased
distance, which made those lights so dim. I could now perceive
but three of them; and as the surface was agitated only by a
gentle swell, I could not suppose that any of them were hidden
from our view by waves. We were being left behind, that was
certain; and all I could do was to row on as long and as well
as I could in the direction which the other boats had taken. I
had been used to rowing, and thought I pulled a good oar, and I
certainly did not expect to be left behind in this way.
"I don't believe this boat has been emptied out since the
last rain,” said Mrs. Aleshine; «for my feet are wet, though I
didn't notice it before. ”
At this I shipped my cars, and began to examine the boat.
The bottom was covered with a movable floor of slats, and as
I put my hand down I could feel the water welling up between
the slats. The flooring was in sections; and lifting the one
beneath me, I felt under it, and put my hand into six or eight
inches of water.
The exact state of the case was now as plain to me as if it
had been posted up on a bulletin board.
-
This boat had been
found to be unseaworthy, and its use had been forbidden, all the
people having been crowded into the others. This had caused
confusion at the last moment, and of course we were supposed
to be on some one of the other boats.
And now, here was I, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean,
in a leaky boat with two middle-aged women!
“Anythin' the matter with the floor? ) asked Mrs. Lecks.
I let the section fall back into its place and looked aft. By
the starlight I could see that my two companions had each fixed
upon me a steadfast gaze. They evidently felt that something
## p. 14000 (#186) ##########################################
14000
FRANK R. STOCKTON
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was the matter, and wanted to know what it was. I did not
hesitate for a moment to inform them. They appeared to me to
be women whom it would be neither advisable nor possible to
deceive in a case like this.
« This boat has a leak in it,” I said. « There is a lot of
water in her already, and that is the reason we have got along
so slowly. ”
“And that is why,” said Mrs. Aleshine, “it was left empty.
We ought to have known better than to expect to have a whole
boat just for three of us. It would have been much
more sensi.
ble, I think, if we had tried to squeeze into one of the others. ”
Now, Barb'ry Aleshine," said Mrs. Lecks, “don't you begin
findin' fault with good fortune when it comes to you.
Here
we've got a comfortable boat, with room enough to set easy and
stretch out if we want to. If the water is comin' in, what we've
got to do is to get it out again just as fast as we can. What's
the best way to do that, Mr. Craig ? ”
We must bail her out, and lose no time about it,” said I.
« If I can find the leak I may be able to stop it. ”
I now looked about for something to bail with, and the two
women aided actively in the search. I found one leather scoop
in the bow; but as it was well that we should all go to work, I
took two tin cans that had been put in by some one who had
begun to provision the boat, and proceeded to cut the tops from
them with my jack-knife.
“Don't lose what's in 'em,” said Mrs. Lecks; that is, if it's
anythin' we'd be likely to want to eat. If it's tomatoes, pour it
into the sea, for nobody ought to eat tomatoes put up in tins. ”
I hastily passed the cans to Mrs. Lecks, and I saw her empty
the contents of one into the sea, and those of the other on a
newspaper which she took from her pocket and placed in the
stern.
I pulled up the movable floor and threw it overboard, and
then began to bail.
“I thought,” said Mrs. Aleshine, “that they always had pumps
for leaks. ”
“Now, Barb'ry Aleshine,” said Mrs. Lecks, "just gether your-
self up on one of them seats and go to work. The less talkin'
we do and the more scoopin', the better it'll be for us. ”
soon perceived that it would have been difficult to find two
more valuable assistants in the bailing of a boat than Mrs. Lecks
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FRANK R. STOCKTON
14001
and Mrs. Aleshine. They were evidently used to work, and were
able to accommodate themselves to the unusual circumstances in
which they were placed. We threw out the water very rapidly,
and every little while I stopped bailing and felt about to see if
I could discover where it came in. As these attempts met with
no success, I gave them up after a time, and set about bailing
with new vigor, believing that if we could get the boat nearly
dry, I should surely be able to find the leak.
But after working half an hour more, I found that the job
would be a long one; and if we all worked at once, we should all
be tired out at once, and that might be disastrous. Therefore I
proposed that we should take turns in resting, and Mrs. Aleshine
was ordered to stop work for a time. After this Mrs. Lecks took
a rest, and when she went to work I stopped bailing and began
again to search for the leak.
