Mary of Marion Isle

Chapter XV Disaster

The ship in which Andrew and his party sailed, by name Neptune, was a fine one which ran direct to Oceania via the Cape, and the accommodation reserved and especially decorated for his Lordship, as may be guessed, was of the best possible. Only for some reason which he did not explain, Andrew rejected the splendid suite which had been placed at his disposal, saying that it was much more suited to his Staff, and sent Jacks on a voyage of discovery. The end of it was that he took up his abode in some roomy and isolated cabins upon the third deck that, when the steamer carried mails, which she did no longer, had served as a sorting–room and for the sleeping places of the officials. The sorting–room he fitted up as an office, while he slept in one of the cabins and Jacks in the other. When Clara made a fuss about the matter, he said that he found these quarters quiet and had decided to stop there. So in them he remained, to the advantage of the Staff, who inherited his newly gilded staterooms in which they made as much noise as they liked.

For the rest, the voyage to the Cape was very pleasant. Andrew appeared on deck at certain hours and talked to all and sundry; also he was most careful to be early at meals, when he attended them at all, so that nobody should have any possible excuse for rising as he entered the saloon. Further, he gave away the prizes at the ship's sports, and did such other things as a Governor should. At the Cape they all stayed at Government House in state and met the local celebrities. Most of these four days, however, he managed to spend with his scientific friend, filling in the rest of the time with a journey up Table Mountain, a visit to Robben Island to see the lepers, whither Clara did not accompany him, and in an inspection of the hospitals.

Departing at length with a send–off suitable to his official dignity, they began their long voyage to Oceania, of which nothing need be told, except the end thereof. As they steamed towards the South Pole the weather grew colder and colder, till Clara wore her thickest and most costly furs even in the saloon, and the highly connected Staff appeared in garments suited to the Arctic regions. The old captain told them that the temperature was far below the normal for those latitudes, from seven to ten degrees, or so he said, but Clara remarked sarcastically that this was the kind of tale one always heard to account for unusual weather.

"To what do you attribute it, Captain?" asked Andrew, taking no notice of her interruption.

"Ice, my lord. One does not usually meet with it here at this time of year, but I expect that some big bergs have got caught up against the coasts of Prince Edward and Marion Islands, which we shall pass to–night a couple of hundred miles or so to the south of them."

"What are the islands like?" asked Andrew idly.

"I don't know, my lord, for I never saw them and don't want to. But once I had a seaman on board who was shipwrecked there in his youth. He told me that they are desolate, mountainous places with a lot of snow on them; the home of seals and penguins and every other kind of seabird by the thousand. Sealers visit them sometimes for water or for what they can catch, though perhaps not once in a score of years."

"How did the man live?" asked Andrew.

"Oh! quite well, my lord. They found a hut on the island—I forget which of them it was—built, I suppose, by a shipwrecked crew, and provisions in it, left by some passing vessel. Also they killed wild goats and ate them, and as the Kerguelen cabbage grows there, they had plenty of green stuff. So, as it chanced that they were rescued within three months, they did not suffer at all, though of course they might just as well have been there for thirty years."

"It would be a queer life to spend thirty years in a place like that. Better be dead at once," remarked the first A.D.C., who was a very exquisite young man indeed.

"I don't know," said Andrew, "if one had a sufficiency of essential things. At least it would give time for thought, which some of us need very much."

"Supposing the clothes to be available, I wonder whether one would go on dressing for dinner," reflected the A.D.C.

"That, I expect, would depend on whether any ladies were there, Captain de Ferney," interpolated Clara. "I am sure that if the position were reversed―"

At this moment a junior officer appeared in the saloon and whispered something to the captain, in which Andrew, whose hearing was acute, caught the word "ice."

The captain rose quickly, saying as he left the saloon:

"Will your Excellencies excuse me?"

"I hope there's nothing wrong," exclaimed Clara anxiously.

"Oh! dear no," said Andrew, stifling a yawn. "No such luck. I imagine that we are rather safer than we should be in St. Paul's Cathedral, of which the foundations are said to have sunk. When you have finished your wine, Mr. Jacks, would you kindly come to my cabin and bring that small encyclopædia with you? I want to read up Kerguelen cabbage and some other things. Also I am frozen in this ice–house. Goodnight, Clara, my dear. Good night, gentlemen, please do not move."

