“I am no sea-lawyer, and I don’t know much about it; but my notion is, that if the owners claim her, they take her by paying the salvage decreed by the court. I am sorry Mr. Pelham is not here to settle all the questions that may come up concerning this steamer.”
“I think we shall be able to settle them somehow or other,” replied Wainwright confidently. “It would be a big thing for the Tritonia to send that vessel into port.”
“So it would; but it will be a bigger thing to save the passengers on board of her. Though we see but one man on board of her, there may be a dozen or twenty,” added Marline.
“What are they about, if there are any others in her?”
“That’s more than I know; but men lose their heads in times of trouble. The crew may have broken into the rum-barrels, and got drunk. A crew is very likely to do such a thing after the discipline of the vessel is lost.”
“Do you suppose that is the case?”
“I don’t suppose any thing about it: I have known just such things to happen,” answered Marline, who evidently did not care to continue the conversation, for he did not wish to commit himself to any thing.
The sea was still too heavy, when the port-watch came on duty at eight o’clock, to allow any recitation to be conducted in the steerage. Professor Primback, with his supreme contempt for all things nautical, was unable to keep on his legs, and was therefore incompetent to sustain the dignity of his position. He knew that the students would laugh if a smart sea should upset him, or cause him to reel, during his demonstration at the blackboard; and he was unwilling to tempt them. For this reason it was usually vacation time in very stormy weather. The seamen not on duty were reclining in their berths, or wedged into various corners where they could save themselves from being pitched about by the savage plunging of the vessel. Every movable thing had been secured by the stewards, for neither tables nor stools would stay upon their legs.
Professor Primback was very nervous and uneasy in the absence of the vice-principal; for he did not place any great confidence in the good judgment and discretion of the young officers of the vessel. He perversely refused to inform himself in regard to seamanship and maritime custom and law; and he was no better than a child outside of the duties of an instructor. He remained in his berth till after nine o’clock in the morning, because he would not trust himself to the uneasy deck. But he was not satisfied with the action of the young commander, even after the latter had consulted with Mr. Marline.
After he had carefully considered the situation without being able to reach any conclusion, he decided to go on deck,—if he could get there,—and examine for himself into the condition of affairs. He got out of his berth with no little difficulty, and by sundry darts and plunges reached the companion-way. While he had the baluster under his hand he did very well, and succeeded in reaching the quarter-deck without any disaster.