For about two hours we worked in this way, and then I con-
cluded it was useless to continue any longer this vain exertion.
With three of us bailing we were able to keep the water at the
level we first found it; but with only two at work it slightly gained
upon us, so that now there was more water in the boat than when
we first discovered it. The boat was an iron one, and the leak in
it I could neither find nor remedy. It had probably been caused
by the warping of the metal under a hot sun; an accident which,
I am told, frequently occurs to iron boats. The little craft, which
would have been a life-boat had its air-boxes remained intact,
was now probably leaking from stem to stern; and in searching
for the leak without the protection of the flooring, my weight
had doubtless assisted in opening the seams, for it was quite
plain that the water was now coming in more rapidly than it did
at first. We were very tired; and even Mrs. Lecks, who had all
along counseled us to keep at work and not to waste one breath
in talking, now admitted that it was of no use to try to get the
water out of that boat.
It had been some hours since I had used the oars, but whether
we had drifted or remained where we were when I stopped row-
ing, of course I could not know; but this mattered very little,
- our boat was slowly sinking beneath us, and it could make
no difference whether we went down in one spot or another. I
sat and racked my brain to think what could be done in this
fearful emergency. To bail any longer was useless labor, and
what else was there that we could do ?
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## p. 14002 (#188) ##########################################
14002
FRANK R. STOCKTON
«When will it be time,asked Mrs. Lecks, “for us to put on
the life-preservers ? When the water gets nearly to the seats ? »
I answered that we should not wait any longer than that, but
in my own mind I could not see any advantage in putting them
on at all. Why should we wish to lengthen our lives by a few
hours of helpless floating upon the ocean?
“Very good,” said Mrs. Lecks: “I'll keep a watch on the
water. One of them cans was filled with lobster, which would
be more than likely to disagree with us, and I've throwed it out;
but the other had baked beans in it, and the best thing we can
do is to eat some of these right away. They are mighty nour-
ishin', and will keep up strength as well as anythin’; and then,
as you said there's a keg of water in the boat, we can all take a
drink of that, and it'll make us feel like new creatur's. You'll
have to take the beans in your hands, for we've got no spoons
nor forks. ”
Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine were each curled up out of
reach of the water, the first in the stern, and the other on the
aft thwart. The day was now beginning to break, and we could
see about us very distinctly. Before reaching out her hands
to receive her beans, Mrs. Aleshine washed them in the water in
the boat, remarking at the same time that she might as well
make use of it since it was there. Having then wiped her hands
some part of her apparel, they were filled with beans from
the newspaper held by Mrs. Lecks, and these were passed over
to me. I was very hungry; and when I had finished my beans,
I agreed with my companions that although they would have
been a great deal better if heated up with butter, pepper, and
salt, they were very comforting as they were. One of the empty
cans was now passed to me; and after having been asked by
Mrs. Lecks to rinse it out very carefully, we all satisfied our taste
from the water in the keg.
« Cold baked beans and lukewarm water ain't exactly com-
pany victuals,” said Mrs. Aleshine, “but there's many a poor
wretch would be glad to get 'em. ”
I could not imagine any poor wretch who would be glad of
the food together with the attending circumstances; but I did
not say so.
« The water is just one finger from the bottom of the seat,"
said Mrs. Lecks, who had been stooping over to measure,
and
it's time to put on the life-preservers. ”
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FRANK R. STOCKTON
14003
"Very good,” said Mrs. Aleshine: hand me mine. ”
Each of us now buckled on a life-preserver; and as I did so,
I stood up upon a thwart and looked about me. It was quite
light now, and I could see for a long distance over the surface of
the ocean, which was gently rolling in wide, smooth swells. As
we rose upon the summit of one of these I saw
a dark spot
upon the water, just on the edge of our near horizon. “Is that
the steamer? ” I thought; "and has she not yet sunk ? "
»
At this there came to me a glimmering of courageous hope.
If the steamer had remained afloat so long, it was probable
that on account of water-tight compartments, or for some other
reason, her sinking had reached its limit, and that if we could
get back to her we might be saved. But alas, how were we to
get back to her ? This boat would sink long, long before I could
row that distance.
