They
appeared
to me to
be women whom it would be neither advisable nor possible to
deceive in a case like this.
be women whom it would be neither advisable nor possible to
deceive in a case like this.
Warner - World's Best Literature - v24 - Sta to Tal
Aleshine.
The steamer, on which I
was making a moderately rapid passage toward the land of the
legended fan and the lacquered box, carried a fair complement
of passengers, most of whom were Americans; and among these,
my attention was attracted from the very first day of the voy.
age to two middle-aged women who appeared to me very unlike
the ordinary traveler or tourist. At first sight they might have
been taken for farmers' wives who, for some unusual reason, had
determined to make a voyage across the Pacific; but on closer
observation, one would have been more apt to suppose that they
belonged to the families of prosperous tradesmen in some little
country town, where, besides the arts of rural housewifery, there
would be opportunities of becoming acquainted in some degree
with the ways and manners of the outside world. They were
not of that order of persons who generally take first-class pass-
ages on steamships, but the state-room occupied by Mrs. Lecks and
Mrs. Aleshine was one of the best in the vessel; and although
they kept very much to themselves and showed no desire for
the company or notice of the other passengers, they evidently
considered themselves quite as good as any one else, and with as
much right to voyage to any part of the world in any manner
or style which pleased them.
Mrs. Lecks was a rather tall woman, large-boned and mus-
cular; and her well-browned countenance gave indications of that
conviction of superiority which gradually grows up in the minds
of those who, for a long time, have had absolute control of the
## p. 13993 (#179) ##########################################
FRANK R. STOCKTON
13993
destinies of a state, or the multifarious affairs of a country house-
hold. Mrs. Aleshine was somewhat younger than her friend,
somewhat shorter, and a great deal fatter. She had the same
air of reliance upon her individual worth that characterized
Mrs. Lecks; but there was a certain geniality about her which
indicated that she would have a good deal of forbearance for
those who never had had the opportunity or the ability of be-
coming the thoroughly good housewife which she was herself.
These two worthy dames spent the greater part of their time
on deck, where they always sat together in a place at the stern
of the vessel which was well sheltered from wind and weather.
As they sat thus they were generally employed in knitting;
although this occupation did not prevent them from keeping
up what seemed to me, as I passed them in my walks about
the deck, a continuous conversation. From a question which
Mrs. Lecks once asked me about a distant sail, our acquaintance
began. There was no one on board for whose society I particu-
larly cared; and as there was something quaint and odd about
these countrywomen on the ocean which interested me, I was
glad to vary my solitary promenades by an occasional chat with
them. They were not at all backward in giving me information
about themselves. They were both widows, and Mrs. Aleshine
was going out to Japan to visit a son who had a position there
in a mercantile house. Mrs. Lecks had no children, and was
accompanying her friend because, as she said, she would not
allow Mrs. Aleshine to make such a voyage as that by herself;
and because, being quite able to do so, she did not know why
she should not see the world as well as other people.
These two friends were not educated women. They made
frequent mistakes in their grammar, and a good deal of Middle
States provincialism showed itself in their pronunciation and ex-
pressions. But although they brought many of their rural ideas
to sea with them, they possessed a large share of that common-
sense which is available anywhere, and they frequently made
use of it in a manner which was very amusing to me. I think
also that they found in me a quarry of information concerning
nautical matters, foreign countries, and my own affairs, the work-
ing of which helped to make us very good ship friends.
Our steamer touched at the Sandwich Islands; and it was a
little more than two days after we left Honolulu, that about
nine o'clock in the evening we had the misfortune to come into
## p. 13994 (#180) ##########################################
13994
FRANK R. STOCKTON
collision with an eastern-bound vessel. The fault was entirely
due to the other ship; the lookout on which, although the night
was rather dark and foggy, could easily have seen our lights in
time to avoid collision, if he had not been asleep or absent from
his post. Be this as it may, this vessel, which appeared to be a
small steamer, struck us with great force near our bows, and then
backing disappeared into the fog, and we never saw or heard
of her again. The general opinion was that she was injured very
much more than we were, and that she probably sank not very
long after the accident; for when the fog cleared away, about an
hour afterward, nothing could be seen of her lights.
As it usually happens on occasions of accidents at sea, the
damage to our vessel was at first reported to be slight; but it
was soon discovered that our injuries were serious, and indeed
disastrous. The hull of our steamer had been badly shattered
on the port bow, and the water came in at a most alarming rate.
