The Last Entry

rd. He brought his main-topsail to the mast without reluctance when there was anything to be seen or talked to; he went on board the stranger, and dined with him; invited the stranger in

t his bowlines; but it was a time of ambling, of do

f impatient hearts, hove-to, with a derelict schooner within easy hail, and the commander taking plenty of time to reason

exclaimed Captain Parry. 'What is to be done? Advise me, in the name of God, captain! You know-y

hey have been received on board a ship, then I don't see what can be done. For in what direction may that ship be heading? Enough if your young lady shou

door, and called to

e chief officer, and

quickly prese

-don't trouble the young gentlemen,' said he, with a supercilious smile, vanishing almost as it appeared upon his firm lips, 'but a couple of sharp hands to the royal mastheads. Give one of them this glass.' He handed Mr. Mulready a binocula

the glasses, and

blind desire, helpless wrath, at the star-blue line of the sea that swept the brilliance of the heavens within little more than a

flashes of lightning. Each line terminated in a little dotted circle. These were the 'runs.' But, then, these were also the Doldrums, and the motive power of

ander, putting his finger upon the northernmost little ci

cks?' observed Cap

fecting a landing. Anyone cast ashore there must perish. There is nothing to eat or drink. It is the desolation of hell!' added the comman

y are in a boat they cannot be far distant. They have not long left the schooner, but e

the commander, in a note

nd me a navigator and a few hands, we will sweep the sea, taking this mark,' he continued, putting his finger upon the chart, 'as our base, and hunting wi

avity at the sea that came brimming to the counter in a sheet of winding lines, the light swathes

sion that might kill the hope that had suddenly been bor

ready e

king hard with their glasses, s

the sc

, but sa

s may be, sir. This gentleman has an idea, and I don't know but that it might prove practicable,' said the commander

e third mate approached and t

a small coop full of cocks and hens, all alive, and very hungry and thirsty. I fed them

d, and ma

captain to Parry, 'we don't want live cocks and hens t

gh her canvas were like the distress of something living. She had slewed somewhat, bringing her jibboom

the pictures of their little bodies high in the heavens, sweeping the deep with bi

lorious stroke of the sun? It was known that the young lady who had been on board the schooner was betrothed

f this voyage home, as I did of the voyage out, and I shall probably publish it, sir. But this incident wil

ncident should not be be

u want a sea-fact to be accepted, state tha

f he had been up for a week

cean piece, with the smoke of her galley-chimney going straight up, the sailors-it was their breakfast-time-lounging in the cool of the shade

ast square of sail when the weak swell of the sea put a faint pulse of life into it. The sky was sublimely lofty,

ouds, looking at the schooner, conversing, and waiting for the return

not object,' he added, as if thinking aloud. 'We shall be saving a valuable yacht. Mr. Blundell is a very efficient young officer, quite experienced eno

the schooner

he. 'Mr. Blundell and four men and a b

l,' said Captain Parry. 'I can do a man

to depend upon,' answered the commander. 'I will see Mr. B

ed that a biscuit and a cup of tea should be brought to him on deck. He gazed round upon the sp

d, which was not very conceivable, for sailors do not commonly row when the distance they have to trave

. Had Miss Vanderholt accompanied the men? Would they carry with them a living witness

ooth. The sun, soaring high, burnt fiercely; the paint bubbled in blisters, the pitch ran in soft-so

ek in stowing a ship's hold. Captain Parry stood in the gangway to receive him, and

y officer, grasping the dry-minded mate by th

eady, 'enough to last a small crew six months. Her after-hold is r

arry wildly. 'Did you find no hi

ain formal, sympathetic gravity, 'that nothing is a

s appearance, follo

nd the mate, 'that he shall take charge of the yacht and search for the boat. There can b

n board!' answer

hest, and the necessary ammunition. If you fall in with the boat, remember they are eight seamen, rendered desperate by m

t,' said Parry; and he went ha

e schooner. A fireball by night might bring the boat to the yacht. He then produced a piec

wever, since the mutiny appears to have been owing to the rottenne

and human beings. The passengers made a tender farewell of this singular, most romantic leave-taking in mid-ocean. They pressed forward to shake Captain Parry by the hand. Some hoped that the blessing of God would attend his search.