However, I soon proclaimed the news to my companions,
whereupon Mrs. Aleshine prepared to stand upon a thwart and
see for herself. But Mrs. Lecks restrained her.
“Don't make things worse, Barb'ry Aleshine,” said she, "by
tumblin' overboard. If we've got to go into the water, let us do
it decently and in order. If that's the ship, Mr. Craig, don't you
suppose we can float ourselves to it in some way ? ”
I replied that by the help of a life-preserver a person who
could swim might reach the ship.
« But neither of us can swim,” said Mrs. Lecks; "for we've
lived where the water was never more'n a foot deep,- except
in time of freshets, when there's no swimmin' for man or beast.
But if we see you swim perhaps we can follow, after a fashion.
At any rate, we must do the best we can, and that's all there is
to be done. ”
“The water now,” remarked Mrs. Aleshine, “is so near to the
bottom of my seat that I've got to stand up, tumble overboard
or no. ”
"All right,” remarked Mrs. Lecks: "we'd better all stand up,
and let the boat sink under us. That will save our jumpin' over-
board, or rollin' out any which way, which might be awkward. ”
"Goodness gracious me! ” exclaimed Mrs. Aleshine. “You set
the oysters creepin' over me again! First you talk of the ship
sinkin' under us, and now it's the boat goin' to the bottom under
our feet.
Before any sinkin' 's to be done I'd ruther get out. ”
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Now, Barb'ry Aleshine,” said Mrs. Lecks, “stand up straight
and don't talk so much. It'll be a great deal better to be let
down gradual than to flop into the water all of a bunch. ”
“Very well,” said Mrs. Aleshine. < It
may
be best to get
used to it by degrees, but I must say I wish I was home. ”
As for me, I would have much preferred to jump overboard
at once, instead of waiting in this cold-blooded manner; but as
my companions had so far preserved their presence of mind, I
did not wish to do anything which might throw them into a
panic. I believed there would be no danger from the suction
caused by the sinking of a small boat like this; and if we took
care not to entangle ourselves with it in any way, we might as
well follow Mrs. Lecks's advice as not. So we all stood up, Mrs.
Lecks in the stern, I in the bow, and Mrs. Aleshine on a thwart
between us.
The last did not appear to have quite room enough
for a steady footing; but as she remarked, it did not matter very
much, as the footing, broad or narrow, would not be there very
long
I am used to swimming, and have never hesitated to take
a plunge into river or ocean; but I must admit that it was
very trying to my nerves to stand up this way and wait for a
boat to sink beneath me. How the two women were affected I
do not know. They said nothing; but their faces indicated that
something disagreeable was about to happen, and that the less
that was said about it the better.
The boat had now sunk so much that the water was around
Mrs. Aleshine's feet, her standing-place being rather lower than
ours. I made myself certain that there were no ropes nor any
other means of entanglement near my companions or myself, and
then I waited. There seemed to be a good deal of buoyancy in
the bow and stern of the boat, and it was a frightfully long time
in sinking. The suspense became so utterly unendurable that I
was tempted to put one foot on the edge of the boat, and by
tipping it, put an end to this nerve-rack; but I refrained, for I
probably should throw the women off their balance, when they
might fall against some part of the boat and do themselves
a hurt. I had just relinquished this intention, when two little
waves seemed to rise one on each side of Mrs. Aleshine; and
gently flowing over the side of the boat, they flooded her feet
with water.
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FRANK R. STOCKTON
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ward me,
"Hold your breaths! ” I shouted. And now I experienced a
sensation which must have been very like that which comes to a
condemned criminal at the first indication of the pulling of the
drop. Then there was a horrible sinking, a gurgle, and a swash;
and the ocean, over which I had been gazing, appeared to rise
up and envelop me.
In a moment, however, my head was out of the water; and
looking hastily about me, I saw close by the heads and shoulders
of Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine. The latter was vigorously
winking her eyes and blowing from her mouth some sea-water
that had got into it; but as soon as her eyes fell upon me she
exclaimed, “That was ever so much more suddint than I thought
it was goin' to be! ”
"Are you both all right? ”
"I suppose I am," said Mrs. Aleshine; “but I never thought
that a person with a life-preserver on would go clean under the
water. ”
"But since you've come up again, you ought to be satisfied,”
said Mrs. Lecks. "And now,” she added, turning her face to-
which way ought we to try to swim ? and have we
got everythin' we want to take with us ? »
“What we haven't got we can't get,” remarked Mrs. Aleshine;
"and as for swimmin', I expect I'm goin' to make a poor hand
at it. ”
I had a hope, which was not quite strong enough to be a
belief, that, supported by their life-preservers, the two women
might paddle themselves along; and that by giving them in turn
a helping hand, I might eventually get them to the steamer.