For nearly two hours the crew and many of the passengers
worked at the pumps, and everything possible was done to stop
the enormous leak: but all labor to save the vessel was found to
be utterly unavailing; and a little before midnight the captain
announced that it was impossible to keep the steamer afloat, and
that we must all take to the boats. The night was now clear,
the stars were bright, and as there was but little wind, the sea
was comparatively smooth, With all these advantages, the cap-
tain assured us there was no reason to apprehend danger; and
he thought that by noon of the following day we could easily
make a small inhabited island, where we could be sheltered and
cared for until we should be taken off by some passing vessel.
There was plenty of time for all necessary preparations, and
these were made with much order and subordination. Some of
the ladies among the cabin passengers were greatly frightened,
and inclined to be hysterical. There were pale faces also among
the gentlemen. But everybody obeyed the captain's orders, and
all prepared themselves for the transfer to the boats. The first
officer came among us, and told each of us what boats we were
to take, and where we were to place ourselves on deck.
assigned to a large boat which was to be principally occupied by
steerage passengers; and as I came up from my state-room, where
I had gone to secure my money and some portable valuables, I
met on the companion-way Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine, who
expressed considerable dissatisfaction when they found that I was
I was
## p. 13995 (#181) ##########################################
FRANK R. STOCKTON
13995
not going in the boat with them. They however hurried below,
and I went on deck; where in about ten minutes I was joined
by Mrs. Lecks, who apparently had been looking for me. She
told me she had something very particular to say to me, and
conducted me toward the stern of the vessel; where, behind one
of the deck-houses, we found Mrs. Aleshine.
"Look here,” said Mrs. Lecks, leading me to the rail and
pointing downward, “do you see that boat there? It has been
let down, and there is nobody in it. The boat on the other side
has just gone off, full to the brim. I never saw so many people
crowded into a boat. The other ones will be just as packed, I
expect. I don't see why we shouldn't take this empty boat, now
we've got a chance, instead of squeezin' ourselves into those
crowded ones. If any of the other people come afterward, why,
we shall have our choice of seats; and that's considerable of a
p’int, I should say, in a time like this. ”
That's so,” said Mrs. Aleshine, “and me and Mrs. Lecks
would 'a' got right in when we saw the boat was empty, if we
hadn't been afraid to be there without any man — for it might
have floated off, and neither of us don't know nothin' about
rowin'. And then Mrs. Lecks she thought of you, supposin' a
young man who knew so much about the sea would know how
to row. ”
"Oh, yes,” said I, “but I cannot imagine why this boat should
have been left empty. I see a keg of water in it, and the oars,
and some tin cans; and so I suppose it has been made ready for
somebody. Will you wait here a minute until I run forward and
see how things are going on there? ”
Amidships and forward I saw that there was some confusion
among the people who were not yet in their boats, and I found
that there was to be rather more crowding than at first was
expected. People who had supposed that they were to go in a
certain boat found there no place, and were hurrying to other
boats. It now became plain to me that no time should be lost
in getting into the small boat which Mrs. Lecks had pointed out,
and which was probably reserved for some favored persons, as
the officers were keeping the people forward and amidships, the
other stern-boat having already departed. But as I acknowledged
no reason why any one should be regarded with more favor than
myself and the two women who were waiting for me, I slipped
quietly aft, and joined Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine.
>>
## p. 13996 (#182) ##########################################
13996
FRANK R. STOCKTON
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“We must get in as soon as we can,” said I in a low voice,
« for this boat may be discovered, and then there will be a rush
for it. I suspect it may have been reserved for the captain and
some of the officers, but we have as much right in it as they. ”
"And more too,” replied Mrs. Lecks; for we had nothin' to
do with the steerin' and smashin'. "
“But how are we goin' to get down there ? ” said Mrs. Ale.
shine. « There's no steps. ”
“That is true,” said I. “I shouldn't wonder if this boat is
to be taken forward when the others are filled. We must scram-
ble down as well as we can by the tackle at the bow and stern.
I'll get in first and keep her close to the ship's side. ”
“That's goin' to be a scratchy business," said Mrs. Lecks;
“and I'm of the opinion we ought to wait till the ship has sunk
a little more, so we'll be nearer to the boat. ”
"It won't do to wait," said I, “or we shall not get in at all. ”
"And goodness gracious! ” exclaimed Mrs. Aleshine, "I can't
stand here and feel the ship sinkin' cold blooded under me, till
we've got where we can make an easy jump! ”
“Very well, then,” said Mrs. Lecks, we won't wait. But
the first thing to be done is for each one of us to put on one
of these life-preservers.