sketched it in that last entry. It was hard to think of his immensely wealthy friend Mr. Vanderholt meeting a mean, base end at the hands of a brutal Ratcliffe sailor. What had they done with Violet? The little ship seemed to smell of human blood. The airy graces of her heights, the beauty of all that was choice and finished betwixt her rails, seemed to

of the destruction of his sweetheart and Mr. Vanderholt, and, wondering what the devil had brought her so far from home, whether it might be possible that father and daug

ne glove was still bulked with the impress of her hand, as though she had but just now drawn it off in a hurry, and cast it down. He peered narrowly. The cabin was a charming little boudoir. He witnes

ng to help him here. The old gentleman had been eccentric. He had believed he loved the life of the forecastle,-God help hi

erth by a bustle in the cabin. He looked out, and s

s in here,' said h

ho was a Swede. 'A little gentle vindt has

te understand,' exc

, to the men, and went o

in the sky to show you where it came from, was wrinkling the wide wa

red, with her foretop-sail full, every cloth stirless, so soft was the cradling of that sea. Her yards were braced forwards, and she seemed to lean; she floated upright

rmanently tinctured by the roasting fires and the drying-in gales and frosts of ocean-travel. He was looking at the compass of the schooner when Captain Parry approached. Perhaps h

oking at the ship under the shelter of

lundell. 'We've dipped our farew

on talked of limiting us to time that he intended

ng mate

e, 'was that we should not run the quest in

nable limit,' said

dgment, sir; and I am will

s, Blu

nce with warmth and emotion, stepped

ooner north-west,' said

Barrington's ideas. He has sketched me a circular course. I'll compass it off on the chart below presently, and yo

s and halliards. The breeze freshened in a steady gushing. The ocean was a miracle of laughing lig

the breeze now, and her pale and shapely shadow leaned as she headed, with a

of the lower masthead. The captain got into the shrouds, and made his way to the crosstrees. Higher, being no sailor, he durst not crawl. With one hand he grasped a topmast shr

eft the schooner afloat. Don't they usuall

they were about when they left the schooner floating. She would be met with, and boarded. They'd find nothing to give them an idea of what

hy

if one of the men of this yacht turned up at a hospital and gabbled, less would be made of what he said if the schooner had been towed into port as a mystery than had she been sunk. For

d mate's view,' s

. When he regained the deck, he saw a seaman climbing the fore-rigging, with a binocular glass slung over his shoulder. He watched him till the man had

n heart-leap, 'if the boat is afloat, or has no

lt seething alongside. His heart leapt up; but in a minute all was dark again within him, wit

impatient to learn the directions given by Captain Barrington, but Mr. Blundell was busy with the little ship's affairs just then. He had to appoint a cook, and see to the di

erth for the chart of the Atlantic, the captain stood looking about him and thinking. She had sat there, or there, he thought, at table. It was so recent, the very fragrance of her might be found in the atmosphere. How often had her feet trodden those steps? He saw her, in imaginat

it, sir,' said Blundell, coming out of Captain

ent for measuring distances. He pulled a paper, covered wit

; 'where the point of this leg is we were when we parted company with the Alfred. We allow t

ed Captain Parry, d

to arrive at this point.' Here he put the pencil end of the compasses

nautical instruments for measuring distances, described a number of circles. These circles lay one within anot

s royal yard? Well, Captain Barrington would not allow that he should be able to see so small an object as a boat, even with a good telescope,

viewing the discs with admiration full of hope, 's

r means to come running into the inner whilst we'

ance do

hat ever was found at sea,' answered

,' said Captain Parry, 'is that the

lowly round the cabin

y. 'If we fall in with the boat sha

t with the chart, rolling

made in the log-book, I should argue that the men had been using

in was working in his face, sharpening his gaze and pinching

und, were steady as sailors go. No doubt they'd got something in the Nova Scotia way in their captain. He appears to have been one of those captains who,

would not use violence

e men. I dare say they were demons whilst they fought, and thought of the cause of t

ing witness

kely as not they'll put her aboard something passing,

'It's the first bit of hope that's come t