This news cheered us up, for we were beginning to get somewhat downcast, and some of us thought that we must have passed the islands altogether, and might make no other land till we reached the Philippines. We ran on till dark, by which time we could make out one large island and a number of smaller ones, some to the northward and some to the southward, with a reef marked by a line of white foam surrounding them. As it would be dangerous to attempt looking for a passage through the reef except in daylight, we hove-to, and the watch below lay down—or “turned in,” as we used to call it—rejoicing in the hope of setting our feet on dry ground the next morning, and getting a plentiful supply of provisions. I had to keep the middle watch with Jim. I took good care not to let my eyes close, for we were at no great distance from the reef, and I knew the danger of being drifted on it. Now I looked to windward to make sure that no vessel was approaching to run us down, now at the reef to find out whether we were drifting nearer it than was safe. After a long silence Jim spoke to me.
“There’s something on my mind, Peter,” he said. “I’m afraid that now you have found your brother Jack you’ll not be caring for me as you used to do, for the whole of the last day you have not opened your lips to me, while you have been talking away to him.”
“Don’t let such an idea rest on your mind, Jim,” I answered. “I very naturally talked to Jack, for of course I wanted to hear everything he had been about since he first went to sea, and it’s only lately I have been able to get him to say much. I don’t think that anything will make me forget your affection for me. Though Jack is my brother, you’ve been more than a brother, and as brothers we shall remain till the end of life.”
In this way I did my best to satisfy Jim’s mind. It hadn’t before occurred to me that there was any spice of jealousy in him, and I determined in future to do my best to prevent him having any such feeling. We talked on just as we used to do after that.
The wind was light, and except a slight swell coming from the eastward, the sea was perfectly smooth. If it hadn’t been for the talking I should have found it a hard matter to keep my eyes open. After I lay down, I had been for some time asleep, as I fancied, when I heard the mate cry—
“Out oars, lads! Pull for your lives!”
I jumped up in a moment.
The strong current into which the boat had got was carrying her along at the rate of five knots an hour towards the reef, over which the sea was breaking and rising up in a wall of white foam.
There was now not a breath of wind, but a much greater swell was coming in than before.
We all bent to our oars, and had good reason to be thankful that we had got them to help us, for a sailing vessel would very quickly have been dashed to pieces on the reef, and every soul aboard lost.