-
Two of them I brought from Mrs.
Aleshine's and my cabin, and the other I got next door, where
the people had gone off and left it on the floor. I thought if
anythin' happened on the way to the island, these would give
us a chance to look about us; but it seems to me we'll need 'em
more gettin' down them ropes than anywhere else. I did intend
puttin' on two myself to make up for Mrs. Aleshine's fat; but
you must wear one of 'em, sir, now that you are goin' to join
the party. ”
As I knew that two life-preservers would not be needed by
Mrs. Lecks, and would greatly inconvenience her, I accepted
the one offered me; but declined to put it on until it should be
necessary, as it would interfere with my movements.
“Very well,” said Mrs. Lecks, “if you think you are safe in
gettin' down without it. But Mrs. Aleshine and me will put
ours on before we begin sailor-scramblin'. We know how to do
it, for we tried 'em on soon after we started from San Francisco.
And now, Barb'ry Aleshine, are you sure you've got everythin'
you want? for it'll be no use thinkin' about anythin' you've for-
got after the ship has sunk out of sight. ”
## p. 13997 (#183) ##########################################
FRANK R. STOCKTON
13997
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“There's nothin' else I can think of,” said Mrs. Aleshine,-
"at least nothin' I can carry; and so I suppose we may as well
begin, for your talk of the ship sinkin' under our feet gives me
a sort o' feelin' like an oyster creepin' up and down my back. ”
Mrs. Lecks looked over the side at the boat, into which I had
already descended. “I'll go first, Barb'ry Aleshine," said she,
"and show you how. ”
The sea was quiet, and the steamer had already sunk so much
that Mrs. Lecks's voice sounded frightfully near me, although she
spoke in a low tone.
"Watch me,” said she to her companion. "I'm goin' to do
just as he did, and you must follow in the same way.
So saying, she stepped on a bench by the rail; then, with one
foot on the rail itself, she seized the ropes which hung from one
of the davits to the bow of the boat. She looked down for a
moment, and then she drew back.
“It's no use," she said. « We must wait until she sinks more,
an' I can get in easier. ”
This remark made me feel nervous. 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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## p. 13998 (#184) ##########################################
13998
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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## p. 14001 (#187) ##########################################
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. ”
on
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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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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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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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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.
was making a moderately rapid passage toward the land of the
legended fan and the lacquered box, carried a fair complement
of passengers, most of whom were Americans; and among these,
my attention was attracted from the very first day of the voy.
age to two middle-aged women who appeared to me very unlike
the ordinary traveler or tourist. At first sight they might have
been taken for farmers' wives who, for some unusual reason, had
determined to make a voyage across the Pacific; but on closer
observation, one would have been more apt to suppose that they
belonged to the families of prosperous tradesmen in some little
country town, where, besides the arts of rural housewifery, there
would be opportunities of becoming acquainted in some degree
with the ways and manners of the outside world. They were
not of that order of persons who generally take first-class pass-
ages on steamships, but the state-room occupied by Mrs. Lecks and
Mrs. Aleshine was one of the best in the vessel; and although
they kept very much to themselves and showed no desire for
the company or notice of the other passengers, they evidently
considered themselves quite as good as any one else, and with as
much right to voyage to any part of the world in any manner
or style which pleased them.
Mrs. Lecks was a rather tall woman, large-boned and mus-
cular; and her well-browned countenance gave indications of that
conviction of superiority which gradually grows up in the minds
of those who, for a long time, have had absolute control of the
## p. 13993 (#179) ##########################################
FRANK R. STOCKTON
13993
destinies of a state, or the multifarious affairs of a country house-
hold. Mrs. Aleshine was somewhat younger than her friend,
somewhat shorter, and a great deal fatter. She had the same
air of reliance upon her individual worth that characterized
Mrs. Lecks; but there was a certain geniality about her which
indicated that she would have a good deal of forbearance for
those who never had had the opportunity or the ability of be-
coming the thoroughly good housewife which she was herself.
These two worthy dames spent the greater part of their time
on deck, where they always sat together in a place at the stern
of the vessel which was well sheltered from wind and weather.