There was a strong probability that I should not succeed, but I
did not care to think of that.
I now swam in front of my companions, and endeavored to
instruct them in the best method of propelling themselves with
their arms and their hands. If they succeeded in this, I thought
I would give them some further lessons in striking out with their
feet. After watching me attentively, Mrs. Lecks did manage to
move herself slowly through the smooth water; but poor Mrs.
Aleshine could do nothing but splash.
“If there was anythin' to take hold of,” she said to me, “I
might get along; but I can't get any grip on the water, though
you seem to do it well enough. Look there! ” she added in a
higher voice. “Isn't that an oar floatin' over there? If you can
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14006
FRANK R. STOCKTON
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get that for ine, I believe I can row myself much better than I
can swim. ”
This seemed an odd idea; but I swam over to the floating oar,
and brought it her. I was about to show her how she could
best use it, but she declined my advice.
« If I do it at all,” she said, “I must do it in my own way. ”
And taking the oar in her strong hands, she began to ply it on
the water, very much in the way in which she would handle a
broom. At first she dipped the blade too deeply, but correcting
this error, she soon began to paddle herself along at a slow but
steady rate.
"Capital! I cried. « You do that admirably! ”
"Anybody who's swept as many rooms as I have,” she said,
“ought to be able to handle anythin' that can be used like a
broom.
Isn't there another oar ? ” cried Mrs. Lecks, who had now
been left a little distance behind us. “If there is, I want one. ”
Looking about me, I soon discovered another floating oar, and
brought it to Mrs. Lecks; who, after holding it in various posi-
tions, so as to get "the hang of it,” as she said, soon began to
use it with as much skill as that shown by her friend. If either
of them had been obliged to use an oar in the ordinary way, I
fear they would have had a bad time of it; but considering the
implement in the light of a broom, its use immediately became
familiar to them, and they got on remarkably well.
I now took a position a little in advance of my companions,
and as I swam slowly they were easily able to keep up with
me. Mrs. Aleshine, being so stout, floated much higher out of the
water than either Mrs. Lecks or I, and this permitted her to use
her oar with a great deal of freedom. Sometimes she would give
such a vigorous brush to the water that she would turn herself
almost entirely around; but after a little practice she learned to
avoid undue efforts of this kind.
I was not positively sure that we were going in the right
direction, for my position did not allow me to see very far over
the water; but I remembered that when I was standing up in
the boat and made my discovery, the sun was just about to rise
in front of me, while the dark spot on the ocean lay to my left.
Judging, therefore, from the present position of the sun, which
was not very high, I concluded that we were moving toward
the north, and therefore in the right direction. How far off the
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FRANK R. STOCKTON
14007
»
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steamer might be, I had no idea, for I was not accustomed to
judging distances at sea; but I believed that if we were careful
of our strength, and if the ocean continued as smooth as it now
was, we might eventually reach the vessel, provided she were yet
afloat.
"After you are fairly in the water,” said Mrs. Aleshine, as
she swept along, although without the velocity which that phrase
usually implies, “it isn't half so bad as I thought it would be.
For one thing, it don't feel a bit salt, although I must say it
tasted horribly that way when I first went into it. ”
“You didn't expect to find pickle-brine, did you ? ” said Mrs.
Lecks. “Though if it was, I suppose we could float on it set-
tin”. »
"And as to bein' cold,” said Mrs. Aleshine, “the part of me
that's in is actually more comfortable than that which is out. ”
« There's one thing I would have been afraid of,” said Mrs.
