I hoped that he was mistaken, and that she appeared to be so only because we were getting farther from her.
Not many minutes afterwards, as I looked, a huge sea rolled up towards her.
The next instant Tom cried out, “She’s gone!” I rubbed my eyes. The foaming waters raged over the spot where the old Cerberus had floated; and I knew too well that every one of our helpless shipmates had perished, unless the other boat had got safely off. Their fate might be ours before long, we all knew, though we did not despair.
Nettleship’s first care was to see what provisions we had got. We found that we had but two quart bottles of water, a bag of biscuits, a small ham, a single piece of pork, and three bottles of French cordials. These he had placed in the stern-sheets, that they might be kept dry, and that none of the men might be tempted to take more than their share. We might be days, or even weeks, before we were picked up or reached land. Nettleship pointed out to us the importance of husbanding our stores. The afternoon was far gone before we left the ship, and night was now approaching, while the gale had shown no signs of abating.
Humanly speaking, our lives depended on Nettleship’s steering. There was everything to try the skill and nerves of a man; but it was difficult in the darkness to watch the seas coming up so as to avoid those likely to break aboard.
He sat in the stern-sheets like a figure of iron, his countenance fixed, his eyes turned now ahead, now on one, now on the other side. He seldom spoke, for his attention was occupied with the task he had undertaken. Older seamen had given in, while his courage and resolution had remained unshaken.
I had always liked him, ever since I joined the Liffy, but now I admired and respected him above all men, barring my uncle the major, who would, I am sure, have acted in the same way, though he might not have had the nautical skill to steer the boat.
“Stretch yourselves as best you can, youngsters, in the stern-sheets, and go to sleep,” said Nettleship; “I intend to steer till daylight, and then let either Hunt or Ray (they were two quartermasters) take the helm.”
“But I don’t like to leave you without company,” I said.
“Don’t trouble yourself about that, Paddy,” he answered; “the seas are my company, and precious rough company they are too; they’ll prevent me nodding.”