As they sat thus they were generally employed in knitting;
although this occupation did not prevent them from keeping
up what seemed to me, as I passed them in my walks about
the deck, a continuous conversation. From a question which
Mrs. Lecks once asked me about a distant sail, our acquaintance
began. There was no one on board for whose society I particu-
larly cared; and as there was something quaint and odd about
these countrywomen on the ocean which interested me, I was
glad to vary my solitary promenades by an occasional chat with
them. They were not at all backward in giving me information
about themselves. They were both widows, and Mrs. Aleshine
was going out to Japan to visit a son who had a position there
in a mercantile house. Mrs. Lecks had no children, and was
accompanying her friend because, as she said, she would not
allow Mrs. Aleshine to make such a voyage as that by herself;
and because, being quite able to do so, she did not know why
she should not see the world as well as other people.
These two friends were not educated women. They made
frequent mistakes in their grammar, and a good deal of Middle
States provincialism showed itself in their pronunciation and ex-
pressions. But although they brought many of their rural ideas
to sea with them, they possessed a large share of that common-
sense which is available anywhere, and they frequently made
use of it in a manner which was very amusing to me. I think
also that they found in me a quarry of information concerning
nautical matters, foreign countries, and my own affairs, the work-
ing of which helped to make us very good ship friends.
Our steamer touched at the Sandwich Islands; and it was a
little more than two days after we left Honolulu, that about
nine o'clock in the evening we had the misfortune to come into
## p. 13994 (#180) ##########################################
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FRANK R. STOCKTON
collision with an eastern-bound vessel. The fault was entirely
due to the other ship; the lookout on which, although the night
was rather dark and foggy, could easily have seen our lights in
time to avoid collision, if he had not been asleep or absent from
his post. Be this as it may, this vessel, which appeared to be a
small steamer, struck us with great force near our bows, and then
backing disappeared into the fog, and we never saw or heard
of her again. The general opinion was that she was injured very
much more than we were, and that she probably sank not very
long after the accident; for when the fog cleared away, about an
hour afterward, nothing could be seen of her lights.
As it usually happens on occasions of accidents at sea, the
damage to our vessel was at first reported to be slight; but it
was soon discovered that our injuries were serious, and indeed
disastrous. The hull of our steamer had been badly shattered
on the port bow, and the water came in at a most alarming rate.
For nearly two hours the crew and many of the passengers
worked at the pumps, and everything possible was done to stop
the enormous leak: but all labor to save the vessel was found to
be utterly unavailing; and a little before midnight the captain
announced that it was impossible to keep the steamer afloat, and
that we must all take to the boats. The night was now clear,
the stars were bright, and as there was but little wind, the sea
was comparatively smooth, With all these advantages, the cap-
tain assured us there was no reason to apprehend danger; and
he thought that by noon of the following day we could easily
make a small inhabited island, where we could be sheltered and
cared for until we should be taken off by some passing vessel.
There was plenty of time for all necessary preparations, and
these were made with much order and subordination. Some of
the ladies among the cabin passengers were greatly frightened,
and inclined to be hysterical. There were pale faces also among
the gentlemen. But everybody obeyed the captain's orders, and
all prepared themselves for the transfer to the boats. The first
officer came among us, and told each of us what boats we were
to take, and where we were to place ourselves on deck.
assigned to a large boat which was to be principally occupied by
steerage passengers; and as I came up from my state-room, where
I had gone to secure my money and some portable valuables, I
met on the companion-way Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine, who
expressed considerable dissatisfaction when they found that I was
I was
## p. 13995 (#181) ##########################################
FRANK R. STOCKTON
13995
not going in the boat with them. They however hurried below,
and I went on deck; where in about ten minutes I was joined
by Mrs. Lecks, who apparently had been looking for me. She
told me she had something very particular to say to me, and
conducted me toward the stern of the vessel; where, behind one
of the deck-houses, we found Mrs. Aleshine.