Lecks, “if we hadn't made preparations for it, and that's sharks. ”
« Preparations! I exclaimed. «How in the world did you
prepare for sharks ? »
Easy enough,” said Mrs. Lecks. “When we went down into
our room to get ready to go away in the boats, we both put on
black stockin's. I've read that sharks never bite colored people,
although if they see a white man in the water they'll snap him
up as quick as lightnin'; and black stockin's was the nearest we
could come to it. You see, I thought as like as not we'd have
some sort of an upset before we got through. ”
“It's a great comfort,” remarked Mrs. Aleshine; "and I'm
(
very glad you thought of it, Mrs. Lecks. After this I shall make
it a rule: Black stockin's for sharks. ”
“I suppose in your case,” said Mrs. Lecks, addressing me,
« dark trousers will do as well. ”
To which I answered that I sincerely hoped they would.
"Another thing I'm thankful for,” said Mrs. Aleshine, “is that
I thought to put on a flannel skeert. ”
"And what's the good of it,” said Mrs. Lecks, “when it's sop-
pin' wet ? »
“Flannel's flannel,” replied her friend, “whether it's wet or
dry; and if you'd had the rheumatism as much as I have, you'd
know it. ”
To this Mrs. Lecks replied with a sniff, and asked me how
soon I thought we would get sight of the ship; for if we were
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## p. 14008 (#194) ##########################################
14008
FRANK R. STOCKTON
we
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that way.
Do you
going the wrong way, and had to turn round and go back, it
would certainly be very provoking.
I should have been happy indeed to be able to give a satis-
factory answer to this question. Every time that we rose upon
a swell I threw a rapid glance around the whole circle of the
horizon; and at last, not a quarter of an hour after Mrs. Lecks's
question, I was rejoiced to see, almost in the direction in which
I supposed it ought to be, the dark spot which I had before
discovered. I shouted the glad news, and as rose again
my companions strained their eyes in the direction to which I
pointed. They both saw it, and were greatly satisfied.
“Now then,” said Mrs. Aleshine, “it seems as if there was
somethin' to work for ”; and she began to sweep her oar with
great vigor.
"If you want to tire yourself out before you get there,
Barb'ry Aleshine," said Mrs. Lecks, "you'd better go on in
Now what I advise is, that we stop rowin' altogether
and have somethin' to eat; for I'm sure we need it to keep up
our strength. ”
“Eat! » I cried. “What are you going to eat ?
expect to catch fish ? »
"And eat 'em raw? ” said Mrs. Lecks. “I should think not.
But do you suppose, Mr. Craig, that Mrs. Aleshine and me would
go off and leave that ship without takin' somethin' to eat by the
Let's all gether here in a bunch, and see what sort of a
meal we can make. And now, Barb'ry Aleshine, if you lay your
oar down there on the water, I recommend you to tie it to one
of your bonnet-strings, or it'll be floatin' away, and you won't get
it again. "
As she said this, Mrs. Lecks put her right hand down into
the water and fumbled about, apparently in search of a pocket.
I could not but smile, as I thought of the condition of food
when for an hour or more it had been a couple of feet under
the surface of the ocean; but my ideas on the subject were
entirely changed when I saw Mrs. Lecks hold up in the air two
German sausages, and shake the briny drops from their smooth
and glittering surfaces.
“There's nothin',” she said, "like sausages for shipwreck and
that kind o' thing. They're very sustainin'; and bein' covered
with a tight skin, water can't get at 'em, no matter how you
carry 'em. I wouldn't bring these out in the boat, because havin'
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way?
## p. 14009 (#195) ##########################################
FRANK R. STOCKTON
14009
the beans we might as well eat them. Have you a knife about
you, Mr. Craig ? ”
I produced a dripping jack-knife; and after the open blade
had been waved in the air to dry it a little, Mrs. Lecks pro-
ceeded to divide one of the sausages, handing the other to me to
hold meanwhile.
“Now don't go eatin' sausages without bread, if you don't
want 'em to give you dyspepsy,” said Mrs. Aleshine, who was
tugging at a submarine pocket.
« I'm very much afraid your bread is all soaked,” said Mrs.
Lecks.
To which her friend replied that that remained to be seen,
and forth with produced with a splash a glass preserve-jar with a
metal top.
(
>
"I saw this nearly empty as I looked into the ship's pantry,
and I stuffed into it all the soft biscuits it would hold. There
was some sort of jam left at the bottom, so that the one who
gets the last biscuit will have somethin' of a little spread on
it. And now, Mrs. Lecks,” she continued triumphantly, as she
unscrewed the top, “that rubber ring has kept 'em as dry as
chips. I'm mighty glad of it, for I had trouble enough gettin
this jar into my pocket, - and gettin' it out, too, for that matter. ”
Floating thus, with our hands and shoulders above the water,
we made a very good meal from the sausages and soft biscuit.
