“I’m sure, sir, Mr Meldrum, I hardly know how to address you,” said Captain Dinks, his old polite sell again, and smiling as if there was no storm near. “I beg your pardon for not recognising that you were of the same craft; but what could I think, or how could I judge?”
“Oh, never mind that now,” said Mr Meldrum eagerly. “Put her about at once, as you value all our lives.”
“All right!” replied Captain Dinks; “down with the helm there, sharp!”
The men strained every sinew to get the wheel round, the muscles on the Norwegian’s arms standing out in relief like wire ropes, and Ben Boltrope using his utmost strength and assisting him with a will.
“Look out forward!” shouted the captain in the meantime, to warn McCarthy and the men what was going to be done so that they might hold on; “were going to ’bout ship.” And although they could not hear a word he said, they judged what he meant by his motions and prepared themselves accordingly.
The manoeuvre was executed at last, but very nearly a moment too late.
As the ship came round, she met the sea full butt, and was for the instant almost buried—the water coming in high over the forecastle and falling like a cataract into the waist, engulfing the men there in a well of green wave and foam; while, at the same moment, the squall ahead struck her on the port bow, the vessel, between the two opposing forces, being like a piece of iron ’twixt hammer and anvil. The concussion was tremendous, knocking everybody off their feet just as if the ship had struck on a rock.
Crash went the remains of the foremast over the side, carrying with it the maintop-mast and the solitary scrap of sail that was set; and for a moment the ship broached to, heeling over as if she were going to founder.
However, the same expedient that had been tried in the night, that of a tarpaulin in the weather-rigging, was again resorted to; and the helm being kept down, the vessel’s head was got to the sea, the wreck of the foremast, which had swung clear of the ship although still kept attached by the gear forwards, acting as a sort of breakwater, and tempering down the strength of the waves, so that after a time she rode somewhat easy.
Meanwhile, Kate had a terrible fright.