So Andrew departed to his quarters down below, which, notwithstanding the electric radiator that had been fitted up for him, he found so cold that he put on first a wool waistcoat, then a thick jersey, and last of all a dressing–gown. Here presently Mr. Jacks, very similarly attired, joined him with the encyclopædia, in which Andrew failed to find anything about Kerguelen cabbage. Throwing it aside, also sundry Blue Books which the industrious Jacks offered to him, Andrew, with his assistance and that of a microscope, continued certain bacteriological researches on which he spent his leisure hours.

Whilst he was thus occupied an officer arrived with the captain's compliments and a message to the effect that they had been passing through some ice, but there was no need for him to be disturbed, since they appeared to be out of it.

Andrew replied that he should not have thought so from the temperature, and offered the officer some whisky, which he declined and departed.

Then the pair continued their researches, which proved very absorbing. At last Andrew looked at his watch and said:

"By George! it is past twelve o'clock. Time to go to bed. I wonder whether we shall get any quiet times to ourselves in Oceania, Jacks."

"I doubt it, my lord. Too many petticoats and politics there, I think, to allow of anything useful and serious."

As the words left his lips something happened. There was a soft grinding noise and the ship, which had been running on a perfectly even keel, seemed to heel over, so much so that the whisky bottle and glasses slid along the table and would have fallen had not Andrew caught them.

"Hullo! What's that?" he said.

"Don't know, my lord. Perhaps we have struck a whale. Shall I go and see?"

"No, it is too dark. If there's anything wrong, they will come to tell us. Help me to put away these preparations."

As they were thus engaged, faintly enough through the various decks, they heard sounds of commotion. Then came other sounds as of heavy masses of iron falling, or being pressed into their places. Also the siren blew loud blasts.

"I believe, my lord," said Jacks imperturbably, but with unusual distinctness, "that they are shutting the watertight doors."

Andrew laughed a little, and answered:

"Then it is rather a bad look out for us, my friend. And the worst of it is I cannot blame anyone, for they warned me that that was the danger of these cabins. There is a way up, though, for they showed it to me. But I can't remember where it is. It didn't interest me at the time."

"It is interesting now, my lord," remarked Jacks.

"The thing to do on these occasions," said Andrew, "if there is any occasion, is to keep one's head. First let us ascertain if the watertight doors are really shut."

They went out of the cabin and turned to the right, to find themselves confronted by a wall of iron that appeared across the passage way.

"That one is shut right enough," remarked Andrew quietly. "Let's try forward."

So they did, only to be similarly confronted by another wall of iron.

"Now one appreciates the feelings of the proverbial rat in the trap," remarked Andrew, as they returned to the cabin.

"Yes, my lord," said Jacks, "but what's the use of being a Governor–General if your Staff leave you to drown like the rat?"

"None whatsoever, Jacks, but probably the Staff are engaged in looking after themselves. The officers and crew remain, however, and I am quite certain they will not desert us if it can be helped. My word! it is cold here. Give me that fur coat, will you, and take the other yourself."

Scarcely had they put on these garments than the electric light went out.

"Something has happened," said Andrew, "and it is pretty serious too."

"Yes, my lord," replied Jacks through the darkness. "I think we have struck an iceberg and are sinking."

"Then soon we shall learn many things, or—nothing at all. Well, it had to come one day, so what does it matter?" mused Andrew aloud.

Now, except for certain distant noises that sounded like the lowering of boats, though of this, being so deep down in the ship they could not be sure, there followed silence. They also were silent, being engaged with their own earnest reflections.

"Jacks," exclaimed Andrew suddenly, "I remember now how one gets to the upper deck, by the escape stair, also that there is an electric lamp in that corner on the shelf. I used it last night to examine something. Here it is. Now follow me. Stop. Put that bottle of whisky in your pocket, it might be useful. Also the packet of matches."

Jacks obeyed, and leaving the cabin Andrew led the way down a little transverse passage which ended in a bathroom, originally fitted up for the convenience of the post office officials. At the end of this bathroom was a door which looked like that of a cupboard. This door, set there for the sake of privacy when the bathroom was made, opened on to a narrow stair which ran to the upper deck, terminating in a little hooded hatchway.

As they approached the head of the stair the light of the electric torch showed them a terrible thing.

The three–inch teak of the hatchway hood had been swept away, and the opening which it covered was blocked by a mass of green ice of unknown dimensions.

"Now you see why they have not come to rescue us, Jacks," said Andrew quietly. "They dared not open the watertight doors again, or perhaps the machinery wouldn't work, and the hatchway is sealed by a bit of iceberg that has fallen upon the deck and cannot be moved."

"That appears to be so, my lord," assented Jacks, in a faint voice, "so there is nothing to do save say our prayers."