« Barb'ry Aleshine,” said Mrs. Lecks, as her friend proceeded
to cut the second sausage, “don't you lay that knife down when
you've done with it, as if 't was an oar; for if you do it'll sink,
as like as not, about six miles. I've read that the ocean is as
deep as that in some places. ”
“Goodness gracious me! ” exclaimed Mrs. Aleshine, “I hope
we are not over one of them deep spots. ”
“There's no knowin',” said Mrs. Lecks; “but if it's more com-
fortin' to think it's shallerer, we'll make up our minds that way.
Now then,” she continued, "we'll finish off this meal with a little
somethin' to drink. I'm not given to takin' spirits; but I never
travel without a little whisky, ready mixed with water, to take if
it should be needed. ”
So saying, she produced from one of her pockets a whisky
flask tightly corked, and of its contents we each took a sip; Mrs.
Aleshine remarking that leaving out being chilled or colicky, we
were never likely to need it more than now.
## p. 14010 (#196) ##########################################
14010
FRANK R. STOCKTON
Thus refreshed and strengthened, Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Ale-
shine took up their oars, while I swam slightly in advance, as
before. When, with occasional intermissions of rest, and a good
deal of desultory conversation, we had swept and swam for about
an hour, Mrs. Lecks suddenly exclaimed, “I can see that thing
ever so much plainer now, and I don't believe it's a ship at all.
To me it looks like bushes. ”
“You're mighty long-sighted without your specs,” said Mrs.
Aleshine, “and I'm not sure but what you're right. ”
For ten minutes or more I had been puzzling over the shape
of the dark spot, which was now nearly all the time in sight. Its
peculiar form had filled me with a dreadful fear that it was the
steamer, bottom upward; although I knew enough about nautical
matters to have no good reason to suppose that this could be
the case.
I am not far-sighted; but when Mrs. Lecks suggested
bushes, I gazed at the distant object with totally different ideas,
and soon began to believe that it was not a ship, either right
side up or wrong side up, but that it might be an island. This
belief I proclaimed to my companions; and for some time we all
worked with increased energy, in the desire to get near enough
to make ourselves certain in regard to this point.
"As true as I'm standin' here,” said Mrs. Lecks, who, although
she could not read without spectacles, had remarkably good sight
at long range, “them is trees and bushes that I see before me,
though they do seem to be growin' right out of the water. ”
« There's an island under them; you may be sure of that! ”
I cried. “And isn't this ever so much better than a sinking
ship? ”
“I'm not so sure about that,” said Mrs. Aleshine. « I'm used
to the ship, and as long as it didn't sink I'd prefer it. There's
plenty to eat on board of it, and good beds to sleep on, which
is more than can be expected on a little bushy place like that
ahead of us. But then the ship might sink all of a suddint, -
beds, victuals, and all. ”
"Do you suppose that is the island the other boats went to ? »
asked Mrs. Lecks.
This question I had already asked of myself. I had been told
that the island to which the captain intended to take his boats
lay about thirty miles south of the point where we left the
steamer. Now, I knew very well that we had not come thirty
miles; and had reasons to believe, moreover, that the greater part
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## p. 14011 (#197) ##########################################
FRANK R. STOCKTON
14011
of the progress we had made had been toward the north. It was
not at all probable that the position of this island was unknown
to our captain; and it must therefore have been considered by
him as an unsuitable place for the landing of his passengers.
There might be many reasons for this unsuitableness: the island
might be totally barren and desolate; it might be the abode of
unpleasant natives; and more important than anything else, it
was in all probability a spot where steamers never touched.
But whatever its disadvantages, I was most wildly desirous to
reach it; more so, I believe, than either of my companions. I do
not mean that they were not sensible of their danger, and desir-
ous to be freed from it; but they were women who had probably
had a rough time of it during a great part of their lives, and on
emerging from their little circle of rural experiences accepted
with equanimity, and almost as a matter of course, the rough
times which come to people in the great outside world.
"I do not believe," I said, in answer to Mrs.
