Thus we proceeded on our voyage, sometimes bounding merrily before a fair breeze, at other times floating calmly on the glassy wave and fishing for the curious inhabitants of the deep, - all of which, although the sailors thought little of them, were strange, and interesting, and very wonderful to me.
At last we came among the Coral Islands of the Pacific, and I shall never forget the delight with which I gazed, - when we chanced to pass one, - at the pure, white, dazzling shores, and the verdant palm-trees, which looked bright and beautiful in the sunshine.And often did we three long to be landed on one, imagining that we should certainly find perfect happiness there! Our wish was granted sooner than we expected.
One night, soon after we entered the tropics, an awful storm burst upon our ship.The first squall of wind carried away two of our masts; and left only the foremast standing.Even this, however, was more than enough, for we did not dare to hoist a rag of sail on it.For five days the tempest raged in all its fury.Everything was swept off the decks except one small boat.The steersman was lashed to the wheel, lest he should be washed away, and we all gave ourselves up for lost.The captain said that he had no idea where we were, as we had been blown far out of our course; and we feared much that we might get among the dangerous coral reefs which are so numerous in the Pacific.At day-break on the sixth morning of the gale we saw land ahead.It was an island encircled by a reef of coral on which the waves broke in fury.There was calm water within this reef, but we could only see one narrow opening into it.
For this opening we steered, but, ere we reached it, a tremendous wave broke on our stern, tore the rudder completely off, and left us at the mercy of the winds and waves.
"It's all over with us now, lads," said the captain to the men;"get the boat ready to launch; we shall be on the rocks in less than half an hour."The men obeyed in gloomy silence, for they felt that there was little hope of so small a boat living in such a sea.
"Come boys," said Jack Martin, in a grave tone, to me and Peterkin, as we stood on the quarterdeck awaiting our fate; - "Come boys, we three shall stick together.You see it is impossible that the little boat can reach the shore, crowded with men.It will be sure to upset, so I mean rather to trust myself to a large oar, I see through the telescope that the ship will strike at the tail of the reef, where the waves break into the quiet water inside; so, if we manage to cling to the oar till it is driven over the breakers, we may perhaps gain the shore.What say you; will you join me?"We gladly agreed to follow Jack, for he inspired us with confidence, although I could perceive, by the sad tone of his voice, that he had little hope; and, indeed, when I looked at the white waves that lashed the reef and boiled against the rocks as if in fury, I felt that there was but a step between us and death.My heart sank within me; but at that moment my thoughts turned to my beloved mother, and I remembered those words, which were among the last that she said to me - "Ralph, my dearest child, always remember in the hour of danger to look to your Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.He alone is both able and willing to save your body and your soul." So I felt much comforted when I thought thereon.
The ship was now very near the rocks.The men were ready with the boat, and the captain beside them giving orders, when a tremendous wave came towards us.We three ran towards the bow to lay hold of our oar, and had barely reached it when the wave fell on the deck with a crash like thunder.At the same moment the ship struck, the foremast broke off close to the deck and went over the side, carrying the boat and men along with it.Our oar got entangled with the wreck, and Jack seized an axe to cut it free, but, owing to the motion of the ship, he missed the cordage and struck the axe deep into the oar.Another wave, however, washed it clear of the wreck.We all seized hold of it, and the next instant we were struggling in the wild sea.The last thing I saw was the boat whirling in the surf, and all the sailors tossed into the foaming waves.Then I became insensible.
On recovering from my swoon, I found myself lying on a bank of soft grass, under the shelter of an overhanging rock, with Peterkin on his knees by my side, tenderly bathing my temples with water, and endeavouring to stop the blood that flowed from a wound in my forehead.