"Quite so," replied Andrew, after which they sat down on the stairs and again were silent.

Thus they remained for a long while, having abandoned hope, how long they never knew, since on such occasions time passes slowly. They heard strange noises as of water moving in the bowels of the great ship, and felt that she was sinking under them, but nothing else, for the screws had ceased to turn. Then came a muffled explosion.

"A boiler blowing up," said Andrew, "or perhaps a bulkhead has gone."

Probably the latter was the true explanation, since from that moment the Neptune began to heel over to starboard. Further and further she heeled, till they thought that she must capsize. Then, when she reached a certain angle this chanced. Suddenly the huge block of ice at the head of the stair slid away; they heard it crash through the bulwarks and fall with a mighty splash into the sea. The hatchway was clear.

"At any rate we shall die in the open! Come along," said Andrew, and they crawled on to the deck.

By this time the electric torch had given out after the fashion of those wretched articles. The stars, however, and a fragment of dying moon showing between clouds, furnished some light, sufficient to show them that the ship seemed to be quite deserted, as indeed the silence told.

"Well, they are all off safely, thank God!" said Andrew.

"Yes, my lord," replied the practical Jacks, "but they have left us behind. Perhaps they are hanging about in boats, and would hear us if we shouted."

So shout they did, but without any result. Here it may be explained that this was not wonderful, since at the moment a huge iceberg half a mile long or more lay to the south between the ship, which was believed to have foundered, and the boats which had been obliged to get away from her in order to avoid destruction. In short, no one was to blame for their seeming desertion, which was brought about by the sudden appearance of this second berg in the darkness of the night.

For a little while the pair crouched there desolate, not knowing what to do. Out of the murk just above their heads suddenly appeared something white and ghost–like floating by them in complete silence.

"What's that?" asked Jacks in a startled voice.

"The big albatross which follows the ship night and day," answered Andrew, looking at it idly.

It vanished, then appeared again, and watching it subconsciously, Andrew noted that it seemed to be circling round a dark object in the water beneath them. Just then a cloud passed and the dying moon shone out faintly, revealing the object.

"It's a boat," exclaimed Andrew. "If only we could get into it; and it must be tied to the ship, or it would have drifted away."

They crept along the bulwarks that were gradually sinking closer to the level of the sea as the ship filled, till they were opposite to the boat. As Andrew had suspected, it was made fast to the ship by one of the falls that for some reason or other had never been unhooked from its prow.

"Now," Andrew said here, "shall we stop here, or shall we try to get into that boat? Which do you say?"

"I say the boat, my lord, for the ship is going. I'll go down the fall first, and see if it is safe."

"Why should you take the risk?" asked Andrew, but before the words were out of his mouth Jacks was sliding awkwardly down the fall.

It was not safe, for beneath his weight the rope ran out of the block, so that Jacks, who was clinging to it, fell for the last few feet, but fortunately into the boat. Scrambling up, he called out:

"Jump, my lord, jump, and I'll catch you. Jump, for by God! she's going."

As he spoke another bulkhead gave with a hollow boom, and the Neptune lurched deeper to starboard. Then Andrew sprang through about twelve feet of space straight at the boat which was beginning to float away. Jacks stood up manfully to receive him, which he did with a vengeance, for Andrew landed full upon the poor little man and together they rolled into the bottom of the boat. Andrew picked himself up practically unharmed. Jacks lay still awhile and groaned.

"Are you hurt, my dear fellow?" asked Andrew.

"No, no, my lord, only knocked breathless," he replied faintly. "If your lordship could get that whisky bottle out of my pocket and give me a little, if it is not broken, I think it would do me good."

By some chance the bottle was not broken, and Andrew managed to uncork it. Then Jacks drank, and he followed his example.

"That's better," said Andrew, after a pull. "I never thought that West's Best would do me a good turn one day," and he laughed in the reaction of their escape from the most immediate peril.

By now the wind or the seas, or both, had caught them, and they were drifting rapidly clear of the stern of the ship. When they had passed it by only a few yards, suddenly the Neptune turned right over and lay thus for a while with her great screws showing in the faint light and water running from her plates. Then came more explosions, and lo, she was not!

"Hang tight," said Andrew, for the boat was oscillating violently and there was evident danger of its being sucked down.

Fortunately, however, it was what is known as a lifeboat of the so–called unsinkable variety, so this did not happen. Indeed, in a little more than a minute all peril had gone by. The great sea had swallowed the Neptune, and save for some floating wreckage over which the wide–winged albatross wheeled, all was as before.