"Look here,” said Mrs. Lecks, leading me to the rail and
pointing downward, “do you see that boat there? It has been
let down, and there is nobody in it. The boat on the other side
has just gone off, full to the brim. I never saw so many people
crowded into a boat. The other ones will be just as packed, I
expect. I don't see why we shouldn't take this empty boat, now
we've got a chance, instead of squeezin' ourselves into those
crowded ones. If any of the other people come afterward, why,
we shall have our choice of seats; and that's considerable of a
p’int, I should say, in a time like this. ”
That's so,” said Mrs. Aleshine, “and me and Mrs. Lecks
would 'a' got right in when we saw the boat was empty, if we
hadn't been afraid to be there without any man — for it might
have floated off, and neither of us don't know nothin' about
rowin'. And then Mrs. Lecks she thought of you, supposin' a
young man who knew so much about the sea would know how
to row. ”
"Oh, yes,” said I, “but I cannot imagine why this boat should
have been left empty. I see a keg of water in it, and the oars,
and some tin cans; and so I suppose it has been made ready for
somebody. Will you wait here a minute until I run forward and
see how things are going on there? ”
Amidships and forward I saw that there was some confusion
among the people who were not yet in their boats, and I found
that there was to be rather more crowding than at first was
expected. People who had supposed that they were to go in a
certain boat found there no place, and were hurrying to other
boats. It now became plain to me that no time should be lost
in getting into the small boat which Mrs. Lecks had pointed out,
and which was probably reserved for some favored persons, as
the officers were keeping the people forward and amidships, the
other stern-boat having already departed. But as I acknowledged
no reason why any one should be regarded with more favor than
myself and the two women who were waiting for me, I slipped
quietly aft, and joined Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine.
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FRANK R. STOCKTON
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“We must get in as soon as we can,” said I in a low voice,
« for this boat may be discovered, and then there will be a rush
for it. I suspect it may have been reserved for the captain and
some of the officers, but we have as much right in it as they. ”
"And more too,” replied Mrs. Lecks; for we had nothin' to
do with the steerin' and smashin'. "
“But how are we goin' to get down there ? ” said Mrs. Ale.
shine. « There's no steps. ”
“That is true,” said I. “I shouldn't wonder if this boat is
to be taken forward when the others are filled. We must scram-
ble down as well as we can by the tackle at the bow and stern.
I'll get in first and keep her close to the ship's side. ”
“That's goin' to be a scratchy business," said Mrs. Lecks;
“and I'm of the opinion we ought to wait till the ship has sunk
a little more, so we'll be nearer to the boat. ”
"It won't do to wait," said I, “or we shall not get in at all. ”
"And goodness gracious! ” exclaimed Mrs. Aleshine, "I can't
stand here and feel the ship sinkin' cold blooded under me, till
we've got where we can make an easy jump! ”
“Very well, then,” said Mrs. Lecks, we won't wait. But
the first thing to be done is for each one of us to put on one
of these life-preservers.
-
Two of them I brought from Mrs.
Aleshine's and my cabin, and the other I got next door, where
the people had gone off and left it on the floor. I thought if
anythin' happened on the way to the island, these would give
us a chance to look about us; but it seems to me we'll need 'em
more gettin' down them ropes than anywhere else. I did intend
puttin' on two myself to make up for Mrs. Aleshine's fat; but
you must wear one of 'em, sir, now that you are goin' to join
the party. ”
As I knew that two life-preservers would not be needed by
Mrs. Lecks, and would greatly inconvenience her, I accepted
the one offered me; but declined to put it on until it should be
necessary, as it would interfere with my movements.
“Very well,” said Mrs. Lecks, “if you think you are safe in
gettin' down without it. But Mrs. Aleshine and me will put
ours on before we begin sailor-scramblin'. We know how to do
it, for we tried 'em on soon after we started from San Francisco.
And now, Barb'ry Aleshine, are you sure you've got everythin'
you want? for it'll be no use thinkin' about anythin' you've for-
got after the ship has sunk out of sight. ”
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FRANK R. STOCKTON
13997
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“There's nothin' else I can think of,” said Mrs. Aleshine,-
"at least nothin' I can carry; and so I suppose we may as well
begin, for your talk of the ship sinkin' under our feet gives me
a sort o' feelin' like an oyster creepin' up and down my back. ”
Mrs. Lecks looked over the side at the boat, into which I had
already descended. “I'll go first, Barb'ry Aleshine," said she,
"and show you how. ”
The sea was quiet, and the steamer had already sunk so much
that Mrs. Lecks's voice sounded frightfully near me, although she
spoke in a low tone.
"Watch me,” said she to her companion. "I'm goin' to do
just as he did, and you must follow in the same way.
So saying, she stepped on a bench by the rail; then, with one
foot on the rail itself, she seized the ropes which hung from one
of the davits to the bow of the boat. She looked down for a
moment, and then she drew back.
“It's no use," she said. « We must wait until she sinks more,
an' I can get in easier. ”
This remark made me feel nervous. 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
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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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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
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"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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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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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.
